96 of the best one-syllable baby boy names - in order of popularity
If you’re looking for a short and snappy-sounding boy’s name - this is the list for you. And these single-syllable names are not in alphabetical order like other lists. They’re in order of popularity according to the most recent data in England and Wales (2020). So you can easily see if the names you like are very common or more unusual.
why choose a one-syllable name?
Here are five reasons why one-syllable names are great:
If you have a long surname, for example, Featherstonehaugh-Babbington, it might be a bit of a mouthful if paired with a first name like Periwinkle. But don’t let that stop you if it’s your favourite.
They are much harder to shorten. Many a parent has been disappointed when their carefully chosen, beautiful name is abbreviated to something they hate. But bear in mind a short name can be lengthened. And your Tom could be known to everyone as Tommyticklemouse.
You may not like the long version of the name and if it’s going to be shortened anyway, why bother with having a ‘formal’ one too?
If you’re planning on having lots of children, it will save you (a tiny bit of) time when shouting all their names at dinner time.
They make great punchy middle names, which give a good rhythm to a full name.
96 of the best baby names for boys - in order of popularity
Here is the list. Included are the various spellings of the name, whether they are unisex and what they are the shortened form of (where appropriate).
All numbers in brackets refer to where the name ranks in the 2020 Office for National Statistics (ONS) names for baby boys in England and Wales. For the unisex names, the brackets refer to where the name ranks in the girls’ names list.
George (2)
The most popular one-syllable boy’s name. And the second most popular name overall of any syllable, only beaten by long-standing favourite Oliver. It was hugely popular up until 1930 then started to decline, hitting rock bottom in the 1970s. 2012 was its comeback year when it entered the top ten again. It dipped out from 2013 to 2015, possibly as a result of Prince George being born in 2013. But has remained a top name ever since.
Jack (10)
Can also be spelt Jac (420). It’s actually a shortened form of John (150) or Jacob (19). Not sure how it got there but it’s a lovely name so who cares.
Max (33)
It’s a diminutive of Maxwell (157), Maximilian (178), Maximum (201) Maxim (500) Maximo (1723), Maximos (1723) Maxence (2960), Maxson (2960) Maxton (3848), Maxen (4608) but sadly not Maximum. And definitely most popular in its shortened form.
Niall (43)
Also spelt Nyle (1825) Nile (1723). An Irish name, which surely One Direction has edged into the top 50. See also Zayn (181).
Jude (53)
Unisex (2300)
This name has been around in England since the 16th century but despite Jude the Obscure and Hey Jude it only got popular very recently. Very possibly because of Jude Law. It is the shortened version of the Hebrew name Judah (492), which means ‘praised’.
Finn (73)
Another recently popular name, of both Irish and Old Norse origin. It can be short for Finlay (168)/Finley (16).
Myles (98)
Also spelt Miles (144). This Latin name means soldier.
Blake (102)
Unisex (463)
Originally an English surname going back to at least the 12th century. It has also been used as a first name since the 17th century.
Kai (103)
Unisex (3117)
Also spelt Cai (568), Kye (601) and Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik have a Khai (3334). It has several different origins but in Hawaiian, it means ‘sea’.
Jake (107)
Claudia Winkleman has a son called Jake. It’s a shortened form of Jacob (19).
Luke (109)
Made famous by Luke out of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Eddie Redmayne has a son called Luke. Its popularity peaked in the 90s and early 2000s. It’s actually a shortened version of the more popular Latin name Lucas (25).
Beau (131)
Spice Girl Emma Bunton and Robbie Williams both have sons called Beau. It’s a French word meaning ‘handsome’. It started life in the UK as a nickname but has been used as a given first name since 1910.
Jax (134)
Can also be spelt Jaxx (496). It’s a shortened version of Jaxon (49) or Jackson (90).
Does he look like a Jude or a Finn?
