230+ One Syllable Boy Names

  1. Sal
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Salvador or Salvatore, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "savior"
    • Description:

      The sidekick in almost every movie or TV show with an Italo-American setting, this once common name has now fallen onto the endangered list, given to fewer than 50 baby boys each year.
  2. Blue
    • Origin:

      Color name
    • Description:

      Among the coolest of the cool color names, particularly popular with celebs as a unisex middle name.
  3. Hale
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "someone who lives in a hollow"
    • Description:

      This name projects a sense of well-being - hale and hearty - is unusual but accessible, with a clear simple sound, and a worthy namesake, Revolutionary War hero Nathan Hale, as an added bonus.
  4. Trent
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "the flooder"
    • Description:

      This strong single-syllable boys’ name has been finding favor with parents since the fifties, though it's been slipping in recent years; it fell out of the Top 500 for the first time since 1959 in 2015. Its main associations have been with the River Trent, whose name dates back to prehistoric times, and with former Mississippi Senator Trent (born Chester) Lott, and Trent Reznor (born Michael) of Nine Inch Nails.
  5. Birch
    • Origin:

      Tree name
    • Description:

      Birch is a rarely used nature name that calls to mind the lovely image of the tall, strong but graceful white-barked tree.
  6. Jeb
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Jebediah, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "beloved friend"
    • Description:

      Both Jeb and Jed are very attractive Old Testament short forms with long and bright futures. Jeb's main current association is with the Bush brother and former governor of Florida, but the name was a mainstay on early TV westerns, and then went upscale as the nickname (his birth name being Josiah) of the President on "The West Wing."
  7. Zeus
    • Origin:

      Greek mythology name
    • Description:

      The supreme Olympian god represents a mighty image for a little fella to live up to, but more and more parents are beginning to consider it seriously. The Roman equivalent Jupiter has also come down to earth. And Zeus wasn't just the supreme god, he was also the god of the sky, thunder, lightning, and fate, among other weighty responsibilities.
  8. West
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      West is the most fashionable of what you might call the direction names, with North and East (or Easton and Easter) coming up behind, and South not yet on the map.
  9. Ted
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Theodore or Edward
    • Meaning:

      "gift of god; rich guard"
    • Description:

      Like Ed, Eddie and Teddy, Ted is rarely used as an independent name – in the US, at least. In the UK, Eddie ranks just outside the Top 200, Teddy ranks just outside the Top 30, and Ted is a Top 200 pick.

      With Theodore rising, Ted may have new life among parents who don't want to use the short form Theo. And TV's Ted Lasso makes it a quintessential nice guy name.
  10. Hans
    • Origin:

      German, Dutch, and Scandinavian, diminutive of Johannes
    • Description:

      Though familiar to all via such childhood icons as Hans Brinker, Hans(el) and Gretel, and Hans Christian Andersen, few Americans have chosen this name for their sons because of its intractably Old Country image.
  11. Bill
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of William
    • Meaning:

      "resolute protection"
    • Description:

      Most Bills today are dads...or grandpas. The younger Williams are usually nicknamed Will, or called by their full names.
  12. Tai
    • Origin:

      Chinese
    • Meaning:

      "great extreme"
    • Description:

      Tai, which rhymes with Kai, is a unisex name with a range of international references. It means the equivalent of "too much" in Chinese but is also used as a Maori name meaning "the tide" and in Romanian means "yours." While it's only ever ranked in the U.S. Top 1000 as a girls' name, during the height of the popularity of Olympic skater Tai Babilonia, Tai makes a simple intriguing modern choice for either gender.
  13. Smith
    • Origin:

      English occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "blacksmith"
    • Description:

      Even if it is the Number one surname in the U.S.--with more than 2.5 million bearers--we still think that Smith would make a cool first or middle name, whether or not it has family history.
  14. True
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Meaning:

      "true"
    • Description:

      Many parents seeking a return to more basic values and a simpler lifestyle are turning to such virtuous girls' names as Grace, Faith, and Hope, but there are a handful that work just as well on boys, including True.
  15. Zeb
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Zebediah or Zebulon
    • Description:

      Short and to-the-point, it turns an ancient biblical name into a friendly cowboy.
  16. Vince
    • Origin:

      Short form of Vincent, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "conquering"
    • Description:

      Vince is not a short form that often stands alone on the birth certificate, the way Jack or even Joe does, but it has certain credibility as the name always used for football great Vince Lombardi. And as a diminutive for Vincent, it's a far sight better than Vinnie or Vinny or even Vin.
  17. Aire
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Meaning:

      "air"
    • Description:

      Aire is a bygone spelling of "air", now reserved for poetic uses and in Kylie Jenner's case, baby names. Jenner originally announced her son's name to be Wolf, but quickly changed her mind and left the public in the dark. Weeks before his first birthday, she revealed her son's new name to be Aire.
  18. Tom
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Thomas
    • Meaning:

      "twin"
    • Description:

      Just like Sam and Ben, Tom could be revived as a simple, well liked name on its own. Tom, just Tom, is one of the Top 100 Boy Names in France
  19. Jon
    • Origin:

      Variation of John or Jonathan
    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious; or gift of Jehovah"
    • Description:

      Streamlined version of the classic boys' names, sometimes a short form of Jonathan, which is in fact an entirely different name from John attached to a different Biblical personage. Jon feels more modern than the traditional John, but some may find it an overly slight variation on an already slim name. Jon Snow is a popular character on HBO's Game of Thrones.
  20. Joe
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Joseph
    • Meaning:

      "Jehovah increases"
    • Description:

      Joe is still the ultimate good-guy name, not at all diminished by its longevity or popularity or its everyman rep as Regular Joe, Cowboy Joe, G.I. Joe, Joe Exotic, Joe Blow, Joe Millionaire, Average Joe — and now President Joe (Biden).