Favourite Boy Names

  1. Ryan
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little king"
    • Description:

      Ryan’s use as a given name was inspired by the surname Ryan, a variation of the Irish O’Riain meaning "son of Rían." Rían is composed of the Irish-Gaelic elements , meaning "king" and an, a diminutive suffix. Ryan is considered a unisex name in the US, where variant spellings Ryann and Ryanne are also valid for girls.
  2. Ryder
    • Origin:

      British surname
    • Meaning:

      "cavalryman, messenger"
    • Description:

      Ryder, one of the current favorite er-ending boys’ names, has been in the spotlight since Kate Hudson and her rocker husband Chris Robinson chose it for their son in 2004. Very popular in several provinces of Canada, Ryder was chosen by John Leguzamo for his son and adorns Boy Meets World star Ryder Strong.
  3. Samuel
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "told by God"
    • Description:

      Samuel has been so popular for so long that it's hard to believe it's still climbing, at its highest point since the 1890s.
  4. Saxon
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "people of the dagger"
    • Description:

      Saxon is unusual word name that nevertheless feels right on trend, with that sharp X in the middle and that two-syllable-ending-in-n pattern. Reminiscent of Roman but not yet so popular, Saxon is one to watch out for.
  5. Skandar
    • Thorin
      • Origin:

        Norse and Scandinavian
      • Meaning:

        "thunder or brave and daring"
      • Description:

        Some sources give Thorin as a variation of the thunder god name Thor, equivalent to Thoren, while others says it comes from the verb að þora, meaning "to dare." This is a dwarf's name that first appeared in the thirteenth century mythology compilation Prose Edda, which, along with the Poetic Edda, represents nearly all of pagan Scandinavian mythology. Tolkien later used the name for character Thorin II Oakenshield of The Hobbit.
    • Tobias
      • Origin:

        Greek from Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "God is good"
      • Description:

        Tobias is one of a number of s-ending boys' names that are riding a wave of popularity. With its Old Testament-Dickensian feel, it's a name with a distinguished pedigree.
    • Tyler
      • Origin:

        English occupational name
      • Meaning:

        "maker of tiles"
      • Description:

        The presidential Tyler rocketed up popularity charts in the late 1980s and early 1990s (it ranked Number 9 for that entire decade), along with cousin Taylor, becoming almost pandemic across the land-- and to make matters more confusing, both (especially Taylor) have been used for girls as well.
    • William
      • Origin:

        German
      • Meaning:

        "resolute protection"
      • Description:

        William is one of the most enduring of classic names for boys. It's also among the most popular boys' names, as American parents see it as being ideally conservative yet contemporary, and hands-down the most popular baby name beginning with W of all time.
    • Xander
      • Origin:

        Diminutive of Alexander, Greek
      • Meaning:

        "defending men"
      • Description:

        Xander is a diminutive of Alexander, the Latin variation of the Greek Alexandros. Its meaning, "defending men," is taken from the Greek roots aléxein, "to defend," and andros, "men." Zander, pronounced the same way, is an alternate spelling.
    • Xavier
      • Origin:

        Basque
      • Meaning:

        "new house"
      • Description:

        Xavier originated is use as a given name after Saint Francis Xavier, cofounder of the Jesuit order, who got his name from the Spanish-Basque village where he was born. His birthplace was Javier, the name of which was derived from the Basque place name Etxeberria, meaning "castle" or "new house."
    • Zachary
      • Origin:

        Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "the Lord has remembered"
      • Description:

        Zachary, a Top 20 name throughout the 90s, is now sliding down the rankings though it remains in the Top 200. With its ancient roots and modern feel, it's easy to understand why Zachary has been such a longtime winner.
    • Zechariah
      • Origin:

        Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "the Lord has remembered"
      • Description:

        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).
    • Zephyr
      • Origin:

        Greek
      • Meaning:

        "west wind"
      • Description:

        If you're looking for a name that's light and breezy, this could be it. A name from mythology: Zephyrus/Zephyr was the Greek god of the west wind-- with many European variations, it's a name that's frequently seen in computer and video games, is a character in the children's book Silverwing, and appears in the Babar books--as a monkey.