Two Syllable Boy Names

A surname with potential as a first — Ramsey was given to a little over 100 baby boys in 2022.

Prescott is one of several distinguished, upper-crusty surnames beginning with P.

Variant of Rewan. This spelling of the medieval saint's name is found in the place name Ruan Lanihorne in Cornwall. The name is of uncertain etymology but most likely comes from "Roman".

A family of lawyers might be interested in this surname as a tribute to famed defense attorney Clarence Darrow.

An unusual name with some real high-low appeal: It was the first name of a bully on The Fosters and the last name of the great Enlightenment philosopher Giambattista Vico. It has many of the merits of Nico and Vito, both far more common.

A wise ruler of legend--his sage advice helped the Greeks win the Trojan War--whose name is a possibility for the adventurous, though related in sound to the dated Lester-Hester family.

This Italian version of the ancient Roman Livius, with an unenviable meaning, is popular in France and make a fresh spin on Oliver or Levi. In the US, this is a very rare name -- it was given to no baby boys in 2022 -- with big potential.

With a cool color meaning and a woodsy, earthy feel, this anglicized spelling of the Irish name Odhrán could rise in popularity thanks to Olympic rugby player, Orrin Bizer. The name did rank in the US Top 1000 in the late 1800s and the early 20th century, but has been out of the charts since the 60s.

Caesar, the name of the greatest Roman of them all, is rarely used outside Latino families, where the Cesar spelling is preferred —as in activist Chavez and Dog Whisperer Millan. Its original meaning is debated — either "long-haired", "blue-gray" (as in eyes), or "cut" (because Julius Caesar was supposedly born by cesarian section) — it came to be the title to denote all Roman emperors and it is from the name Caesar that many other European royal titles are derived, including Kaiser and Tsar.

One of the most popular native language names for boys in Hawaii, Makoa joins Nakoa and Koa as Hawaiian boys' names finding a wider audience in the US.

Oakland is a place name associated mainly with the city near San Francisco, pretty obviously meaning "oak land". Theoretically unisex but used mainly for boys, Oakland is one of a trending group of oak-related names, led by Oakley for both genders, with Oakland and Oaklen trending for boys while baby girls are more often given spellings Oaklynn and Oaklyn.

Eternally tied to the surname Chase, via the old English battle and ballad, the DC suburb, and the goofy SNL pratfaller (who was born Cornelius). It entered the US Top 1000 in 2014.

The name of the (male) otter protagonist of Henry Williamson’s 1927 novel Tarka the Otter.

Gaara is a character in the Naruto universe given a one-of-a-kind name. The first two elements in his name mean "I love," while the final kanji is related to the Buddhist asuras, or demigods. The meaning of Gaara can be read as "demigod who loves himself" and "demigod who I [Gaara's mother] love." Both interpretations align with the character.

More popular than the Jalen spelling. Like other names with many variants, when you count up all the alternatives, the name is much more popular than it first appears.

Lavi is a rare member of the trendy leonine group of names in the US, but in Israel it's among the Top 10 boy names. It makes a good alternative to Levi.

If you've rejected all the names on earth, you might move on to the sixth planet from the sun, also the Roman god of agriculture and plenty, and the origin of Saturday.

Irvin is an Old Man name that has an uncertain future. Losing the final g in Irving makes the name slightly less dated -- but just slightly. There's something about the 'erv' sound that makes Irvin and brothers feel unappealing.

A subtle and attractive name for the child of a poet or poetry-enthusiast.