The most popular American boys' names

In this article you will find a extensive list of American male baby names. It ranges from seemingly unconventional American boy names to more traditional American boy names to gender-neutral or unisex American first names for boysand the most popular American first names for boys in the USA over the last 100 years.

American boy names - what's in a name

On May 4, 2020, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and founder of SpaceX, and his girlfriend, singer Grimes, caused a worldwide sensation. The reason? A seemingly cryptic message on Musk's Twitter account at the time, which later turned out to be the choice of name for their newborn son: X Æ A-12 Musk. 

Pronounced like X-Ash-A-12, this situation shows a clear difference in the laws on choosing a child's name. While there are clear rules for naming in Germany (i.e. no titles, places, trademarks or vulgarities), the laws in the US regarding American first names are much less strict - if they exist at all and depending on the state. 

Unconventional American boy names

Creative freedom or not, the lack of regulations regarding the American naming have certainly given parents in the USA the opportunity to freely create and choose American boy names. In the following list are some more unconventional American first names for boysthat have found their way from Hollywood to birth certificates. Actors and musicians in particular have a crazy idea of how to name boys and men in America.

Of course, taste is debatable, and this also applies to these American boy names. But one thing is certain: When it comes to boy names, you are definitely spoiled for choice when it comes to finding a name in the USA!

Traditional American boy names

Easily overwhelmed by the interesting American letter combinations above? In the USA, of course, there are also more traditional American boys' and men's namesof which the most popular first names and their meanings are listed below.

These timeless and classic American names for boys are often characterized by Old English, biblical and historical influences. And although these American first names for boys are often referred to as "old-fashioned names" these days, the names are still very popular in the USA and at least they don't need any explanation about pronunciation. 

About Lottili

Born and raised in Berlin, developed Lottili together with experts automatic Baby Hammock for a better baby sleep. More information about our Baby Hammock and how they let your soul dangle can be found here. 

Loved by parents, recommended by midwives.

Common American boy names 

Whether it's clothing, furniture or choice of name - vintage is the trend! The American boys' or men's names that dominate the playground these days are therefore often a mix of new favorites and some classic "old-school" variations. These are the current most common American boy names:

• Elijah
• Henry
• James (short form / diminutive: Jim, Jimmy)
• Liam
• Lucas
• Mateo
• Noah
• Oliver (short form / diminutive: Olly)
• Theodore (short form / diminutive: Theo, Ted, Teddy)
• William (short form / diminutive: Will, Bill, Billy)

When it comes to choosing male baby names in the USA, traditional names with a twist seem to be all the rage at the moment. And who knows, following this logic, perhaps the creative naming of parents Musk and Grimes will make a comeback at some point. 

Gender-neutral American names

From the question of whether it will be a boy or a girl to the so-called Gender Reveal Parties it is clear that many parents in the USA still attach great importance to the gender of a newborn baby. Not least because of the American naming system and choice of name, although this is not absolutely necessary. In fact, there are many gender-neutral baby namesthat American parents can choose from. In the following list you will find the currently most popular gender-neutral names in the USA.

• Alex
• Avery
• Casey
• Charly
• Hunter
• Jamie
• Jordan
• Riley
• Taylor
• Quinn

No matter what reasons parents in the U.S. have for choosing a gender-neutral American name, this list will help you think outside the box when it comes to baby names.

Most popular American boys' and men's names of the last 100 years

The rise of pop culture, socioeconomics and ethnic diversity are all factors that have influenced American culture and the popularity of boys' names in the US. Here's a list of the most popular names for boys in the US over the last 100 years. 

• Aaron
• Alan
• Alexander (short form / diminutive: Alex)
• Andrew (short form / diminutive: Andy, Drew)
• Anthony (short form / diminutive: Tony)
• Austin
• Benjamin (short form / diminutive: Ben, Benny)
• Billy
• Bradley (short form / diminutive: Brad)
• Brandon
• Brian
• Bryan
• Carl
• Charles (short form / diminutive: Charly, Chuck)
• Christopher (short form / diminutive: Chris)
• Corey
• Craig
• Daniel (short form / diminutive: Dan, Danny)
• David (short form / diminutive: Dave, Davey)
• Dean
• Dennis 
• Donald (short form / diminutive: Don, Donny)
• Douglas (short form / diminutive: Doug)
• Dylan
• Edward (short form / diminutive: Ed, Eddy)
• Elijah 
• Eric
• Ethan
• Eugene
• Frank
• Gabriel
• Gary
• George
• Gregory (short form / diminutive: Greg)
• Harry
• Jackson (short form / diminutive: Jack)
• Jacob (short form / diminutive: Jake)
• James (short form / diminutive: Jim, Jimmy)
• Jason (short form / diminutive: Jay)
• Jeffrey (short form / diminutive: Jeff)
• Jerry
• Jimmy
• John (short form / diminutive: Johnny)
• Johnny
• Jonathan (short form / diminutive: Jon, Jonny)
• Joseph (short form / diminutive: Joe, Joey)
• Joshua (short form / diminutive: Josh)
• Keith
• Kenneth (short form / diminutive: Ken, Kenny)
• Kevin
• Lawrence (short form / diminutive: Larry)
• Liam
• Logan
• Louis
• Lucas (short form / diminutive: Luke)
• Mason
• Martin (short form / diminutive: Marty)
• Matthew (short form / diminutive: Matt)
• Michael (short form / diminutive: Mike, Mikey)
• Nathan (short form / diminutive: Nate)
• Noah
• Oliver (short form / diminutive: Olly)
• Patrick 
• Paul
• Peter (short form / diminutive: Pete)
• Philip (short form / diminutive: Phil)
• Ralph
• Raymond 
• Richard (short form / diminutive: Rick, Ricky, Dick)
• Robert (short form / diminutive: Rob, Bob, Bobby)
• Roger
• Ronald (short form / diminutive: Ron)
• Roy
• Russell
• Ryan
• Samuel (short form / diminutive: Sam)
• Scott
• Sean
• Stephen (short form / diminutive: Steve)
• Steven (short form / diminutive: Steve)
• Terry
• Thomas (short form / diminutive: Tom, Tommy)
• Timothy (short form / diminutive: Tim, Timmy)
• Todd
• Victor 
• Vincent (short form / diminutive: Vince)
• Walter (short form / diminutive: Wally)
• Wayne
• William (short form / diminutive: Will, Bill, Billy)

The be-all and end-all, or in this case the A and W, of American boys' names is that every first name in the USA is the result of a mixture of social trends, cultural development and personal preferences. 

100 American boys' and men's names with meaning for your naming needs

If you still haven't found what you're looking for among the American male and boy names we've listed so far, we've put together another 100 examples of American male first names and their meanings.

Conclusion on American boys' and men's names

When it comes to diversity, the USA definitely has a good basis for choosing a first name - at least for boys. A combination of few to no laws on American name choices, celebrity influence, cultural diversity and a rich history has made the country a creative playground for American first names. 

With social media increasingly shaping naming trends, we at Lottili curious to see what American boy names will be popular in the next 100 years. liked and which ones won't make it into the top name rankings.

Sources

Federal Ministry of Justice: Name law

Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names

US Birth Certificates: Naming Laws By State