174 one-syllable boy baby names

100 one-syllable boy baby names

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Short stuff: One-syllable baby names for boys

Sometimes, all you need is a short word — a single-syllable name to use as your baby’s first name, as just a part of his first name, or as a middle name. You might be trying to match a sound, or give his full name a certain rhythm that needs just one more sound.

Here, in alphabetical order, we present you with more than 170 short and to-the-point baby names suitable for a baby boy.

ALSO SEE: 100 one-syllable girl baby names | 100 two-syllable boy baby names


List of 174 1-syllable boy baby names

  1. Art: Often a short form of “Arthur.”
  2. Bear: Animal-inspired, strong and rugged.
  3. Beau: French origin, means “handsome.”
  4. Blake: Old English origin, means “dark” or “fair.”
  5. Blaine: Gaelic origin, means “yellow.”
  6. Blaise: Latin origin, means “stutter” or “lisp.”
  7. Blaze: Modern, inspired by the word “blaze.”
  8. Blue: Color-inspired, modern and unique.
  9. Bo: Scandinavian origin, means “to live.”
  10. Boone: French origin, means “a blessing.”
  11. Brant: German origin, means “firebrand.”
  12. Brock: Old English origin, means “badger” or “stream.”
  13. Brooks: Nature-inspired, refers to a small stream.
  14. Bruce: Scottish origin, from the place name “Brix.”
  15. Bryce: Celtic origin, means “swift.”
  16. Cade: Old English origin, means “barrel.”
  17. Cal: Often a short form of “Calvin.”
  18. Cale: Modern, possibly a variant of “Kyle.”
  19. Carl: German origin, means “free man.”
  20. Cash: Modern, often associated with money or a nickname for “Cassius.”
  21. Chance: English origin, means “fortune.”
  22. Chad: Old English origin, means “warrior” or “protector.”
  23. Charles: French origin, means “free man.”
  24. Chase: English origin, means “to hunt.”
  25. Chet: Often a short form of “Chester.”
  26. Chris: Often a short form of “Christopher” or “Christian.”
  27. Clark: Old English origin, means “clerk” or “scholar.”
  28. Clay: Nature-inspired, named after the earth material.
  29. Cliff: Nature-inspired, refers to a steep rock face.
  30. Cole: Old English origin, means “swarthy, coal-black.”
  31. Craig: Scottish origin, means “rock” or “crag.”
  32. Cruz: Spanish origin, means “cross.”
  33. Dale: Old English origin, means “valley.”
  34. Dan: Often a short form of “Daniel.”
  35. Dane: English origin, means “from Denmark.”
  36. Dave: Usually a short form of “David.”
  37. Dean: Old English origin, means “valley.”
  38. Drake: English origin, means “dragon.”
  39. Drew: Often a short form of “Andrew.”
  40. Duke: Latin origin, means “leader.”
  41. Earl: Old English origin, means “nobleman” or “warrior.”
  42. Finn: Irish origin, means “white” or “fair.”
  43. Flint: Nature-inspired, refers to a type of rock.
  44. Flynn: Irish origin, means “son of the red-haired one.”
  45. Ford: Old English origin, means “river crossing.”
  46. Frank: Often a short form of “Franklin” or “Francis.”
  47. Fred: Usually a short form of “Frederick.”
  48. Gabe: Often a short form of “Gabriel.”
  49. Gage: Old French origin, means “measure.”
  50. Gene: Often a short form of “Eugene.”
  51. George: Greek origin, means “farmer.”
  52. Glen: Scottish origin, means “valley.”
  53. Glenn: Variant of “Glen,” also means “valley.”
  54. Grant: French origin, means “great” or “large.”
  55. Gray: Color-inspired, refers to the color gray.
  56. Greg: Often a short form of “Gregory.”
  57. Grey: Variant of “Gray,” also color-inspired.
  58. Guy: Old French origin, means “guide.”
  59. Hank: Often a short form of “Henry.”
  60. Hans: German form of “John,” means “God is gracious.”
  61. Heath: Old English origin, means “wasteland.”
  62. Holt: Old English origin, means “forest.”
  63. Hugh: German origin, means “mind, intellect.”
  64. Jace: Modern, often a short form of “Jason.”
  65. Jack: Often a short form of “John.”
  66. Jake: Usually a short form of “Jacob.”
  67. James: Hebrew origin, means “supplanter.”
  68. Jay: Nature-inspired, named after the bird.
  69. Jean: French form of “John.”
  70. Jeff: Often a short form of “Jeffrey.”
  71. Jim: Usually a short form of “James.”
  72. Joe: Often a short form of “Joseph.”
  73. Joel: Hebrew origin, means “Yahweh is God.”
  74. John: Hebrew origin, means “God is gracious.”
  75. Josh: Usually a short form of “Joshua.”
  76. Jude: Latin origin, means “praised.”
  77. Kai: Hawaiian origin, means “sea.”
  78. Kane: Irish origin, means “battle.”
  79. Kemp: Old English origin, means “athlete, warrior.”
  80. Kent: Old English origin, from a place name.
  81. Kier: Possibly a variant of “Kieran,” means “dark-haired.”
  82. Kip: Old English origin, means “pointed hill.”
  83. Kirk: Scottish origin, means “church.”
  84. Knox: Old English origin, means “round hill.”
  85. Kurt: German origin, means “courteous.”
  86. Kyle: Scottish origin, means “narrow.”
  87. Lance: German origin, means “land.”
  88. Lane: Old English origin, means “path.”
  89. Lee: Old English origin, means “meadow.”