Rex (143)
Formerly more popular as a dog name, this comes from the Latin word for ‘king’. So perhaps best avoided if your surname is King. Or Kong. Fearne Cotton has a son called Rex.
Joel (161)
Jon Ronson has a son called Joel. It’s a biblical Hebrew name.
Frank (172)
A short version of Francis. It was very popular in the first half of the 20th century and has recently started to make comeback. Frankie (61) is a more popular option.
Seth (174)
A Hebrew name made famous by Seth Rogan and Adam and Eve’s third son Seth, who stayed out of the limelight compared to his older brothers Cain (1051) and Abel (210).
Zayn (181)
Can also be spelt Zain (235) and Zane (436). An Arabic name meaning ‘beauty and grace’. But for some, it just means Zayn Malik from One Direction.
Cole (183)
Originally a shortened form of Nicholas (176). Popularised by Cole Porter, the child in the Sixth Sense and that old king who was a merry old soul.
Kit (195)
It’s (somewhat mysteriously) the shortened version of Christopher. Jodie Foster has a son called Kit.
Ted (203)
Short for Edward (29). Teddy (31) is a more popular diminutive.
Flynn (217)
This comes from the Irish surname. Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr have a boy named Flynn.
Rhys (231)
A Welsh name meaning enthusiasm. Often also spelt Reece (431).
Zac (241)
This has various different spellings: Zach (342) Zack (259) Zak (392) and is short for Zachary (56) Zachariah (395) and Zacharias (1548).
Mark (241)
Also spelt Marc (1192). A Latin name, which became popular in the UK in the 1950s and was a top ten name from the 1960s to 1980s.
Sam (260)
Unisex (4535)
Short for Samuel (47) and Samson (656). Both are biblical names.
Rafe (277)
Also spelt Raife (559). This is an old Norse name meaning ‘wise wolf’. It can be short for Raphael (182).
Jan (301)
Dutch. It is the equivalent of John in several European countries. Although it’s more common in the UK as a shortened form of Janette or Janet for women of a certain age.
Quinn (308)
Unisex (248)
From an Irish surname.
Nate (314)
Can be an abbreviation of either Nathan (111) or Nathaniel (148).
Chase (320)
Comes from the surname Chase. It means ‘to hunt’.
Ben (327)
Shortened from the popular biblical name Benjamin (40) and also Benedict (690).
Tate (352)
An old Norse name meaning ‘cheerful’. Emma Bunton has a son called Tate.
Reign (356)
Unisex (771)
Kourtney Kardashian has a Reign. If you like one-syllable powerful-sounding names you might also like King (719) and Saint (706).
Jace (356)
A shortened form of the Hebrew name Jason (213).
Bear (359)
Kate Winslet and Liam Payne and Cheryl Cole have sons called Bear. Its recent popularity is perhaps down to Bear Grylls.
An option if things get desperate
Ace (359)
From the Latin word. Emma and Matt Willis have an Ace.
Cruz (372)
Best known for being a Beckham boy name. Pretty much unheard of in the UK before David and Victoria selected it for their third son but it is a Spanish surname meaning ‘cross’. (As in Jesus on the cross, not angry). It’s been used since the 1920s as a first name.
Joe (374)
Short for Joseph (38). Kate Winslet has a son called Joe.
Jay (381)
A surprisingly old name. Also spelt Jai (898). Comes from both a Hindu name meaning ‘win’ or ‘victory’ and the Latin for ‘jaybird’.
Hugh (384)
Can also be spelt the Welsh way, Huw (845)
Used to be very popular but dropped down from the 1950s onwards, despite Hughs Hefner and Grant.
Shay (398)
Unisex (1687)
Both a Gaelic and Hebrew name. It can also be a shortened form of Seamus or Shane.
Rome (436)
Unisex (3447)
Latin. Could be short for Romeo (243) and Roman (28)
Kyle (448)
From the Gaelic surname. It means ‘narrow strait’. Whether you choose it will depend a lot on whether you associate it with Kyle Maclachlan or Jeremy Kyle.
