88 Boy Names That Peaked in 2022 - Page 4

Author Colson Whitehead introduced this surname-name to the lexicon, perfect for a son or grandson of a Nicholas, a Nicole, or a Colin. Or anyone else who likes the sound for that matter, since there are plenty of Jacksons and Harrisons whose parents are not called Jack or Harry.

The increasing popularity of Camila may have pushed this underrated Spanish name into the Top 1000 — though it remains far less popular than its feminine counterpart. A perfect familiar-but-rare choice.

A phonetic variation of Shepherd, an occupational surname. Sam Shepard, the actor and playwright, is a notable figure to use this spelling for his last name.

Kayson is one of several variations of the boys' name Cason, a favorite of the 2010s when it appeared in many different forms, from the Casen to Kaisen to Cayson. Likely inspired by the popular Mason and Jason, the name is also a place name and surname, derived from the English town Cawston .

This is one of the ninety-nine attributes of Allah, deemed by Muhammad to be a recommended name for a male child. In this country, it's been primarily associated with boxing immortal Muhammad Ali, known as "the greatest." But Ali is also one of the most popular unisex names for both boys and girls.

Kanan is multicultural name with a number of different origins, making it a versatile choice that travels well. A Top 50 choice in Azerbaijan, Kanan also made a brief appearance in the US Top 1000 in 2022. Given to around 200 boys each year, it feels familiar and rare at the same time.

Its most famous bearer was Prince Osman the First, founder of the Ottoman Empire.

Zayd (or its most common variant Zaid), an old and still well used Arabic name, was a enslaved man whom Muhammad adopted as his son.

Gatlin has risen into the Top 1000 in recent years on the strength of its association with the Olympic champion sprinter Justin Galtin as well as the Gatlin Brothers of Nashville fame. The name has the same root as gadabout, thus the meaning related to wandering.

Dior was among the fastest-rising names for both girls and boys in the US in the early 2020s, but was the fastest-falling name for boys in the 2023 statistics.

Mustafa is a name widely used in Turkey, as it was the given name of the man popularly known as Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey. Mustafa is also an epithet of the prophet Muhammad and was the name of four Ottoman sultans. Other spellings include Mostafa, Moustafa, and Moustapha.

With its gentle sound but edgy vibe, Tru ticks the boxes for several modern trends: one syllable boy names (see Brooks), alternatively spelled word names (see Chozen), word names with spiritual undertones (see Shepherd), and nickname style choices (see Bo). Currently in the Top 1000 for girls and boys, it is joined in the rankings by Truett and True

A new-style name based on Kyle and a cousin of Dylan, in spelling if not sound or image. Currently in the US Top 600, it is given to more than 500 boys each year.

Despite being one of the rare boy names that mean life, Chaim barely survived early Jewish immigration, being watered down to Hyman and Hymie. Today, the original seems like the most promising form of the name, familiar thanks to bestselling author Chaim Potok.

Reminiscent of Puritan and Pilgrim name choices, Sincere is a relatively modern virtue name that has been in the US Top 1000 since the 2000s.

Colson was made familiar by author Colson Whitehead, who helped popularize the K variation as well. Both Colson and Kolson rapidly ascended the charts in 2017, the year following the release of Whitehead's celebrated book The Underground Railroad.

Variation of Amir that debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2016 and still ranks in the lower part of that list.

With Crew having entered the Top 1000 in 2010, it was only a matter of time before variants started popping up. Krew is one of the trendiest names of the 21st century having risen more than 9700 places up the charts since the 2000s, however as of 2023, Crew is still three times as popular.

This newly invented name takes a cool short form—Kash/Cash—and adds the trendy -ton suffix, a la Ashton, Colton, and Weston. It made its first appearance on the US Top 1000 list in 2015 and has risen up into the Top 500 since then.

From its Latin root, Kash/Cash is an occupational name for someone who makes boxes, however, it is of course also related to the word "cash", as in money. The meaning of this newly coined name could then be "town of the box maker" or "money town".

Josiah, but with a bit of Jasper, Jasiel, and Jamar thrown in. With Josiah entering the Top 100 in 2008, Jasiah has also seen increased popularity since it entered the US Top 1000 back in 2006. Given to nearly 600 babies in a recent year, it is nine times less popular than its counterpart, Josiah, but it is nevertheless significantly used.