Top boy Names For 2021

Names that reflect values and heritage.

Most parents select baby names that stand for some admirable human qualities. The popular boy names of 2021 represent qualities such as strength, bravery, and nobility. These popular names blend traditional and modern influences, each representing admirable traits parents hope their sons will embrace. Many of these names come with a rich history, which adds to their charm. These names offer a sense of heritage and convey meaningful qualities that keep them relevant even after centuries.

Two of the top favorites, Liam (protector) and William (protector) signify protection and are also associated with bravery or fearlessness. Similarly, names like Ethan (strong) and Bryan (strong) convey strength, a highly valued trait in boys. On the modern side, names like Ryder (mounted warrior) and Xander (defender of people) bring to mind warriors with meanings that highlight their roles as defenders and protectors of their people. If you’re looking for popular and meaningful boy names in the US, check out the list below, compiled from official SSA data (1).

In This Article

Browse Top Baby Names by Gender

Girl Boy

Browse Top Baby Names by Year

Name		Gender	Meaning
Lenny		Boy	Brave lion; Hard; Brave; Hardy
Stellan		Boy	Peaceful one; Calm; Star
Tyce-Baby-Name-Meaning:-Complete-Guide-To-Origin-And-Popularity		Boy	High-spirited; Fire; Firebrand
Denis		Boy	Follower of Dionysius; Of Zeus;
Jahlil		Boy	Praised; Admired; Important; Exalted
Kurt		Boy	Brave counsel
Lyndon-Baby-Name:-Complete-Guide-To-Meaning,-History-&-Trends		Boy	From the linden tree hill
Aditya		Boy	Lord of the sun; Sun; Belonging to Aditi; Son of Aditi
Iverson-Baby-Name-Meaning,-Origin,-And-Complete-Guide-For-2025		Unisex	Son of Iver; Yew tree; Bow; Army; Warrior
Brenton		Boy	A hilltop or the top of a mountain
Brigham		Boy	Bridge settlement
Aaryan		Girl	Noble; Educated; High-born
Josh-Name-Meaning-And-Origin:-Comprehensive-Guide		Boy	Jehovah is salvation; Pleasure; Satisfaction; Enthusiasm
Klay		Boy	Clay settlement
Maxx		Boy	Greatest; Supreme; Maximum; Eldest
Myron		Boy	Myrrh; Sweet oil; Perfume
Alton:-Complete-Baby-Name-Guide-To-Meaning,-History-&-Popularity		Boy	Old town; From the town at the source of the river
Ames		Boy	Friend; Amicable; Busy; Ant
Ervin		Boy	Army friend; Boar friend
Giuseppe-Name-Meaning:-Complete-Guide-To-Origin-&-Popularity		Boy	God will add
Hampton		Boy	Home; Water meadow; Enclosure
Johann		Boy	God is gracious
Irving-Name-Meaning-And-Origin:-A-Complete-Guide		Unisex	Green water
Lathan		Boy	Barn; From the farmstead
Xochitl-Name-Meaning:-Origin,-Pronunciation,-History-&-Variants		Boy	Flower
Maddix		Boy	Son of Madoc; Fortunate; Good
Rush		Girl	Red hair; One who lives near rushes
Yousuf-Name-Meaning,-Origin,-And-History:-A-Comprehensive-Guide		Boy	God increases; God will add
Elam		Boy	Hidden; Eternity; River pool
Levy		Boy	One who is joined; Attached
Neymar		Boy	Neptune; Mars
Vito		Boy	Life; Lord of the world; Master of peace
Amado		Boy	Loved
Bryer-Name-Meaning:-Origin,-History,-And-Trends		Boy	Prickly, thorny bush; Someone who lived by a brier
Woodrow		Boy	Row of houses by the wood
Cordell-Name-Meaning,-Origin,-And-History:-A-Complete-Guide		Boy	Maker and seller of strings and cords
Cristofer		Boy	Literally means 'with Christ inside"
Dandre-Name-Meaning-&-Origin:-Your-Complete-Guide-For-2025		Boy	A strong man; Manly; Masculine
Dashawn		Boy	Yahweh is gracious
Finneas-Name-Meaning:-Guide-To-Origin,-History-&-Nicknames		Boy	Serpent's mouth; White
