One syllable boy names are fairly common because they sound strong and firm. Short names like these pack a big punch and often feature hard sounds. You can choose boy names with one syllable as first names, middle names, or in combinations to create unique new names for boys.
Modern Boy Names With One Syllable
Trendy and popular boy names are short and sound cool. These modern names were once unheard of, but are becoming more common.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Ace | Highest rank | English |
| Brooks | Lives near brook | English |
| Cash | Case | French |
| Cayde/Cade | Round | English |
| Cole | Charcoal | English |
| Cruz | Cross | Spanish |
| Guy | Wood | Germanic |
| Jace | To heal | Greek |
| Miles | Soldier | Latin |
| Rhett | Advice | Dutch |
| Tripp | Journey | English |
| Ward | Guard | English |
All-American Boy Names With One Syllable
If you watch TV shows and movies, you'll see there are some all-American boy names that get used over and over again. These names are recognizable and feel distinctly American.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Al | Bright noble | Germanic |
| Brad | Broad clearing | English |
| Brent | Hill | Celtic |
| Brice/Bryce | Speckled | Gaulish |
| Bruce | From Brix, France | Scottish |
| Cal | Bald | French |
| Clark | Priest | English |
| Dale | Lives near valley | English |
| Garth | Garden | Norse |
| Hank | Home ruler | Germanic |
| Jake | Supplanter | Latin |
| Josh | Yahweh is salvation | Hebrew |
| Kirk | Church | Scottish |
| Shane | Yahweh is gracious | Hebrew |
| Stan | Stone clearing | English |
| Trey | Three | English |
| Troy | From Troyes, France | English |
| Vince | To conquer | Latin |
| Zack/Zach | Yahweh remembers | Hebrew |
Rare One Syllable Names for Boys
If you want a truly unique name for your little boy, you'll have to dig deep to find a rare gem. Rare names are great because they help your little guy stand out from the crowd.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Alp | Hero | Turkish |
| Arn | Eagle | Germanic |
| Baer | Bright | Germanic |
| Biff | Strike | English |
| Boyce | Wood | English |
| Brant | Sword | Norse |
| Ceel | Male | Dutch |
| Cree | Native American tribe | French |
| Duff | Dark | Gaelic |
| Dutch | German | German |
| Fulk | People | Germanic |
| Hale | Retreat | English |
| Kemp | Champion | English |
| Leith | Damp | English |
| Pace | Peace | English |
| Price/Pryce | Son of Rhys | Welsh |
| Red/Redd | Read | English |
| Shaw | Thicket | English |
| Sixte | Polished | French |
| Teague | Poet | Irish |
| Thane | Servant | English |
| Vance | Marsh | English |
| Zed | Justice | Greek |
Cool Boys' Names With One Syllable
Cool baby boy names simply sound awesome every time you say them. These cool dudes will always enter a room with an air of awesome about them.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Burke | Fortress | English |
| Chance | Falling | Latin |
| Chip | Similar to father | English |
| Dane | From Denmark | English |
| Dax | From Dax, France | English |
| Drake | Dragon | Norse |
| Giles | Young goat | Greek |
| Rafe | Counsel wolf | Norse |
| Reed/Reid | Red | English |
| Rex | King | Latin |
| Sid | Wide island | English |
| Spike | With spiky hair | English |
| Stone | Small rock | English |
| Tate | Unknown meaning | English |
| Wade | To go | English |
Celebrity Baby Boy Names With One Syllable
Celebrity baby boy names are creative and cool. Celebrity parents know their son will be getting lots of attention, so they put a lot of consideration into trend-setting baby names.
