200 effortlessly cool boy names you'll love

"Cool" means something different to everyone – are you going for a laid-back surfer vibe? Modern and edgy? Classic and charming? Rugged and independent?

Here's what a few BabyCenter Community members have in mind when they think of cool names:

• "I love unisex and cool, earthy names," says Midwifeshan. "Currently on the list I have Kai, Darcy, and Remy."
• "The names I find cool (say, Merle, Elwood, Jesse, Wiley) have a very 'American cowboy' vibe," says JJKCB.
• MommyBecky76 calls out planet and constellation names, like Jupiter, Orion, and Leo. "Some are kind of out there but could be cool names!"

Whatever "cool" means to you, we've got you covered – we found 200 of the coolest boy names around.

Abel

Abel is the name of a biblical character – the first person to be murdered in the Bible (by his own brother!). Rooted in a Hebrew word that means "breath" or "vapor," the name is sometimes implied to mean "vanity."

Ace

Ace is rooted in a Latin word meaning "unity, "one," or "a unit."

Aiden

Aiden has roots in Ireland, and is the name of a mythical Celtic god of the sun. It means "fiery one."

Anakin

Anakin is inspired by Star Wars. Broken down into its Latin root words, it means "without family" (an is "without" and kin is "family").

Anders

Anders is a Scandinavian version of Andrew. It originally comes from the Greek root andr-, which means "man" or "warrior."

Alonzo

Alonzo is a variant of Alphons, a Spanish name with Germanic roots. It means "noble," "eager," and "brave."

Amadeus

Amadeus is both musical and spiritual. It's a combination of the Latin words for "love" and "God." The musical tie-in is that it's the middle name of renowned composer Wolfgang Mozart.

Amari

Amari's origins aren't certain, but it may be a variant of the Arabic name Ammar, which means "long-lived."

Amos

Amos is a champion of the poor in the Bible. The name is thought to come from a Hebrew verb meaning "to carry," and is sometimes given the meaning "borne by God."

Andreas

Andreas is a Greek name that comes from a word meaning "man" or "warrior."

Archer

Archer was originally a surname for someone who was – you guessed it – an archer or bowman. The English word comes from the French archier, which itself comes from the Late Latin word arcus, meaning "bow."

Asa

Asa is a short, sweet Hebrew name that means "healer."

Asher

Asher is a lucky biblical name. It's rooted in Hebrew and means "happy one."

Ashton

Ashton is derived from Old English and means "from the ash tree" or "ash tree town."

Axel

Axel is a Scandinavian name that derives from Absalom, a Hebrew name meaning "father of peace."

Austin

Austin is a medieval version of Augustine, a Latin name rooted in the word august, meaning "great" or "magnificent."

Avery

Avery is a variation of the Old English name Alfred, which is rooted in the words aelf, meaning "elf" or "supernatural being," and raed, meaning "counsel."

Banjo

Banjo is a stringed instrument invented by people from West and Central Africa. The history of its name is uncertain, but it's thought to come from mbanza, the Bantu name for an instrument that resembles a banjo.

Banks

Banks is an English surname with a few meanings. It's an anglicized version of the Irish surname O'Bruachain, which means "descendant of Bruachan," which was a nickname for someone with a big belly.

Banks is also a variant of the surname Bank, which also has a few meanings. It comes from a German, Dutch, and Yiddish word for "bench," and was used by many people whose occupations required a bench or counter. It's also a Danish and English surname for someone who lived near a bank or hillside.

Barack

Barack is a presidential name that means "blessing" in Arabic.

Bennett

Bennett is a medieval version of Benedict, a name rooted in the Church Latin word benedictus, meaning "blessed."

Beckett

Beckett is a literary name with English origins. It could come from the Middle English word beket, meaning "small beak," as a nickname for someone with a small, beaklike mouth, or a prominent nose. It could also come from the Middle English word bekke, meaning "stream."

Benjamin

Benjamin is a biblical name that translates to "son of the right hand" in Hebrew, though it can also mean "son of the south." In the Bible, Benjamin's mother originally named him Benoni, meaning "son of my sorrow," as she died shortly after giving birth to him.

Bentley

Bentley is an Old English surname that means "bent grass clearing."

Blaine

Blaine has Gaelic roots and means "yellow."

