Wondering what will be the perfect name for your baby boy? The official list of 1,000 most popular boy names—according to the Social Security Association—is a fab place to start. You’ll notice when comparing this year’s against the past several, that baby boy name trends shift slightly every few years and even more dramatically by the decade. Do you want a popular name for your baby, or something very rarely heard?  

If you’re looking at biblical names, they’re all up and down the charts from the #2 spot to the #1,000! Other common threads throughout the list are lots of J names, C names, and M names. Vintage choices like Oliver and Theodore rest comfortably among classics like James and Henry, while some popular boy names seem to have burst out of obscurity, like Levi and Ezra. And there are lots of surprises on here—for example, would you ever have guessed that Sincere would vastly outrank Sam? 

You’ll notice that names containing X are still relevant (Axel, Maxwell), as are the Braydens and Jadens favored five to 10 years ago, but these trends are being pushed down by romantic stalwarts Liam, Elijah, and Lucas. The top names for boys also include lots of gender-neutral picks, meaning this roundup is a decent place to poke around for baby girl name inspiration, too.

With derivations and explanations for the top 25, and the rest listed below, here are the top 1,000 baby boy names. Where do your favorites rank?


The Top 10 Best Boy Baby Names

  1. Liam: You might not realize that the most popular boy name is actually a shortening of another name in the top five! Liam is the Irish diminutive of William, meaning “resolute protection.”
  2. Noah: A Hebrew name with crossover appeal for people of various faiths, the name belonging to the collector and keeper of animals in the Old Testament also means “motion, rest, repose.” 
  3. Oliver: Your little Ollie will hardly be the only one with this adorable name in the baby group. Oliver means “olive tree” with German roots and it’s jumped two spots from #5 since 2018. Its sister name, Olivia, is currently the most popular name for US baby girls. 
  4. Elijah: Another Hebrew name, this one translates to “Yahweh is God.” It’s actually considered gender-neutral, but is far more popular for boys.
  5. William: Rounding out the top five is a baby boy name that’s been popular for centuries. From Shakespeare to Faulkner, and more contemporary well-knowns like Prince William, Billy Joel, and Bill Murray, your little man would have plenty of namesakes to look up to if there don’t happen to be any in the family.
  6. James: A version of Jacob (Hebrew, “the supplanter”), this cool monosyllabic boy name hasn’t fallen out of the US Top 20 ever since the 1880s (when it was at #3!) and shows no signs of doing so any time soon.
  7. Benjamin: Meaning “son of the right hand,” the Hebrew name is another one that has remained popular since the beginning of the US ranking lists. 
  8. Lucas: The Latin version of Luke, meaning “man from Lucania” is a wholesomely handsome pick. 
  9. Henry: A German name translating to “estate ruler,” it’s effortlessly old-school, with clout and charm.
  10.  Alexander: If the first thing you think when seeing this one is, “...the Great,” you’re not alone. It’s a name packed with history and power, translating to “defending men.”

The Best Boy Baby Names: 11–25

  1.  Mason: The English occupational name for “one who works with stone” is definitely a trend rather than a classic, but we love it. 
  2.  Michael: This is one that is handed down generation to generation on both the naming charts and within families. Michael means “who is like God?” of Hebrew origin. 
  3.  Ethan: The Hebrew moniker (“strong, firm”) appears many times in the Old Testament, and even more often among newborn baby boys!
  4.  Daniel: We weren’t kidding when we said the top names would have many from the Bible; this Hebrew/biblical name meaning “God is my judge” is a favorite. 
  5.  Jacob: It was in the #1 spot from 1999 to 2012, so naturally some weariness ensued and it’s dropped since. But this beautiful biblical name is likely to hang out somewhere near the top for years to come. Jacob means “the supplanter.” 
  6.  Logan: A Scottish gender-neutral name, it also ranks for girls, but way lower (#317). This adorable name means “little hollow.”
  7.  Jackson: Not surprisingly, Jackson means “son of Jack.” It’s a well-loved name with spirit and style. 
  8.  Levi: This vintage pick means “join, attached” from the Hebrew, and is adorable for your blue-jean baby.
  9.  Sebastian: The Latin-from-Greek name refers to someone from the ancient city of Sebastia. Within the last 70+ years, it’s skyrocketed slowly from the high 900’s to the top handful of names. 
  10.  Mateo: Ranking 10 above its English version, the Spanish take on Matthew (“gift of God”) is a solid choice.  
  11.  Jack: One of the most popular monosyllabic names for boys, it’s a diminutive of John (“God is gracious”) dating back to Medieval times. Jack has always been a top name in the US, never dipping outside the top 200 names. 
  12.  Owen: Meaning “well-born” and “young warrior,” the gender-neutral name is much more popular for little guys than girls. 
  13.  Theodore: With super-cute nickname choices (Teddy, Theo) and a dignified sound, this old-fashioned name meaning “gift of God” from the Greek is a fave.
  14.  Aiden: The original spelling has a second “a” rather than an “e,” but this more phonetic version pulls rank. It’s an Irish baby boy name meaning “little and fiery.”
  15.  Samuel: Hebrew for “told by God,” it’s a warm and wholesome name to consider for your little one. 

