Short Boy Names
896 short boy names with meanings, U.S. popularity, and audio pronunciation on every page.
Looking for girl names instead? Short Girl Names →
Say it once across a crowded playground and you will understand the whole category. Short boy names are built to carry — one syllable, one breath, no ambiguity about what you just called. The rugged, western-leaning group is what most parents picture first: Colt arrives with boots already on, Nash has a flick of rockabilly cool, Cade is clipped and modern without feeling invented last Tuesday, and Reid is the buttoned-up option in the bunch, the one that reads equally well on a kindergarten cubby and a business card twenty-five years from now.
The other current running through this list is the word-name streak, and it is unapologetically bold. Cash and its sharper cousin Kash have been climbing steadily, Crew and Banks bring a surname swagger that pairs well with softer middle names, and Chance is the optimist of the group. For something quieter, Lane has an easy, small-town warmth, Bo is about as economical as English gets, and Kian, Kane and Rome add a bit of travel and history to a very short word.
Every name below opens to its full page — a sourced meaning, its U.S. popularity, and a clear audio pronunciation so you can hear it before you fall for it.
Short Boy Names — Page 5
Valin#13925 in the U.S.Valin is used along a few routes: as a short modern name suggesting Latin valens, 'strong' or '▶Taaj#13928 in the U.S.A spelling of Taj, from the Arabic, Persian, and Urdu for 'crown' — as in the Taj Mahal. A rega▶Mingo#13929 in the U.S.A short form of Domingo (Spanish, 'Sunday; of the Lord'); separately Mingo is the name of a his▶Syd#13937 in the U.S.A short form of Sidney or Sydney, from an English surname and place-name generally read as 'wid▶Tadey#13945 in the U.S.Tadey reads as a modern pet form of Thaddeus, Tadeo or Tadeusz, given as a name in its own righ▶Tag#13950 in the U.S.Chiefly the English word tag — the chasing game, or a label. It also serves as a short form of ▶Sim#13960 in the U.S.Sim is a clipped form of Simon or Simeon, both from the Hebrew Shim'on, meaning 'he has heard' ▶Tyrae#13964 in the U.S.Tyrae is a modern American coinage pairing the popular Ty- opening with a bright -rae ending, c▶Tazz#13975 in the U.S.Tazz is a modern one-beat coinage with no inherited dictionary meaning. It echoes 'Taz,' the ni▶Teak#13976 in the U.S.Teak is an English word-name for the dense, weather-resistant tropical hardwood, borrowed throu▶Tod#13985 in the U.S.A form of Todd, from a northern English dialect word for 'fox' — hence, by nickname tradition, ▶Thad#13986 in the U.S.Thad is the everyday short form of Thaddeus, the New Testament apostle's name. Its ultimate roo▶Thijs#13991 in the U.S.Thijs is the Dutch short form of Matthijs, the Dutch version of Matthew — Hebrew Mattityahu, 'g▶Thorn#13992 in the U.S.Thorn is an English word-name for the sharp woody spine of a plant, from Old English thorn. The▶Tiar#13996 in the U.S.Tiar is a short modern coinage. Families may hear echoes of Tiago, Tiara or Amir in it, but it ▶Till#13998 in the U.S.Till is a German short form of Dietrich — from the Germanic theud, 'people,' and ric, 'ruler.' ▶Yadin#13999 in the U.S.From the Hebrew Yadin, 'he will judge' — a name listed in the biblical book of Chronicles. A sh▶Toki#14005 in the U.S.Toki romanizes a Japanese word meaning 'time,' also used for the Japanese crested ibis. Its mod▶Trino#14006 in the U.S.Trino is a Spanish diminutive of Trinidad, the devotional name meaning 'the Holy Trinity,' from▶Trei#14017 in the U.S.Trei is a modern respelling of Trey, from an old English word for 'three' (as in a card's three▶Treg#14021 in the U.S.Treg is a short, punchy modern name. It reads as a variant of Trig/Tregg, or as a use of the Co▶Yuli#14023 in the U.S.A short form of Yuliy/Julio (from the Latin Julius, 'youthful; downy-bearded'); also used as a ▶Tres#14024 in the U.S.Tres is the Spanish word for 'three,' used as a nickname and given name for a third-generation ▶Tron#14028 in the U.S.Tron is best known in the U.S. from the 1982 Disney film Tron and its sequel — a pop-culture ro▶Truz#14030 in the U.S.Truz is a very short modern coinage. It may be read as a nickname-style clipping — of Truman, o▶Valo#14031 in the U.S.From the Finnish valo, 'light.' A short, luminous nature-word name.