250+ *Best* Middle Names for Boys (With Meanings) 2026

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The first name gets all the attention. You agonize over it for months, float it past family members, say it out loud in the kitchen to test how it sounds shouted across a yard. The middle name gets maybe an afternoon. And yet a middle name does something the first name can’t: it creates rhythm. It’s the breath in the middle of a sentence, the pause between subject and surname. Pick the wrong one and the whole name clangs. Pick the right one and it feels like the combination was waiting there all along.

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Popularity below is calculated from Social Security Administration data through 2024, the most recent year on record.

Here’s what’s in store –

Classic One-Syllable Middles That Anchor Any First Name

Two-Syllable Middles That Move With the Name

Nature and Landscape Middles

Biblical and Old Testament Middles

Grand and Literary Middles

Celtic and Gaelic Middles

Modern and Surname-Style Middles

Vintage Middles Making a Quiet Comeback

What makes a middle name work? Usually it’s the counterweight to whatever the first name is already doing. A short, punchy first name — Eli, Finn, Cole — can carry something long and layered beside it: Augustine, Fitzgerald, Donovan. A rolling, three-syllable first name — Nathaniel, Sebastian, Theodore — wants something brief to anchor it: James, Fox, Ash. There are exceptions, and some first-and-middle pairings just click despite sharing the same rhythm, but that push-pull principle covers most of the ground.

This list is organized by character rather than alphabetically, because the right middle name usually has more to do with vibe than syllable count. Whether you’re drawn to old Biblical weight, clean nature-word minimalism, or something straight out of Irish mythology, each section here has its own distinct register. Read through all of them — sometimes the section you didn’t expect to like is the one that has your answer.

One logistical note before you dive in: always say the full three-name combination out loud before committing. First name, middle, last — fast and slow, happy and stern. The way it sounds when you’re calling him across a parking lot matters just as much as how it looks on a birth certificate.

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Classic One-Syllable Middles That Anchor Any First Name

One-syllable middles are the workhorses of baby naming. They don’t compete with the first name — they complete it. After a longer or more elaborate first name, a single-syllable middle acts like punctuation: it tells the ear the first name is done and the last name is coming. These are the middles that have earned their place over generations without ever going stale.

James

Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: JAYMZ · ˈdʒeɪmz
Meaning: heel-grabber, traditionally rendered ‘supplanter’ (same root as Jacob)
Popularity: #5 and falling (#4 → #5, 2024)

The gold-standard middle name; it grounds almost every first name it follows and has the quiet confidence of a name that’s never needed to try hard.

John

Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: JAHN · ˈdʒɑːn
Meaning: Yahweh has shown favor (God is gracious)
Popularity: #21 and rising (#26 → #21, 2024)

The most timeless middle in the English-speaking world; it’s short enough to disappear rhythmically but substantial enough to add weight to longer first names.

Cole

Origin: English (Middle English)
Pronunciation: KOHL · ˈkoʊl
Meaning: coal-black, swarthy
Popularity: #162 and falling (#155 → #162, 2024)

Sleek and modern-feeling without being trendy; it adds an edge to soft first names like Eli or Oliver.

Rhys

Origin: Welsh
Pronunciation: REES · ˈriːs
Meaning: enthusiasm, ardor
Popularity: #354 and falling (#353 → #354, 2024)

Short, distinctive, and unmistakably Welsh; it adds an unexpected international flair without requiring any explanation.

Grant

Origin: English/Scottish (surname)
Pronunciation: GRANT · ˈɡrænt
Meaning: nickname/surname meaning ‘great, large’ (of large stature)
Popularity: #241 and falling (#228 → #241, 2024)

A surname-name that reads as a middle name first; dignified without being stuffy.

Reid

Origin: Scottish/English (surname, from Older Scots ‘reid’)
Pronunciation: REED · ˈriːd
Meaning: red-haired or ruddy-complexioned
Popularity: #300 and rising (#315 → #300, 2024)

Brisk and no-nonsense; works especially well after longer first names that need a crisp landing.

Pierce

Origin: English (medieval variant of Piers/Peter)
Pronunciation: PEERSS · ˈpɪrs
Meaning: rock or stone, as a variant of Peter
Popularity: #540 and rising (#546 → #540, 2024)

Sounds sharp and confident; it evokes both presidential history and a certain old-money cool.

Quinn

Origin: Irish (surname)
Pronunciation: KWIN · ˈkwɪn
Meaning: descendant of Conn, an early Irish personal name of disputed meaning
Popularity: #497 and falling (#452 → #497, 2024)

Originally a surname; it’s gender-flexible as a first name but reads solidly in the middle slot after a strong boy’s name.

Clark

Origin: English (surname, from Old English clerc / Latin clericus)
Pronunciation: KLARK · ˈklɑːrk
Meaning: clerk, scholar
Popularity: #437, holding steady (2024)

Clean and quietly impressive; think Clark Kent — it has that capable, underestimated energy.

Scott

Origin: English (ethnonym/surname for a person from Scotland)
Pronunciation: SKAHT · ˈskɑːt
Meaning: a Scotsman; someone from Scotland
Popularity: #565 and rising (#601 → #565, 2024)

Dean

Origin: English (surname, with competing minor theories)
Pronunciation: DEEN · ˈdiːn
Meaning: one who lived in a valley (dale)
Popularity: #142 and rising (#159 → #142, 2024)

Effortlessly cool — it carries a mid-century American charm, like it belongs on a jazz album cover.

Beau

Origin: French
Pronunciation: BOH · ˈboʊ
Meaning: handsome
Popularity: #69 and rising (#80 → #69, 2024)

Soft in sound but bold in meaning; it works best after strong, harder-consonant first names.

Lane

Origin: English (also Anglicized Irish surname)
Pronunciation: LAYN · ˈleɪn
Meaning: one who lived by a narrow road or lane
Popularity: #261 and falling (#254 → #261, 2024)

Unhurried and open; pairs well with grounded, earthy first names.

Chase

Origin: English (surname)
Pronunciation: CHAYSS · ˈtʃeɪs
Meaning: from the English surname Chase, an occupational nickname for a hunter
Popularity: #173 and falling (#154 → #173, 2024)

Energetic and action-oriented; gives a sporty lift to more formal first names.

Blake

Origin: Old English (surname)
Pronunciation: BLAYK · ˈbleɪk
Meaning: dark/black or pale/fair — a surname with two opposite Old English roots (blæc ‘black’ vs blāc ‘pale, shining’) merged into one name
Popularity: #265 and falling (#255 → #265, 2024)

One of those rare names with opposing meanings that somehow still feels unified; effortlessly cool and surprisingly versatile.

Ford

Origin: English
Pronunciation: FORD · ˈfɔːrd
Meaning: Originally a surname for someone who lived near a river ford, a shallow place where a river could be crossed.
Popularity: #570 and falling (#523 → #570, 2024)

Short, sturdy, and slightly adventurous; feels like a man who fixes things and knows the names of trees.

Tate

Origin: Old English/Germanic; also Old Norse
Pronunciation: TAYT · ˈteɪt
Meaning: cheerful, glad, radiant (Old English/Germanic root); a separate Old Norse personal-name strand is of unknown meaning
Popularity: #210 and falling (#197 → #210, 2024)

Punchy and modern; more common as a first name now, which makes it interesting and unexpected in the middle slot.

Knox

Origin: Scottish/Old English (surname and place name)
Pronunciation: NOKS · ˈnɑːks
Meaning: small hill with a rounded top
Popularity: #209 and falling (#208 → #209, 2024)

Bold and slightly edgy; it has the texture of stone and the confidence to match.

Hayes

Origin: English or Irish (surname)
Pronunciation: HAYZ · ˈheɪz
Meaning: enclosure or brushwood (English); alternatively ‘descendant of Aodh’ via the Irish surname Ó hAodha
Popularity: #160 and rising (#209 → #160, 2024)

A presidential surname turned approachable middle name; it has a quiet authority that doesn’t announce itself.

Grey

Origin: English (variant of Gray, surname)
Pronunciation: GRAY · ˈɡreɪ
Meaning: British spelling variant of Gray; surname from a Norman place-name (‘Greek’) or a nickname for grey hair/beard
Popularity: #876 and falling (#862 → #876, 2024)

Atmospheric and literary; adds a moody, understated note to brighter first names.

Hugh

Origin: Germanic (via Old French)
Pronunciation: HYOO · ˈhjuː
Meaning: heart, mind
Popularity: #763 and rising (#784 → #763, 2024)

Short and aristocratic; it has centuries of distinguished use behind it without ever feeling fussy.

Wade

Origin: Old English (surname)
Pronunciation: WAYD · ˈweɪd
Meaning: a ford, or place to cross a river
Popularity: #341, holding steady (2024)

Simple and strong; it has a cowboy-quiet confidence that pairs particularly well with elaborate first names.

Mark

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: MARK · ˈmɑːrk
Meaning: connected/consecrated to Mars, the Roman god of war (often glossed as ‘warlike’)
Popularity: #246 and rising (#250 → #246, 2024)

Biblical and direct; it’s been a reliable anchor middle for generations and earns that trust.

Cade

Origin: English (surname, multiple possible roots)
Pronunciation: KAYD · ˈkeɪd
Meaning: from an English surname with several possible roots: a personal-name element meaning ‘lump/swelling,’ an occupational term for a barrel-maker, or a word for a hand-reared farm animal
Popularity: #272 and rising (#280 → #272, 2024)

Compact and modern; it has a Western, open-plains feel that sits well after longer first names.