  90. Leif: Scandinavian origin, means “heir” or “descendant.”
  91. Leigh: Variant of “Lee,” also means “meadow.”
  92. Lloyd: Welsh origin, means “gray.”
  93. Luke: Greek origin, means “from Lucania.”
  94. Lyle: Old French origin, from the island of Lille.
  95. Mac: Often a short form of names starting with “Mac-” or “Mc-.”
  96. Mack: Variant of “Mac,” also often a short form of names starting with “Mac-” or “Mc-.”
  97. Mark: Latin origin, means “warlike.”
  98. Matt: Often a short form of “Matthew.”
  99. Max: Usually a short form of “Maxwell” or “Maximilian.”
  100. Mike: Often a short form of “Michael
  101. Miles: Latin origin, means “soldier.”
  102. Mitch: Often a short form of “Mitchell.”
  103. Moe: Usually a short form of “Morris” or “Moses.”
  104. Nash: Old English origin, means “at the ash tree.”
  105. Nate: Often a short form of “Nathan” or “Nathaniel.”
  106. Neal: Variant of “Neil,” means “cloud” or “champion.”
  107. Neil: Irish origin, means “cloud” or “champion.”
  108. Nick: Often a short form of “Nicholas.”
  109. Noel: French origin, means “Christmas.”
  110. Owen: Welsh origin, means “young warrior” or “well-born.”
  111. Paul: Latin origin, means “small” or “humble.”
  112. Penn: Old English origin, means “enclosure” or “hill.”
  113. Pete: Usually a short form of “Peter.”
  114. Phil: Often a short form of “Philip.”
  115. Pierce: English origin, means “rock.”
  116. Quinn: Irish origin, means “descendant of Conn.”
  117. Ralph: Old English origin, means “wolf counsel.”
  118. Ray: Often a short form of “Raymond.”
  119. Reed: English origin, means “red” or “red-haired.”
  120. Reese: Welsh origin, means “enthusiasm.”
  121. Reid: Variant of “Reed,” also means “red.”
  122. Rex: Latin origin, means “king.”
  123. Rhett: Dutch origin, means “advice.”
  124. Rhys: Welsh origin, means “enthusiasm.”
  125. Rick: Often a short form of “Richard.”
  126. Rob: Usually a short form of “Robert.”
  127. Rod: Often a short form of “Roderick.”
  128. Roger: Germanic origin, means “famous spear.”
  129. Ron: Often a short form of “Ronald.”
  130. Ross: Scottish origin, means “peninsula.”
  131. Roy: French origin, means “king.”
  132. Russ: Often a short form of “Russell.”
  133. Rye: Nature-inspired, named after the grain or the plant.
  134. Ry: Modern, often a short form of names like “Ryan.”
  135. Sam: Often a short form of “Samuel.”
  136. Saul: Hebrew origin, means “asked for, prayed for.”
  137. Scott: Scottish origin, means “from Scotland.”
  138. Sean: Irish form of “John,” means “God is gracious.”
  139. Seth: Hebrew origin, means “appointed, placed.”
  140. Shane: Irish form of “John,” means “God is gracious.”
  141. Shaun: Irish form of “John,” means “God is gracious.”
  142. Shawn: Variant of “Sean,” also means “God is gracious.”
  143. Sid: Often a short form of “Sidney.”
  144. Sky: Nature-inspired, refers to the sky.
  145. Spike: Modern, often a nickname.
  146. Stan: Usually a short form of “Stanley.”
  147. Steve: Often a short form of “Steven” or “Stephen.”
  148. Stone: Nature-inspired, refers to rock.
  149. Tad: Often a short form of “Thaddeus.”
  150. Tate: Old English origin, means “cheerful.”
  151. Teague: Irish origin, means “poet” or “philosopher.”
  152. Ted: Usually a short form of “Theodore.”
  153. Tim: Often a short form of “Timothy.”
  154. Todd: Old English origin, means “fox.”
  155. Tom: Usually a short form of “Thomas.”
  156. Trace: English origin, means “from Thracia.”
  157. Trent: Latin origin, means “gushing waters.”
  158. Trey: Latin origin, means “three.”
  159. Troy: Greek origin, named after the ancient city of Troy.
  160. Ty: Often a short form of “Tyler” or “Tyson.”
  161. Van: Old Norse origin, means “from.”
  162. Vance: Old English origin, means “fen.”
  163. Vaughn: Welsh origin, means “small.”
  164. Vic: Usually a short form of “Victor.”
  165. Vince: Often a short form of “Vincent.”
  166. Wade: Old English origin, means “to go.”
  167. Walt: Usually a short form of “Walter.”
  168. Wayne: Old English origin, means “wagon maker.”
  169. Wes: Often a short form of “Wesley.”
  170. West: Direction-inspired, refers to the western direction.
  171. Will: Often a short form of “William.”
  172. Wynn: Old English origin, means “friend.”
  173. Zack: Usually a short form of “Zachary.”
  174. Zane: Hebrew origin, means “God’s gracious gift.”

ALSO SEE: 100 two-syllable boy baby names | 100 one-syllable girl baby names


Old-school baby name advice

Back in 1937, here’s what the magazine Literary Digest had to say about choosing one-syllable names for baby boys.

If the surname (last name) has one syllable, avoid a one-syllable first name. Example: Montgomery Smith rather than John Smith.

With a two-syllable last name, use either a one-syllable name or three-syllable first name. John Hinton or Christopher Hinton, rather than Arthur Hinton.

When the last name has three syllables, either use a one- or two-syllable name. George Doughtery, but not Alexander Dougherty. Avoid overlapping consonants, such as with James Stephens.