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
Some trendy and popular boy names are short and sound cool. These modern names were once unheard of, but they are becoming more common.
- Ace - (English) - highest rank
- Brooks - (English) - lives near brook
- Cash - (French) - case
- Cayde/Cade - (English) - round
- Cole - (English) - charcoal
- Cruz - (Spanish) - cross
- Guy - (Germanic) - wood
- Jace - (Greek) - to heal
- Miles - (Latin) - soldier
- Rhett - (Dutch) - advice
- Tripp - (English) - journey
- Ward - (English) - guard
One-Syllable All-American Boy Names
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 derived from various origins, but they are highly recognizable and feel distinctly American.
- Al - (Germanic) - bright noble
- Brad - (English) - broad clearing
- Brent - (Celtic) - hill
- Brice/Bryce - (Gaulish) - speckled
- Bruce - (Scottish) - from Brix, France
- Cal - (French) - bald
- Clark - (English) - priest
- Dale - (English) - lives near valley
- Garth - (Norse) - garden
- Hank - (Germanic) - home-ruler
- Jake - (Latin) - supplanter
- Josh - (Hebrew) - Yahweh is salvation
- Kirk - (Scottish) - the church
- Shane - (Hebrew) - Yahweh is gracious
- Stan - (English) - stone clearing
- Trey - (English) - three
- Troy - (English) - from Troyes, France
- Vince - (Latin) - to conquer
- Zack/Zach - (Hebrew) - Yahweh remembers
Rare One-Syllable Boys Names
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.
- Alp - (Turkish) - hero
- Arn - (Germanic) - eagle
- Baer - (Germanic) bright
- Biff - (English) - strike
- Boyce - (English) - wood
- Brant - (Norse) - sword
- Ceel - (Dutch) - male
- Cree - (French) - Native American tribe
- Duff - (Gaelic) - dark
- Dutch - (German) - German
- Fulk - (Germanic) - people
- Hale - (English) - retreat
- Kemp - (English) - champion
- Leith - (English) - damp
- Pace - (English) - peace
- Price/Pryce - (Welsh) - son of Rhys
- Red/Redd - (English) - read
- Shaw - (English) - thicket
- Sixte - (French) - polished
- Teague - (Irish) - poet
- Thane - (English) - servant
- Vance - (English) - marsh
- Zed - (Greek) - justice
One-Syllable Middle Names for Boys
Need a slamming middle name that's not too long? You can check out a few one-syllable boy middle names that fit well with any first name you choose.
- Ash - (Hebrew) - happy
- Blaine - (Scottish) - yellow
- Chase - (English) - to hunt
- Gage - (French) - pledge
- Grant - (English) - large
- Hugh - (English) - heart
- Park - (Chinese) - Cypress tree
- Pax - (Latin) - peace
- Sam - (Hebrew) - told by God
- Taj - (Persian) - crown
Unique One-Syllable Boy Names
When it comes to unique single syllable boy names, you can find them in some very uncommon places. From the names of countries to video games, lots of short boy names are available. Explore this alphabetical list of boy names, where they come from, and their meaning.
- Ali - (name of Boxing legend Mohammed) - sublime
- Berne - (name of Swiss capital) - strong as a bear
- Blake - (name of NBA player Griffin) - black
- Brett/Bret - (name of NFL quarterback Favre) - a breton
- Brock - (name of Professional Wrestler Lesner) - badger
- Cam - (name of NFL quarterback Newton) - crooked
- Chad - (name of African country) - protector defender
- Duke - (comes from Duke Nukem video game) - leader
- Dwayne/Duane - (name of NBA player Wade) - dark
- Faust - (comes from Guilty Gear video game) - lucky
- Fez - (name of Moroccan city) - accomplished
- Flint - (name of U.S. city) - someone who lived near an outcrop of flint
- Floyd - (name of Professional boxer Mayweather) - gray
- Jax - (comes from Mortal Combat video game) - son of Jack
- Kent - (name of English county) - high or coastal land
- Kurt - (name of NFL quarterback Warner) - brave counsel
- Ky - (comes from Guilty Gear video game) - pure
- Lance - (name of Professional cyclist Armstrong) - land
- Laos - (name of Asian country) - spring bird
- Link - (comes from The Legend of Zelda video game) - lake colony
- Marth - (comes from Fire Emblem video game) - meaning unknown
- Minsc - (comes from Dungeons & Dragons Neverwinter video game) - meaning unknown
- Pau - (name of NBA player Gasol) - humble
- Phelps - (name of Olympic swimmer Michael) - son of Philip
- Prime - (comes from Transformers video game) - first, original
- Shao - (comes from Mortal Combat video game) - Chinese place name
- Shaq - (name of NBA player O'Neil) - handsome
- Squall - (comes from Final Fantasy VIII video game) - brief, violent storm
- Van - (name of Turkish city) - of
- Vince - (name of NBA player Carter) - to conquer
- York - (name of U.K. city) - town of wild boar
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 extraordinary vibe about them.