Bryce

Origin: Scottish/Celtic (variant of Brice)
Pronunciation: BRYSS · ˈbraɪs
Meaning: speckled
Popularity: #297 and falling (#258 → #297, 2024)

Has a clean, alpine quality; feels current without trying.

Craig

Origin: Scottish (Gaelic creag)
Pronunciation: KRAYG · ˈkreɪɡ
Meaning: rock, crag
Popularity: #1,831 and falling (#1,537 → #1,831, 2024)

Solid and Scottish; unpretentious in the best possible way.

Drew

Origin: Anglo-Norman French / Germanic (also an Irish surname, frequently a short form of Andrew)
Pronunciation: DROO · ˈdruː
Meaning: Manly, courageous
Popularity: #542 and falling (#539 → #542, 2024)

A trim, approachable middle that works across styles — classical or modern first names both.

Paul

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: PAWL · ˈpɔːl
Meaning: Small or humble (from Latin Paulus)
Popularity: #264 and falling (#256 → #264, 2024)

Biblical and underrated; it has a quiet confidence that makes it pair surprisingly well with elaborate first names.

Jude

Origin: Hebrew (via Greek Ioudas and Latin Judas)
Pronunciation: JOOD · ˈdʒuːd
Meaning: praised (ultimately from Hebrew, transmitted through Greek/Latin)
Popularity: #156 and rising (#161 → #156, 2024)

Musical and literary (The Beatles, Thomas Hardy); feels both ancient and undeniably cool.

Max

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: MAX · ˈmæks
Meaning: greatest
Popularity: #175 and falling (#163 → #175, 2024)

Direct and energetic; it pushes a first name forward rather than grounding it, which is exactly what some names need.

Two-Syllable Middles That Move With the Name

Two-syllable middles offer something one-syllable names can’t: room for character. They give the full name a flow, a middle movement before the last name lands. The best ones feel like they belong in the middle — long enough to have personality, short enough not to compete.

Elliot

Origin: English (variant of Elliott)
Pronunciation: EL-ee-ut · ˈɛliət
Meaning: form of Elliott; ultimately from Elijah/Elias, ‘my God is Yahweh’
Popularity: #150 and rising (#178 → #150, 2024)

Has the soft confidence of a name that aged well; works beautifully after single-syllable first names.

River

Origin: English
Pronunciation: RIV-er · ˈrɪvər
Meaning: a naturally flowing body of water
Popularity: #112 and rising (#116 → #112, 2024)

Serene and modern; it pairs unexpectedly well with classical first names that need loosening.

Beckett

Origin: English (surname)
Pronunciation: BEK-it · ˈbɛkɪt
Meaning: beehive; bee cottage
Popularity: #166 and rising (#196 → #166, 2024)

Literary (Samuel Beckett) and distinctly cool; one of the strongest modern surname-middles in circulation right now.

Mason

Origin: English (occupational surname)
Pronunciation: MAY-sun · ˈmeɪsən
Meaning: occupational surname for a stoneworker, adopted as a given name
Popularity: #42 and falling (#30 → #42, 2024)

Solid and grounded; it was a mega-popular first name a decade ago, which makes it feel established and settled as a middle.

Paxton

Origin: Old English (surname)
Pronunciation: PAK-stun · ˈpækstən
Meaning: Settlement of a person named Pæcc (Old English) + tūn ‘town’
Popularity: #288 and falling (#257 → #288, 2024)

Bright and open; it has a sunlit, prairie-sky energy that pairs well with heavier first names.

Logan

Origin: Scottish
Pronunciation: LOH-guhn · ˈloʊɡən
Meaning: little hollow
Popularity: #46 and falling (#39 → #46, 2024)

Popular as a first name but works even better as a middle — it carries a rugged, Pacific Northwest quality.

Carson

Origin: Scottish/Irish (surname of disputed origin)
Pronunciation: KAR-sun · ˈkɑːrsən
Meaning: Son of Carr
Popularity: #123 and falling (#112 → #123, 2024)

Rangy and confident; pairs well with more formal first names that need a little frontier air.

Donovan

Origin: Irish
Pronunciation: DON-uh-vun · ˈdɑːnəvən
Meaning: descendant of the dark-haired one
Popularity: #504 and falling (#468 → #504, 2024)

Rhythmically rich; gives a first name a muscular, Irish-folk-song quality.

Landon

Origin: English (place name/surname)
Pronunciation: LAN-dun · ˈlændən
Meaning: long hill
Popularity: #106 and falling (#97 → #106, 2024)

Warm and approachable; it softens harder, more angular first names beautifully.

Preston

Origin: Old English (place name)
Pronunciation: PRESS-tun · ˈprɛstən
Meaning: priests’ town or settlement
Popularity: #329 and falling (#275 → #329, 2024)

Has an old-money, East Coast feel without being unapproachable.

Warren

Origin: Old French/Norman (place name, ultimately Gaulish)
Pronunciation: WOR-en · ˈwɔːrən
Meaning: from a Norman place/river name meaning ‘flowing water’
Popularity: #262 and rising (#306 → #262, 2024)

Presidential and underrated; it has a quiet mid-century dignity.

Jasper

Origin: Old Persian
Pronunciation: JAS-per · ˈdʒæspər
Meaning: treasurer
Popularity: #133 and falling (#122 → #133, 2024)

Earthy and slightly bohemian; it’s one of the best two-syllable middles for creative families.

Bennett

Origin: Latin (via Benedict, English surname)
Pronunciation: BEN-it · ˈbɛnɪt
Meaning: blessed (via Benedict)
Popularity: #60 and rising (#74 → #60, 2024)

Quietly distinguished; it has a Jane Austen world elegance that somehow still reads as fresh and current.

Marcus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: MAR-kus · ˈmɑːrkəs
Meaning: dedicated to Mars; ‘warlike’
Popularity: #256 and falling (#249 → #256, 2024)

Classical and strong; it’s a Roman name that never sounds dusty.

Gideon

Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: GID-ee-un · ˈɡɪdiən
Meaning: hewer, feller (one who cuts down trees)
Popularity: #331 and falling (#318 → #331, 2024)

Old Testament weight with a modern sound; it’s distinctive without being remotely odd.

Samson

Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: SAM-sun · ˈsæmsən
Meaning: of the sun / sun-like (from Hebrew shemesh, ‘sun’)
Popularity: #522 and rising (#563 → #522, 2024)

Powerful and biblical; it’s bold as a middle in a way it might not be as a first name.

Lennon

Origin: Irish (surname)
Pronunciation: LEN-un · ˈlɛnən
Meaning: descendant of a ‘sweetheart’ — or, in an alternate surname line, descendant of a ‘little blackbird’
Popularity: #784 and falling (#755 → #784, 2024)

Carries obvious musical cool; pairs well with simple, clean first names.

Fletcher

Origin: English (occupational surname)
Pronunciation: FLETCH-er · ˈflɛtʃər
Meaning: arrow maker
Popularity: #564 and rising (#631 → #564, 2024)

Occupational surname with a sharp, outdoorsy quality and an old-English craftsman’s backbone.

Wilder

Origin: English (occupational surname)
Pronunciation: WYL-dur · ˈwaɪldər
Meaning: wild one; also historically ‘a hunter of wild game’
Popularity: #392 and rising (#422 → #392, 2024)

Adventurous and poetic; it’s been climbing as a first name but shines brightest as a middle.

Spencer

Origin: Middle English (occupational surname)
Pronunciation: SPEN-sir · ˈspɛnsər
Meaning: steward, one who manages provisions/supplies
Popularity: #388 and falling (#362 → #388, 2024)

Prep school meets outdoorsman; it ages extremely well.

Holden

Origin: Old English (surname)
Pronunciation: HOHL-din · ˈhoʊldən
Meaning: hollow valley
Popularity: #281 and rising (#286 → #281, 2024)

Literary (The Catcher in the Rye) and brooding; pairs well with shorter, cleaner first names.

Parker

Origin: Old English
Pronunciation: PAR-kur · ˈpɑːrkər
Meaning: an occupational surname for a gamekeeper or park-keeper
Popularity: #97 and falling (#91 → #97, 2024)

Friendly and outdoorsy; one of those middles that fits almost any style of first name.

Merritt

Origin: English/British (surname)
Pronunciation: MAIR-it · ˈmɛrɪt
Meaning: Worthy of reward
Popularity: #1,899 and rising (#1,904 → #1,899, 2024)

Uncommon and quietly strong; it has a virtue-name energy without being preachy.

Sawyer

Origin: English (occupational surname)
Pronunciation: SAW-yer · ˈsɔːjər
Meaning: one who saws wood; a woodcutter
Popularity: #132 and falling (#127 → #132, 2024)

Adventurous and American-literary (Tom Sawyer); pairs beautifully with classic first names.

Leighton

Origin: English (place name/surname)
Pronunciation: LAY-tun · ˈleɪtən
Meaning: leek/herb-garden settlement
Popularity: #1,039 and falling (#968 → #1,039, 2024)

Soft but grounded; it has an English countryside feel that works surprisingly well in an American context.

