Middle names for boys are important, and parents often choose them in 1 of two ways:

1. They choose middle names for boys to honor someone important in their lives, like a father, grandfather, uncle, etc.;
2. They choose middle names for boys that have meanings, virtues, places, seasons, etc. Typically, these are names like Forest, Ocean, Night, Justice, Frost, Grey, Hawk, etc.
3. They choose middle names for boys that sound good phonetically with the baby’s first and last name.

Whatever you decide, below is a comprehensive and extensive list of middle names for boys. For your convenience, they have been sorted in alphabetical order. Meanings are included, as well as pronunciation when needed.

Happy Name Hunting!

Middle Names For Boys

Aaron

Aaron means “high mountain; exalted, enlightened”. In the Old Testament, Aaron was the first High Priest of the Israelites.

Abe

Abe is a diminutive of Abraham which means “father of multitudes”.

Abel

Abel means “breath”.

Abraham

Abraham means “father of multitudes”. The Biblical Abraham was the first of the Old Testament patriarchs and is considered the founding father of the Jewish people.

Ace

Ace means “one, unity”.

Adam

Adam means “son of the red earth”

Aiden

Aiden means “little and fiery”. Aiden is a gender-neutral name. 

Alexander

Alexander means “defending men”. According to Greek legend, the first Alexander was Paris, who was given the nickname Alexander by the shepherds whose flocks he defended against robbers.

Alfred

Alfred means “wise counselor”.

Allan

Allan means “handsome, cheerful”. 

Andrew

Andrew means “strong and manly”.

Anthony

Anthony means “priceless one”.

Apollo

Apollo means “to destroy”. Apollo is the Greek god of the sun.

Arnold

Arnold means “ruler, strong as an eagle”.

Art

Art means “noble one; bear man”.

Arthur

Arthur means “bear”.

Ash

Ash comes from “ash tree”. Ash is a gender-neutral name.

Avery

Avery means “ruler of the elves” and in some cultures, it’s pronounced as EY-Vah-Ree-. Avery is a gender-neutral name in certain cultures.

Bailey

Bailey means “law enforcer, bailiff”. Bailey is a gender-neutral name.

Basil

Basil means “regal”. Basil is also a common herb.

Bear

Bear is an animal name and often used as a given name, like the British adventurer, Bear Grylls.

Beck

Beck means “one living beside a small stream”. Beck is a gender-neutral name.

Ben

Ben means “son of”. 

Benjamin

Benjamin means “son of the right hand”. Benjamin is a biblical name. In the Old Testament, he was one of the founders of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Blake

Blake means “fair-haired, dark”. Blake is a gender-neutral name.

Brad

Brad is a diminutive of Bradley which means “wide meadow”.

Bradley

Bradley means “wide meadow”.

Bram

Bram is a Dutch variation of Abraham which means “father of multitudes”.

Brandt

Brandt means “dweller on burnt land” and pronounced as BRahNT.

Brendon

Brendon means “prince”.

Brent

Brent means “dweller near the burnt land”.

Brett

Brett means “from Brittany”.

Brock

Brock means “badger”.

Bruce

Bruce means “from the brushwood thicket”. Bruce is a name of a Scottish King who won Scotland’s independence from England in the fourteenth century, King Robert the Bruce.

Byron

Byron means “barn for cows” and pronounced as BAYRaaN in some cultures. In other cultures, it is commonly pronounced as Buy-rin.

Cade

Cade means “round; or, barrel”. Cade is a gender-neutral name.

Cain

Cain means “spear; possessed” and pronounced as KEYN.

Cal

Cal means “bald, hairless”. Cal is a gender-neutral name.

Caleb

Caleb means “devotion to God”. In the Old Testament Caleb is one one of only two ancient Israelites (Joshua was the other) who set out from Egypt to finally enter the promised land.

Cameron

Cameron means “crooked nose”. Cameron is a gender-neutral name.

Camden

Camden means “winding valley”. Camden is a gender-neutral name.

Carter

Carter means “transporter of goods by cart”.

Cash

Cash means “hollow”.

Charles

Charles means “free man”.