The Best Boy Baby Names: 26–100

  1. Joseph
  2. John
  3. David
  4. Wyatt
  5. Matthew
  6. Luke
  7. Asher
  8. Carter
  9. Julian
  10. Grayson
  11. Leo
  12. Jayden
  13. Gabriel
  14. Isaac
  15. Lincoln
  16. Anthony
  17. Hudson
  18. Dylan
  19. Ezra
  20. Thomas
  21. Charles
  22. Christopher
  23. Jaxon
  24. Maverick
  25. Josiah
  26. Isaiah
  27. Andrew
  28. Elias
  29. Joshua
  30. Nathan
  31. Caleb
  32. Ryan
  33. Adrian
  34. Miles
  35. Eli
  36. Nolan
  37. Christian
  38. Aaron
  39. Cameron
  40. Ezekiel
  41. Colton
  42. Luca
  43. Landon
  44. Hunter
  45. Jonathan
  46. Santiago
  47. Axel
  48. Easton
  49. Cooper
  50. Jeremiah
  51. Angel
  52. Roman
  53. Connor
  54. Jameson
  55. Robert
  56. Greyson
  57. Jordan
  58. Ian
  59. Carson
  60. Jaxson
  61. Leonardo
  62. Nicholas
  63. Dominic
  64. Austin
  65. Everett
  66. Brooks
  67. Xavier
  68. Kai
  69. Jose
  70. Parker
  71. Adam
  72. Jace
  73. Wesley
  74. Kayden
  75. Silas

The Best Boy Baby Names 101–200

  1. Bennett
  2. Declan
  3. Waylon
  4. Weston
  5. Evan
  6. Emmett
  7. Micah
  8. Ryder
  9. Beau
  10. Damian
  11. Brayden
  12. Gael
  13. Rowan
  14. Harrison
  15. Bryson
  16. Sawyer
  17. Amir
  18. Kingston
  19. Jason
  20. Giovanni
  21. Vincent
  22. Ayden
  23. Chase
  24. Myles
  25. Diego
  26. Nathaniel
  27. Legend
  28. Jonah
  29. River
  30. Tyler
  31. Cole
  32. Braxton
  33. George
  34. Milo
  35. Zachary
  36. Ashton
  37. Luis
  38. Jasper
  39. Kaiden
  40. Adriel
  41. Gavin
  42. Bentley
  43. Calvin
  44. Zion
  45. Juan
  46. Maxwell
  47. Max
  48. Ryker
  49. Carlos
  50. Emmanuel
  51. Jayce
  52. Lorenzo
  53. Ivan
  54. Jude
  55. August
  56. Kevin
  57. Malachi
  58. Elliott
  59. Rhett
  60. Archer
  61. Karter
  62. Arthur
  63. Luka
  64. Elliot
  65. Thiago
  66. Brandon
  67. Camden
  68. Justin
  69. Jesus
  70. Maddox
  71. King
  72. Theo
  73. Enzo
  74. Matteo
  75. Emiliano
  76. Dean
  77. Hayden
  78. Finn
  79. Brody
  80. Antonio
  81. Abel
  82. Alex
  83. Tristan
  84. Graham
  85. Zayden
  86. Judah
  87. Xander
  88. Miguel
  89. Atlas
  90. Messiah
  91. Barrett
  92. Tucker
  93. Timothy
  94. Alan
  95. Edward
  96. Leon
  97. Dawson
  98. Eric
  99. Ace
  100. Victor