Declan

Origin: Irish
Pronunciation: DEK-lun · ˈdɛklən
Meaning: traditionally glossed as “full of goodness” (an alternate theory holds “man of prayer”)
Popularity: #131 and rising (#132 → #131, 2024)

A patron saint of Ardmore; it has Celtic warmth and backbone without being hard to pronounce.

Cormac

Origin: Irish (Old Irish)
Pronunciation: KOR-mak · ˈkɔːrmæk
Meaning: son of the charioteer
Popularity: #1,254 and falling (#1,238 → #1,254, 2024)

Ancient and literary (Cormac McCarthy); distinguished without the slightest bit of fuss.

Callum

Origin: Scottish Gaelic
Pronunciation: KAL-um · ˈkæləm
Meaning: dove (via the name Calum, ultimately Latin columba)
Popularity: #159 and rising (#222 → #159, 2024)

Gentle and strong simultaneously; pairs especially well with bold first names that could use softening.

Hayden

Origin: Old English (place name/surname)
Pronunciation: HAY-din · ˈheɪdən
Meaning: hay valley — a secondary theory instead derives it from a Middle Dutch word for ‘heathen’
Popularity: #154 and rising (#162 → #154, 2024)

Emerson

Origin: English (surname: ‘Emery’s son’, possibly Anglo-Saxon ‘Emar’s son’)
Pronunciation: EM-ur-sun · ˈɛmərsən
Meaning: son of Emery (or, per an alternate theory, Anglo-Saxon ‘Emar’s son’)
Popularity: #270 and falling (#268 → #270, 2024)

Transcendentalist cool (Ralph Waldo Emerson); gender-flexible but solid and grounded in the boys’ middle spot.

Nature and Landscape Middles

There’s a particular kind of parent who gravitates toward nature middles — not because they’re trend-chasing, but because they want the name to mean something beyond family lineage or religious tradition. These names root a child to the physical world: trees, stones, water, birds. They’re also some of the most versatile middles on this list — minimal enough not to overwhelm, meaningful enough to matter.

Ash

Origin: Old English (word name/surname)
Pronunciation: ASH · ˈæʃ
Meaning: ash tree (one who lived near ash trees)
Popularity: #1,147 and falling (#1,064 → #1,147, 2024)

The most wearable nature middle for boys; it’s clean, short, and adds a grounded outdoor note without requiring explanation.

Birch

Origin: English (nature name/surname)
Pronunciation: BURCH · ˈbɜːrtʃ
Meaning: the birch tree
Popularity: #9,873 as of 2023 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

More unusual than Ash; has a Northern European crispness that pairs well with longer, warmer first names.

Flint

Origin: English
Pronunciation: FLINT · flɪnt
Meaning: A hard stone historically used for tool-making and striking sparks to start fires; used as a transferred word/surname name.
Popularity: #1,970 and rising (#2,133 → #1,970, 2024)

Stony and strong; it has a frontiersman quality that adds unexpected grit to softer first names.

Sage

Origin: English (from Old French/Latin)
Pronunciation: SAYJ · ˈseɪdʒ
Meaning: a wise person; also linked to the sage herb plant
Popularity: #413 and rising (#416 → #413, 2024)

Increasingly popular; it has a quiet wisdom that works in the boys’ middle slot without feeling borrowed from the girls’ column.

Stone

Origin: English (surname, from Old English “stan”)
Pronunciation: STOHN · ˈstoʊn
Meaning: from the English word for stone/rock; originally a surname for someone who lived near a notable stone or worked with stone
Popularity: #1,048 and falling (#995 → #1,048, 2024)

Elemental and uncompromising; pairs especially well with softer, vowel-heavy first names.

Forest

Origin: English
Pronunciation: FOR-ist · ˈfɔːrɪst
Meaning: Wooded land; from Old French forest, adopted as an English surname and later used as a given name.
Popularity: #724 and rising (#746 → #724, 2024)

Expansive and unhurried; it adds a Pacific Northwest energy to any first name lucky enough to carry it.

Heath

Origin: English (from Old English hǣþ)
Pronunciation: HEETH · ˈhiːθ
Meaning: heathland; open, shrubby moorland
Popularity: #848 and rising (#1,053 → #848, 2024)

English and slightly wild; it evokes Brontë moors in a way that’s cool rather than Gothic.

Ridge

Origin: English (topographic surname)
Pronunciation: RIJ · ˈrɪdʒ
Meaning: a long, raised strip of land or hilltop
Popularity: #528 and falling (#505 → #528, 2024)

Compact and geographic; it has the feel of a Western landscape and the brevity to match.

Wolf

Origin: Germanic
Pronunciation: WOOLF · ˈwʊlf
Meaning: from the wolf; or short for Germanic ‘wolf’ names
Popularity: #1,812 and falling (#1,783 → #1,812, 2024)

Striking and primal; increasingly used as both a first and middle name for its raw, unfiltered natural energy.

Fox

Origin: English
Pronunciation: FOKS · ˈfɑːks
Meaning: The fox, the animal; a transferred use of the English surname/word, occasionally chosen in tribute to Quaker founder George Fox.
Popularity: #1,111 and rising (#1,122 → #1,111, 2024)

Smart and cunning; it has a whimsical, fairy-tale edge that still reads as masculine and sharp.

Wren

Origin: English (Middle English)
Pronunciation: REN · ˈrɛn
Meaning: the small songbird
Popularity: #1,025 and falling (#984 → #1,025, 2024)

Quiet and lyrical; gender-flexible in the middle spot and unexpectedly charming after stronger, more angular first names.

Brook

Origin: English (topographic surname)
Pronunciation: BRUUK · brʊk
Meaning: a small stream
Popularity: #6,206 and falling (#5,489 → #6,206, 2024)

Flowing and peaceful; it softens harder-edged first names with a water-smooth quality.

Hawk

Origin: English (word/nature name)
Pronunciation: HAWK · hɔːk
Meaning: the bird of prey (hawk)
Popularity: #3,343 and falling (#3,137 → #3,343, 2024)

Sharp and proud; it adds an eagle-scout energy and a clear visual image to the middle slot.

Bay

Origin: English (from a common word)
Pronunciation: BAY · ˈbeɪ
Meaning: from the ordinary English word ‘bay’ — either a coastal inlet or the bay (laurel) tree
Popularity: #11,071 and rising (#12,368 → #11,071, 2024)

Brief and coastal; it has a salt-air quality that pairs well with inland-feeling first names.

Reed

Origin: English (surname, multiple disputed origins)
Pronunciation: REED · ˈriːd
Meaning: a surname of debated origin: ‘red-haired’ (variant of Reid), a clearer of land, or a place name — not the reed plant
Popularity: #421 and rising (#429 → #421, 2024)

Clean and minimalist; it reads like a surname but functions beautifully as a nature middle.

Glen

Origin: Scottish/Irish Gaelic, via English surname
Pronunciation: GLEN · ˈglɛn
Meaning: valley
Popularity: #2,315 and rising (#2,398 → #2,315, 2024)

Classic and slightly vintage; it has a calm, Highland-pastoral feel that’s understated and sturdy.

Cliff

Origin: English (diminutive of Clifford/Clifton)
Pronunciation: KLIF · klɪf
Meaning: short form of Clifford or Clifton, from Old English clif ‘cliff, steep bank’
Popularity: #2,995 and rising (#3,127 → #2,995, 2024)

Sturdy and no-frills; it has a mid-century quality that’s overdue for a quiet comeback.

Slate

Origin: English (surname, occupational — ‘one who works with slate/a slate-roofer’)
Pronunciation: SLAYT · sleɪt
Meaning: Fine-grained rock
Popularity: #3,376 and falling (#2,724 → #3,376, 2024)

Cool and architectural; works especially well after warm, vowel-rich first names.

Cove

Origin: English
Pronunciation: KOHV · ˈkoʊv
Meaning: small sheltered bay/inlet
Popularity: #1,207 and rising (#1,319 → #1,207, 2024)

Coastal and quiet; unusual enough to be memorable without being invented.

Elm

Origin: English (vocabulary/nature name)
Pronunciation: ELM · ɛlm
Meaning: the elm tree (nature name)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Simple and grounded; less used than Ash or Oak, which makes it feel more distinctive for that very reason.

Cedar

Origin: English
Pronunciation: SEE-dur · ˈsiːdər
Meaning: the cedar tree
Popularity: #1,197 and rising (#1,252 → #1,197, 2024)

Aromatic and steady; it has a cabin-in-the-woods warmth that feels both old and fresh.

Fen

Origin: Old English
Pronunciation: FEN · ˈfɛn
Meaning: Low marshy ground
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Spare and landscape-specific; unexpected and strong for the right first name’s companion.

Moss

Origin: English (nature word)
Pronunciation: MAWSS · ˈmɔːs
Meaning: the moss plant
Popularity: #6,065 and falling (#5,000 → #6,065, 2024)

Soft and grounded; it has a forest-floor quality that works for a very specific kind of family’s aesthetic.

Gale

Origin: English (word for a strong windstorm)
Pronunciation: GAYL · ˈgeɪl
Meaning: a strong windstorm
Popularity: #6,562 and falling (#6,026 → #6,562, 2024)

Brief and powerful; it carries the energy of a coming storm without being heavy-handed.

Lark

Origin: English
Pronunciation: LARK · ˈlɑːrk
Meaning: the songbird
Popularity: #13,368 and falling (#10,333 → #13,368, 2024)

Bright and musical; slightly more adventurous than Wren in the boys’ middle slot and just as charming.