Blaze

Blaze comes from an Old English word that means "bright, glowing flame," and originally comes from a Proto-Germanic word meaning "shining, white."

Bo

Bo was originally a Scandinavian byname for someone who owned a house, and is rooted in an Old Norse word that means "to dwell."

Boaz

Boaz is a Hebrew-rooted name meaning "swiftness" or "fleetness."

Bodhi

Bodhi comes from a Sanskrit word that means "enlightenment" or "perfect knowledge."

Boone

Boone derives from the French word bon, meaning "good." In English, a boon is a blessing.

Booker

Booker is an English occupational surname with a few meanings. It was used by people who were scribes and who bound books (from the Middle English word boke, meaning "book"), as well as by people who bleached clothes (from the Middle English word bouken, meaning "to steep in lye").

Brando

Brando is an Italian surname derived from the ancient Germanic name. This Hollywood name means "sword" – but on the other end of the spectrum, it also has Portuguese origins meaning "gentle."

Briggs

Briggs is a surname that comes from the Old Norse word bryggja, meaning "bridge," and was mostly used by people who lived near a bridge.

Burke

Burke is rooted in the Old English word burg, which means "fortification." As a surname, it was originally used by people who lived near Burgh Castle in Suffolk, England.

Caleb

Caleb is a biblical name. Thought to be rooted in a Hebrew word meaning "dog," it's often taken to symbolize devotion or loyalty, specifically to God.

Carter

Carter is an English occupational surname for people who sold goods from a cart or wagon.

Cedar

Cedar is a nature name taken from the hardy, spicy-smelling evergreen tree. Its name comes from the Greek word for the tree, kedros.

Cedric

Cedric was a fictional character (Cedric the Saxon) invented by Scottish author Sir Walter Scott in his romantic novel Ivanhoe. Its meaning isn't certain, but it may be tied to the Brythonic name Caratacos, which means "beloved."

Chance

Chance was originally a nickname for someone who was a habitual gambler or someone who survived an accident by luck. It's rooted in an Anglo-Norman (French) word meaning "good fortune."

Charlie

Charlie, which comes from the French name Charles, means "free man."

Clarence

Clarence is a name with interesting origins. It comes from the English noble title Duke of Clarence, and is based on the town of Clare in Suffolk, England. The town's name may derive from the Latin word clarus, which means "clear."

Clem

Clem is a nickname-name, short for Clement and Clemence. Derived from the Late Latin name Clemens, it means "merciful."

Clay

Clay comes, literally, straight from the earth and from the Old English word claeg, which means "sticky earth."

Clyde

Clyde is the name of a Scottish river, though its origins aren't certain. It's most likely connected to a Celtic goddess named Clota, whose name may come from an ancient word meaning "pure" or "cleansed."

Cormac

Cormac is a longtime popular Irish name whose origins aren't certain. Some sources say it comes from the word corb, meaning "raven."

Crew

Crew is borrowed from an Old French word meaning "a company of people," and also "reinforcement" and "to grow."

Connor

Connor is a kingly Scottish and Irish Gaelic name that means "lover of hounds."

Crosby

Crosby is an English, Scottish, and Irish surname. It comes from the word "cross" and was originally a place name for people who lived at or near a junction.

Cyan

Cyan is a color name for the hue that falls between green and blue. It's rooted in the Greek word kyanos, meaning "dark blue."

Cyril

Cyril is a Greek-rooted name that means "masterful" and "lordly."

Daniel

Daniel is a classic name of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge."

Darcy

Darcy is a romantic, gender-neutral name with a couple of origins. As a French name, it comes from the surname D'Arcy and means "from Arcy," a region in northern France.

But Darcy is also an anglicized version of the Irish surname O'Dorchaidhe, which means "descendant of the dark one" and is rooted in part in the word dorcha, which means "dark" or "gloomy."

Darius

Darius has roots in Persia and Greece and carries the auspicious meaning of "possessing goodness."

Dax

Dax is an invented nickname, possibly derived from a town in the southwestern region of France. Its meaning is unknown.

Deacon

Deacon comes from a Greek word that means "servant" or "messenger."

Dean

Dean was originally an English surname with two meanings: From the Middle English word dene, it means "valley" and was used by people who lived in a valley; and from the Middle English word deen, it means "dean" and was used by people who worked as or for a dean.

