Best Two-Syllable Boy Names
Updated Sat Dec 21 2024
Share
Copy link
Two-syllable boy names dominate the popularity list, with Liam and Noah trading places as the Number 1 male name in the US for several years.
Top two-syllable boy names such as Henry, Ezra, and Luca rank among our picks of the best two-syllable names for boys, but we love rare two syllable names for boys too, from Abner to Zion.
You can find a great two-syllable name for your son to fit any taste and style. Two-syllable boy names can be sleek and modern, like Aiden and Leo. They can also be traditionally masculine such as Andrew or Walter,
Our best two-syllable names for boys can be found in many languages and cultures, from the Spanish Teo to the Hebrew Boaz to the Japanese Kenzo. Two-syllable boy names can be formal like Harold or friendly like Harry, strong like Magnus or sweet like Sayer.
Here, a diverse collection of our favorite two syllable names for boys, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.
RELATED:
Two-Syllable Boy Names (the complete list)
- Felix
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"happy, fortunate"Description:
Felix is one of those ancient but nontraditional names for boys that have come into favor over the past few decades, a favorite of parents who want a masculine name with history and heft that breaks ranks with the standard Franks and Freds. Felix is also an international darling, ranking in the Top 100 in several European and English-speaking countries.
- August
Origin:
German form of Latin AugustusMeaning:
"great, magnificent"Description:
The name August is at its highest point since the 1890s, when it ranked among the Top 100 boy names in the US. And deservedly so, given its great meaning, historic roots, and cool nicknames.
- Milo
Origin:
Latin and Old GermanMeaning:
"soldier or merciful"Description:
Milo is most commonly considered to be Germanic name derived from the Latin word miles, meaning "soldier." However, there is evidence to suggest it also may have independently spawned from the Slavic root milu, meaning "merciful." Milo predates brother name Miles, a variation that evolved when the name immigrated to the British Isles in the Middle Ages. Mylo is an alternate spelling.
- Henry
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"estate ruler"Description:
Henry is back. The classic Henry climbed back onto the Top 10 in the US in 2021 for the first time in over a century, and now stands at Number 8.
- Arlo
Origin:
Irish or EnglishMeaning:
"between two hills"Description:
Quirky cool Arlo is now well and truly back. Last year it broke into the US Top 200 boy names and consistently ranks among the most popular boy names on Nameberry.
- Asher
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"fortunate, blessed, happy one"Description:
Asher—an excellent, soft and sensitive Old Testament choice—is a baby boy name on the rise, and is a Nameberry biblical favorite.
- Soren
Origin:
Danish, NorwegianMeaning:
"stern"Description:
This gentle Scandinavian name, soft and sensitive, is being discovered in a major way by parents in the US. It's most closely identified with the nineteenth century philosopher Soren Kierkegaard, but there have been modern fictional Sorens as well, in The Matrix Reloaded and the book series Guardians of Ga'Hoole, Charlie and Lola, and Underworld.
- Ezra
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"help"Description:
Ezra has a lot going for it: the strength of its heroic Biblical legacy, its quirky sound, and its fresh but familiar feel. Ezra is now at its highest point ever, but its intuitive streamlined spelling and deep roots could make it a worth successor to Elijah in the Top 10 -- or even to Liam or Noah at Number 1.
- Lucas
Origin:
Latin form of LukeMeaning:
"man from Lucania"Description:
Lucas is a Top 10 boys' name with a slightly-less-popular almost-identical twin brother, Luke. Like Elijah and Elias, Lucas and Luke come from the same root and have the same meaning and so feel even more popular than they are.
- Oscar
Origin:
English or IrishMeaning:
"God spear, or deer-lover or champion warrior"Description:
Oscar is one of the most stylish Old Man Names of our era. While it's softened slightly in popularity over the past 20 years, that may be considered a very good thing.
- Liam
Origin:
Irish short form of WilliamMeaning:
"resolute protection"Description:
Liam is the top boys' name in the US, holding the Number 1 spot for the past seven years and also ranking as one of the most popular boys' names around the western world.
- Hugo
Origin:
Latinized form of HughMeaning:
"mind, intellect"Description:
Hugo, the Latin form of Hugh, has more heft and energy than the original -- and of course we love names that end (or begin, for that matter) with an o. This one is especially appealing because it's backed up by lots of solid history and European style.
- Leo
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"lion"Description:
Leo is a strong-yet-friendly name that was common among the Romans, used for thirteen popes, and is now at its highest point ever in the US thanks in part to Leonardo "Leo" DiCaprio.
- Callum
Origin:
Scottish form of Columba, LatinMeaning:
"dove"Description:
Callum, a charming Scottish name high on the list in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, is rising through the ranks in the US now too. And it comes complete with the easy nickname Cal.
- Finley
Origin:
Irish and ScottishMeaning:
"fair-haired hero"Description:
Finley has been used for both sexes for enough years to become one of the most popular unisex names. Given nearly equally to boys and girls, Finley appeals to contemporary parents as a truly gender neutral choice.
- Jasper
Origin:
PersianMeaning:
"bringer of treasure"Description:
Jasper originated as a variation of the Latin Gaspar, which ultimately derived from the Persian word ganzabara, meaning "bringer of treasure." As a given name, Jasper’s etymology is unrelated to that of the gemstone, which comes from a Semitic word meaning "speckled stone." Jasper is the usual English form for one of the Three Wise Men who brought gifts to the infant Christ according to medieval tradition and appears in the Bible as a reference to the stone itself in Revelations 4:3.
- Noah
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"rest, repose"Description:
Noah is nearly a patriarch of popular baby names at this point, going from Old Testament graybeard to Top 10 name in 2009, hitting Number 1 in 2013, and now settled into second place in the US for the past seven years.
- Owen
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"young warrior; well-born"Description:
Owen, a resonant Celtic name, has ranked among the Top 100 boys' names in the US for 20 years and is now at its highest point ever.
- Emmett
Origin:
English masculine variation of Emma, GermanMeaning:
"universal"Description:
Emmett, honest and sincere, laid-back and creative, is on the rise as a male cognate of the megapopular Emma and Emily, not to mention being a character in the popular Twilight series.
- Levi
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"joined, attached"Description:
Levi, lighter and more energetic than most biblical names, with its up vowel ending, combines Old Testament gravitas with the casual flair associated with Levi Strauss jeans.