Biblical and Old Testament Middles

Biblical middles have been anchoring boys’ names for centuries, and they’re doing it more stylishly than ever. The Old Testament in particular is full of names that feel ancient and modern simultaneously — names that sound like they belong in a monastery and on a playground at the same time. Whether you’re religious or just appreciate a name with real history behind it, this section delivers weight.

Elias

Origin: Greek/Latin (New Testament form of Hebrew Elijah)
Pronunciation: ih-LY-us · ɪˈlaɪəs
Meaning: my God is Yahweh
Popularity: #25 and rising (#36 → #25, 2024)

More mellifluous than Elijah; it has a European gravitas that pairs well with both Anglo and Latin first names.

Judah

Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: JOO-duh · ˈdʒuːdə
Meaning: praised (from a Hebrew root meaning to thank/praise)
Popularity: #179 and falling (#176 → #179, 2024)

The son of Jacob who gave his name to a nation; strong, ancient, and increasingly used as a boys’ middle.

Isaiah

Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: eye-ZAY-ah · aɪˈzeɪə
Meaning: Yahweh is salvation
Popularity: #56, holding steady (2024)

Prophetic and resonant; it flows beautifully after short, punchy first names that need an expansive landing.

Ezra

Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: EZ-rah · ˈɛzrə
Meaning: help
Popularity: #13 and rising (#15 → #13, 2024)

A scribe’s name with a poet’s sound (Ezra Pound); modern-feeling in the middle spot despite its ancient roots.

Levi

Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: LEE-vy · ˈliːvaɪ
Meaning: traditionally ‘joined, attached’ per the Genesis naming story; true root uncertain
Popularity: #12, holding steady (2024)

Friendly and strong; it has a denim-and-wilderness American quality that sits comfortably alongside almost any first name.

Micah

Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: MY-kah · ˈmaɪkə
Meaning: who is like God?
Popularity: #86 and rising (#87 → #86, 2024)

Gentle and prophetic; less used than Elijah or Isaiah, which makes it feel fresh and considered.

Josiah

Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: joh-SY-ah · dʒoʊˈsaɪə
Meaning: Yahweh has healed
Popularity: #53, holding steady (2024)

Silas

Origin: Aramaic (biblical, Hellenized as Greek Σίλας, Latinized as Sīlās)
Pronunciation: SY-lus · ˈsaɪləs
Meaning: Forest, woods
Popularity: #81, holding steady (2024)

New Testament cool; it pairs surprisingly well with modern-style first names.

Tobias

Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: toh-BY-us · toʊˈbaɪəs
Meaning: ‘God is good’ (Hebrew Toviyah: ‘good’ + short form of Yahweh)
Popularity: #280 and falling (#279 → #280, 2024)

The long form of Toby; sophisticated and warm, with a gentle European register.

Amos

Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: AY-mus · ˈeɪməs
Meaning: carried, a burden
Popularity: #697 and falling (#647 → #697, 2024)

Short and prophetic; underused as a middle name for how good it sounds in that position.

Aaron

Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: AIR-uhn · ˈɛrən
Meaning: uncertain — traditionally glossed ‘exalted’ or ‘mountain of strength,’ but this is only one of several competing scholarly theories
Popularity: #79 and falling (#68 → #79, 2024)

Solid and accessible; it’s been a reliable biblical middle for generations without wearing out.

Nathan

Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: NAY-thun · ˈneɪθən
Meaning: he gave
Popularity: #62 and falling (#59 → #62, 2024)

Warm and direct; a prophet’s name that ages extremely well in the middle slot.

Joel

Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: JOH-el · ˈdʒoʊəl
Meaning: Yahweh is God
Popularity: #219 and falling (#212 → #219, 2024)

Brief and musical; it has a friendly confidence without being too casual or too sacred.

Samuel

Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: SAM-yoo-el · ˈsæmjuəl
Meaning: traditionally glossed as ‘God has heard’, though the Bible’s own account (1 Samuel 1:20) frames the name through a wordplay meaning ‘asked of God’
Popularity: #17 and rising (#19 → #17, 2024)

David

Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: DAY-vid · ˈdeɪvɪd
Meaning: beloved
Popularity: #31 and falling (#27 → #31, 2024)

The most enduringly used biblical name in history; it still carries genuine warmth and quiet, unshakeable strength.

Solomon

Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: SOL-uh-mun · ˈsɑːləmən
Meaning: peace
Popularity: #417 and rising (#438 → #417, 2024)

Caleb

Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: KAY-leb · ˈkeɪləb
Meaning: faithful, devoted
Popularity: #49 and rising (#51 → #49, 2024)

Friendly and strong; it has a pioneer quality that pairs well with nature-themed first names.

Seth

Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: SETH · ˈsɛθ
Meaning: appointed, placed
Popularity: #558 and falling (#526 → #558, 2024)

Clean and ancient; it has a quiet Old Testament dignity that modern names tend not to have.

Eli

Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: EE-ly · ˈiːlaɪ
Meaning: ascended, one who rises high
Popularity: #92 and falling (#79 → #92, 2024)

The ultimate brief biblical middle; it does a remarkable amount of work in just two syllables.

Jonah

Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: JOH-nah · ˈdʒoʊnə
Meaning: dove
Popularity: #126 and falling (#124 → #126, 2024)

Gentle and deep; the story behind it adds weight without heaviness.

Asher

Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: ASH-er · ˈæʃər
Meaning: happy, blessed
Popularity: #20 and rising (#23 → #20, 2024)

Joyful in meaning and breezy in sound; one of the best rising biblical middles.

Emmanuel

Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: ih-MAN-yoo-el · ɪˈmænjuəl
Meaning: God is with us
Popularity: #181 and falling (#173 → #181, 2024)

Sonorous and grand; it makes an excellent anchor middle for shorter first names.

Zion

Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: ZY-un · ˈzaɪən
Meaning: biblical name for Jerusalem’s Temple Mount/city, extended to mean the people of Israel
Popularity: #151 and falling (#125 → #151, 2024)

Geographic and spiritual; modern-feeling while deeply, irreversibly rooted.

Matthias

Origin: Hebrew (via Greek Matthaios)
Pronunciation: muh-THY-us · məˈθaɪəs
Meaning: gift of God
Popularity: #471 and rising (#482 → #471, 2024)

The apostolic form of Matthew; richer and more unusual than Matthew in the middle slot.

Noah

Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: NOH-ah · ˈnoʊə
Meaning: rest, settle
Popularity: #2, holding steady (2024)

Grand and Literary Middles

Some middle names are content to support. These ones take over the room. They come from myth, from literature, from empire — names that were worn by philosophers, poets, and saints. They work best when the first name is relatively simple, because the middle slot is where they do their most interesting work.

Atticus

Origin: Latin (from Greek)
Pronunciation: AT-ih-kus · ˈætɪkəs
Meaning: person from Attica
Popularity: #277 and rising (#284 → #277, 2024)

Famously literary (To Kill a Mockingbird); it has a lawyer’s precision and a father’s warmth in one name.

Edgar

Origin: Old English
Pronunciation: ED-gur · ˈɛdgər
Meaning: wealthy spear
Popularity: #457 and falling (#436 → #457, 2024)

Langston

Origin: English (place name/surname)
Pronunciation: LANG-stun · ˈlæŋstən
Meaning: tall stone
Popularity: #909 and falling (#892 → #909, 2024)

Inseparably associated with Langston Hughes; it carries the weight of that legacy with quiet pride.

Aldous

Origin: Old English
Pronunciation: AWL-dus · ˈɔːldəs
Meaning: old (short form of Old English compound names beginning with eald, ‘old’)
Popularity: #9,905 and falling (#7,303 → #9,905, 2024)

Ambrose

Origin: Greek (via Latin)
Pronunciation: AM-brohz · ˈæmbroʊz
Meaning: immortal, divine (belonging to the immortals)
Popularity: #741 and rising (#788 → #741, 2024)

Church Father and literary name; it has an old-gold richness that ages beautifully.

Phineas

Origin: disputed (Ancient Greek / Hebrew / Egyptian)
Pronunciation: FIN-ee-us · ˈfɪniəs
Meaning: Oracle
Popularity: #1,538 and rising (#1,715 → #1,538, 2024)

Quirky and literary; it appears across centuries of fiction and history with eccentric, joyful charm.

Theodore

Origin: Ancient Greek
Pronunciation: THEE-oh-dor · ˈθiːədɔːr
Meaning: gift of God
Popularity: #4 and rising (#7 → #4, 2024)

Tennyson

Origin: English (Middle English patronymic surname)
Pronunciation: TEN-ih-suhn · ˈtɛnɪsən
Meaning: son of Dennis
Popularity: #3,872 and rising (#4,868 → #3,872, 2024)

Dorian

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: DOR-ee-an · ˈdɔːriən
Meaning: of the Dorians (an ancient Greek people/region, Doris)
Popularity: #538 and rising (#608 → #538, 2024)

Oscar Wilde’s great creation; gorgeous and slightly ominous — ideal for literary parents who want something bold.

Orion

Origin: Ancient Greek (etymology uncertain)
Pronunciation: oh-RY-un · oʊˈraɪən
Meaning: uncertain; possibly ‘heaven’s light’ (a speculative Akkadian derivation, not firmly established)
Popularity: #325 and rising (#373 → #325, 2024)

‘Hunter’ isn’t an etymological meaning — it describes the mythological figure, not the word’s origin, which is actually uncertain (a speculative Akkadian ‘heaven’s light’ derivation remains unproven).