Chase

Chase means “to hunt”. Chase is a gender-neutral name.

Chet 

Chet means “fortress, walled town”. 

Clark

Clark means “scribe, secretary, cleric, scholar, clerk”.

Claude

Claude means “lame; enclosure”. Claude is a gender-neutral name.

Cree

Cree means “tribe name” and pronounced as KRIY.

Cody

Cody means “helpful, pillow”.

Cohen

Cohen means “priest”. Cohen is a royal name in the Jewish religion.

Cole

Cole means “swarthy, coal black”.

Colin

Colin means “pup”.

Colton

Colton means “from the coal or dark town”.

Conrad

Conrad means “brave counsel”.

Coy

Coy means “son of Aodh”. Coy is a gender-neutral name.

Cy

Cy means “sun”.

Damien

Damien means “to tame, subdue”.

Damon

Damon is an English variation of Damien which means “to tame, subdue”.

Dane

Dane means “from Denmark”. Dane is a gender-neutral name.

Daniel

Daniel means “God is my judge”. 

Dante

Dante means “enduring” and pronounced as DAHN-tay. 

Darius

Darius means “kingly or possess well”. Darius is a historic name via Emperor Darius the Great, a key figure in ancient Persian history, and several other Persian kings

Dash

Dash means “a charming man”.

Dave

Dave is a variation of David which means “beloved”.

David

David means “beloved”.

Dean

Dean means “church official” or “valley” and pronounced as Diy-N. Dean is a gender-neutral name.

Denver

Denver means “from Anvers”. Denver is a gender-neutral name.

Dex

Dex is a diminutive of Dexter which means “dyer” or “right-handed”.

Dezi

Dezi means “desired one”. Dezi is a gender-neutral name.

Dominick

Dominick is a variation of Dominic which means “belonging to the Lord”.

Dominic

Dominic means “belonging to the Lord”.

Doran

Doran means “stranger, exile” and pronounced as DAOERae-N.

Drake

Drake means “dragon or “male duck”.

Drew

Drew means “strong and manly”. Drew is a gender-neutral name.

Edgar

Edgar means “wealthy spearman”. Edgar is an Old English name historically associated with the tenth-century English king known as Edgar the Peaceful.

Edmond

Edmond means “wealthy protector”.

Edward

Edward means “wealthy guardian”.

Edwin

Edwin means “wealthy friend”.

Elbert

Elbert means “noble, bright”.

Eli

Eli means “ascended, uplifted, high”. In the Old Testament, Eli was the high priest and last judge of Israel, who trained the prophet, Samuel.

Elias

Elias means “Yahweh is God” and pronounced as eh-LIY-aaS.

Elijah

Elijah means “Yahweh is God”. (Similar to Elias.) Elijah was the name of the Old Testament prophet who went to heaven in a chariot of fire.

Emerson

Emerson means “son of Emery“. Emerson is a gender-neutral name.

Eric

Eric means “eternal ruler”.

Ethan

Ethan means “strong, firm”.

Everett

Everett means “brave as a wild boar”. Everett is a gender-neutral name.

Fedor

Fedor means “gift of God”. 

Felipe

Felipe means “lover of horses” and pronounced as feh-LEEP-ay. Felipe is a royal name in Spain.

Felix

Felix means “happy, fortunate”. Felix is the name of four popes and sixty-seven saints.

Fergus

Fergus means “man of force” and pronounced as FAHR-GahS.

Fernando

Fernando means  “bold voyager” and pronounced as fer-NAN-do or fer-NAN-doo.

Fisher

Fisher means “fisherman”.

Finn

Finn means “fair, white”. Finn is the name of the greatest hero of Irish mythology, Finn MacCool (aka Fionn mac Cuumhaill), an intrepid warrior with mystical supernatural powers, noted as well for his wisdom and generosity. Finn is a gender-neutral name.

Flint

Flint means “born near outcrop of flint”.

Flynn

Flynn means “son of the red-haired one”.

Forest

Forest is a nature name which means “woodsman or woods”.

Francis

Francis means “Frenchman or free man”. Francis is the name of the current Roman Catholic Pope.