Fox (505)
Unisex (5493)
Popular as a middle name. Mark Owen has a Fox. Perhaps first heard as a first name in the X Files.
Josh (509)
Short for the popular biblical name Joshua (23).
Sean (509)
Can also be spelt Shaun (921) and Shawn (1548). An Irish name meaning ‘God is gracious’.
Troy (529)
An Irish name but also known for being a city in Homer’s poem about the Trojan war. Although for some it’s just the name of the movie star Troy Donahue, who features in ‘Look at Me I’m Sandra Dee’ in the film Grease.
Tom (535)
The shortened form of Thomas (15), which is from the Hebrew word meaning ‘twin’.
Noel (541)
From the old French word for Christmas.
Clark (568)
An English name which is also a common surname. Most often associated with Gone With the Wind (Clark Gable) and Superman (Clark Kent). It means ‘scribe’ which is appropriate for Superman as he was a journalist. But less so for Clark Gable, who was an actor.
He was not happy with their choice of Wilf
Reid (568)
Unisex (5493)
English name that’s more commonly a surname meaning ‘red-haired’. Could also be spelt Reed (2076)
Fred (579)
Perhaps wins the prize for the one-syllable name that’s short for the most amount of names. It can be an abbreviation of Frederico (3334) Frederic (1379) Frederik (1314) Fredrik (1111) Fredrick (745) Freddy (275) Wilfred (145) Alfred (91) Frederick (63) and Freddie (13).
Ray (587)
Short for Raymond, which has been around since the Early Middle Ages and means ‘protector’.
Heath (601)
An old English name for someone who lives (unsurprisingly) on a heath. It can also be short for Heathcliff, which despite Emily Brontë’s best effort languishes at 3334.
Clay (627)
Sometimes short for Clayton (406). It can also be spelt Klay (829). Wayne and Coleen Rooney’s second son is called Klay.
Krish (640)
An Indian name short for Krishna (3334), a Hindu god.
Jett (679)
Can also be spelt Jet (3848). Kind of common in Hollywood as John Travolta’s late son was called Jett and George Lucas also used it for his boy.
Ned (679)
An old English name meaning ‘wealthy guardian’. Also short for any Ed names like Edward (29) Edmund (766), Edgar (878), or Edwin (453). Best not used in Scotland where it’s used as slang for a delinquent.
Seb (699)
Short for the Latin name Sebastian (39).
Gray (723)
An alternative spelling is Grey (1379). One of the few colour names that are used for boys, which is a shame as it would be great to see more men called Yellow.
Wren (723)
Unisex (217)
An English name which comes from the bird. In terms of bird names for boys, it’s beaten in popularity by Robin (146). And Phoenix (164) if you’re counting birds that aren’t real.
Sid (829)
Short for Sidney (201), Siddharth (1548) Siddhartha (2404) and Siddiq (3848).
Wilf (829)
Short for Wilfred (145). An old English name meaning ‘desires peace’. Famous for being the name of Wilf Lunn, the eccentric English inventor who you are probably too young to remember.
Guy (845)
A Norman-French version of the Italian name Guido. The best-known Guy is still Guy Fawkes, who we still burn on a bonfire every year even though he tried to blow up parliament over 400 years ago and so we should really be over it now.
Gene (845)
A diminutive of Eugene (1548). Liam Gallagher and Nicole Appleton have a son named Gene. As does Amy Schumer.
Sol (898)
Usually a shortened version of the biblical name Solomon (390) meaning ‘peace’. Sol means sun in Spanish. Which explains that big sun on the bottles of that Mexican lager.
Wolf (944)
Also spelt Wolfe (1825). It can be short for Wolfgang (1825). Kylie Jenner called her son Wolf and then changed it a few weeks later but don’t let that (or Wolf from Gladiators) put you off.