Finnick		Boy	A person from Fenwick; Marshland farm
Hussain		Boy	Handsome; Good; Beautiful
Elton-Name-Meaning:-A-Comprehensive-Guide		Unisex	Ella's town; From the old town
Kyran		Boy	Beam of light; Black
Lloyd-Name-Meaning-&-History:-Origins,-Pronunciation,-Variations		Boy	Gray
Ramses		Boy	Son of Ra; The Sun God
Yousif		Boy	God will add
Braxten		Boy	Bracca's town
Avaya		Boy	Life
Jaleel		Boy	Great; Exalted; Important
Korben-Name-Meaning-&-Popularity:-Everything-You-Need-To-Know		Boy	Raven
Leander		Boy	Lion-like man
Nestor-Baby-Name:-Guide-To-Origin,-Meaning,-&-History		Boy	Returner; Homecomer
Arnold		Boy	Eagle power; Eagle authority
Eder		Boy	A flock; Handsome; Beautiful
Edson		Boy	Fortunate warrior; Isthmus
Markell		Boy	Mars; The god of war; Warlike; Male; Horse border; Wolf border
Dezmond		Boy	South Munster
Alder-Name-Meaning-And-Origin:-Complete-Guide		Boy	Alder tree
Axell		Boy	God the Father is peace
Chace		Boy	Class; Hunt
Don-Name-Meaning,-Origin-&-Popularity:-A-Comprehensive-Guide		Boy	Dark Brown; Chief; Noble; Ruler of the world
Ezio-Baby-Name-Meaning,-Origin,-And-Popularity:-Complete-Guide		Boy	Eagle
Gauge		Boy	Measurer; Pledge
Gavriel		Boy	God is my strength; God is my strong man; God is my hero
Azaiah		Unisex	My strength is Yahweh
Lamont		Boy	Man of law; Lawyer; Upstream
Leviathan-Name-Meaning-And-Origin:-Comprehensive-Guide-For-2025		Boy	Garland; Wreath; Sea monster; Twisted; Coiled
Issa		Unisex	God is salvation; God saves
Jude-Name-Meaning-&-Origin:-A-Guide-To-History-&-Popularity		Girl	Praised; Minor ruler; Prince; Jew
Stryker		Unisex	Stretcher; A string player
Calder		Boy	Rocky water; Wild or rough stream
Tobin		Unisex	Yahweh is good
Armoni		Unisex	Of the palace; Palatial
Ajay		Boy	Unconquerable
Lukah		Unisex	From Lucania
Amadeus		Boy	Love of God; Loved by God
Dan-Name-Meaning:-Origin,-History,-And-Popularity-In-2025		Boy	God is my judge; A Dane; Valley
Ellison		Boy	Nobleness; My God is Yahweh; Son of Ellis
Emmit		Boy	Whole; Great
Hagen:-Meaning,-Origin,-History-&-Popularity-Guide		Boy	Enclosure; Young; Protector patron
Hansel		Boy	Little Hans; God is gracious
Mendel		Boy	Comforter; Person; Man
Octavius:-Meaning,-Origin,-And-History---A-Comprehensive-Guide		Boy	Eight or eighth
Ozzie		Boy	Mighty God; Warrior of God
Thor-Name-Meaning-And-Origin:-History-And-Pronunciation-Guide		Boy	Thunder
Virgil		Girl	Pure as a lily; Maiden; Staff bearer
Emrys		Boy	Immortal; Divine
Hendrik-Name-Meaning-And-Origin:-A-Comprehensive-Guide		Boy	Rules the home
Kanaan		Boy	Low; Humble
Keoni		Boy	God is gracious
Braeden-Name-Meaning,-Origin,-And-History:-Complete-Guide		Boy	Broad hill; Salmon
Breck		Boy	Speckled; Spotted
Britton		Boy	A Briton or Breton; From the land of Britons
Deonte-Name:-Pronunciation,-Popularity,-Meaning-&-Insights		Boy	Greek God Dionysios; Of Zeus; Lasting
Fred-Name-Meaning:-Origin,-History-&-Popularity-Insights		Boy	Peaceful ruler
Hadi-Name-Meaning:-Complete-Guide-To-Origin-And-Popularity		Boy	Leader; Guide
Jahir		Boy	He shines
Lars-Name-Meaning:-Origin,-History-&-What-You-Need-To-Know		Boy	From Laurentum; Crowned with laurel
Lex-Name-Meaning,-History-&-Variants:-Complete-Guide		Boy	Defender of men

Infographic: Popular Boy Names Symbolizing Faith In God

For centuries, parents have chosen names for their children that reflect their faith in the Almighty. And despite the ever-changing trends, many parents still opt for baby names with deep spiritual meanings. The infographic below offers a look at the most trending boy names with spiritual meanings.

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team