- Burke - (English) - fortress
- Chance - (Latin) - falling
- Chip - (English) - similar to father
- Dane - (English) - from Denmark
- Dax - (English) - from Dax, France
- Drake - (Norse) - dragon
- Giles - (Greek) - young goat
- Rafe - (Norse) - counsel wolf
- Reed/Reid - (English) - red haired
- Rex - (Latin) - king
- Sid - (English) - wide island
- Spike - (English) - with spiky hair
- Stone - (English) - small rock
- Tate - (English) - cheerful
- Wade - (English) - to go
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. Learn a few celebrity names, famous parents, and their meanings.
- Bear - (Liam Payne & Cheryl Cole) - strong, brave
- Beau/Bo - (Nev Schulman & Laura Perlongo) - beautiful
- Crew(e) - (Chip & Joanna Gaines) - group working together
- Ford - (Armie Hammer & Elizabeth Chambers) - shallow water
- Gene - (Amy Schumer & Chris Fischer) - well-born, noble
- Grey/Gray - (Molly Sims & Scott Stuber) - color name
- Hal - (Benedict & Sophie Cumberbatch) - home ruler
- Hart - (Meghan King Edmonds & Jim Edmonds) - strong
- Hayes - (Whitney Bischoff & Ricky Angel) - fence
- Mack/Mac - (Allison Langdon & Michael Willesee, Jr.) - son, man
- Ode - (Jena Malone & Ethan De Lorenzo) - fortune
- Pierce - (Zachery & Carly Bryan) - stone
- Psalm - (Kim Kardashian West & Kanye West) - sacred song
- Rise - (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood & Elan Ruspoli) - go higher
- Rhys/Reese - (Michelle Branch & Patrick Carney) - enthusiasm
- Shams - (Mercedes "MJ" Javid & Tommy Feight) - sun
- Slate - (Landon Donovan & Hannah Bartell) - hard, smooth rock
- Sir - (Beyonce & Jay-Z) - respected man
- Zane - (Rebecca Robertson Loflin & John Reed Loflin) - God is gracious
Biblical & God Names With One Syllable for Boys
Some of the most powerful gods in the world had names with one syllable. There are also a few noteworthy biblical 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. View of a list of boy names, the meaning, and the mythology they come from.
- Áed - (Irish Mythology) - fire
- An - (Supreme Sumerian god of heaven) - heaven
- Ask - (First man created by Norse gods) - ash tree
- Bor - (Norse god Odin's father) - son, born
- Bran - (Son of Welsh god Llyr) - raven
- Cain - (found in Bible) - possessed
- Chi - (Igbo personal god) - god
- Dan - (found in Bible) - he who judges
- Dwyn - (Celtic god of love) - wave
- Freyr - (Norse god of fertility) - lord
- Ing - (Germanic fertility god) - ancestor
- Jair - (found in Bible) - my light
- James - (found in Bible) - cheater
- Job - (found in Bible) - he who cries
- Joel - (found in Bible) - he who commands
- John - (found in Bible) - mercy of the Lord
- Jove - (Alternate name for Roman god Jupiter) - sky father
- Jude - (found in Bible) - praise of the Lord
- Llyr - (Welsh god of the sea) - the sea
- Luke - (found in Bible) - luminous
- Mark - (found in Bible) - polite, shining
- Mars - (Roman god of war) - male
- Mot - (Ugaritic god of death) - death
- Njord - (Norse god of the sea) - strong
- Paul - (found in Bible) - small
- Ra - (Egyptian sun god) - sun
- Saul - (found in Bible) - demanded
- Seth - (found in Bible) - appointed
- Shem - (found in Bible) - renown
- Tane - (Maori god of forests) - man
- Thor - (Norse god of strength & storms) - thunder
- Thoth - (Egyptian god of moon, science, magic) - God of moon
- Zeus - (Chief Greek god) - shine, sky
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. In this fun boy name list, you'll find the cowboy name, famous cowboy, and meaning.
