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One Syllable Boy Names for Modern Little Dudes

Apr 30, 2021

One Syllable Boy Names for Modern Little Dudes

Let’s find the perfect single syllable name for your baby boy…

On the hunt for a modern boy’s name that sounds cool but isn’t over-done?

This list of one syllable boy names is just what you’re looking for!

 

baby boy photoshoot

One syllable boy names are definitely “in” right now. There are 7 of them in the top 100. (I love all of them, but Grey and Miles are favorites).

If trendy isn’t your thing, there are plenty of one syllable names for boys that aren’t crazy popular. (A few of my personal faves are Lyle, Hayes, and Cole).

No matter your style, get excited, because I’m about to save you a whole lot of time scouring the internet for the perfect baby name.

Below, I’ve rounded up every one syllable boy name that’s even the slightest bit modern and cool.

I’ve included name meanings in brackets and noted the name’s current popularity if it’s within the top 100.

LET’S DIVE IN!

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One Syllable Boy Names pin

Trendy One Syllable Boy Names

These single-syllable names are hot right now! None of these are too popular as of yet.

  • Chase {to hunt}
  • Crew {group}
  • Cruz {cross}
  • Gabe {God is my strength} “Gabriel” is the 37th most popular baby boy’s name in the U.S.
  • Grey {color}
  • Hayes {hedged area}
  • Jace {healer}
  • Luke {bright one} this is the 32nd most popular baby boy’s name in the U.S.
  • Nash {by the ash tree}
  • Pax {peaceful)
  • Pierce {rock}
 

Related: Two Syllable Boy Names

If you’re looking for a great middle name for any of these trendy one syllable boy names, here are a few combinations!

Chase Maddox, Crew Walker, Cruz Alexander, Gabe Ledger, Grey Phoenix, Hayes Atticus, Jace Hudson, Luke Aden, Luke Mason, Nash Hendrix, Pax Wilder, Pierce Lawson.

2024 list one syllable boy names

Continuing our list with some strong and masculine names...

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Strong One Syllable Boy Names

Strong One Syllable Boy Names

For a single syllable boy’s name that packs a punch, check out these baby names connoting strength…

  • Blaze {fiery}
  • Brant {sword}
  • Cade {barrel}
  • Colt {young horse}
  • Drake {dragon}
  • Grant {tall}
  • Kane {warrior}
  • Reign {sovereign}
  • Rex {king}
  • Rome {strength}
  • Troy {soldier}
  • Vince {prevailing}

Most of these just barely (or not at all) crack the top 1000 most popular boy’s names. This is great if you’re going for something cool but uncommon.

If you need a great middle name for any of these strong one syllable boy names, here are a few combinations!

Blaze Dylan, Brant Jackson, Cade Ashton, Colt Remington, Drake Wilder, Grant Bennett, Kane Edison, Reign Emerson, Rex Carter, Rome Gabriel, Troy Adams, Vince Kennedy

If you like short strong names, you might really like this list of short boy names for modern babies.

Unique One Syllable Boy Names

For an unusual and not-overdone single syllable boy’s name, consider one of these less common options…

  • Blake {light}
  • Bridge {connector}
  • Dane {God is my judge}
  • Dash {unknown}
  • Hyde {hide}
  • Jett {black}
  • Judd {flowing down}
  • Lyle {island}
  • Quinn {counsel}
  • Reed or Reid {red haired}
  • Reese {enthusiasm}
  • Shane {God is gracious}
  • Wade {to go}
  • Wes {western meadow}
  • Zane {God is gracious}
  • Zeus {living}
 

If you’re looking for a great middle name for any of these unique one syllable boy names, here are a few combinations!

Blake Jackson, Bridge Oakley, Dane Ryan, Dash Atticus, Hyde Emerson, Jett Maverick, Judd Oliver, Lyle Finnegan, Quinn Jaxon, Reed Silas, Reid Emory, Reese Ellington, Shane Cameron, Wade Jameson, Wade Liam, Wes Parker, Zane Jordan, Zeus Roman

unique one syllable boy names list

If you like unique names, check out these space names or these southern boy names.

Nature One Syllable Boy Names

baby dressed as animal

For an organic single syllable boy’s name that means water, plant, earth, or animal, check out these options!

  • Beck {stream}
  • Birch {tree}
  • Brooks {small stream}
  • Clay {earthy}
  • Cole {charcoal}
  • Dean {valley}
  • Ford {river crossing}
  • Fox {wild animal}
  • Holt {grove of trees}
  • Kai {sea}
  • Knox {round-topped hill}
  • Lev {lion}
  • Slate {grayish rock}
  • Stone {solid as a rock}

If you’re looking for a great middle name for any of these one syllable boy names, here are a few combinations!