| Name | Meaning | Celebrity Parents |
|---|---|---|
| Bear | Brown one | Liam Payne & Cheryl Cole |
| Beau/Bo | Beautiful | Nev Schulman & Laura Perlongo |
| Crew(e) | Group working together | Chip & Joanna Gaines |
| Ford | Shallow water | Armie Hammer & Elizabeth Chambers |
| Gene | Well born | Amy Schumer & Chris Fischer |
| Grey/Gray | Color name | Molly Sims & Scott Stuber |
| Hal | Home ruler | Benedict & Sophie Cumberbatch |
| Hart | Strong | Meghan King Edmonds & Jim Edmonds |
| Hayes | Fence | Whitney Bischoff & Ricky Angel |
| Mack/Mac | Son, man | Allison Langdon & Michael Willesee, Jr. |
| Ode | Fortune | Jena Malone & Ethan De Lorenzo |
| Pierce | Stone | Zachery & Carly Bryan |
| Psalm | Sacred song | Kim Kardashian West & Kanye West |
| Rise | Go higher | Jacqueline MacInnes Wood & Elan Ruspoli |
| Rhys/Reese | Enthusiasm | Michelle Branch & Patrick Carney |
| Shams | Sun | Mercedes "MJ" Javid & Tommy Feight |
| Slate | Hard, smooth rock | Landon Donovan & Hannah Bartell |
| Sir | Respected man | Beyonce & Jay-Z |
| Zane | God is gracious | Rebecca Robertson Loflin & John Reed Loflin |
God Names With One Syllable for Boys
Some of the most powerful gods in the world had names with one syllable. These strong baby boy names can indicate the strength your son already has or the strength you hope he'll find in life.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Áed | Fire | Irish Mythology |
| An | Heaven | Supreme Sumerian god of heaven |
| Ask | Ash tree | First man created by Norse gods |
| Bran | Raven | Son of Welsh god Llyr |
| Bor | Son, born | Norse god Odin's father |
| Chi | God | Igbo personal god |
| Dwyn | meaning unknown | Celtic god of love |
| Freyr | Lord | Norse god of fertility |
| Ing | Ancestor | Germanic fertility god |
| Jove | Sky father | Alternate name for Roman god Jupiter |
| Llyr | The sea | Welsh god of the sea |
| Mars | Male | Roman god of war |
| Mot | Death | Ugaritic god of death |
| Njord | Strong | Norse god of the sea |
| Ra | Sun | Egyptian sun god |
| Tane | Man | Maori god of forests |
| Thor | Thunder | Norse god of strength & storms |
| Thoth | Meaning unknown | Egyptian god of moon, science, magic |
| Zeus | Shine, sky | Chief Greek god |
One Syllable Cowboy Names for Boys
Let the strong and loyal men of the real and fictional Wild West inspire your little cowboy's name. From historical sheriffs and robbers to television gunfighters, these unique names won't be showing up in every daycare center and classroom.
| Name | Meaning | Cowboy |
|---|---|---|
| Bart | Son of Talmai | Black Bart, robber |
| Bat | Son of Talmai | Bat Masterson, TV lawman |
| Bill | Desire | Buffalo Bill, show founder |
| Butch | Masculine | Butch Cassidy, robber |
| Clay | Works with clay | Clay Allison, gunfighter |
| Clint | River Glyme settlement | Clint Eastwood, Western actor |
| Colt | Young male horse | Gun manufacturer |
| Doc | Doctor | Doc Holliday, gunfighter |
| Earl | Nobleman | Earl Bascom, rodeo |
| Heath | Lives on heath | Heath Barkley, TV cowboy |
| Hoss | Large, respected man | Hoss Cartwright, TV cowboy |
| Kid | Young goat | Kid Curry, outlaw |
| Roy | Red | Roy Rogers, TV cowboy |
| Sharps | Pointed ends | Gun manufacturer |
| Vint | Finch | Vint Bonner, TV gunman |
Biblical Boy Names With One Syllable
If your baby boy was a miracle baby or you hope he'll exhibit godly qualities, you can find many short boy names in the Bible. While many biblical names are long, these one syllable names are just as righteous.
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Cain | Possessed |
| Dan | He who judges |
| Jair | My light |
| James | Cheater |
| Job | He who cries |
| Joel | He who commands |
| John | Mercy of the Lord |
| Jude | Praise of the Lord |
| Luke | Luminous |
| Mark | Polite |
| Paul | Small |
| Saul | Demanded |
| Seth | Who puts |
| Shem | Renown |
Vintage Names for Boys With One Syllable
Popular names for baby boys change with the times. Look to the past for old-fashioned boy names that haven't made a big comeback in a while.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Bert | Bright | Germanic |
| Carl/Karl | Man | Germanic |
| Charles | Man | Germanic |
| Clark | Priest | English |
| Dave/Dav | Beloved | Hebrew |
| Des | Place Name | Irish |
| Doug | Dark river | Scottish |
| Finn | Fair | Irish |
| Flynn | Descendant of Flann | Irish |
| Graham | Gravelly homestead | English |
| Herb | Bright army | Germanic |
| Ken | Handsome | Gaelic |
| Kyle | Narrows | Scottish |
| Lee | Clearing | English |
| Lloyd | Grey | Welsh |
| Lyle | Island | French |
| Steve | Crown | Greek |
| Todd | Fox | English |
| Walt | Army ruler | Germanic |
One Syllable Multicultural Names for Boys
Give your little guy multicultural flair with a name inspired by common names in the countries of your ancestors. Depending on where you live, these names could be completely unique.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Bao | Honor | Chinese |
| Blaise | Lisping | French |
| Chang | Prosper | Chinese |
| Claus/Klaus | Victory of the people | Greek |
| Dolph | Noble wolf | Germanic |
| Ernst | Serious | Germanic |
| Frans | Frenchman | Latin |
| Hans | Yahweh is gracious | Hebrew |
| Jie | Heroic | Chinese |
| Juan | Yahweh is gracious | Spanish from Hebrew |
| Lars | Italian place name | Roman |
| Leif | Heir | Norse |
| Nur/Noor | Light | Arabic |
| Quim | Yahweh establishes | Portuguese from Hebrew |
Boys' Sports Names With One Syllable
The world's greatest athletes always seem to have great names. Check out some of the top performers from your favorite sports or teams to see if they can work for your baby boy too.