Peregrine

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: PAIR-uh-grin · ˈpɛrəɡrɪn
Meaning: traveler or pilgrim (from a Latin word originally meaning ‘foreigner’)
Popularity: #3,365 and rising (#3,855 → #3,365, 2024)

The most adventurous name on this list; rare and quietly magnificent in the middle slot.

Cornelius

Origin: Latin (Roman gens name)
Pronunciation: kor-NEEL-yus · kɔːrˈniːljəs
Meaning: horn
Popularity: #2,150 and falling (#1,898 → #2,150, 2024)

Ancient and stately; it has a senator-of-Rome gravitas that works oddly well after modern first names.

Barnaby

Origin: Aramaic (medieval English vernacular form of Barnabas)
Pronunciation: BAR-nuh-bee · ˈbɑːrnəbi
Meaning: son of the prophet
Popularity: #9,996 and rising (#12,463 → #9,996, 2024)

Dickensian and warm; it’s unusual enough to feel distinctive without being eccentric.

Crispin

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: KRIS-pin · ˈkrɪspɪn
Meaning: curly-haired
Popularity: #6,893 and rising (#7,371 → #6,893, 2024)

A patron saint of cobblers celebrated in Shakespeare’s St. Crispin’s Day speech; rare and memorable.

Thaddeus

Origin: uncertain (Aramaic or Ancient Greek, disputed)
Pronunciation: THAD-ee-us · ˈθædiəs
Meaning: Gift of God, or courageous heart
Popularity: #850 and rising (#898 → #850, 2024)

An apostle’s name that most people overlook; majestic in the middle slot.

Ignatius

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: ig-NAY-shus · ɪgˈneɪʃəs
Meaning: popularly read as ‘fiery, ardent’ by resemblance to Latin ignis; actually a respelling of the older Roman name Egnatius, whose real root is uncertain
Popularity: #1,734 and rising (#1,804 → #1,734, 2024)

Jesuit and literary (A Confederacy of Dunces); it has a burning conviction that’s perfect for the right family.

Reginald

Origin: Germanic (via Latin)
Pronunciation: REJ-i-nuhld · ˈrɛdʒɪnəld
Meaning: counsel combined with rule or power, from Germanic elements
Popularity: #1,178 and falling (#1,107 → #1,178, 2024)

Quintessentially English; it pairs beautifully with simpler first names, adding unexpected grandeur.

Montgomery

Origin: Norman French (place name, from a personal name)
Pronunciation: munt-GUM-er-ee · mɒntˈɡʌməri
Meaning: Gomeric’s hill
Popularity: #1,090 and falling (#1,042 → #1,090, 2024)

Long and stately; it turns the middle slot into a genuine statement.

Evander

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: ih-VAN-der · ɪˈvændər
Meaning: good man
Popularity: #771 and rising (#779 → #771, 2024)

Mythological (the Arcadian hero who founded a pre-Roman colony in Italy); rare and powerful.

Octavian

Origin: Latin (Octāvianus, from Octāvius)
Pronunciation: ok-TAY-vee-un · ɑːkˈteɪviən
Meaning: eighth
Popularity: #2,270 and rising (#2,380 → #2,270, 2024)

Augustine

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: AW-guh-steen · ˈɔːɡəstiːn
Meaning: venerable, majestic (from Augustus)
Popularity: #551 and rising (#622 → #551, 2024)

The name of saints and a city; warm and rolling — pairs especially well with crisp one-syllable first names.

Valentine

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: VAL-en-tyne · ˈvæləntaɪn
Meaning: strong, healthy
Popularity: #2,467 and falling (#1,906 → #2,467, 2024)

The patron saint of love; less expected for boys in the middle spot, which is exactly what makes it striking.

Sebastian

Origin: Greek (via Latin)
Pronunciation: sih-BAS-chun · səˈbæstʃən
Meaning: venerable or revered one, from the place name Sebaste
Popularity: #14 and falling (#13 → #14, 2024)

Musical (Johann Sebastian Bach) and literary; it flows naturally after nearly any first name.

Prospero

Origin: Italian/Latin (variant of Prosper)
Pronunciation: PROS-pə-roh · ˈprɒspəroʊ
Meaning: fortunate, favorable
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Shakespeare’s magician in The Tempest; bold and theatrical for a very specific kind of imaginative family.

Fitzgerald

Origin: Anglo-Norman/Irish (patronymic surname)
Pronunciation: fits-JAIR-uld · fɪtsˈdʒɛrəld
Meaning: son of Gerald (fitz ‘son of’ + the name Gerald)
Popularity: #2,239 and rising (#2,253 → #2,239, 2024)

Long and surname-forward; it carries a Hemingway-Fitzgerald literary resonance that’s genuinely hard to top.

Celtic and Gaelic Middles

Gaelic names have a particular power: they sound unlike anything else in English, they carry centuries of mythology and landscape, and they travel surprisingly well outside their home countries. Whether your roots are Irish, Scottish, or Welsh — or you just have an ear for the music in these names — this section is full of middles that don’t try to fit in.

Brennan

Origin: Irish
Pronunciation: BREN-an · ˈbrɛnən
Meaning: Irish surname with two possible roots: ‘descendant of Branán’ (little raven) or ‘descendant of Braonán’ (little drop/moisture)
Popularity: #1,054 and falling (#1,023 → #1,054, 2024)

Melodic and Irish; it has a folk-song warmth that pairs beautifully with Anglo first names.

Kieran

Origin: Irish (anglicized form of Ciarán); also used as an anglicization of Sanskrit Kiran
Pronunciation: KEER-an · ˈkɪərən
Meaning: little dark one
Popularity: #440 and rising (#477 → #440, 2024)

A saint’s name with an accessible sound; warm and not overdone as a middle.

Ronan

Origin: Irish
Pronunciation: ROH-nun · ˈroʊnən
Meaning: little seal
Popularity: #257 and rising (#290 → #257, 2024)

A king’s name from Irish mythology; compact and musical.

Eamon

Origin: Irish (form of Edmund)
Pronunciation: AY-mon · ˈeɪmən
Meaning: Irish form of Edmund, ‘wealthy guardian’
Popularity: #1,497 and rising (#1,669 → #1,497, 2024)

Deeply Gaelic and warm; the de Valera association gives it presidential weight.

Cian

Origin: Old Irish
Meaning: long-lasting, enduring
Popularity: #1,525 and falling (#1,439 → #1,525, 2024)

Pronounced “Kee-an”; mythological and rare outside Ireland, which makes it distinctly striking.

Fergus

Origin: Scottish/Irish Gaelic
Pronunciation: FUR-gus · ˈfɜːrɡəs
Meaning: chosen man
Popularity: #4,453 and rising (#4,501 → #4,453, 2024)

A king’s name with a rugged, heathery quality and real Highland backbone.

Angus

Origin: Scottish Gaelic
Pronunciation: ANG-gus · ˈæŋɡəs
Meaning: one choice, unique choice
Popularity: #2,149 and falling (#1,986 → #2,149, 2024)

The Highland name par excellence; increasingly seen outside Scotland as a strong, unusual middle.

Hamish

Origin: Scottish Gaelic (form of James)
Pronunciation: HAY-mish · ˈheɪmɪʃ
Meaning: supplanter (traditional gloss); ultimately from Hebrew Jacob via James
Popularity: #5,982 and rising (#6,660 → #5,982, 2024)

The most Scottish form of James; warm, rolling, and surprisingly wearable even for non-Scots.

Ruairi

Origin: Irish Gaelic
Pronunciation: ROO-ree · ˈruːri
Meaning: red king
Popularity: #6,730 and rising (#8,140 → #6,730, 2024)

Tiernan

Origin: Irish
Pronunciation: TEER-nan · ˈtɪərnən
Meaning: little lord
Popularity: #4,166 and falling (#3,404 → #4,166, 2024)

Less common than Tierney; it has a clan-chief gravity without the modern gender ambiguity.

Teague

Origin: Irish (from Tadhg)
Pronunciation: TEEG · tiːɡ
Meaning: poet
Popularity: #4,537 and falling (#3,983 → #4,537, 2024)

Anglicized from Tadhg; brief and distinctive.

Cillian

Origin: Irish (contested)
Pronunciation: KIL-ee-an · ˈkɪliən
Meaning: of disputed origin: possibly ‘strife/war’ or ‘church’ (Old Irish ceallach/ceall), or separately from Latin Caecilianus
Popularity: #463 and rising (#594 → #463, 2024)

Pronounced “Kill-ee-an”; the actor Cillian Murphy brought it to wider English-speaking attention.

Fintan

Origin: Irish (Old Irish)
Pronunciation: FIN-tən · ˈfɪntən
Meaning: possibly ‘white fire’ (uncertain second element)
Popularity: #7,378 and falling (#4,502 → #7,378, 2024)

A sixth-century saint’s name; rare and striking in the middle slot.

Lorcan

Origin: Irish Gaelic
Pronunciation: LOR-kuhn · ˈlɔːrkən
Meaning: little fierce one
Popularity: #7,513 and falling (#5,586 → #7,513, 2024)

The birth name of Saint Laurence O’Toole; muscular and authentically Gaelic.