Beck Roman, Birch Hayden, Brooks Jameson, Clay Finnegan, Cole Benson, Dean Asher, Ford Whittaker, Fox Maddox, Holt Lawson, Kai Benjamin, Knox Maverick, Lev Noah, Slate Hudson, Stone Gabriel

Related: 250 Hippie Names for your Boho Baby

Related: 60 Modern Nonbinary Names

Old Fashioned One Syllable Boy Names

Old Fashioned One Syllable Boy Names

This next batch of single syllable boy names is interesting because they’re technically old school but they have a modern feel.

  • Briggs {bridges}
  • Duke {leader}
  • Finn {white}
  • Gage {money lender}
  • Graham {gravel}
  • Jack {God is gracious} this is the 9th most popular baby boy’s name in the U.S.
  • James {one who follows} this is the 6th most popular baby boy’s name in the U.S.
  • Jude {praised}
  • Mack {son of}
  • Miles {soldier}
  • Rhett {advice}
  • Shay {supplanted}
  • Smith {blacksmith}
  • Tripp {the third}
  • Walt {army ruler}

If you’re looking for a great middle name for any of these old fashioned one syllable boy names, here are a few combinations!

Briggs Ledger, Duke Avery, Finn Wilder, Gage Barrett, Graham Colton, Jack Porter, James Oliver, Jude Benson, Mack Preston, Miles Oakley, Miles Theodore, Rhett Emerson, Shay Gabriel, Smith Ryder, Tripp Hudson, Walt Jackson

If you like timeless names, you may also like this list of 3 syllable names! Or for a more international vibe, check out these French boy names.

More articles to check out if you’re expecting…

one syllable middle names for boys

8 questions to ask yourself while deciding on a one syllable boy name

    1. Will the name work for a professional adult? It can be easy to forget that your tiny baby will grow up to be a serious grown-up one day. While a name like Blaze, for example, might be adorable for a fiery toddler, it may be less desirable when your son is working his way to CEO of a Fortune 500 company. (This is entirely a matter of opinion, of course!)
    2. Does it bother you that nicknames are harder to come up with? Many one syllable boy names like Troy, Miles, and Hyde are virtually impossible to come up with (related) love names for. If you choose one of these names, you’ll have to get a bit more creative with a nickname—if you want one, that is!
    3. Will a young child be able to pronounce the name? This is another one that’s really easy to overlook when choosing the baby name. Keep in mind that lots of little kids have trouble saying “R”, “S”, “L”, “Th”, and “Z”. Names like Rex, Slate, and Rhett (could sound like “wet”) might be really hard for your kiddo (and his friends) to say for a while.
    4. Is the one syllable name too popular? Let’s just say your son goes on The Bachelorette. Do you want him to have to go by “James R” since there’s also a “James C”? I’m joking, of course. But take a moment to think about whether you want to choose a name that’s in the top 10.
    5. Is there potential for the one syllable name to invite teasing? Some names, unfortunately, are ripe for ridicule. Buck, for example, may not be a safe bet. (Swap out that first letter… or write the letter B with bad handwriting). Rex might be a risk for the same reason. You don’t want your son to feel self-conscious about his name when he’s in elementary and middle school.
    6. How intuitive is the name’s pronunciation? All of the one syllable boy names on this list are pretty easy to pronounce. Still, take a second to consider whether or not your child will have to spend a lifetime correcting others on how to say his name—especially if you decide to switch up the spelling.
    7. Do his initials represent anything undesirable? You’ll need to be especially careful if your son’s middle initial starts with a vowel. If his initials look safe, give them a quick Google search to make sure there aren’t any unexpected associations.
    8. Does the name have a less-than-ideal meaning? You can definitely choose to ignore the name’s meaning—but don’t skip the step of at least reading about the history of the name. Most, if not all of the one syllable boy names on this list have innocuous meanings, but do your due diligence just in case. For example, Cam, short for Cameron, means crooked nose. Hux, short for Huxley, means inhospitable place. (Both of these could be worse, but just some food for thought!)

As you go through these questions, you may decide that one or some of these issues don’t matter to you at all—and that’s totally fine.

Ultimately, you and your partner should choose whatever name makes you the happiest. It’s a very personal decision that only you can make!

Final thoughts on choosing a one syllable name for your baby boy

It can be hard to find the perfect name that fits with both you and your partner’s style.

The good news is whether you are looking for trendy names for a modern little man, or strong and masculine names that your baby can grow into, there are so many great one syllable boy names to choose from.

strong one syllable boy names list

classic one syllable boy names

If you liked this list of boy names, email it to your partner! (Or to yourself to come back to later!)

Best Modern One Syllable Boy Names