Frost

Frost means “freezing”. Frost is a gender-neutral name.

Gabe

Gabe is a diminutive of Gabriel which means “God is my strength”.

Gael

Gael means “Gaelic” and pronounced as ga-EL.

Gabriel

Gabriel means “God is my strength”.

Gareth

Gareth means “gentle”. Gareth is the name of a modest and brave knight in King Arthur’s court.

Garrison

Garrison means “son of Garret”.

Garry

Garry means “spear man”.

Gavin

Gavin means “white hawk” and pronounced as GAEV-ihN.

Gerald

Gerald means “ruler with the spear”.

George

George means “farmer”. George was the name of the king of Britain for 116 straight years, as well as the patron saint of England.

Glenn

Glenn means “valley”. Glenn is a gender-neutral name.

Grant

Grant is an old English name. It means great or tall.

Gregory

Gregory means “vigilant, a watchman”. Gregory is the Greek name of sixteen popes and fifteen saints.

Grey

Grey is a color name.

Haden

Haden means “heathery hill” or “fire” and pronounced as HHEY-DihN. Haden is a gender-neutral name.

Hamish

Hamish is the Scottish variation of James which means “supplanter” and pronounced as HAY-mish. 

Harrison

Harrison means “son of Harry“. 

Hawk

Hawk is a bird name.

Heath

Heath means “the heathland dweller” and pronounced as HHiy-TH. 

Henry

Henry means “estate ruler”. Henry has a long pedigree as a royal name.

Holt

Holt means “son of the unspoiled forests”.

Hugh

Hugh means “mind, intellect” and pronounced as HHYuw.

Hyrum

Hyrum means “brother of the exalted one” and pronounced as HHAYRahM.

Isaac

Isaac means “laughter”. In the Old Testament, Isaac was the long-awaited son of the elderly Sarah and 100-year-old Abraham, so old that their news provoked laughter, giving the name its meaning.

Isaiah

Isaiah means “Salvation of the Lord”. The biblical Isaiah was the most important of the major prophets, with an Old Testament book named for him.

Jace

Jace means “the Lord is salvation”. Jace is a gender-neutral name.

Jack

Jack means  “God is gracious”. 

Jackson

Jackson means “son of Jack“. 

Jai

Jai is a variation of Jay which means “jaybird”. Jai is a gender-neutral name.

James

James means “supplanter”. James is one of the classic Anglo-Saxon names that is rich in biblical, royal and presidential history.

Jared

Jared means “he descends”.

Jasper

Jasper means “bringer of treasure”. Jasper is the usual English form for one of the Three Wise Men who brought gifts to the infant Christ according to medieval tradition.

Jax

Jax means “Yahweh is gracious” or “Yahweh may protect”.

Jay

Jay means “jaybird”. Jay is a gender-neutral name.

Jeremy

Jeremy means “appointed by God”.

Joseph

Joseph means “Jehovah increases”. In the Old Testament, Joseph is the 12th and favorite son of Jacob and Rachel; in the New Testament, it is the name of the carpenter husband of the Virgin Mary, mother of Christ.

Josiah

Josiah means “God supports, heals” and pronounced as JHow-SAY-ah. Josiah was the name of an upright king of Judah, he ruled the nation since he was eight.

Juan

Juan is the Spanish variation of John which means “the Lord is gracious”.

Judd

Judd means “flowing down”.

Jude

Jude means “praised”. Jude is a gender-neutral name.

Julian

Julian means “youthful, downy”. Julian has numerous historic and cultural references, such as the patron saint of travelers and a Roman emperor.

Justice

Justice is a virtue name. Justice is a gender-neutral name.

Justin

Justin means “fair, righteous”.

Kai

Kai means “sea” or “brave with the spear” and pronounced as kye or KAY. Kai is a gender-neutral name.

Kent

Kent means “edge”.

King

King means “monarch”.

Kingston

Kingston means “king’s town”.

Kolt

Kolt means “coal town”.

Lane

Lane means “a small roadway or path”. Lane is a gender-neutral name.

Lance

Lance means “servant”.

