Badass Boy Names

Has diverse associations: the long-term Communist head of Yugoslavia, one of Michael Jackson's older brothers, and an animated Disney character -- none of them a very strong recommendation.

We're seeing lots of Bad Boy Names, and Menace fits right in with brothers Rocket, Rowdy, and Wilder. Menace can work for children of any gender.

Riff is the name of the leader of the Jets in West Side Story, drawn from the musical word for a repeated phrase in a song. A tragic character in the musical, but a jaunty sounding name with the vibes of Ridge, Riggs, Raffy, and Lyric too.

One of the few military ranks used as a name, as in Kennedy in-law and Peace Corps creator Sargent (born Robert Sargent) Shriver. There's also a more creative, artistic association with painter John Singer Sargent.

If you love the cowboy feel, the surname charm, and the Top Gun association that come with the currently popular Maverick but want to keep hold of the free-spirited and unconventional energy its supposed to signify, then Maverix could be a way to go — for now, at least.

Self-assured and playful, Bash is a short form of the popular Sebastian, sharing the same energy as Dash, Colt, and Nash. It could work as a quirky, rough-and-tumble alternative to the more familiar nicknames Seb or Baz, or, for those looking for something unexpected and adventurous, it could be a stand alone choice.

An alternative spelling to Zaiden, Zayden, and Zaden, with an unexpected X initial, in tune with Xander. Given to a small handful of American boys every year since 2002, this spelling could rise in the charts thanks to the character of the same name the book Fourth Wing, part of The Empyrean Series.