Top 1000 Baby Boy Names (With Meanings and Origin) in the U.S.

What Are The Most Popular Boy Names?

Are you wondering what the top baby boy names were this year? Names for boys go through different phases of popularity every decade, but some classic boy names stay strong every year. The top boy names of the year saw many familiar favorites and some surprises!

Think you know which boy name topped the list? The latest data is in from the Social Security Administration and these were the 10 most popular boy names this past year. Continue reading for the top 1000 boy names along with their meaning, origin, and popularity over the years. 

1. Liam

 Liam is a boy’s name with Irish origins that means “Irish: Unwavering protector.” It has been the most popular baby boy name since 2017! 

2. Noah

The name Noah is derived from the biblical figure of the same name, and comes from the Babylonian word "nukhu" meaning repose or rest. It can also be derived from the Hebrew word "nahum" meaning to comfort. Noah was the number 1 baby boy name from 2013 to 2016. 

3. Oliver

Oliver is a male name originally derived from the Latin word olivarius meaning olive tree planter. Oliver has remained the third most popular name for boys since 2019. 

4. Elijah

The English translation of the name Elijah from the Old Testament means “Jehovah is God.” In modern times, the name Elijah has grown in popularity in the past few years. Elijah entered into the top 10 most popular names for boys in 2016 for the first time. 

5. James

The name James means “Supplanter” in Hebrew and is a classic boy’s name. James has biblical roots and was the name of two apostles in the New Testament. 

6. William

The name William is one of the most popular boys names of all time and is of Germanic origin. The name was first introduced to England by William the Conqueror. William has been in the list of top 10 most popular baby boy names since 2001! 

7. Benjamin

The name Benjamin comes from the Hebrew name Binyamin. The name has its origins in the Book of Genesis from the Old Testament. Benjamin has been one of the top 10 baby boy names since 2015, reaching peak popularity in 2017. 

8. Lucas

The name Lucas is a Latin name meaning "man from Lucania." “Lucas” only broke into the top 10 boy names in 2018 but has held strong ever since with characters like “Luke Skywalker” adding to its popularity.  

9. Henry

The name Henry has German origins and means “ruler of the home.” It’s fitting that this popular boy’s name has been common among English royalty with 8 kings being called Henry. 

10. Theodore

The name Theodore is of Greek origin and means "gift of God." Theodore has been consistently popular as a boy’s name, remaining in the top 100 since 2015, and breaking into the top 50 names for boys in 2018.

This year's top 5 boy names were the same as in 2020, except James overtook William to claim the number five spot. William remains strong at the number six most popular names for boys in 2022. 

Looking for girl names? Check out the This Year's Top Baby Girl Names. 

Top Baby Names for Boys by Year from the Social Security Administration 

How do we determine the most popular name given to boys this year? Every year the Social Security Administration releases its most popular baby names list. Each year they collect their data based on applications for Social Security cards. The 2020 data is based on the lowest number of births in over three decades, with the U.S. seeing a sharp decline in the birth rate. 

All baby name data is reported from the “First Name” field on the Social Security card application. The given name must be at least two characters long in order to be included. Names with fewer than five occurrences in any geographic area are not included. 

Editor's Note: The below list represents the most recent data from the Social Security Administration. It reflects the most popular boy name data from 2021 based on the births of 2020. 

The Top Baby Boy Name Trends of 2022

This coming year will bring a generation of babies named after superheroes and powerful mythological creatures as today's parents find themselves facing a challenging economy and the COVID-19 pandemic. 

These unique baby boy names are a reflection of current events. In these overwhelming and stressful times, many parents feel inclined to equip their children with a "fighting name" while others would rather preserve memories of better times by choosing nostalgic boy names from the cottagecore aesthetic.

We will see lots of names beginning with "Ever." Boy names ending in the "en" prefix, including Aiden, Jackson, Logan, and Caden were also popular picks.

Japanese names for boys and boy names with Hebrew origins are on the rise. We will also see a growing number of gender-neutral names trending as the current generation of parents becomes more mindful of gender pluralism. 

To see a complete list of our predictions for last year's top boy names, check out Our Top Predictions for the Top Baby Names of 2021.

According to our own data, these have been the most popular boy name lists so far:

• 75 Badass Names for Boys for Your Little Rebel
• The Ultimate List of Boy Middle Names
• 75 Classic Boy Names That Will Stand the Test of Time 

Boy Names on the Rise in 2022

Liam has remained the number one baby boy's name since 2017 when it bumped out Noah. We are likely to see lots of Liams and Noahs going forward, but slightly fewer Matthews and Benjamins.

According to the most recent Social Security Administration, data here are the fastest-rising baby boy names. 

1. Amiri: The name Amiri is of Arabic origins and means “prince” or “ruler”. 
2. Eliam: Eliam is a boy’s name of Hebrew origin that means “God is my nation” or “people of God.”
3. Colter: The name Colter is from Old English, meaning “colt header.” This boy’s name was given to those who looked after horses.     
4. Ozzy: Oz or Ozzy is a trendy boy’s name that means strength. 
5. Loyal: Loyal is a popular virtue name for boys based on the French or American words for faithfulness. 

Boy Names on the Decline in 2022

Sometimes boy names go out of fashion. What was once the most popular male name of one decade can easily feel dated. According to the most recent Social Security Administration data, these were some of the boy names that became unpopular and saw the biggest declines:

• Jaxtyn had the most significant decline, dropping 349 ranks from 586 to 935.
• William was bumped out of the top 10.
• Other boy names with the most notable drop-offs include Xzavier, Karsyn, Willie, Tristen, and Aldo.

Based on these baby boy names falling from popularity the trend of unique spellings of boy names and incorporating letters like "X" "Z" and "Y" may be fading. 

Choosing a baby boy name can be stressful. Should you name your new baby Jayden? Asher? Or will he be more of an Axel? There are endless options out there, and everyone has their opinion. 

Whether you’ve chosen a name already or are just starting to scour the internet for the perfect name, browsing popular baby name lists can be a helpful step in the process. These lists can not only inspire you but help you determine whether you like trendy or classic names.

The 1000 Most Popular Baby Names for Boys