Seamus

Origin: Irish (Anglicization of Séamas, form of James)
Pronunciation: SHAY-mus · ˈʃeɪməs
Meaning: traditionally glossed ‘supplanter,’ via James/Jacob
Popularity: #1,450 and falling (#1,366 → #1,450, 2024)

Famously Seamus Heaney’s; it carries a poet’s gravity in every syllable.

Niall

Origin: Irish/Scottish Gaelic
Pronunciation: NY-ul · ˈnaɪəl
Meaning: of uncertain original meaning; often glossed as ‘champion’ or ‘cloud’
Popularity: #1,582 and rising (#1,813 → #1,582, 2024)

Pronounced “Neel”; the name of a legendary High King of Ireland.

Oisin

Origin: Irish (variant of Oisín/Ossian)
Pronunciation: oh-SHEEN · oʊˈʃiːn
Meaning: little deer, fawn
Popularity: #4,145 and rising (#4,304 → #4,145, 2024)

Pronounced “Uh-sheen”; the poet-warrior of Irish mythology — lyrical and rare.

Rory

Origin: Irish/Scottish Gaelic
Pronunciation: ROR-ee · ˈrɔːri
Meaning: red king
Popularity: #226 and rising (#242 → #226, 2024)

Easy to say, hard to forget; it has a rollicking, bards-around-the-fire energy.

Fionn

Origin: Old Irish
Meaning: fair, white/bright, or handsome
Popularity: #4,594 and falling (#3,646 → #4,594, 2024)

Pronounced “Fin”; the hero Fionn Mac Cumhaill (Finn McCool) — mythological and clean.

Bran

Origin: English (surname)
Pronunciation: BRAN · bræn
Meaning: raven
Popularity: #11,099 and falling (#9,880 → #11,099, 2024)

Brief and mythological; it appears in legendary Welsh and Irish texts as a figure of power.

Conal

Origin: Irish
Pronunciation: KAH-nəl · ˈkɒnəl
Meaning: probably ‘strong hound’, if linked to Conall
Popularity: #12,493 as of 2021 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A warrior name from Ulster mythology; compact and powerful.

Enda

Origin: Irish
Pronunciation: EN-duh · ˈɛndə
Meaning: bird-like (probably from Old Irish én, ‘bird’)
Popularity: #7,704 as of 1973 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A sixth-century Aran Islands saint; quiet and distinctive for the right first name.

Padraig

Origin: Irish
Pronunciation: PAW-rig · ˈpɔːrɪɡ
Meaning: nobleman (Irish form of Patrick)
Popularity: #7,585 and rising (#13,637 → #7,585, 2024)

Pronounced “Paw-rick”; more authentically Irish than Patrick and richer for it.

Tadhg

Origin: Old Irish
Pronunciation: TYG · taɪɡ
Meaning: poet
Popularity: #3,198 and falling (#2,838 → #3,198, 2024)

Diarmuid

Origin: Irish Gaelic
Meaning: free from envy
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Pronounced “Deer-mid”; the tragic lover from the Fionn Cycle — ancient and deeply romantic.

Modern and Surname-Style Middles

These are the middles that feel like they emerged from a different era than the Gaelic or biblical names above — stripped-down, frequently surname-derived, and shaped by a contemporary sense of cool. They work especially well after traditional or formal first names, acting as a bridge between old and new.

Zane

Origin: English (surname of unknown origin)
Pronunciation: ZAYN · ˈzeɪn
Meaning: God is gracious
Popularity: #306 and falling (#277 → #306, 2024)

It has a cowboy-at-sunset energy; brief, cool, and carries a desert-landscape quality.

Cruz

Origin: Spanish
Pronunciation: KROOZ · ˈkruːz
Meaning: cross
Popularity: #303 and rising (#329 → #303, 2024)

A saint’s name and a surname; it adds a Latin warmth to Anglo first names.

Axel

Origin: Scandinavian (Danish)
Pronunciation: AK-sel · ˈæksəl
Meaning: traditionally explained via the biblical name Absalom (‘father is peace’), though possibly originally a separate Old Norse name
Popularity: #78 and falling (#71 → #78, 2024)

Rocking and Scandinavian; it adds unmistakable edge to softer first names.

Ryder

Origin: English (occupational surname)
Pronunciation: RY-der · ˈraɪdər
Meaning: rider or cavalryman, from the occupational surname for one who rides
Popularity: #134 and falling (#128 → #134, 2024)

Adventurous and action-oriented; modern without being invented.

Jett

Origin: English
Pronunciation: JET · ˈdʒɛt
Meaning: black, like the mineral jet (also evocative of speed, as in a jet aircraft)
Popularity: #161 and rising (#207 → #161, 2024)

Fast and sleek; it has a rock-and-roll energy that’s hard to ignore.

Kane

Origin: Irish (surname origin)
Pronunciation: KAYN · ˈkeɪn
Meaning: warrior (from Gaelic ‘cath’, battle) via the Irish surname Ó Catháin
Popularity: #431 and falling (#402 → #431, 2024)

Short and fierce; it has a battlefield efficiency that pairs well with grander first names.

Archer

Origin: English (occupational surname)
Pronunciation: AR-chur · ˈɑːrtʃər
Meaning: bowman
Popularity: #115 and rising (#129 → #115, 2024)

Occupational and purposeful; it has risen quickly as both a first and middle name for its clean imagery.

Crew

Origin: Welsh (via the place name Crewe, Cheshire)
Pronunciation: KROO · ˈkruː
Meaning: weir — a river dam or fish-trap
Popularity: #250 and rising (#260 → #250, 2024)

Ultra-modern and nautical; short, distinctive, and surprisingly versatile across naming styles.

Holt

Origin: English/Germanic (topographic surname)
Pronunciation: HOHLT · ˈhoʊlt
Meaning: a small wood or copse
Popularity: #1,920 and falling (#1,884 → #1,920, 2024)

Quiet and geographic; it has a sylvan, English countryside feel in a very compact package.

Briggs

Origin: English
Pronunciation: BRIGZ · ˈbrɪɡz
Meaning: belonging to the bridges, i.e. one who lived near a bridge
Popularity: #326 and rising (#338 → #326, 2024)

Surname-forward and industrial; it adds a grounded, working-hands quality.

Royce

Origin: English (surname, patronymic of the Middle English given name Rose)
Pronunciation: ROYSS · ˈrɔɪs
Meaning: son of Rose (a medieval given name); not directly related to ‘Roy’
Popularity: #462 and falling (#445 → #462, 2024)

Polished and slightly luxurious; it has an unexpected elegance in the middle spot.

Vance

Origin: English (surname)
Pronunciation: VANS · ˈvæns
Meaning: from the marshland
Popularity: #996 and falling (#955 → #996, 2024)

Brief and literary; quiet and cool without trying to announce itself.

Dax

Origin: French (place name)
Pronunciation: DAKS · ˈdæks
Meaning: From Dax, France
Popularity: #636 and falling (#559 → #636, 2024)

Punchy and sharp; it gained recognition via Star Trek and is now a solid, clean modern middle.

Rex

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: REKS · ˈrɛks
Meaning: king
Popularity: #794 and falling (#723 → #794, 2024)

Imperious and brief; it makes a genuine statement in the middle slot.

Penn

Origin: English (surname/place name)
Pronunciation: PEN · ˈpɛn
Meaning: as a surname, either ‘an enclosure’ or, from a Celtic place-name root, ‘hilltop/head’
Popularity: #2,978 and falling (#2,119 → #2,978, 2024)

Rhett

Origin: Dutch (anglicized surname)
Pronunciation: RET · ˈrɛt
Meaning: advice or counsel, from a Dutch surname (de Raedt)
Popularity: #174 and falling (#165 → #174, 2024)

Southern-literary (Rhett Butler); it has a Gone with the Wind swagger that has come back around.

Finn

Origin: Irish or Old Norse
Pronunciation: FIN · ˈfɪn
Meaning: fair (Irish) or Sami/Finn (Norse)
Popularity: #198 and falling (#186 → #198, 2024)

Bright and short; a popular first name that makes an equally strong middle.

Milo

Origin: uncertain (Latinate variant of Miles, possibly Germanic or Slavic)
Pronunciation: MY-loh · ˈmaɪloʊ
Meaning: Gracious, soldier
Popularity: #120 and rising (#121 → #120, 2024)

Warm and slightly retro; it has a wandering-troubadour charm.

Remy

Origin: French
Pronunciation: REM-ee · ˈrɛmi
Meaning: oarsman, from Latin Remigius
Popularity: #400 and falling (#390 → #400, 2024)

Soft and French; gender-flexible and pairs especially well with stronger, more angular first names.

Slade

Origin: Old English (place name/surname)
Pronunciation: SLAYD · ˈsleɪd
Meaning: valley
Popularity: #1,051 and rising (#1,141 → #1,051, 2024)

Dark and cool; it has a quiet rock-music association and a moody confidence.

Calder

Origin: Scottish (Cumbric river name)
Pronunciation: KAWL-der · ˈkɔːldər
Meaning: rough or hard-flowing water
Popularity: #1,991 and falling (#1,549 → #1,991, 2024)

Artistic (Alexander Calder the sculptor) and geographic; unusual and strong.

Steele

Origin: Middle English (occupational/nickname surname)
Pronunciation: STEEL · ˈstiːl
Meaning: steel; someone as tough/hard as steel
Popularity: #1,387 and falling (#1,335 → #1,387, 2024)

Bold and industrial; it’s a statement middle for a specific kind of family.