The Best Boy Baby Names 201–300

  1. Abraham
  2. Nicolas
  3. Jesse
  4. Charlie
  5. Patrick
  6. Walker
  7. Joel
  8. Richard
  9. Beckett
  10. Blake
  11. Alejandro
  12. Avery
  13. Grant
  14. Peter
  15. Oscar
  16. Matias
  17. Amari
  18. Lukas
  19. Andres
  20. Arlo
  21. Colt
  22. Adonis
  23. Kyrie
  24. Steven
  25. Felix
  26. Preston
  27. Marcus
  28. Holden
  29. Emilio
  30. Remington
  31. Jeremy
  32. Kaleb
  33. Brantley
  34. Bryce
  35. Mark
  36. Knox
  37. Israel
  38. Phoenix
  39. Kobe
  40. Nash
  41. Griffin
  42. Caden
  43. Kenneth
  44. Kyler
  45. Hayes
  46. Jax
  47. Rafael
  48. Beckham
  49. Javier
  50. Maximus
  51. Simon
  52. Paul
  53. Omar
  54. Kaden
  55. Kash
  56. Lane
  57. Bryan
  58. Riley
  59. Zane
  60. Louis
  61. Aidan
  62. Paxton
  63. Maximiliano
  64. Karson
  65. Cash
  66. Cayden
  67. Emerson
  68. Tobias
  69. Ronan
  70. Brian
  71. Dallas
  72. Bradley
  73. Jorge
  74. Walter
  75. Josue
  76. Khalil
  77. Damien
  78. Jett
  79. Kairo
  80. Zander
  81. Andre
  82. Cohen
  83. Crew
  84. Hendrix
  85. Colin
  86. Chance
  87. Malakai
  88. Clayton
  89. Daxton
  90. Malcolm
  91. Lennox
  92. Martin
  93. Jaden
  94. Kayson
  95. Bodhi
  96. Francisco
  97. Cody
  98. Erick
  99. Kameron
  100. Atticus

The Best Boy Baby Names 301–400

  1. Dante
  2. Jensen
  3. Cruz
  4. Finley
  5. Brady
  6. Joaquin
  7. Anderson
  8. Gunner
  9. Muhammad
  10. Zayn
  11. Derek
  12. Raymond
  13. Kyle
  14. Angelo
  15. Reid
  16. Spencer
  17. Nico
  18. Jaylen
  19. Jake
  20. Prince
  21. Manuel
  22. Ali
  23. Gideon
  24. Stephen
  25. Ellis
  26. Orion
  27. Rylan
  28. Eduardo
  29. Mario
  30. Rory
  31. Cristian
  32. Odin
  33. Tanner
  34. Julius
  35. Callum
  36. Sean
  37. Kane
  38. Ricardo
  39. Travis
  40. Wade
  41. Warren
  42. Fernando
  43. Titus
  44. Leonel
  45. Edwin
  46. Cairo
  47. Corbin
  48. Dakota
  49. Ismael
  50. Colson
  51. Killian
  52. Major
  53. Tate
  54. Gianni
  55. Elian
  56. Remy
  57. Lawson
  58. Niko
  59. Nasir
  60. Kade
  61. Armani
  62. Ezequiel
  63. Marshall
  64. Hector
  65. Desmond
  66. Kason
  67. Garrett
  68. Jared
  69. Cyrus
  70. Russell
  71. Cesar
  72. Tyson
  73. Malik
  74. Donovan
  75. Jaxton
  76. Cade
  77. Romeo
  78. Nehemiah
  79. Sergio
  80. Iker
  81. Caiden
  82. Jay
  83. Pablo
  84. Devin
  85. Jeffrey
  86. Otto
  87. Kamari
  88. Ronin
  89. Johnny
  90. Clark
  91. Ari
  92. Marco
  93. Edgar
  94. Bowen
  95. Jaiden
  96. Grady
  97. Zayne
  98. Sullivan
  99. Jayceon
  100. Sterling

