Baby Names

adorable baby boy playing in grass in article about one-syllable boy names
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These 110* One-Syllable Boy Names Are Short But Sweet

*Yes, really

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One of the biggest decisions you’ll ever make regarding your baby is what you’ll name them. There is so much to mull over, such as your heritage, how the baby’s name might sound in English as well as your native tongue, and the significance the name holds for you and your partner. But what about syllables? That’s right, how long (or in this case, how short) your little sweetie’s name is should also be taken into consideration, too. So if you’re looking to keep it short and sweet, these one-syllable boy names might make their way onto your baby’s birth certificate.

There are a lot of benefits to going the one-syllable baby name route. If your baby’s middle name (you know, the one that you might use for a family name that you don’t love) is super long, having a short first name keeps the balance — and the peace. Plus, you have to think about the bazillions of times you’re going to say your little one’s name, whether it’s to tell him to not cut his baby sister’s hair (again), or do his homework, and you’ll soon realize that one-syllable guy names are the way to go.

So here are one syllable boy names that are adorable... but definitely aren’t a mouthful.

1

Gage

We promise you’ll love this one.Karl Tapales/Moment/Getty Images

You won’t have to gauge how much you like the name Gage. Of French origin, Gage means “oath” and “pledge.” And if you’re into horror films, you’ll probably remember the name Gage, who was the toddler going through some serious Terrible Two’s (and more) in Pet Cemetery. It’s a short and unique one-syllable boy name.

2

Blake

Whether Shelton or Lively comes to mind, Blake is a beautiful boy’s name. The gender-neutral name is of British origin and means “black, pale, white.”

3

Grant

Did you give birth to a big ol’ baby boy? If your little guy isn’t so, um, little, Grant is a good choice for one syllable guy names. It means “tall, big,” and is of English and Gaelic origin.

4

Beau

If you’re already smitten with your little sweetie, Beau might be the name your baby was destined for. It means “beautiful, handsome” and is of French origin. It’s pronounced like “bow.”

5

Blaze

You probably weren’t expecting to deliver your baby in just a few pushes, right? For the baby boy who made birth a breeze, Blaze might be a fine fit. Of Latin origin, Blaze means “fire,” and while it’s still a boy’s name, it is starting to become gender-neutral.

6

Hugh

You just know that your newborn is the smartest one in the hospital nursery. So give him a name that’s fitting of his fine intellect with the name Hugh. It means “mind, intellect” and is of German, English, and Irish origin. Although Hugh isn’t extremely common, you can make it even more unique by spelling it Hew or Huw.

7

James

You can’t get more traditional than James. It’s a super popular one-syllable name and is a Hebraic name. It means “he who supplants” and ranks right up there as both a classic and modern name — for both boys and girls.

8

Chase

It comes from the French verb chasser.Nastasic/E+/Getty Images

If you have an older child who’s a Paw Patrol fan, they might want you to name the new baby Chase. It’s a French name meaning “to hunt,” but it definitely takes on a cuter connotation when you think of those playfully precocious cartoon pups.

9

Mark

Your baby can make his mark on the world with the name Mark. Mark is a boy’s name of Latin origin, and means “warlike.” And if you’re looking for a religious name, Mark was a disciple of Jesus. But don’t think you have to be stuck with the K; the name can also be spelled as a more modern Marc, too.

10

Guy

You just love your little guy. So maybe you don’t have to look further for a baby boy’s name than, well, Guy. It’s of French origin and it means “guide, leader.” Although you could always pronounce it just like the word guy, if you opt for the French version, it’s pronounced like “gee” with a hard-sounding letter G.

11

Cash

Sure, he’s adorable, but your baby is going to be pretty costly in the future. That’s why a name like Cash could be a fun one syllable guy name for your baby boy. It derives from “caisse” which means “money case.” It’s been primarily an English surname, but could be a cute first one-syllable name for your little bundle of cash, er, joy.

12

Cruz

It’ll be cruise control all the way with the baby boy name Cruz. Originally a Spanish surname, Cruz has now become a popular first name for little dudes. It also means “cross” in Spanish.

13

Drake

For a badass little baby, there’s nothing better than Drake. Meaning “dragon” or “serpent,” Drake is of British origin. It’s not very common, which might be appealing if you want your little dude to be the only Drake in daycare.