Jax

Origin: English (short form of Jackson, or fanciful spelling of the surname Jacks)
Pronunciation: JAKS · ˈdʒæks
Meaning: God is gracious
Popularity: #315 and falling (#287 → #315, 2024)

Stripped-down and punchy; it has a West Coast energy that sits well after formal first names.

Blaze

Origin: English (from the word ‘blaze’); also linked to ‘Blaise,’ from Latin Blasius
Pronunciation: BLAYZ · ˈbleɪz
Meaning: flame, bright fire (the modern sense); historically the given name arose partly as a respelling of Blaise
Popularity: #761 and rising (#766 → #761, 2024)

Bright and fearless; bold as a middle for the right first name’s companion.

Roman

Origin: Latin (via Old French)
Pronunciation: ROH-mun · ˈroʊmən
Meaning: belonging to or hailing from the city of Rome
Popularity: #52 and rising (#66 → #52, 2024)

Classical and continental; it pairs beautifully with both traditional and modern first names.

Vintage Middles Making a Quiet Comeback

The names that were standard-issue in your grandparents’ generation have been sitting on the shelf long enough to look interesting again. The pattern is consistent: a name hits peak popularity, disappears for forty or fifty years, and then starts appearing on the most style-forward families’ youngest children. These are the middles that are just beginning that arc.

Arthur

Origin: Celtic (Welsh), disputed — possibly a Latinized Romano-British name
Pronunciation: AR-thur · ˈɑːrθər
Meaning: possibly ‘bear’ (etymology disputed)
Popularity: #105 and rising (#130 → #105, 2024)

The most wearable vintage middle; it has Arthurian legend weight without feeling costume-y.

Albert

Origin: Germanic
Pronunciation: AL-bert · ˈælbərt
Meaning: noble and bright/famous
Popularity: #606 and falling (#588 → #606, 2024)

Einstein and royalty; it’s overdue for a full comeback and is currently shining in the middle spot.

Bernard

Origin: Germanic (via Old French)
Pronunciation: bur-NARD · bərˈnɑːrd
Meaning: bear + brave/strong — ‘brave as a bear’
Popularity: #1,318 and rising (#1,472 → #1,318, 2024)

Saint Bernard’s name; solid and slightly underrated among vintage middles.

Clarence

Origin: English (place name/title, from Clare, Suffolk)
Pronunciation: KLAIR-uns · ˈklærəns
Meaning: Clear, luminous
Popularity: #1,558, holding steady (2024)

Clifford

Origin: Old English (surname)
Pronunciation: KLIF-erd · ˈklɪfərd
Meaning: ford by the cliff
Popularity: #1,340 and rising (#1,457 → #1,340, 2024)

Mid-century and stout; more interesting than it sounds at first acquaintance.

Edmund

Origin: Old English
Pronunciation: ED-mund · ˈɛdmənd
Meaning: wealthy protector
Popularity: #1,182 and falling (#1,098 → #1,182, 2024)

A king’s name and a Narnia character; literary and noble.

Ernest

Origin: Germanic (Old High German)
Pronunciation: UR-nist · ˈɜːrnɪst
Meaning: vigor, earnestness (originally battle-related)
Popularity: #1,083 and falling (#1,030 → #1,083, 2024)

Oscar Wilde made it funny; Hemingway made it serious again — it works beautifully in either register.

Floyd

Origin: Welsh (Anglicized)
Pronunciation: FLOYD · flɔɪd
Meaning: gray, gray-haired
Popularity: #2,169 and rising (#2,515 → #2,169, 2024)

The boxer, the band, the color — Floyd has a complicated coolness that rewards the right family.

Gerald

Origin: Germanic
Pronunciation: JAIR-əld · ˈdʒɛrəld
Meaning: spear + power/rule
Popularity: #1,167 and falling (#1,031 → #1,167, 2024)

Mid-century standard; its rarity now makes it feel vintage-fresh in a way Gerald hasn’t felt in decades.

Harold

Origin: Old English / Old Norse (Germanic)
Pronunciation: HAIR-uld · ˈhɛrəld
Meaning: army ruler, military power
Popularity: #988 and falling (#921 → #988, 2024)

The last Anglo-Saxon king of England; it’s having a slow, dignified comeback in the middle slot.

Herbert

Origin: Germanic (via Old French, from Frankish *Hariberht)
Pronunciation: HER-bert · ˈhɜːrbərt
Meaning: bright army
Popularity: #2,482 and falling (#2,156 → #2,482, 2024)

Uncommon enough to feel surprising; it has a donnish charm that pairs well with more modern first names.

Leonard

Origin: Germanic (Old High German)
Pronunciation: LEN-urd · ˈlɛnərd
Meaning: brave/strong lion (or, by an alternate reading, ‘hardy people’)
Popularity: #673 and rising (#692 → #673, 2024)

Leroy

Origin: Old French (surname)
Pronunciation: LEE-roy · ˈliːrɔɪ
Meaning: the king
Popularity: #862 and rising (#872 → #862, 2024)

Mid-century American cool; it has a jazz-club swagger that’s distinctive in the middle spot.

Lloyd

Origin: Welsh (surname)
Pronunciation: LOYD · lɔɪd
Meaning: grey, or grey-haired
Popularity: #1,766 and rising (#1,793 → #1,766, 2024)

Brief and Welsh; it has a quiet, solid quality that makes it an unexpected but strong middle.

Louis

Origin: French (from the Frankish/Germanic name Hlūdawīg)
Pronunciation: LOO-ee · ˈluːi
Meaning: famous warrior
Popularity: #236 and rising (#238 → #236, 2024)

Marvin

Origin: Welsh
Pronunciation: MAR-vin · ˈmɑːrvɪn
Meaning: probably ’eminent/great marrow’ (marrow used figuratively for vigor or essence)
Popularity: #671 and falling (#638 → #671, 2024)

Marvin Gaye made it soulful; it’s one of the most underrated vintage middles available right now.

Milton

Origin: English (surname/place name)
Pronunciation: MIL-tun · ˈmɪltən
Meaning: mill settlement or middle settlement (Old English mylen/middel + tun)
Popularity: #1,428 and rising (#1,436 → #1,428, 2024)

The poet’s name; it has a studious, slightly New England quality that pairs well with breezy first names.

Norman

Origin: Old English / Old French (Germanic)
Pronunciation: NOR-mən · ˈnɔːrmən
Meaning: man from the north (originally denoting Vikings/Norse settlers, later people from Normandy)
Popularity: #1,313 and rising (#1,364 → #1,313, 2024)

Mid-century stalwart; rarer now than ever, which makes it feel fresh again.

Rupert

Origin: German/Germanic (English form of Ruprecht, related to Robert)
Pronunciation: ROO-pert · ˈruːpərt
Meaning: shining renown
Popularity: #3,863 and rising (#4,192 → #3,863, 2024)

Quintessentially English; Prince Rupert and Rupert Bear give it a dual register of dashing and warmly cozy.

Walter

Origin: Germanic (Frankish)
Pronunciation: WAWL-ter · ˈwɔːltər
Meaning: ruler of the army
Popularity: #271 and falling (#267 → #271, 2024)

The name of kings, saints, and Breaking Bad’s antihero; it has come roaring back and pairs beautifully with everything.

More Middle Names for Boys

Still deciding? A few more favorites worth a place on your shortlist.

Vaughn

Origin: Welsh (surname)
Pronunciation: VAWN · ˈvɔːn
Meaning: small, little
Popularity: #1,187 and rising (#1,215 → #1,187, 2024)

Kendrix

Origin: English (patronymic surname, from Kendrick)
Pronunciation: KEN-driks · ˈkɛndrɪks
Meaning: bold ruler
Popularity: #1,325 and rising (#1,561 → #1,325, 2024)
Rank: > 1000

Ace

Origin: English (from the word “ace”, ultimately Old French/Latin as, “a single unit”)
Pronunciation: AYSS · ˈeɪs
Meaning: one who excels; top-ranked
Popularity: #165 and falling (#157 → #165, 2024)
Rank: #156

Caden

Origin: modern coinage (English)
Pronunciation: KAY-dun · ˈkeɪdən
Meaning: spirit of battle
Popularity: #211 and falling (#198 → #211, 2024)
Rank: #230

Tripp

Origin: English (nickname)
Pronunciation: TRIP · ˈtrɪp
Meaning: a nickname for a third-generation namesake (parallel to ‘Trey’)
Popularity: #510 and falling (#458 → #510, 2024)

Rome

Origin: place name (Latin Roma, via Old English Rom)
Pronunciation: ROHM · ˈroʊm
Meaning: refers to the city of Rome; as a given name it’s a direct transfer of the place name
Popularity: #453 and rising (#517 → #453, 2024)
Rank: #656

Bowie

Origin: Irish/Scottish Gaelic (surname)
Pronunciation: BOH-ee (David Bowie: BOH-ee; Jim Bowie: BOO-ee) · ˈboʊi
Meaning: fair-haired, yellow-haired (Scottish Gaelic branch); alternatively, descendant of the victorious one (Irish branch)
Popularity: #1,206 and falling (#1,100 → #1,206, 2024)
Rank: #950