The Best Boy Baby Names 401–500

  1. Andy
  2. Conor
  3. Raiden
  4. Royal
  5. Royce
  6. Solomon
  7. Trevor
  8. Winston
  9. Emanuel
  10. Finnegan
  11. Pedro
  12. Luciano
  13. Harvey
  14. Franklin
  15. Noel
  16. Troy
  17. Princeton
  18. Johnathan
  19. Erik
  20. Fabian
  21. Oakley
  22. Rhys
  23. Porter
  24. Hugo
  25. Frank
  26. Damon
  27. Kendrick
  28. Mathias
  29. Milan
  30. Peyton
  31. Wilder
  32. Callan
  33. Gregory
  34. Seth
  35. Matthias
  36. Briggs
  37. Ibrahim
  38. Roberto
  39. Conner
  40. Quinn
  41. Kashton
  42. Sage
  43. Santino
  44. Kolton
  45. Alijah
  46. Dominick
  47. Zyaire
  48. Apollo
  49. Kylo
  50. Reed
  51. Philip
  52. Kian
  53. Shawn
  54. Kaison
  55. Leonidas
  56. Ayaan
  57. Lucca
  58. Memphis
  59. Ford
  60. Baylor
  61. Kyson
  62. Uriel
  63. Allen
  64. Collin
  65. Ruben
  66. Archie
  67. Dalton
  68. Esteban
  69. Adan
  70. Forrest
  71. Alonzo
  72. Isaias
  73. Leland
  74. Jase
  75. Dax
  76. Kasen
  77. Gage
  78. Kamden
  79. Marcos
  80. Jamison
  81. Francis
  82. Hank
  83. Alexis
  84. Tripp
  85. Frederick
  86. Jonas
  87. Stetson
  88. Cassius
  89. Izaiah
  90. Eden
  91. Maximilian
  92. Rocco
  93. Tatum
  94. Keegan
  95. Aziel
  96. Moses
  97. Bruce
  98. Lewis
  99. Braylen
  100. Omari 

The Best Boy Baby Names 501–600

  1. Mack
  2. Augustus
  3. Enrique
  4. Armando
  5. Pierce
  6. Moises
  7. Asa
  8. Shane
  9. Emmitt
  10. Soren
  11. Dorian
  12. Keanu
  13. Zaiden
  14. Raphael
  15. Deacon
  16. Abdiel
  17. Kieran
  18. Phillip
  19. Ryland
  20. Zachariah
  21. Casey
  22. Zaire
  23. Albert
  24. Baker
  25. Corey
  26. Kylan
  27. Denver
  28. Gunnar
  29. Jayson
  30. Drew
  31. Callen
  32. Jasiah
  33. Drake
  34. Kannon
  35. Braylon
  36. Sonny
  37. Bo
  38. Moshe
  39. Huxley
  40. Quentin
  41. Rowen
  42. Santana
  43. Cannon
  44. Kenzo
  45. Wells
  46. Julio
  47. Nikolai
  48. Conrad
  49. Jalen
  50. Makai
  51. Benson
  52. Derrick
  53. Gerardo
  54. Davis
  55. Abram
  56. Mohamed
  57. Ronald
  58. Raul
  59. Arjun
  60. Dexter
  61. Kaysen
  62. Jaime
  63. Scott
  64. Lawrence
  65. Ariel
  66. Skyler
  67. Danny
  68. Roland
  69. Chandler
  70. Yusuf
  71. Samson
  72. Case
  73. Zain
  74. Roy
  75. Rodrigo
  76. Sutton
  77. Boone
  78. Saint
  79. Saul
  80. Jaziel
  81. Hezekiah
  82. Alec
  83. Arturo
  84. Jamari
  85. Jaxtyn
  86. Julien
  87. Koa
  88. Reece
  89. Landen
  90. Koda
  91. Darius
  92. Sylas
  93. Ares
  94. Kyree
  95. Boston
  96. Keith
  97. Taylor
  98. Johan
  99. Edison
  100. Sincere