Gus (962)
Can be short for Angus (377) August (579) Fergus (706) Augustus (1492) Gustavo (1492) Augustin (1935) Augusto (3334) Gustav (3334) and Augustine (4608).
Saul (993)
A Hebrew name and the first King of Israel. But probably now better known for the titular character of Better Call Saul. It means ‘prayed for’.
Bryn (1051)
Welsh name meaning ‘hill’.
Juan (1192)
The Spanish version of the ever-popular John (150).
You could just give them baby name books and choose their own
Ralf (1192)
Also spelt Ralph (1431). Like Ralph Fiennes, who pronounces it Rafe. It’s a German name. If you are of a certain age and have read Judy Blume’s Forever, you will view this name very differently.
Will (1314)
An abbreviation of the always popular name of William (20). Could also be short for Willem (2404), Willis (2960), Willoughby (2960) and Willow (3848).
Jed (1314)
Short for the Hebrew name Jedidiah, not Jedward. Although it seems it can be short from any J or G names. The TV writer and creator of Line of Duty Jed Mercurio’s first name is actually Gerald. An alternative spelling is Jedd (4608)
Buzz (1314)
Short for Busby (3848). The most famous Buzz is now Buzz Lightyear and it’s incredible really that it’s trumped the second man on the moon, Buzz Aldrin. Frank Skinner has a son called Buzz. As do Tom and Giovanna Fletcher.
Ash (1314)
Short for Ashton (340) Ashley (559) Ashwin (1314) Ashar (1935) and Ashraf (2682).
Art (1314)
Short for Arthur (3). Art Garfunkel is probably the most famous Art. He’s undoubtedly had the best hair of any Art. Dawn O’Porter and Chris O’Dowd have a son called Art.
Todd (1492)
Comes from the Middle English word for ‘fox’.
Cass (1492)
Short for Cassius (314) Cassian (524) Cassidy (1230) and Cassim (3848).
Vince (1548)
A diminutive of Vincent (126), a Latin name meaning ‘conquering’.
Leif (1548)
A Scandinavian name meaning ‘heir’.
Lars (1723)
Another Scandinavian name meaning ‘crowned with laurel’.
Onyx (1825)
Can be unisex, although it’s unusual for a girl.
Alanis Morrisette has a son called Onyx. Onyx is a type of gemstone.
Mack (1935)
Lauren Laverne has a son named Mack. It comes from a Gaelic word meaning ‘Son of’. Making all those Mac-something surnames make sense. And hopefully means that Ronald MacDonald’s dad was called Donald.
Brett (1935)
Originally a surname for Celtic people living in the Breton region of France.
Bram (2076)
Short for Abram (1825) and Abraham (456).
Abe (2076)
Another shortened version of Abram and Abraham. Could also be used as a nickname for Abel (210)
Hal (2228)
Benedict Cumberbatch has a Hal. It’s usually short for Harold (1051) or Henry (11) and is the name of the king’s son in the Shakespeare plays, King Henry IV Parts 1 and 2.
Bay (2228)
Unisex (3447)
Could be short for Bailey (226). A Latin name meaning Berry. Kirstie Allsopp has a son called Bay.
Bill (2404)
Short for William (20). Somehow.
Earl (2404)
An old English name meaning ‘warrior’ or ‘nobleman’.
Wynn (2404)
Also spelt Wyn (3848). A Welsh name meaning ‘fair, blessed’.
Alf (3334)
Short for Alfred (91) and Alphie (18).
Walt (4608)
A shortened form of Walter (292), an old German name meaning ‘commander of the army’. Not hugely popular but perhaps it will make more of a comeback when Walt Disney makes his cryogenic comeback.
Spike (4608)
Perhaps more popular as a dog’s name. It’s an American nickname. Mike Myers has a son called Spike.
What’s been missed? Add your favourite one syllable boy’s name in the comments below.