14

Finn

Finn is a baby boy’s name that has become more popular in recent years. It’s an Irish form of Fionn, and was the name of an Irish warrior and hero. And, of course, you can’t think about Finn without thinking about Huckleberry, thanks to the Mark Twain novel of the same name.

15

Pierce

You could stare at your newborn baby boy all day. But when he opens his eyes and you’re mesmerized by his peepers, Pierce is a perfect name. It’s of English origin, and means “son of Piers,” which is yet another one-syllable boy’s name that you might fall in love with.

16

Reese

You have lots of spelling options for this one.PeopleImages/E+/Getty Images

Although it’s becoming a more gender-neutral name, Reese originally started off as a boy’s name. It comes from the Welsh word for “enthusiasm” and is a variant of the name Rhys (also a one-syllable baby boy’s name).

17

Rhodes

Rhodes is a Greek one syllable boy’s name. It means “rose garden,” which is sweet in and of itself. But while roses smell lovely, nothing (and we mean nothing) can quite compare to your baby boy’s newborn smell.

18

Scott

Scott is a solid name for a baby boy. It is an Old English name and is actually an ode to Scotland, since Scott means someone who is from Scotland, or a Scotsman. Cue the kilt and bagpipes.

19

Wells

Expecting a spring baby? Well, then Wells would work well. (Ha.) It’s an Old English name, and it means, as you might have guessed, “spring.” It can be a nickname for Wellington, but Wells is becomingly increasingly popular as its own name.

20

Jude

Jude is a baby boy’s name that dates back to, well, forever. It originates from the Hebrew name Yhuda (Judah). It means “praised,” and is a Biblical name to boot. But even though it’s an older name, it’s definitely seeing a resurgence.

21

Zane

Meaning “God is gracious,” Zane is becoming more popular, thanks in great part to singer Zayn Malik from One Direction. You can switch up the spelling from Zane to Zayn (or even Zayne). It’s slowly becoming gender-neutral, but for now, mostly boys sport the name.

22

Kyle

The name Kyle has roots in both Scottish and Irish descent. It means “narrow” from the Gaelic “caol,” and is predominantly still a boy’s name, although it can be used as a girl’s name, too.

23

Paul

Originating from the Latin “Paulus” which means “small, humble,” Paul is a strong boy’s name. An apostle, Paul continues to be a popular first single-syllable name for boys.

24

Leif

It’s giving nature vibes...ArtistGNDphotography/E+/Getty Images

Although it’s not a popular boy’s name, there’s no denying the cool factor of Leif. Of Scandinavian origin, it means “heir, loved,” so really, what better name could you give your baby boy? And if you’re wondering how to pronounce it, well, you’ve got options: It can be spoken as “life,” “layf,” or “leef.” How cool is that?

25

Joel

Joel is a baby boy’s name of Hebrew origin. It means “Jehovah is the Lord” and is a name deeply rooted in the Bible. While it can be pronounced like “joal,” it can also be spoken like the Hebrew name Yo’el, so like “Jo-el.”

26

Kurt

Of course, you want your little gent to have good manners. So start him off right by naming him Kurt, which literally means, “courteous, polite.” The name is of German origin, and while it was once popular (thanks to Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain), it’s not as common as before.

27

Cole

Much like its name connotes, Cole means, you know, coal. Specifically, it dates back to the Old English word col, meaning “charcoal.” While it can be a nickname for Nicholas, Cole stands on its own as a one-syllable baby boy’s name.

28

Seth

Meaning “set, appointed,” Seth was the third son of Adam and Eve. Seth became popular among the Puritans post-Protestant Reformation. And with so many celebrity Seths (think Seth Myers, Seth Rogan, and Seth MacFarlane), it’s no wonder that it’s become popular once again.

29

Trace

A gender-neutral name, Trace has typically been a boy’s name. It comes from the English word of the same meaning, and was common in the early aughts.

30

John

Solid, simple, and strong, John is a great one-syllable name for your baby boy. It’s a Biblical name and derives from the Hebrew meaning for “God is gracious.” Although it’s a great middle name, John now ranks within the Top 50 for baby boy first names.