Declan

Declan dates back to the 5th century. The English version of the Irish name Deaglan, its meaning is uncertain.

Dion

Dion is a French name that originally comes from a few Greek names starting with Dio-, meaning "Zeus."

Dov

Dov is a short Hebrew name with a big meaning: "bear."

Drake

Drake is an English surname with two meanings. From the Middle English word draca, it means "serpent" or "dragon"; it's also the word for a male duck.

Duke

Duke is a label of nobility. It comes from the French word duc (from the Latin word dux), meaning "leader."

Duncan

Duncan is a Scottish and Irish Gaelic boy's name and means "dark-haired chief."

Dustin

Dustin is an English surname. Its origins lie in the Old Norse name Torsten, meaning "Thor's stone."

Dylan

Dylan is a Welsh name connected to the Celtic word for "sea."

Eben

Eben is a nickname for Ebenezer, which means "stone of help" in Hebrew. In German, eben is an adverb with meanings including "just" and "exactly."

Eden

Eden means "delight" or "pleasure" in Hebrew and is the name of a biblical paradise.

Edison

Edison is an English surname combining the nickname Ed (which is short for many names, including Edward, Edmund, and Edith) and the suffix "-son" – meaning "son of Ed."

Eli

Nowadays Eli is most often considered a nickname for Elijah (a Hebrew name meaning "Yahweh is my God"). But it's a standalone name, too, rooted in a Hebrew word meaning "height."

Elliott

Elliott comes from the medieval French name Elie, a version of Elias, which itself is the Greek version of Elijah. Originally rooted in Hebrew, it means "Yahweh is God."

Ellison

Ellison is a surname with origins in English, meaning "son of Ellis"; Scottish, as a variant of Alison; and Yiddish, as a variant of Elijah.

Elwood

Elwood comes from a Middle English name combining the Old English words aelf, meaning "elf," and weald, meaning "rule" – giving this name the meaning "elf ruler."

Emmett

Emmett comes from the Middle English girl name Emmot, a nickname for Emma. It's an Old French name rooted in a Germanic word that means "whole" or "entire."

Ernest

Ernest is a literary name, thanks to Ernest Hemingway. It's rooted in the Old High German word eornost, which means "serious business" and, more dramatically, "battle to the death."

Ethan

Ethan is a biblical name. Rooted in Hebrew, it means "firm, enduring, strong, and long-lived."

Evander

Evander comes from a Greek name that means "good man." But some sources also say it's an anglicized version of Iomhar, which itself is the Scottish version of Ivor, which comes from an Old Norse name meaning "bowman" or "bow army."

Ever

Ever comes from the English vocabulary word meaning "at any time" or "always."

Ezra

Ezra is the name of an Old Testament prophet. It means "help" in Hebrew.

Fable

Fable is from an Old French word meaning "story," and – reaching further back – from the Latin word fabula, which means "a story with a lesson."

Felix

Felix stems from the Latin word felix or felicis, meaning "happy" or "fortunate."

Fender

Fender is an English and Scottish surname that means "defender" or "protector."

Finn

Finn is a name with a couple of origins. One is that it comes from an Irish word meaning "fair" or "white." It also comes from Old Norse and translates to "from Finland."

Fitz

Fitz comes from the Old French prefix filz or fiz, meaning "son of." It's a common nickname for the names Fitzgerald and Fitzpatrick.

Flynn

Flynn is an Irish surname, meaning "descendant of Flann," where Flann means "ruddy" or "red."

Franklin

Franklin was originally a surname derived from the Middle English word frankeleyn, meaning "freeman." It was used to describe men who were landowners, but not of noble birth.

Fraser

Fraser is a Scottish surname of uncertain origin. It could be rooted in a French place name, or in the French word for strawberry: fraise.

Gabriel

Gabriel is Hebrew-rooted and means "man of God."

Galen

Galen is an ancient Greek name that means "calm."

Garrison

Garrison is an English surname and means "son of Gerard." But garrison is also a vocabulary word meaning "military post."

George

George comes from a Greek name meaning "farmer."

Grady

Grady comes from the anglicized versions of the Gaelic surnames Mac Bhradaigh, meaning "descendant of Bradach" and rooted in a word meaning "proud"; and O'Grada, meaning "descendant of Grada."

