Fastest-Rising Boy Names 2023

Kyro is an even more modern twist on the stylish place name, Cairo. It entered the US Top 1000 in 2019 and has been rising quickly ever since. Less popular than Kairo and Cairo, Kyro is nevertheless given to around 450 boys each year.

Rhythmically appealing international spin on the stiff original.

While we're definite fans of Zaire -- the former name of the country now called the Democratic Republic of the Congo -- the "Y" really isn't necessary. This spelling variation debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2016.

Yusuf is the Arabic form of Joseph, used in the Middle East, as well as internationally from France and the US, to the UK, Turkey and Azerbaijan - where, as of 2023, it ranked in the Top 100.

This variation of Michael is very popular in Iceland and Puerto Rico, but has only made the cut for the US Top 1000 two separate years —2016 and 2023. Angel-esque boy names ending in L trended upwards last year, meaning we may see some more little Mikaels around soon.

A popular name in the Middle East and one of the most evocative choices of its genre. One of the 99 names of Allah. The feminine form is Zahira.

Nathaniel is a wonderful classic name and Nathanael, which may be an ancient Greek or Hebrew form, is appealing and has gravitas but may prove needlessly confusing in the modern world.

Moshe is the original Hebrew form of Moses, also spelled Mosheh. In the past it was changed to names like Morris, Moe and Maurice.

A unisex name for which pronunciation differs by gender — the masculine variation is often homophonous with Case, while the feminine is a variation of Casey. Kayce was among the fastest-rising names of 2022, jumping 490 spots, thanks to the cool-cowboy association from character Kayce Dutton on the hit TV Western Yellowstone. This Kayce's name is pronounced like "Casey", leading to the rise of Casey as well for both boys and girls.

Jireh is a spiritual name that has been rising significantly for both sexes in recent years, although still remains quite rare. Jehovah-Jireh was the location of the binding of Isaac, where Jehovah told Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering.

Country singer Waylon Jennings bestowed a kind of outlaw image on his name, and parents have been loving the suave cowboy name Waylon in recent years — enough to crack to Top 100 in 2021. Alternative spelling Waylen is beginning to climb as well, entering the Top 1000 for the first time in 2022.

Appearing in the Polish New Testament and possibly working to honor a Sylvester, Sylas has been climbing back up the rankings in recent years. Previously peaking in 2013 at #520, it has since overtaken that, entering the Top 500 in 2022. While the classic spelling is six times more popular in the US, that trendy Y is nevertheless capturing parents' attention.

Zechariah is actually the original Biblical form of the name more often found these days as Zachariah, probably because of the popularity of Zachary. People are going to have trouble getting Zechariah because they won't understand the Zech part. This name, in whatever form, begs to be shortened in the modern world to Zach (or Zac or Zack).

Biblical names including the letter Z and those ending in -el are a big 2020s trend in the US, and Azael is one such name. It entered the Top 1000 in 2021 and in a recent count, was given to 380 boys in a single year.

This variation of Aryan has a slightly less racist connotation, making it a bit more acceptable. Arian debuted on the Top 1000 in 2011, but didn't have a sustained rise on the charts. This is likely due to the Aryan connection and the popularity of all things Aria among girls.

With its gentle but solid sounds, Musa is a name that feels both dignified and energetic. The Arabic, Turkish, and Persian form of Moses, Musa is popular internationally, from The Netherlands to Turkey to The UK.

This variation of Muhammed is not as popular as some, but it still is a widely used choice.

This variation of Wesley moved into the Top 1000 among boys' names in the US in 2016, perhaps because it makes the name more Western, with the cowboy nickname West., or because parents have taken inspiration from the protagonist of the movie The Princess Bride.

Zakai bears a lot of resemblance to the ancient Hebrew name Zaccai, but many modern parents are using it as an elaboration of the popular name Kai, blending it with Zack.

A Quranic name especially popular in South Asia, it is also used across Europe, from Bosnia to France, from Spain to England. It appears in the Quran as the name of Maryam's (the Virgin Mary) father, and as the father of Moses, making it a counterpart to Hebrew Joachim or a variant of Hebrew Amran. The meaning of Imran isn't listed in the Quran, however, from its Hebrew roots, it could mean "exalted nation", or it could come from the Arabic word eimran meaning "prosperity".