31

Jack

Although Jack can be a nickname for the two-syllable Jackson, it has now found a spot among the one-syllable baby first name set. Of English origin, Jack can also be a nickname, ironically enough, for its single syllable counterparts like John and James.

32

Cade

For fine, chonky baby boys...Shutterstock

When you give birth to a not-so-little butterball, Cade can be a good name. It means “round, barrel” and is of English origin. It’s another name that was popular in the early aughts, but is slowly coming back as a popular baby boy name.

33

Craig

Hailing straight from Scotland, Craig is a baby boy’s name that means “from the rocks.” And that makes sense, since the Scottish Highlands and Southern Uplands are pretty rocky. So if you have Scottish roots, Craig could be a one-syllable solution for your baby boy.

34

Hayes

Got a green thumb? If spending long days gardening sounds good to you, then Hayes is an ideal choice for your baby. It’s of Old English origin and means “hedged area,” which might be ideal for your little landscaper in the making.

35

Sean

Sean is an Irish version of John, and means “God is gracious.” It’s not as common as other Irish baby by names like Liam or even Flynn and Finn, but it still is quite popular. You can also have fun with the spelling, since it can be written as Sean, Shawn, or Shaun. No matter how you choose to spell it, though, it’s pronounced “shawn” and not, um, “seen.”

36

Dean

This simple, effortlessly cool one syllable guy’s name comes to us from several languages. It derives from Greek “dekanos,” which refers to a monk in charge of ten subordinates (it’s quite specific but does certainly lend the name an air of authority). It also independently developed from an old Anglo-Saxon word meaning “valley.” A third etymology is an Anglicanized version of the Hebrew word for “law” or “justice.”

37

Raj

Even people with passing familiarity with Indian languages and culture might know the meaning of this regal name. In various Sanskirt language families (Hindi, Urdu, Bengali and others), raj means “king,” though depending on the context it can also mean “rule,” “ruler,” emperor,” “royality,” or “power.” In any case, it may be a one syllable name, but it packs a wallop!

38

Wolf

Kylie Jenner may have ultimately decided against this name for her second born (though she did stick with a one syllable guy name), but we’re fans! It can be short for Wolfgang or just stand on its own as a pretty badass name for a little boy.

39

Heath

This is an Old English name with rustic roots. A heath is an area of open uncultivated land, especially in Britain, often covered in heather, gorse, and coarse grasses. The name means “someone who lives on the moor,” moor being another word for heath.

40

Kjell

A perfect name for your little Viking...Shutterstock

The K-J combo might be confusing at first, but this Scandinavian name is a truly unqiue one syllable guy name. The “kj” sound doesn’t exactly translate perfectly into English but you can get close enough by pronouncing this “Shell.” It comes to us from Olr Norse and means “kettle” but also possible “helmet” or “cauldron.”

More one-syllable boy names

  1. Jay
  2. Ash
  3. Bryce
  4. Hank
  5. Clay
  6. Vlad
  7. Flynn
  8. Kent
  9. Cain
  10. Graham
  11. Max
  12. Link
  13. Luke
  14. Dan
  15. Jace
  16. Nick
  17. Jake
  18. Pax
  19. Tate
  20. Zack
  21. Troy
  22. Vance
  23. Reid
  24. Vick
  25. Reef
  26. Shane
  27. Rex
  28. Abe
  29. Ben
  30. Art
  31. Brad
  32. Wynn
  33. Karl
  34. Clint
  35. Cruz
  36. Lee
  37. Dash
  38. Sly
  39. Rick
  40. Colm
  41. Lance
  42. Clark
  43. Miles
  44. Ned
  45. Dom
  46. Flint
  47. Gus
  48. Hawk
  49. Thad
  50. Zeke
  51. Gene
  52. Ross
  53. Saul
  54. Ted
  55. Van
  56. Wes
  57. Taj
  58. Will
  59. Bear
  60. Xan
  61. Chance
  62. Blaine
  63. Floyd
  64. Drew
  65. Frank
  66. Beck
  67. Yeats
  68. Chaz
  69. Bruce
  70. Jeff

Naturally, naming your baby is a big deal. You want to give your child a name that they’ll hopefully love in the future, but you might not want to stumble over so many syllables, either. That’s when a one-syllable baby boy’s name can be short and sweet — just like your little guy.

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