Fastest-Rising Boy Names 2023

An interesting bird name choice if you're seeking a nonbiblical Hebrew name. The zippy Z sound is appealing to more parents, and Zamir entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2022 and was one of the fastest rising names in 2023.

Wilder not quite wild enough for you? Wylder offers a less wordy looking alternative that looks cool and on-trend, but also has a preppy, last-name vibe. Though this spelling is currently less popular than Wilder, it did enter the US Top 1000 in 2020 and is given to around 400 babies each year - about half the number that are given the Wilder spelling.

If you can't decide between Ethan or the original Hebrew form, Eitan, you may arrive at Eithan.

Cole and Kole — at their most stylish in the early 2000s — are now being passed over for modern favorites Colton, Colt, Colter, Colson, et al. Nonetheless, Kole is still floating just at the bottom of the US charts.

The new Jason, spelled many different ways, and popularized by basketball star Jalen Rose.

The line should end with Junior Soprano. While most would expect this to be a nickname rather than an actual given name, Junior has always ranked in the US Top 1000, hitting its peak in 1925 at Number 116.

With Brooklyn, Trenton, and Camden on the rise, Harlem is one to watch out for. It has lingered down the lower end of the US Top 1000 since 2018 but has been trending upwards. It's already been picked by one celebrity, and it certainly has a stronger historical and cultural identity -- and it could work as an alternative to Harvey or Harley.

A favorite Muslim name, Kareem first appeared on the US Top 1000 list in 1972 (jumping in at Number 405!), coinciding with the early career of basketball great turned writer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born Lewis Alcindor). It has continued to chart every year since.

Ezra (and Ezrah) is potentially an abbreviation for the Hebrew phrase Azaryahu, meaning "Yah helps." In the Bible, Ezra led a group of fifteen hundred Israelites out of slavery in Babylon and back to Jerusalem. The Ezrah spelling is definitely less popular than the original Ezra, but is rising itself as well — Ezrah entered the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2022.

Like Isaiah but looking for a name that's more unique? Asaiah is a name found several times in the Old Testament. Think of it as a blend of Asa and Josiah and a possible substitute for Isaiah. Asaiah entered the Top 1000 in the US for the first time in 2022, and is looking like one of the fresher Biblical choices today.

Both Kody and Cody — shining stars of the 90s — are in decline, although more people are choosing Cody than Kody.

Izael was one of the fastest-rising boys' names in the US in 2023, evidencing trends for the letter Z and the angelic-feeling -ael ending.

Coolly attractive African name, with distinguished representatives in sports and literature. Jabari has been on the rise recently, returning to the US Top 1000 in 2023.

A mostly undiscovered alternative to the ultra-popular Colton; just 80 baby boys were named Coleson in 2016. It's also a surname name in its own right.

The newest cowboy-cool kid on the block is Dutton, introduced by the hit Western drama series Yellowstone. It's seen as a surname in the series, which follows the Dutton family on their ranch. But Americans' affinity towards surname names and the similarities to Sutton have inspired fans of the show to use Dutton for their sons — so much so that Dutton took the title as the fastest-rising name in 2022, jumping a whopping 986 spots.

Relaxed American cowboy meets modern and trendy, Westyn is a spelling variation of Top 100 Weston. Joining both the traditional spelling and the alternative choice Westin in the Top 1000, it was a fast rising choice in 2023, given to more than 300 boys along with a small handful of girls.

A widely used Hebrew form of Joseph, with a sophisticated and continental air.

This spelling variation of Cason isn't quite as widely used as the original.

Sevyn broke into the Top 1000 for girls in 2019, the same year that Seven crossed the threshold for boys. Ys are typically employed to make names more feminine, which is why many more girls were given the Sevyn spelling than boys. However, Sevyn still made it on the birth certificates of over 100 boys last year.

Popular enough in the Indian community to have made it onto the US Top 1000 every year from 2001 to 2014 and now again in 2023, possibly inspired by Jamaican activist Leachim Semaj (born Michael James).