One Syllable Names for Boys

Still one of the most appealing short forms, which goes a long way toward explaining the sustained popularity of Matthew. Matt is perennially the popular guy in high school, friendly, attractive, and comfortable with a baseball. Matty or Mattie are cute for a younger boy.

Woods is a nature name that is a cousin to the stylish Brooks and Forest, evoking the entire world of trees. One caution: There is not a teenage boy in the English-speaking world who will appreciate having the nickname Woody.

The classic Jorge is one of the most popular and classic Spanish names for boys in the US. Some Latine families pronounce it the same way as George.

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky named their baby boy RZA, inspired by the frontman of the Wu-Tang Clan. RZA is the stage name of Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, who has produced the most records for the hip hop group.

An Asian favorite.

Nace is a Slovene nickname that's rising quickly in its native country.

From Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the Shore, the story of a boy named Kafka -- crow in Czech.

Only if you're madly nostalgic for sixties TV.

Basketball's Jayson Tatum introduced this to the naming lexicon when he used it as a clever nickname for his son, Jayson Christoper Jr. It fits in with nicknames like Trey or Trip for boys who are the third in the family with their name; we've even heard Quatty and Quinto.

Though rarely heard now, Coy has been around for a century and was not an uncommon name a hundred years ago. There have been a couple of NFL players named Coy, Coy Bowles is in the Zac Brown band, and of course there was Coy Duke in The Dukes of Hazzard. Due to the flirty connotations of the word "coy", McCoy is a more popular and recommended choice today.

The short, cute Pim is a Top 100 boys' name in The Netherlands though little-known outside that country. But in a family overrun with Williams, Pim could make an original nickname setting a modern child apart from father Will and grandpa Bill.

Ramses was the name of several kings in Ancient Egypt, including the long-reigning Ramses II, known as Ramses the Great. Unfortuntely, some may associate it with the condom brand name.

Ymir comes from Norse mythology, he is a giant and forebear of all the Norse gods and goddesses. A moon of Saturn is named Ymir.

Tau, rhyming with cow, is a simple straightforward name with roots in two languages and cultures, the Kaurna language spoken by indigenous Australian people or the African Tswana language, a Bantu language spoken by five million people.

Bayou? No, but it sounds the same, and since both the Indonesian name and the English word have appealing nature meanings, this is a perfect choice for the family that wants to bridge cultures.

Hard and shiny, Steel projects an image that's smooth, macho...and cold to the touch.

This form of Liam ranks in Puerto Rico's Top 100, and is also popular with French-speaking parents in Europe and Canada.

A musical name that is undeniably cool and, well, rhythmic. Its biggest challenge may be the spelling. Well, maybe not the biggest challenge. Save this one for a middle name.

The Wolfe spelling shifts this name from animal name to surname-name, aggressive to aristocratic. One source suggests that bearers of the Wolfe family name were all fierce and cunning and/or hunters of wolves. An intriguing choice.

True has become an accepted first and middle name; Truth makes an even stronger statement. And with nearly 150 baby boys named Truth in the US in the most recent year counted, as many as were named Ross, the word name is edging up on the Top 1000.