| Name | Meaning | Sport |
|---|---|---|
| Ali | Sublime | Boxing legend Mohammed |
| Blake | Black | NBA player Griffin |
| Brett/Bret | A Breton | NFL quarterback Favre |
| Brock | Badger | Professional Wrestler Lesner |
| Cam | Crooked | NFL quarterback Newton |
| Dwayne/Duane | Descendent of Dubhan | NBA player Wade |
| Floyd | Grey | Professional boxer Mayweather |
| Kurt | Brave counsel | NFL quarterback Warner |
| Lance | Land | Professional cyclist Armstrong |
| Pau | Humble | NBA player Gasol |
| Phelps | Son of Philip | Olympic swimmer Michael |
| Shaq | Handsome | NBA player O'Neil |
| Vince | To conquer | NBA player Carter |
Prominent Titles to Use As Boys' Names
Religious, noble, and political titles aren't commonly used today, so they make great power names for your baby boy. With a name like one of these or a royal baby boy name, your little guy is sure to become a leader.
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Chief | Highest authority, tribe leader |
| Count | Title of nobility |
| Dean | Chief of ten, head of a school |
| Earl | Nobleman, aristocratic title |
| King | Head of kin, male monarch |
| Lord | Loaf keeper, head of feudal state |
| Prince | First head, son of monarch |
| Reeve | Local official, chief officer under king |
| Saint | Holy, person who lived a holy life |
| Sarge | From Sergeant, rank in military or police |
| Tsar | Emperor, autocrat |
Place Names That Make Great Boy Names
City, county, state, and country names are often inspired by their natural elements or the people who founded them. These meaningful place names sound similar to common boys' names, so they won't seem too out of the ordinary.
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Berne | Swiss capital |
| Chad | African country |
| Fez | Moroccan city |
| Flint | U.S. city |
| Kent | English county |
| Laos | Asian country |
| Van | Turkish city |
| York | U.K. city |
Animal Names With One Syllable for Boys
Take the idea of a spirit animal to the next level and give your son an animal name. Think about the common attributes of the animal to match the name with your boy's personality.
| Name | Meaning | Attributes |
|---|---|---|
| Buck | Male deer | Strong |
| Bull | Adult male bovine | Stubborn |
| Fox | Thick haired, small canine | Red, sly |
| Hawk | Predatory bird | Keen |
| Newt | New town, amphibian | Cute, dangerous |
| Ox | Adult bull | Strong |
| Shad | Spring up, fish | Strong |
| Tiger | Sharp arrow, large cat | Strong |
| Wolf | wild canine carnivore | Fierce |
One Syllable Video Game Character Names for Boys
When you want a unique and strong name for your son, video game characters make great inspiration. These names are carefully chosen and crafted to fit a specific persona that just might fit your little guy too.
| Name | Meaning | Video Game |
|---|---|---|
| Duke | Leader | Duke Nukem |
| Faust | Lucky | Guilty Gear |
| Jax | Son of Jack | Mortal Combat |
| Ky | Pure | Guilty Gear |
| Link | Lake colony | Legend of Zelda |
| Marth | Meaning unknown | Fire Emblem |
| Minsc | Meaning unknown | Dungeons & Dragons Neverwinter |
| Prime | First, original | Transformers |
| Shao | Chinese place name | Mortal Combat |
| Squall | Brief, violent storm | Final Fantasy VIII |
One Syllable Nicknames Used as Boy Names
Shortening common or old-fashioned boy names is one way to get an uncommon name for your son. Look at your favorite multi-syllable names and think about what nickname you'd use for it to get a new option based on your favorite longer names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Ben | Son of the south, short for Benjamin | Hebrew |
| Bob | Bright fame, short for Robert | Germanic |
| Chet | Fortress, short for Chester | Latin |
| Cliff | Ford near cliff, short for Clifford | English |
| Dom | Of the Lord, short for Dominic | Latin |
| Jeff/Geoff | Foreign peace, short for Jeffrey | Germanic |
| Joe/Jo | He will add, short for Joseph | Hebrew |
| Ike | He will laugh, short for Isaac | Hebrew |
| Max | Greatest, short for Maximus | Latin |
| Mike | Who is like God?, short for Michael | Hebrew |
| Rob | Bright Fame, short for Robert | Germanic |
| Rod | Famous power, short for Roderick | Germanic |
| Rodge | Famous spear, short for Rodger | Germanic |
| Thad | Heart, short for Thaddeus | Greek |
| Vern | Alder, short for Vernon | Gaulish |
Short Names With Great Meaning
Short, one syllable boy names can have just as much, if not more, meaning and impact as longer names. When you choose a great short name from the start, your little guy is more likely to be called by his name all the time. Choosing the right name for your boy includes considering sound, spelling, and the baby name meaning.
