Favorite Boy Names

Just a collection of my favorite boy's names as I find them.
  1. Arden
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "valley of the eagle; high"
    • Description:

      Arden is a gender-neutral name that's sleek and stylish but always seems to bob just below the surface of popularity, despite ticking all the boxes with its fashionable two-syllable, N-ending shape and its awesome nature-inspired meanings. In the 2021 US statistics, 41 percent of the babies named Arden were boys to 59 percent girls.
  2. August
    • Origin:

      German form of Latin Augustus
    • Meaning:

      "great, magnificent"
    • Description:

      The name August is at its highest point since the 1890s, when it ranked among the Top 100 boy names in the US. And deservedly so, given its great meaning, historic roots, and cool nicknames.
  3. Barton
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "from the barley settlement"
    • Description:

      More user-friendly, though less substantial, than Bartholomew.
  4. Bravery
    • Origin:

      Virtue name
    • Description:

      This one's cutting right to the chase, but with such names as Justice and Peace on the rise, why not? And we guarantee your seven-year-old son will love it, though your 17-year-old, maybe not so much. Could be used as a middle name, as Talisa Soto and Benjamin Bratt did.
  5. Byrd
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "bird"
    • Description:

      The name of the teenaged son on the dear departed television show "Huff."
  6. Cadogan
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "honor in battle"
    • Description:

      This surname borne by several early Welsh leaders has a lot of energy.
  7. Cane
    • Cobalt
      • Origin:

        Color and nature name
      • Description:

        Even among the range of blue names on the current baby naming palette -- Blue itself, Azure, Cerulean, Teal, Aqua, Cyan, Indigo -- Cobalt remains the most unusual, not to mention the most masculine.
    • Conrad
      • Origin:

        German
      • Meaning:

        "brave counsel"
      • Description:

        Conrad has a somewhat intellectual masculine image, a solid name that has been consistently on the popularity lists, especially well used in the 1920s and 30s, and given a pop of rock energy by the Elvis-like character of Conrad Birdie in Bye, Bye, Birdie--("We love you Conrad, oh yes we do!").
    • Dallas
      • Origin:

        Place name, surname and Irish
      • Meaning:

        "meadow dwelling, valley house, skilled"
      • Description:

        A laid-back cowboy name which feels both cool and gentle, Dallas has ranked in the US Top 500 since records began in 1880. Never super popular but surprisingly never out of style, Dallas is given to nearly 1400 boys in the US every year.
    • Dice
      • Origin:

        Word name
      • Description:

        Strictly for a Vegas baby.
    • Donovan
      • Origin:

        Irish
      • Meaning:

        "dark"
      • Description:

        One of the first of the appealing Irish surnames to take off in this country, this boys’ name has long outgrown its "Mellow Yellow" association, which came via the single from a sixties singer-songwriter named Donovan.
    • Dryden
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "dry valley"
      • Description:

        Underused literary name (as in the poet John) with a -den ending that's very much in style.
    • Dunstan
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "dark stone"
      • Description:

        A two-syllable surname feel puts this name of an important English saint in the running -- though it could sound like a confused cross between Duncan and Dustin.
    • Everett
      • Origin:

        English variation of the German Eberhard
      • Meaning:

        "brave as a wild boar"
      • Description:

        Everett is a preppy but outdoorsy name, with wintery New England vibes. In the last decade, it’s had a leap in popularity, perhaps because of its similarity to trendy girls’ names like Ava and Scarlett, or perhaps because it offers a fresh alternative to 90’s style Evan and Brett.
    • Falcon
      • Origin:

        Bird name
      • Description:

        There is a whole new species of bird names open to the baby namer, from the light and feminine Lark to the sleek and powerful Falcon.
    • Farrin
      • Garland
        • Origin:

          Word name
        • Description:

          Garland is fragrant and celebratory, and also has a celebrity-tribute tie to the star of The Wizard of Oz.
      • Garnet
        • Origin:

          Jewel name, for the French
        • Meaning:

          "pomegranate"
        • Description:

          One of the jewel names in use a hundred years ago, for both boys and girls, due for revival along with sisters Ruby and Pearl. But interestingly, Garnet means pomegranate, the fruit who shares a deep red color with the jewel.
      • Gian
        • Origin:

          Italian, diminutive of Giovanni
        • Meaning:

          "God is gracious"
        • Description:

          Gian sounds (almost) like John, so there's some potential for confusion, but the spelling makes it unmistakeably Italian. It could be a solution if longer names like Gianni and Gianluca aren't your style.