Names That Mean Son

Mack, a no-nonsense nickname with roots in Mackenzie, is part of the growing trend of boyish names for girls. Its crisp, modern feel gives it standout appeal alongside similar picks like Max and Drew. Not often heard on girls, although Hillary Scott used it as the middle name for her daughter Betsy in 2018.

This common Jewish surname — originally spelled Volfson — works as a modern and on-trend segue to the cool nickname Wolf, if Wolfgang or Wolfric feel a bit too heavy. With animal names like Wolf (along with Bear and Fox) shooting up the charts in recent years, Wolfson has plenty of undiscovered potential. A famous bearer of the surname is British politician David Wolfson, who was knighted Baron Wolfson of Sunningdale.

Mackson, while not unknown as a surname, is more of a modern invention as a first name, a smoosh of the more popular Jackson and Maxon. Authenticity aside, it's not without its appeal. And who can resist friendly diminutive Mack?

In the Christian bible, Barabbas was a murderer that Pontius Pilate freed while condemning Jesus to die. The name is ironic, given that Christian belief promotes Jesus as the son of the Father. The name is difficult for this reason, as well as the fact that in Spain it is used as slang for a bad person.

Parry is quite common in Wales, often as a surname, but would inevitably be misunderstood as Perry or even Harry.

Bowen is a Celtic surname representing two separate Celtic strains, one Welsh and one Irish, and entered the US Top 1000 (for boys) for the first time in 2011. It comes complete with cute nicknames Bo and Winnie.

An English surname originally given to the illegitimate sons of a monarch. It might be a nice middle name choice to honor an ancestral Roy, though as a first, it does have a cool meaning.

More common in Slovenia than its mother name, Jerneja. Neja peaked in 2015 when it ranked at Number 15 on the Slovene Top 100.

For Grandpa Vincent.

The spelling Pearce softens the name's sharper edges, though we prefer the original Piers. That "pear" snippet could confuse pronunciation, which is just like Pierce.

There are seemingly infinite ways to spell Jackson — in fact, if you add all of them up, it becomes the most popular boy name in America. Jaxsyn is mid-to-low range popularity among all the variations.

Rawlings was a surname brought to England with the Norman invasion and has ties to the name Raul, which means "wolf counsel."

Perfect name for the child of dog enthusiasts, and much more distinctive than the trendy Connor.

Ximeno is sometimes falsely credited as the Basque variation of Simon. It actually comes from Semen, a medieval Basque name that is completely unusable today, for obvious reasons. All the more reason to go with Ximeno.

Mabon ap Modron (son of Modron) is a prominent figure in Welsh literature and mythology – a fearless hero.

The a ending gives it a feminine feel.

Dickson's nickname problem keeps it from having the upside possibility of similar names like Jackson and Harrison. If you're looking for fresh baby names to honor an ancestral Richard or Dick, consider Dixon. Or better, Richardson.

Pleasant Irish last name that could be a more masculine alternative to the overused Cassidy. Early kings of Leinster bore the name, which relates to the first name Caomhan or Kevin and can also be spelled Kavanagh, Cavanagh, Cavenagh, and Kavanaugh.

A contemporary, feminized variation of Carson.