Grayson

Grayson is an English surname combining the Middle English word greyve, meaning "steward," and the suffix "-son." It was used by people who were descended from men who worked as stewards.

Gus

Gus is a nickname-name that could be short for a couple of names: the Celtic name Angus, meaning "one choice," and the Latin-rooted Augustus, meaning "great" or "magnificent."

Hamilton

Hamilton is a Scottish place name. In Old English, it means "crooked hill."

Harrison

Harrison is an English surname. It means "Harry's son."

Harley

Harley is a topographical English surname that means "hare's meadow."

Harlow

Harlow is an English place name, meaning "army hill" or "rock hill."

Haroun

Haroun has Arabic origins and is related to the Hebrew name Aaron. The meaning of this ancient name has been lost to time, though it's sometimes connected to a Hebrew word meaning "mountain."

Haven

Haven is a word from Middle English that describes someone who lived by the harbor. Nowadays, this vocabulary word means "place of safety" or "refuge."

Helm

Helm is a word name rooted in an Old English word that means "protection." It's also the root of the word "helmet."

Hendrix

Hendrix is a pop culture-related name, inspired by guitarist Jimi Hendrix. It means "son of Hendrick" and has Dutch and Low German origins.

Heinrich

Heinrich is the original German version of the English name Henry. It means "home ruler."

Heron

Heron is a type of long-necked, long-legged wading bird whose name is rooted in French. Herons often symbolize a positive message or good luck, and in mythology, they're associated with the Egyptian god Bennu and the Greek goddess Athena.

Holden

Holden is an Old English surname that means "deep valley."

Holt

Holt is an English place name with Germanic origins. It means "grove of trees" or "small wood."

Hopper

Hopper is an English surname with a couple of meanings. Rooted in the Middle English word hoppen, meaning "to dance, to leap," it was borne by people who were acrobats or dancers. But rooted in the Middle English word hop, meaning "remote place," it was used by people who lived in remote areas.

Hudson

Hudson is an English surname meaning "Hudde's son," though Hudd has uncertain origins. It could be a version of Hugh, a Germanic name meaning "heart, mind, spirit."

Ian

Ian is the Scottish form of John, also spelled Iain. Originally rooted in Hebrew, it means "God is gracious."

Idris

In Welsh, Idris means "ardent lord" or "impulsive lord," while in Arabic it's thought to mean "scholar" or "teacher."

Ike

Ike is a nickname for the Hebrew name Isaac. It means "he laughs."

Ilan

As an alternate version of Elon, Ilan is a Hebrew name thought to mean "oak tree" or "oak grove."

Indigo

Indigo is a color name that comes from a Greek word meaning "from India," since blue dye was imported from India.

Ira

Ira means "watchful" in Hebrew.

Jagger

Jagger means "carter" or "peddler" and is an occupational family name with Middle English origins.

James

James is a classic biblical name. Derived from Hebrew, it's a variation of Jacob and means "one who takes by the heel" or "supplanter."

Jasper

Jasper dates back to the Bible and is thought to be the name of one of the three wise men who visited Jesus after his birth. It likely derives from a Persian word meaning "treasurer."

Jayce

Jayce is a variation of Jason and is derived from a Greek word meaning "healer."

Jax

Jax came from Jack, which itself originates as a nickname for John.

Jedediah

Jedediah means "beloved of God" in Hebrew.

Jeremiah

Jeremiah is a prophet in the Old Testament. In Hebrew, the name means "appointed by God."

Jesse

Jesse means "gift" in Hebrew.

Jet

Jet comes from Old French. A color name and a stone name, it describes a type of deep-black, soft sedimentary rock called lignite.

Job

Job is a biblical character of steadfast faith in spite of great hardships. This name means "persecuted" in Hebrew.

Josiah

Josiah is a name borne by a biblical king. It means "God heals" in Hebrew.

Judah

Judah is rooted in Hebrew and means "praised."

Jupiter

The Roman king of the gods and god of the sky, Jupiter is both a mythological and celestial name. The name has ancient Proto-Indo-European roots meaning "god-father."

Kai

Kai has a few origins and meanings. As a Hawaiian name, it means "sea"; as a German and Scandinavian name, it's a nickname for several names beginning with K or G, including Klaus, Gerhard, and Gaius.