The Best Boy Baby Names 601–700

  1. Watson
  2. Jerry
  3. Nikolas
  4. Quincy
  5. Shepherd
  6. Brycen
  7. Marvin
  8. Dariel
  9. Axton
  10. Donald
  11. Bodie
  12. Finnley
  13. Onyx
  14. Rayan
  15. Raylan
  16. Brixton
  17. Colby
  18. Shiloh
  19. Valentino
  20. Layton
  21. Trenton
  22. Landyn
  23. Alessandro
  24. Ahmad
  25. Gustavo
  26. Ledger
  27. Ridge
  28. Ander
  29. Ahmed
  30. Kingsley
  31. Issac
  32. Mauricio
  33. Tony
  34. Leonard
  35. Mohammed
  36. Uriah
  37. Duke
  38. Kareem
  39. Lucian
  40. Marcelo
  41. Aarav
  42. Leandro
  43. Reign
  44. Clay
  45. Kohen
  46. Dennis
  47. Samir
  48. Ermias
  49. Otis
  50. Emir
  51. Nixon
  52. Ty
  53. Sam
  54. Fletcher
  55. Wilson
  56. Dustin
  57. Hamza
  58. Bryant
  59. Flynn
  60. Lionel
  61. Mohammad
  62. Cason
  63. Jamir
  64. Aden
  65. Dakari
  66. Justice
  67. Dillon
  68. Layne
  69. Zaid
  70. Alden
  71. Nelson
  72. Devon
  73. Titan
  74. Chris
  75. Khari
  76. Zeke
  77. Noe
  78. Alberto
  79. Roger
  80. Brock
  81. Rex
  82. Quinton
  83. Alvin
  84. Cullen
  85. Azariah
  86. Harlan
  87. Kellan
  88. Lennon
  89. Marcel
  90. Keaton
  91. Morgan
  92. Ricky
  93. Trey
  94. Karsyn
  95. Langston
  96. Miller
  97. Chaim
  98. Salvador
  99. Amias
  100. Tadeo

The Best Boy Baby Names 701–200

  1. Curtis
  2. Lachlan
  3. Amos
  4. Anakin
  5. Krew
  6. Tomas
  7. Jefferson
  8. Yosef
  9. Bruno
  10. Korbin
  11. Augustine
  12. Cayson
  13. Mathew
  14. Vihaan
  15. Jamie
  16. Clyde
  17. Brendan
  18. Jagger
  19. Carmelo
  20. Harry
  21. Nathanael
  22. Mitchell
  23. Darren
  24. Ray
  25. Jedidiah
  26. Jimmy
  27. Lochlan
  28. Bellamy
  29. Eddie
  30. Rayden
  31. Reese
  32. Stanley
  33. Joe
  34. Houston
  35. Douglas
  36. Vincenzo
  37. Casen
  38. Emery
  39. Joziah
  40. Leighton
  41. Marcellus
  42. Atreus
  43. Aron
  44. Hugh
  45. Musa
  46. Tommy
  47. Alfredo
  48. Junior
  49. Neil
  50. Westley
  51. Banks
  52. Eliel
  53. Melvin
  54. Maximo
  55. Briar
  56. Colten
  57. Lance
  58. Nova
  59. Trace
  60. Axl
  61. Ramon
  62. Vicente
  63. Brennan
  64. Caspian
  65. Remi
  66. Deandre
  67. Legacy
  68. Lee
  69. Valentin
  70. Ben
  71. Louie
  72. Westin
  73. Wayne
  74. Benicio
  75. Grey
  76. Zayd
  77. Gatlin
  78. Mekhi
  79. Orlando
  80. Bjorn
  81. Harley
  82. Alonso
  83. Rio
  84. Aldo
  85. Byron
  86. Eliseo
  87. Ernesto
  88. Talon
  89. Thaddeus
  90. Brecken
  91. Kace
  92. Kellen
  93. Enoch
  94. Kiaan
  95. Lian
  96. Creed
  97. Rohan
  98. Callahan
  99. Jaxxon
  100. Ocean

