One Syllable Names for Boys

Ryatt — which may be a combination of names like Ryan and Wyatt — gives you the sound of Riot without the violent connotations. Naturally, it's almost twice as popular among baby boys than Riot, even cracking the Top 1000 in 2022.

Possible middle name inspiration. Has been used as a first by musical couple Sole and Ginuwine, and basketball star Allen Iverson.

Espn made its debut on the American baby name charts in 2004 and has ranked for at least one sex ever since. It's a uniquely American take on the Scandinavian name Espen, influenced by the basic cable sports channel ESPN. So while you can interpret Espn's meaning as "god bear," a case could also be made for "Entertainment and Sports Programming Network."

Raf is a raffish short form that many a cool boy would love to call his own.

Three Stooges name (he's the one who wasn't Moe or Curly).

Originally a male name in this single-E spelling, Esme or Esmé was borne by the first Duke of Lennox in Scotland in the 16th century, as well as by several of his male descendants. It became predominantly female by the 20th century.

A masculine name from the Old Testament, but would likely be confused for Amy.

While there is some disagreement over the origins of this name, it's clearly fashionable and a new idea, for English speakers, of a way to spin either an old classic or a familiar favorite. Still, Loic is one of those French names for boys that is rarely heard outside its native land.

A half-man, half-wolf character in the Elden Ring video game franchise bears this name, which fittingly is the Welsh word for "wolf".

Some parents just use Steve on the birth certificate, but it doesn't have the breezy charm of trendy short forms like Max, Sam, and Jake. Regardless of how much you love Steve as a given name, it might be smart to give your son a longer option to fall back on.

With the rising popularity of Kai, this more phonetic spelling has been gaining traction as well. Kye debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2015, and was one of the fastest-rising names of the year in 2016.

The Rhone (or Rhône) river flows through southeastern France, and could make a strong and picturesque name for a baby boy. The root of the river's name is believed to be a Proto-Indo-European word meaning "to flow".

Xen and Zen, both pronounced the same way, are two hip new spiritual word names from Buddhist practice. Among the celebrity set, Corey Feldman has a Zen and Tisha Campbell Martin's son is Xen.

Fiery but slight middle name choice; much more apt to be a redhead's nickname.

Sounds exactly like Ray—but with an on-trend royal vibe. The central protagonist in the newest Star Wars trilogy is a woman named Rey.

Rarely used on its own and irrevocably tied to former House Speaker Gingrich -- who was christened Newton.

This simple name has an animal meaning, like many Native American names, and can be used for either sex.

Another name for Jupiter, king of the Roman gods, this jovial name is eminently ready for modern use. Feminine variations include Jovita and Jovie.

Now that the Irish Ciaran and Ciara -- aka Kieran and Kiera -- are becoming more popular beyond their native shores, the short and strong Ciar might find some favor. As of now, more than 160 baby girls were named Ciara in the US last year, with half that many boys named Ciaran, but so far no baby boys named Ciar, though 17 were called Keir.