Lawrence

Lawrence means “from Laurentium”. Laurentium was a city noted for its laurel trees (the laurel is a symbol of wisdom and achievement.) 

Lee

Lee means “pasture, meadow”. Lee is a gender-neutral name.

Leo

Leo means “lion”.

Leon

Leon is a Greek variation of Leo which means “lion”.

Levi

Levi means “joined, attached”. Levi is a name with numerous biblical references.

Lewis

Lewis is an English variation of Louis which means “renowned warrior”. Pronounced as LOO-iss.

Louis

Similar to Lewis, Louis means “renowned warrior”.

Luke

Luke means “man from Lucania”. The most famous bearer of the name is the first-century Greek physician who was also the author of the third Gospel.

Lydon

Lydon means “mound” and pronounced as LIHDAHN.

Mac

Mac means “son of”. (Similar to Ben.)

Maison

Maison means “house” (in French) or “stone worker” and pronounced as MEYZAHN. Maison is a gender-neutral name.

Malachi

Malachi means “my messenger” and pronounced as MAEL-ah-Kay. In the Bible, Malachi was the last of the twelve Hebrew prophets, who foretold the coming of Christ. Malachi is also a common Irish name. 

Marcellus

Marcellus means “young warrior”. Marcellus is an ancient Roman family name.

Mars

Mars means “manly, virile”. Mars is the Roman mythology god of war.

Matteo

Matteo is an Italian variation of Matthew which means “gift of God”.

Matthew

Matthew means “gift of God”. (Similar to Fedor.) The biblical Matthew was the apostle who wrote the first Gospel.

Michael

Michael means “who is like God?”. The biblical Michael is the archangel who led the other angels to victory in a war against Satan, one of only two archangels recognized by Jews, Christians and Muslims alike.

Miller

Miller means “grinder of grain”.

Murphy

Murphy means “sea warrior”. Murphy is a gender-neutral name.

Myron

Myron means “fragrant, an aromatic shrub, myrrh” and pronounced as MAY-RahN or MUW-RowN.

Neil

Neil means “cloud” and pronounced as NEEL. Neil is a gender-neutral name.

Nevin

Nevin means “holy”.

Nicolas

Nicolas means “people of victory”.

Night

Night is a common English word that some may use as a name.

Noah

Noah means “rest; wandering”. Noah is the name of the Old Testament patriarch of the ark. Noah is a gender-neutral name.

Noel

Noel means “Christmas” and pronounced as NoEHL. Noel is a gender-neutral name.

Ocean

Ocean is a nature name. Ocean is a gender-neutral name.

Oliver

Oliver means “olive tree”.

Oren

Oren means “laurel or pine tree” and pronounced as AOR-ehN.

Orlando

Orlando means “famous throughout the land”.

Oscar

Oscar means “God spear”, “deer-lover” or “champion warrior”. In Irish legend, Oscar was one of the mightiest warriors of his generation.

Owen

Owen means “young warrior; well-born” and pronounced as OWAHN. Owen is a gender-neutral name. 

Paul

Paul means “small”.

Peace

Peace is a common English word that some may use as a name. Peace is a gender-neutral name.

Peter

Peter means “rock”. Peter is a name with numerous biblical references.

Porter

Porter means “gatekeeper”. Porter is a gender-neutral name.

Preston

Preston means “priest’s estate”.

Quintin

Quintin means “fifth born son” and pronounced as KWIHNTehN.

Ralph

Ralph means “wolf-counsel”.

Randall

Randall means “shield-wolf”.

Ray

Ray means “wise protector”. Ray is a gender-neutral name.

Reed

Reed means “red-haired”. Reed is a gender-neutral name.

Reese

Reese means “ardor” and pronounced as RIYS or RIYZ. Reese is a gender-neutral name.

Reeve

Reeve means “bailiff” and pronounced as RIY-V. Reeve is a gender neutral name. 

Rhett

Rhett means “advice” and pronounced as RehT.

Ricardo

Ricardo means “dominant ruler”.

Riley

Riley means “courageous”. Riley is a gender-neutral name.

Rio

Rio means “river”. Rio is a gender-neutral name.

River

River is a nature name. River is a gender-neutral name.