The Best Boy Baby Names 801–900

  1. Crosby
  2. Dash
  3. Gary
  4. Mylo
  5. Ira
  6. Magnus
  7. Salem
  8. Abdullah
  9. Kye
  10. Tru
  11. Forest
  12. Jon
  13. Misael
  14. Madden
  15. Braden
  16. Carl
  17. Hassan
  18. Emory
  19. Kristian
  20. Alaric
  21. Ambrose
  22. Dario
  23. Allan
  24. Bode
  25. Boden
  26. Juelz
  27. Kristopher
  28. Genesis
  29. Idris
  30. Ameer
  31. Anders
  32. Darian
  33. Kase
  34. Aryan
  35. Dane
  36. Guillermo
  37. Elisha
  38. Jakobe
  39. Thatcher
  40. Eugene
  41. Ishaan
  42. Larry
  43. Wesson
  44. Yehuda
  45. Alvaro
  46. Bobby
  47. Bronson
  48. Dilan
  49. Kole
  50. Kyro
  51. Tristen
  52. Blaze
  53. Brayan
  54. Jadiel
  55. Kamryn
  56. Demetrius
  57. Maurice
  58. Arian
  59. Kabir
  60. Rocky
  61. Rudy
  62. Randy
  63. Rodney
  64. Yousef
  65. Felipe
  66. Robin
  67. Aydin
  68. Dior
  69. Kaiser
  70. Van
  71. Brodie
  72. London
  73. Eithan
  74. Stefan
  75. Ulises
  76. Camilo
  77. Branson
  78. Jakari
  79. Judson
  80. Yahir
  81. Zavier
  82. Damari
  83. Jakob
  84. Jaxx
  85. Bentlee
  86. Cain
  87. Niklaus
  88. Rey
  89. Zahir
  90. Aries
  91. Blaine
  92. Kyng
  93. Castiel
  94. Henrik
  95. Joey
  96. Khalid
  97. Bear
  98. Graysen
  99. Jair
  100. Kylen 

The Best Boy Baby Names 901–1,000

  1. Darwin
  2. Alfred
  3. Ayan
  4. Kenji
  5. Zakai
  6. Avi
  7. Cory
  8. Fisher
  9. Jacoby
  10. Osiris
  11. Harlem
  12. Jamal
  13. Santos
  14. Wallace
  15. Brett
  16. Fox
  17. Leif
  18. Maison
  19. Reuben
  20. Adler
  21. Zev
  22. Calum
  23. Kelvin
  24. Zechariah
  25. Bridger
  26. Mccoy
  27. Seven
  28. Shepard
  29. Azrael
  30. Leroy
  31. Terry
  32. Harold
  33. Mac
  34. Mordechai
  35. Ahmir
  36. Cal
  37. Franco
  38. Trent
  39. Blaise
  40. Coen
  41. Dominik
  42. Marley
  43. Davion
  44. Jeremias
  45. Riggs
  46. Jones
  47. Will
  48. Damir
  49. Dangelo
  50. Canaan
  51. Dion
  52. Jabari
  53. Landry
  54. Salvatore
  55. Kody
  56. Hakeem
  57. Truett
  58. Gerald
  59. Lyric
  60. Gordon
  61. Jovanni
  62. Kamdyn
  63. Alistair
  64. Cillian
  65. Foster
  66. Terrance
  67. Murphy
  68. Zyair
  69. Cedric
  70. Rome
  71. Abner
  72. Colter
  73. Dayton
  74. Jad
  75. Xzavier
  76. Rene
  77. Vance
  78. Duncan
  79. Frankie
  80. Bishop
  81. Davian
  82. Everest
  83. Heath
  84. Jaxen
  85. Marlon
  86. Maxton
  87. Reginald
  88. Harris
  89. Jericho
  90. Keenan
  91. Korbyn
  92. Wes
  93. Eliezer
  94. Jeffery
  95. Kalel
  96. Kylian
  97. Turner
  98. Willie
  99. Rogelio
  100. Ephraim

About Jenny Studenroth Gerson

Jenny Studenroth Gerson is an Atlanta-based lifestyle journalist and novelist (Let Me Let You Go, 2020). Her work can be seen in publications including HuffPost, Cosmo, and WSJ, among many others. Jenny has researched thousands of baby names, combed through hundreds of nursery designs, and curated dozens of baby shower guides, making her absolutely the mom—and writer—you want to talk to when planning for Baby. When not meeting deadlines, she is chasing toddlers or chugging coffee—or both! Find her on Instagram @ourlifeinrosegold for mom hacks and more.

View more posts tagged, baby names

Have questions about a Happiest Baby product? Our consultants would be happy to help! Connect with us at customercare@happiestbaby.com.

Disclaimer: The information on our site is NOT medical advice for any specific person or condition. It is only meant as general information. If you have any medical questions and concerns about your child or yourself, please contact your health provider.