Kane

Kane is the anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name Cathan, which is rooted in a word that means "battle."

Kareem

Kareem is Arabic and means "noble" and "generous." It's also spelled Karim.

Keanu

Keanu has Hawaiian roots and the refreshing meaning of "cool breeze."

Keir

Keir is a surname with a couple of origins. In Scottish, it's a place name that may be rooted in a word meaning "ancient fortification." In English, it may be a variant of Kerr, which comes from a Middle English word meaning "marshland" or "wet ground."

Kendrick

Kendrick has complex roots. It may come from the Old Welsh name Cyrwrig, which may be rooted in words meaning "exalted summit" or "high hill." It may also come from the Middle English name Cenric, which means either "keen power" or "royal power."

As a surname, Kendrick is the anglicized version of the Gaelic name MacEanraig, which means "son of Henry."

Kermit

Kermit has Gaelic roots, meaning "son of Dermot," an Irish name believed to mean "without restraint" or "without envy."

Lael

Lael is a Hebrew-rooted name that means "belonging to God."

Langston

Langston is an English name and a literary name that combines "long and tall" and "stone."

Lazarus

In the Bible, Lazarus is a man Jesus raised from the dead. His name is a variant of the Hebrew name Eleazar, which means "God is my help."

Leander

Leander is a romantic from Greek mythology for whom love knows no bounds. It means "lion man."

Ledger

Ledger has Norman French and Germanic roots. It's a surname that combines words that mean "people" and "ready" or "spear."

Leo

Leo is the Latin word for "lion."

Lev

Lev means "heart" in Yiddish.

Loyal

Loyal, a virtue name, means "faithful allegiance" in English. It has Latin and French roots that also mean "law."

Lyle

Lyle is a Scottish surname-name that means "island."

Luca

Luca is the Italian version of Luke. The name is originally rooted in Greek and means "man from Lucania," a region in Italy. Some poetically translate the name to mean "man of light" or "lightbringer" because of Lucania's connection to a word meaning "light."

Mason

Mason was originally an occupational surname for someone who worked with stone for a living.

Matteo

Matteo is an Italian variation of the biblical name Matthew, which is rooted in Hebrew and means "gift of God."

Merle

Merle is most likely a version of the Celtic name Muriel, which is thought to mean "bright sea." But the name is also connected to the Old French word merle, meaning "blackbird."

Moss

Moss originally meant "bog" or "swamp" in English, but over time it's also come to refer to a specific type of plants that grow together in small clumps. Moss is also a nickname for the biblical name Moses.

Murray

Murray is a Scottish and Irish surname that means "sea settlement."

Nash

Nash is a surname derived from a Middle English phrase meaning "at the ash tree."

Ned

Ned is short for Edward, which comes from two Old English words meaning "wealth" or "fortune" and "guardian" or "protector."

Neo

Neo is a modern name that comes from a Greek word meaning "new."

Oberon

Oberon is derived from Alberich, an Old High German name meaning "elf king." (Fittingly, Oberon is the king of fairies in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.)

Odin

In Norse mythology, Odin is known as the All-Father and king of the gods. He's often associated with wisdom, healing, royalty, war, and frenzy.

Ollie

Ollie is a nickname for Oliver, a name with a couple of potential origins. The simple meaning is that it comes from the Late Latin word olivarus and it means "olive tree." But it could also potentially be connected to the Old Norse name Oleifr, which means "ancestral relic."

Onyx

Onyx is a mineral made up from tiny crystals. It comes from a Latin and ancient Greek word that means "claw."

Otto

Otto means "wealth" or "fortune," and derives from a German word meaning "prosperity."

Oren

Oren means "cedar" in Hebrew.

Orion

Orion is the name of a legendary giant hunter in Greek mythology. The name is speculated to be rooted in an Akkadian name meaning "light of heaven."

Ossian

Ossian is a name with Irish and Scottish roots. Connected to Gaelic poets and Irish mythology, it's the English variant of Oisin. It means "stag."

Owen

Owen is a modern form of the Welsh name Owain, which is thought to derive from Eugene, a Greek name meaning "noble" or "well-born." It could also be related to an Old Celtic name meaning "born of Esos," a Celtic god.

Parker

Parker is an Old English occupational surname meaning "park keeper."