Maddox

Origin: Welsh (surname, ‘son of Madoc’)
Pronunciation: MAD-uks · ˈmædəks
Meaning: son of Madoc, a Welsh name meaning ‘fortunate’
Popularity: #215 and falling (#195 → #215, 2024)
Rank: #174

Rhodes

Origin: English/Greek (dual origin)
Pronunciation: ROHDZ · ˈroʊdz
Meaning: as an English surname, ‘one who lived near a woodland clearing’; also the Greek island Rhodes, whose own name origin is uncertain
Popularity: #613 and rising (#707 → #613, 2024)
Rank: > 1000

Brock

Origin: English (surname)
Pronunciation: BRAHK · ˈbrɑːk
Meaning: badger (one of two competing surname etymologies)
Popularity: #705 and rising (#752 → #705, 2024)

Dane

Origin: English (ethnonym, ultimately Old Norse/Old English)
Pronunciation: DAYN · ˈdeɪn
Meaning: a Dane, person from Denmark
Popularity: #880 and rising (#903 → #880, 2024)

Wright

Origin: English/Scottish (occupational surname)
Pronunciation: RYTE · ɹaɪt
Meaning: a maker or craftsman, from the archaic word for a builder of any kind
Popularity: #4,301 and rising (#4,333 → #4,301, 2024)

Beck

Origin: Old English/Old Norse (also German/Jewish surname)
Pronunciation: BEK · ˈbɛk
Meaning: stream or brook
Popularity: #1,005 and rising (#1,035 → #1,005, 2024)

Oakes

Origin: English (surname)
Pronunciation: OAKS · ˈoʊks
Meaning: the oaks (place of oak trees); possibly an anglicized form of the Gaelic surname Mac Dubhdara, referencing oak
Popularity: #3,025 and rising (#3,965 → #3,025, 2024)

Burke

Origin: Anglo-Norman (surname)
Pronunciation: BURK · ˈbɜːrk
Meaning: dweller at a fortress
Popularity: #3,218 and falling (#2,544 → #3,218, 2024)

Van

Origin: English (nickname/short form)
Pronunciation: VAN · ˈvæn
Meaning: God is gracious
Popularity: #907 and rising (#910 → #907, 2024)
Rank: #949

Wolfe

Origin: English/German (surname)
Pronunciation: WOOLF · ˈwʊlf
Meaning: wolf; a spelling variant of the surname/given name Wolf
Popularity: #2,777 and rising (#2,943 → #2,777, 2024)

Arlo

Origin: Italian (uncertain origin)
Pronunciation: AR-loh · ˈɑːrloʊ
Meaning: fortified hill
Popularity: #146 and rising (#158 → #146, 2024)

Rowan

Origin: Irish
Pronunciation: ROH-en · ˈroʊən
Meaning: little red one
Popularity: #71 and rising (#76 → #71, 2024)

Kai

Origin: Germanic/Scandinavian (also popularly linked to Hawaiian)
Pronunciation: KY · ˈkaɪ
Meaning: possibly from Latin Caius, or a Frisian pet form of Gerard/Cornelius/Nicholas (‘warrior’); popularly reinterpreted in the US as Hawaiian for ‘sea’
Popularity: #76 and falling (#61 → #76, 2024)

Aspen

Origin: English (modern coinage, nature name)
Pronunciation: AS-pun · ˈæspən
Meaning: named for the aspen (quaking) tree
Popularity: #962 and rising (#1,034 → #962, 2024)

Byrd

Origin: English (surname, variant spelling of ‘Bird’)
Pronunciation: BURD · bɜːrd
Meaning: bird
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Iver

Origin: Scandinavian
Pronunciation: EE-ver (Scandinavian); EYE-ver is the anglicized form · ˈaɪvər
Meaning: archer (bow warrior)
Popularity: #2,191 and falling (#1,934 → #2,191, 2024)

Ocean

Origin: English, ultimately Greek (Ōkeanos)
Pronunciation: OH-shun · ˈoʊʃən
Meaning: the sea
Popularity: #591 and rising (#609 → #591, 2024)

Scout

Origin: English (word name)
Pronunciation: SKOWT · ˈskaʊt
Meaning: one who explores or reconnoiters; from the English word for a person sent ahead to gather information
Popularity: #1,486 and falling (#1,339 → #1,486, 2024)

Devereaux

Origin: Anglo-Norman French (surname/place name)
Pronunciation: DEV-er-oh · ˈdɛvəroʊ
Meaning: from Évreux, a city in Normandy, France (via Anglo-Norman ‘d’Evreux’)
Popularity: #4,585 and rising (#5,297 → #4,585, 2024)

Forrest

Origin: English
Pronunciation: FOR-ist · ˈfɔːrɪst
Meaning: One who lived or worked near a forest, originally a wooded area reserved for hunting; from the English surname.
Popularity: #407 and rising (#424 → #407, 2024)

Westley

Origin: English
Pronunciation: WEST-lee · ˈwɛstli
Meaning: western clearing or meadow
Popularity: #656 and rising (#679 → #656, 2024)

Dutton

Origin: English (place name/surname, two distinct origins)
Pronunciation: DUT-un · ˈdʌtən
Meaning: hill settlement (or, separately, ‘Dudda’s settlement’)
Popularity: #736 and falling (#727 → #736, 2024)

Sterling

Origin: English (surname)
Pronunciation: STUR-ling · ˈstɜːrlɪŋ
Meaning: originally a surname referring to the starling bird, or a variant of the Scottish surname/place name Stirling
Popularity: #372 and rising (#403 → #372, 2024)

Wyatt

Origin: Old English or Norman French (disputed)
Pronunciation: WY-ut · ˈwaɪət
Meaning: brave in war (Old English), though possibly instead ‘wood’ via a Norman name
Popularity: #38 and rising (#46 → #38, 2024)

Easton

Origin: Old English (place name)
Pronunciation: EE-stun · ˈiːstən
Meaning: eastern settlement
Popularity: #103 and falling (#98 → #103, 2024)

Bentley

Origin: Old English (place name)
Pronunciation: BENT-lee · ˈbɛntli
Meaning: meadow of bent grass
Popularity: #201 and falling (#188 → #201, 2024)

Waylon

Origin: English (modern variant of Wayland)
Pronunciation: WAY-lon · ˈweɪlən
Meaning: from the roadside land
Popularity: #65 and falling (#62 → #65, 2024)

Colt

Origin: English
Pronunciation: KOHLT · ˈkoʊlt
Meaning: young horse
Popularity: #276 and falling (#264 → #276, 2024)

Jameson

Origin: English (surname)
Pronunciation: JAY-mih-sin · ˈdʒeɪmɪsən
Meaning: son of James
Popularity: #117 and falling (#102 → #117, 2024)

Wacey

Origin: unknown
Pronunciation: WAY-see · ˈweɪsi
Popularity: #4,403 and rising (#9,685 → #4,403, 2024)

Stetson

Origin: English (surname)
Pronunciation: STET-sun · ˈstɛtsən
Meaning: originally a habitational surname referring to a homestead/settlement, later strongly associated with the Stetson hat brand named after manufacturer John B. Stetson
Popularity: #155 and rising (#183 → #155, 2024)

Colter

Origin: English (occupational surname)
Pronunciation: KOHL-tur · ˈkoʊltər
Meaning: one who herds young horses (colt-herder)
Popularity: #218 and rising (#322 → #218, 2024)

Kipp

Origin: English (uncertain, likely a variant of Kip)
Pronunciation: KIP · ˈkɪp
Meaning: from the small pointed hill
Popularity: #2,141 and rising (#2,597 → #2,141, 2024)

Wylie

Origin: Scottish/English (surname, uncertain)
Pronunciation: WY-lee · ˈwaɪ.li
Meaning: well-watered meadow; resolute protector
Popularity: #1,234 and rising (#1,565 → #1,234, 2024)

Brody

Origin: Scottish (variant of Brodie)
Pronunciation: BROH-dee · ˈbroʊdi
Meaning: ditch or muddy place (disputed, inherited from Brodie)
Popularity: #224 and falling (#204 → #224, 2024)

Colton

Origin: English (place name)
Pronunciation: KOHL-tun · ˈkoʊltən
Meaning: coal town / dark settlement
Popularity: #98 and falling (#94 → #98, 2024)

Brooks

Origin: English (surname)
Pronunciation: BROOKS · ˈbrʊks
Meaning: one who lived near a brook
Popularity: #67 and rising (#73 → #67, 2024)

West

Origin: English (surname/word name)
Pronunciation: WEST · ˈwɛst
Meaning: from the west; dweller in the west
Popularity: #1,338 and rising (#1,847 → #1,338, 2024)

Nash

Origin: English (surname)
Pronunciation: NASH · ˈnæʃ
Meaning: dweller by the ash tree
Popularity: #240 and rising (#259 → #240, 2024)

Weston

Origin: Old English (place name/surname)
Pronunciation: WES-tun · ˈwɛstən
Meaning: western settlement or town
Popularity: #70 and rising (#75 → #70, 2024)

Clyde

Origin: Scottish (from the River Clyde)
Pronunciation: KLYDE · ˈklaɪd
Meaning: named for the River Clyde in Scotland
Popularity: #728 and falling (#721 → #728, 2024)

Wells

Origin: Old English (surname)
Pronunciation: WELZ · ˈwɛlz
Meaning: dweller by the springs or wells
Popularity: #376 and rising (#447 → #376, 2024)