- Bart - (Black Bart, robber) - son of Talmai
- Bat - (Bat Masterson, TV lawman) - son of Talmai
- Bill - (Buffalo Bill, show founder) - desire
- Butch - (Butch Cassidy, robber) - masculine
- Clay - (Clay Allison, gunfighter) - works with clay
- Clint - (Clint Eastwood, Western actor) - River Glyme settlement
- Colt - (Gun manufacturer) - young male horse
- Doc - (Doc Holliday, gunfighter) - doctor
- Earl - (Earl Bascom, rodeo) - nobleman
- Heath - (Heath Barkley, TV cowboy) - lives on heath
- Hos - (Hoss Cartwright, TV cowboy) - large, respected man
- Kid - (Kid Curry, outlaw) - young goat
- Roy - (Roy Rogers, TV cowboy) - red
- Sharps - (Gun manufacturer) - pointed ends
- Vint - (Vint Bonner, TV gunman) - finch
Old-Fashioned 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.
- Bert - (Germanic) - bright
- Carl/Karl - (Germanic) - man
- Charles - (Germanic) - man
- Clark - (English) - priest
- Dave/Dav - (Hebrew) - beloved
- Des - (Irish) - place name
- Doug - (Scottish) - dark river
- Finn - (Irish) - fair
- Flynn - (Irish) - descendant of Flann
- Graham - (English) - gravelly homestead
- Herb - (Germanic) - bright army
- Ken - (Gaelic) - handsome
- Kyle - (Scottish) - narrows
- Lee - (English) - clearing
- Lloyd - (Welsh) - gray-haired, sacred
- Lyle - (French) - island
- Steve - (Greek ) - crown
- Todd - (English) - fox
- Walt - (Germanic) - army ruler
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.
- Bao - (Chinese) - honor
- Blaise - (French) - lisping
- Chang - (Chinese) - prosper
- Claus/Klaus - (Greek) - victory of the people
- Dolph - (Germanic) - noble wolf
- Ernst - (Germanic) - serious
- Frans - (Latin) - Frenchman
- Hans - (Hebrew) - Yahweh is gracious
- Jie - (Chinese) - heroic
- Juan - (Spanish from Hebrew) - Yahweh is gracious
- Lars - (Roman) - Italian place name
- Leif - (Norse) - heir
- Nur/Noor - (Arabic) - light
- Quim - (Portuguese from Hebrew) - Yahweh establishes
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.
- 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 the monarch
- Reeve - local official, a chief officer under king
- Saint - holy, person who lived a holy life
- Sarge - from sergeant, rank in military or police
- Tsar - emperor, autocrat
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.
- Ben - (Hebrew) - son of the south, short for Benjamin
- Bob - (Germanic) - bright fame, short for Robert
- Chet - (Latin) - fortress, short for Chester
- Cliff - (English) - ford near cliff, short for Clifford
- Dom - (Latin) - of the Lord, short for Dominic
- Jeff/Geoff - (Germanic) - foreign peace, short for Jeffrey
- Joe/Jo - (Hebrew) - he will add, short for Joseph
- Ike - (Hebrew) - he will laugh, short for Isaac
- Max - (Latin) - greatest, short for Maximus
- Mike - (Hebrew) - who is like God, short for Michael
- Rob - (Germanic) - bright fame, short for Robert
- Rod - (Germanic) - famous power, short for Roderick
- Rodge - (Germanic) - famous spear, short for Rodger
- Thad - (Greek) - heart, short for Thaddeus
- Vern - (Gaulish) - alder, short for Vernon
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.