Phoenix

Phoenix is a place name from Greek mythology and refers to the bird that symbolizes eternal renewal.

Poe

Poe is an English surname that comes from the German surname Pfau, meaning "peacock."

Quest

Quest is rooted in the medieval Latin word questa. While the poetic version of this word connotes a brave knight with a noble purpose, it also means "mission" or "search."

Quinn

Quinn comes from the Irish name Conn, which means "chief" or "leader."

Ramsey

Ramsey is an English-rooted geographical surname meaning "wild garlic island."

Remy

Remy – also spelled Remi – is derived from the Latin word remigius, meaning "oarsman" or "rower."

Reuben

Reuben is a Hebrew boy's name. It means "behold, a son."

Rex

Rex is the Latin word for "king."

Rodney

Rodney is a toponymic name for people from a region in southwestern England.

Roy

Roy is derived from an Old French word meaning "king." It's also a variation of a Gaelic word that means "red."

Rufus

Rufus stems from a Roman nickname and the Latin word for "red-haired."

Rumi

Rumi is the name of a 13th-century Persian mystical poet. His name means "from Rum," which is in modern-day Turkey.

Rush

Rush is a unique nature name and an onomatopoeic name, referring to the plant that grows in marshes.

Ryan

Ryan is a name hailing from Ireland, where it comes from an ancient name meaning "little king."

Sable

Sable comes from an animal name (sable martin) and a color name. It means "black," in reference to the dark color of a sable's fur.

Samuel

Samuel is an Old Testament name meaning "God has heard" in Hebrew.

Sander

Sander is a Scandinavian version of the Greek name Alexander. It means "defender of men."

Sasha

Sasha is another variant of Alexander – it's a Russian nickname.

Silas

Silas is derived from the Latin name Silvanus, the Roman god of the forests.

Simran

Simran is a gender-neutral name of Indian heritage. In Sanskrit, it means "to remember."

Stone

Stone is a word name with Middle English and German roots. The surname Stein also means "stone" or "rock" in German.

Sylvan

Sylvan is a variation of the aforementioned Roman god Silvanus. It means "wood" or "forest."

Theodore

Theodore (with nicknames Ted, Teddy, and Theo) is rooted in ancient Greek, and it means "gift of God."

Theron

Theron is of Occitan origin – a region of Europe that includes parts of France, Spain, and Italy – and may be related to a Latin word meaning "height." It could also come from a Greek word meaning "to hunt."

Thoreau

Thoreau is a French surname of uncertain meaning, inspired by American naturalist, philosopher, and writer Henry David Thoreau.

Tosh

Tosh is a nickname derived from the Gaelic-rooted surname McIntosh, which means "son of the chief."

Turner

Turner is an English occupational name used by people who made small objects of metal, wood, and bone on a lathe.

Walden

Walden is a nature name by proxy, thanks to writer Henry David Thoreau – it's his most well-known work. It's an English surname meaning "foreign valley."

Wiley

Wiley is an Old English surname with a couple of meanings. The first part could come from the words wig, meaning "idol," or wilig, meaning "willow," while the second part comes from leah, meaning "wood clearing."

Van

Van is a common nickname for Evan, Ivan, or Vance. It shares roots with John and means "God is gracious."

Walker

Walker originated as an English occupational surname for someone who strengthened cloth by stepping on it.

Walter

Walter comes from a Norman French name that means "army ruler."

Waylon

Waylon comes from Weyland or Wayland and is rooted in German mythology. Its origins aren't certain, but it could come from Germanic root words meaning either "craft" and "cunning" or "battle" and "brave."

Wilder

Wilder comes from the Old English word wilde, and it's an English surname that means "wild" and "untamed."

Wilf

Wilf, a shortened form of Wilfred, is an Old English name that means "desiring peace."

Wolfgang

Wolfgang is a thoroughly German name that means "path of the wolf."

Wyatt

Wyatt derives from the Old English name Wyot. It means "strong in war."

Xander

Xander is an abbreviation of the Greek-rooted Alexander, meaning "defender of man."

Zebulon

Zebulon, also spelled Zebulun, is a Hebrew name that could mean either "exalting" or "dwelling."

Zeke

Zeke is a diminutive for the biblical name Ezekiel, which comes from Hebrew and means "God strengthens."