▶Tyro#14051 in the U.S.An English word name. A tyro is a beginner or novice, from Latin tiro, 'young soldier; new recr▶Ugo#14054 in the U.S.The Italian form of Hugh, from the Germanic element hug, 'mind; heart; spirit'. A long-establis▶Unai#14059 in the U.S.A Basque name meaning 'cowherd; herdsman', from Basque unai. It became popular in the Basque Co▶Veran#14072 in the U.S.A short modern name whose routes are unsettled: it reads as a trimmed Vernon, as a V- reshaping▶Vero#14074 in the U.S.Usually read from Latin verus, 'true' (Italian and Spanish vero, 'true'), giving a clean 'true'▶Veron#14075 in the U.S.A modern short name with unsettled routes: it reads as a trimmed Vernon, as a masculine form al▶Wills#14077 in the U.S.A pet form of William, from the Germanic wil ('will; resolve') and helm ('helmet; protection') ▶Vidit#14080 in the U.S.From Sanskrit vidita, 'known; understood; learned', from the root vid, 'to know' — the same roo▶Vinn#14086 in the U.S.A respelling of Vin, the short form of Vincent (Latin vincere, 'to conquer') or Vinny. The doub▶Taren#14088 in the U.S.A modern name echoing Taryn and Darren; by those echoes it touches 'great; gentle' (Darren) tho▶Voss#14095 in the U.S.A German and Dutch surname from Low German vos, 'fox' — a nickname name for someone crafty or r▶Xyion#14096 in the U.S.Xyion is a very new American coinage, read most naturally as an X-styled respelling of Zion. Zi▶Terren#14107 in the U.S.Terren is a trimmed form of Terrence, from the Roman clan name Terentius, whose old meaning is ▶Zio#14109 in the U.S.The Italian word zio, 'uncle,' also used as a short, punchy given name; separately it echoes Zi▶Whip#14113 in the U.S.An English word name and a nickname. A whip is a lash, but the word also carries the ideas of s▶Wick#14114 in the U.S.From Old English wic, 'dwelling; village; farm' (from Latin vicus) — the element behind hundred▶Wyld#14123 in the U.S.A modern respelling of the English word 'wild' (free; untamed), also found as an English surnam▶Xavy#14128 in the U.S.A pet form of Xavier, itself from the Basque place name Etxeberria, 'the new house', carried wo▶Xol#14133 in the U.S.A very rare short name with no settled first-name history in the U.S.; Xol is also a well-known▶Yakim#14143 in the U.S.A short form of the Hebrew name Yehoyakim (Jehoiakim), 'the Lord will raise up' or 'the Lord es▶Trygg#14146 in the U.S.From the Old Norse and Norwegian word trygg, 'trustworthy; safe; secure' — a rare virtue name s▶Tyric#14154 in the U.S.A modern American coinage pairing the popular Ty- prefix (as in Tyler, Tyrell) with the -ric en▶Yu#14169 in the U.S.A single-syllable Mandarin given name in pinyin. Many different characters are read yu, with me▶Shean#14173 in the U.S.Shean is a phonetic variant spelling of Sean, the Irish form of John, from the Hebrew Yohanan, ▶Yuven#14178 in the U.S.From Sanskrit yuvan, 'young; a youth' — the same ancient root that gives Latin iuvenis and Engl▶Zakk#14194 in the U.S.A double-k spelling of Zach, the short form of Zachary or Zachariah, from Hebrew Zekharyah, 'th▶Zaye#14208 in the U.S.A modern American coinage, most often used as a short form of names beginning Zay- (Zayden, Zay▶Zayre#14210 in the U.S.A modern American coinage, most naturally read as a respelling of Zaire — a name taken from the▶Zeki#14217 in the U.S.A Turkish name from Arabic zaki, 'intelligent; sharp-witted' (and, in Arabic, also 'pure'). Zek▶Zino#14228 in the U.S.Zino has more than one route. In Italian it works as a diminutive ending clipped from longer na▶Zo#14231 in the U.S.Zo is a short form lifted from longer names — Alonzo, Lorenzo, Zoltan — and now given on its ow▶Zyah#14234 in the U.S.Zyah is a short modern coinage with no documented etymology. It reads as a Z-name built on the ▶Zyre#14242 in the U.S.Zyre is a short modern American coinage with no documented etymology. It reads as a trimmed Zya▶AsrFrom Arabic 'asr', 'the late afternoon; the afternoon prayer; an age or era.' Al-Asr ('The Decl▶AzaryA short, friendly form of Azariah ('the Lord has helped'); Azary (Azari) is also a Russian form▶AzrenAzren has no documented etymology. It reads as a modern coinage joining a crisp Az- opener (as ▶BeriBeri reads as a modern coinage or respelling with no documented etymology; any resemblance to o▶BrewThe English word 'brew' — to make by steeping or fermenting, as with tea, coffee or ale. A shor▶EnilA short modern coinage — read by some as Neil reversed, by others as an echo of Enis/Enid. No d▶EydamA modern coinage, echoing Adam ('man; earth') and the sound of Aidan without descending from ei▶EzzyA short, playful pet form of names beginning Ez- (Ezra, Ezekiel) or Es- (Esmond), used on its o▶GriggsAn English surname, 'son of Grigg' — Grigg being a medieval short form of Gregory ('watchful').▶HanuA short form of Hanuman, the devoted Hindu monkey-god of strength and service; separately, Hanu▶IruA short name with more than one route: in Yoruba (Nigeria) iru is a fermented locust-bean seaso▶IsoIso reads as a short modern name; it may echo Japanese 'iso' ('seashore', romanized) or a clip ▶JaybeJaybe reads as a modern coinage or respelling with no documented etymology; any resemblance to ▶JzaiA modern American coinage built on a crisp J-Z opening; it has no single fixed meaning and read▶KaellKaell is a short modern spelling, reading near Kai and Cael. It has no single documented meanin▶KarriA modern short name reading as a spelling of Kari or Cary (a place/surname name, 'pleasant stre▶KartiA short name reading as a clip of the Indian Karthik/Kartik (tied to Kartikeya, a deity, and th▶KasaiiKasaii has no documented etymology as a given name. The doubled i is a modern spelling flourish▶KasyeKasye is a newly emerging coinage, most naturally read as a respelling of Casey or an extension▶KesaiA modern coinage on a Ke- opening with an -sai ending. No single documented meaning; routes unc▶KhariiA modern coinage on a Kha- opening with a stressed -rii ending; it echoes Khari and Amari, thou▶KoulA one-syllable modern name. Koul is an established Kashmiri Pandit surname, and the spelling al▶KridA one-syllable modern coinage with no documented etymology. It echoes Creed and Kidd in sound, ▶LenzoLenzo reads as a short, Italian-flavored form of Lorenzo (from the Latin Laurentius, 'from Laur▶MazimMazim has no documented etymology. It is a new coinage; it sits near Arabic-sounding names such▶MiyloA respelling of Milo, an old name linked to the Germanic element for 'merciful; mild' and, by s▶MundoA Spanish short form of names like Raymundo and Edmundo, whose -mundo element means 'world' (al▶PedriA Spanish short form of Pedro (from the Latin petra, 'rock; stone'), widely known from Spanish ▶RhoeA one-syllable name, reading as a respelling of the surname Roe (from Old English for 'roe deer▶SaiahA modern American name that reads as a clipped Isaiah — the Hebrew prophet name meaning 'the Lo▶SainSain is a short one-syllable name, most likely a modern coinage or respelling in the Zane/Shane▶SoliA Parsi/Zoroastrian short form of Sohrab, a legendary Persian hero ('illustrious; shining'); th▶TezA short modern name and nickname, sometimes drawn from longer names (such as Tesfaye or Montez)▶YeikA short modern coinage or respelling with no documented etymology; possibly a phonetic spelling▶ZejdA Bosnian spelling of the Arabic Zayd, 'growth; increase; abundance' — where the -jd renders th▶ZikoA genuine short form in South Slavic naming, where -ko is a common affectionate ending, and als▶ZiloA modern American coinage with no documented etymology, built from a bright Z- opening and an e▶
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Frequently Asked
What are popular short boy names?
Strong recent performers include Cash, Colt, Crew and Nash. Open any name page to see its current U.S. rank and its trend line over the last decade.