Robert

Robert means “bright fame”. Robert was the name of three kings of Scotland, including Robert the Bruce, who freed Scotland from English rule.

Rock

Rock means “rest”.

Rory

Rory means “red king”. Rory is a gender-neutral name.

Rufus

Rufus means “red-head”. Rufus, during ancient Rome, was popular with saints and singers.

Ryder

Ryder means “cavalryman, messenger” and pronounced as RIYD-er. Ryder is a gender-neutral name.

Sawyer

Sawyer means “woodcutter”.

Sean

Sean is an Irish variation of John which means “God is gracious”. Pronounced as SHao-N. 

Seth

Seth means “appointed, placed”. Seth is a gender-neutral name.

Shane

Shane is an Anglicized variation of Sean which means “God is gracious”. Shane is a gender-neutral name.

Sheridan

Sheridan means “wild one” or “peaceful”. Sheridan is a gender-neutral name.

Snow

Snow is a common English word that some may use as a name. Snow is a gender-neutral name.

Sparrow

Sparrow is a bird name. Sparrow is a gender-neutral name.

Stewart

Stewart means “steward”. Stewart was an ancient royal Scottish name.

Sullivan

Sullivan means “black-eyed one”. Sullivan is a gender-neutral name.

Sutton

Sutton means “from the southern homestead” and pronounced as SAHTTahN.

Tanner

Tanner means “leather tanner”. Tanner is a gender-neutral name.

Tavian

Tavian is a diminutive variation of Octavian which means “eighth”.

Thomas

Thomas means “twin”.

Timothy

Timothy means “honoring God”. 

Tobias

Tobias means “God is good” and pronounced as Tah-BAY-ahS. Tobias is the name of several biblical figures but is primarily associated with the story of Tobias and the Angel.

Trevor

Trevor means “from the large village”.

Tristan

Tristan means “noise or sorrowful”. Tristan is a dragon-slaying hero of Celtic legend.

Troy

Troy means “descendant of foot soldier”.

Trey

Trey means “three” or “from the house by the rock”. Trey was originally a nickname for a third-generation son.

Tyson

Tyson means “firebrand” or “son of Ty” and pronounced as TIESahN. Tyson is a gender-neutral name.

Ulric

Ulric means “wealthy, powerful ruler” and pronounced as OOLRihK.

Usher

Usher means “doorkeeper”.

Van

Van means “of, from”.

Varian

Varian means “variable” and pronounced as VAAH-ree-un.

Vaughn

Vaughn means “small”.

Venn

Venn means “fair”.

Vernon

Vernon means “place of alders”. Vernon is a gender-neutral name.

Vincent

Vincent means “conquering”. Vincent’s most notable bearer was Vincent Van Gogh.

Vlad

Vlad means “to rule with glory”. The most famous bearer of the name was nicknamed “Vlad the Impaler”.

Wade

Wade means “at the river crossing” and pronounced as Wey-D. Wade is a gender-neutral name.

Walt

Walt means “army ruler”. 

Warren

Warren means “park-keeper”.

Wayne

Wayne means “maker of wagons”.

Wendell

Wendell means “to travel, to proceed”.

Wesley

Wesley means “western meadow”. 

West

West is a common English word that some may use as a name. West is a gender-neutral name.

Wilder

Wilder means “wild animal”.

Will

Will is a diminutive of William which means “resolute protector”. 

William

William means “resolute protector”. 

Wolf

Wolf is an animal name or a diminutive variation of Wolfgang which means “traveling wolf”.

Xander

Xander is a diminutive variation of Alexander which means “defending men”. Pronounced as zander. 

Xavier

Xavier means “new house” or “bright” and pronounced as ex-ZAY-vee-er or ZAY-vee-er.

Yale

Yale means “fertile upland” and pronounced as Yey-L. Yale is a gender-neutral name.

Zac

Zac is a diminutive variation of Zachary which means “the Lord has remembered”.

Zachary

Zachary means “the Lord has remembered”.

Zane

Zane means “God is gracious” and pronounced as Zey-N. (Similar to Jack.)

Zeke

Zeke means “God strengthens”.