75+ *Modern* Boy Names That Start with B

Searching *literally everywhere* for boy names that start with b, but can’t quite find the right one? I’m a professional baby names writer and here are my top picks for 2026 – 

Modern Boy Names That Start with B

Love cool, on trend names that are totally fresh & stylish? These next boy names are all on the SSA’s list of baby boy names that have grown in popularity over the past year –

Baker

• Origin: English (surname)
• Pronunciation: BAY-ker · ˈbeɪkər
• Meaning: occupational surname for a baker, or the keeper of a communal oven
• Popularity: #313 and rising (#397 → #313, 2024)

Bodie

• Origin: Surname (Scottish/French, unclear)
• Pronunciation: BOH-dee · ˈboʊdi
• Meaning: one who brings news
• Popularity: #346 and rising (#387 → #346, 2024)

Banks

• Origin: English (transferred surname/place name)
• Pronunciation: BANKS · ˈbæŋks
• Meaning: one who lives by a riverbank or hillside
• Popularity: #366 and falling (#348 → #366, 2024)

Bear

• Origin: English
• Pronunciation: BAIR · ˈbɛr
• Meaning: bear (the animal)
• Popularity: #826 and falling (#820 → #826, 2024)

Bruno

• Origin: Germanic
• Pronunciation: BROO-noh · ˈbruːnoʊ
• Meaning: brown
• Popularity: #701 and rising (#711 → #701, 2024)

Benedict

• Origin: Latin
• Pronunciation: BEN-uh-dikt · ˈbɛnədɪkt
• Meaning: well spoken of, blessed
• Popularity: #913 and rising (#929 → #913, 2024)

Beckham

• Origin: Old English (place name/surname)
• Pronunciation: BEK-um · ˈbɛkəm
• Meaning: homestead of a man named Becca
• Popularity: #168 and rising (#199 → #168, 2024)

Baylor

• Origin: English (surname)
• Pronunciation: BAY-lor · ˈbeɪlər
• Meaning: one who delivers goods
• Popularity: #365 and rising (#391 → #365, 2024)

Brecken

• Origin: Irish (diminutive of Breccán)
• Pronunciation: BREK-un · ˈbrɛkən
• Meaning: little freckled one
• Popularity: #1,128 and falling (#1,047 → #1,128, 2024)

Popular Boy Names That Start with B

These baby boy names all rank within the top 100 baby names for boys for 2022 – as per the Social Security Administration’s database. 

Benjamin

• Origin: Hebrew (biblical)
• Pronunciation: BEN-jah-min · ˈbɛndʒəmɪn
• Meaning: son of the right hand
• Popularity: #11, holding steady (2024)

Brooks

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

Bennett

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

Beau

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

Country Boy Names That Start with B

A little Southern, a little Western, and totally rustic – these boy names that start with b are all perfect for a little country babe: 

Beauchamp

• Origin: Old French (place name/surname)
• Pronunciation: BEE-chum · ˈbiːtʃəm
• Meaning: beautiful field
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

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)

Brantley

• Origin: Swiss German (Anglicized surname)
• Pronunciation: BRANT-lee · ˈbræntli
• Meaning: firebrand (a burning stick)
• Popularity: #480 and falling (#365 → #480, 2024)

Bryant

• Origin: English (surname derived from Brian)
• Pronunciation: BRY-unt · ˈbraɪənt
• Meaning: noble, strong (via Brian)
• Popularity: #1,175 and falling (#1,093 → #1,175, 2024)

Beaumont

• Origin: Old French (place name/surname)
• Pronunciation: BOH-mont · ˈboʊmɑːnt
• Meaning: beautiful hill
• Popularity: #3,604 and rising (#4,010 → #3,604, 2024)

Beckett

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

Bellamy

• Origin: Old French / Norman
• Pronunciation: BEL-uh-mee · ˈbɛləmi
• Meaning: fair friend
• Popularity: #690 and rising (#749 → #690, 2024)

Benson

• Origin: English (surname/place name)
• Pronunciation: BEN-sun · ˈbɛnsən
• Meaning: from the Oxfordshire place name Bensington; popularly reinterpreted as ‘son of Ben’
• Popularity: #435 and rising (#616 → #435, 2024)

Bentley

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

Brock

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

Bishop

• Origin: English (occupational surname ‘Bishop, ‘ ultimately from Greek epískopos via Latin/Old English)
• Pronunciation: BISH-up · ˈbɪʃəp
• Meaning: an overseer or senior clergy official (the church title ‘bishop’)
• Popularity: #1,194 and falling (#1,176 → #1,194, 2024)

Boden

• Origin: Surname (multiple unrelated origins)
• Pronunciation: BOH-dun · ˈboʊdən
• Meaning: one who brings news
• Popularity: #817 and falling (#757 → #817, 2024)

Brandt

• Origin: German/Swiss German (surname, no confirmed given-name entry)
• Pronunciation: BRANT · brænt
• Meaning: from a fire-cleared clearing
• Popularity: #3,269 and falling (#2,657 → #3,269, 2024)

Brenton

• Origin: English (surname transferred to given-name use)
• Pronunciation: BREN-tuhn · ˈbrɛntən
• Meaning: Bryni’s settlement
• Popularity: #1,952 and falling (#1,682 → #1,952, 2024)

Bowen

• Origin: Welsh
• Pronunciation: BOH-en · ˈboʊən
• Meaning: son of Owen
• Popularity: #321 and rising (#349 → #321, 2024)

Bridger

• Origin: English (occupational/topographic surname)
• Pronunciation: BRIJ-er · ˈbrɪdʒər
• Meaning: one who lives near, or tends, a bridge
• Popularity: #785 and falling (#750 → #785, 2024)

Brighton

• Origin: English (place name)
• Pronunciation: BRY-ton · ˈbraɪtən
• Meaning: Beorthelm’s farm or settlement (a Saxon personal name + ‘tun’, farmstead) — not literally ‘bright town’
• Popularity: #1,984 and falling (#1,876 → #1,984, 2024)

Earthy Boy Names That Start with B

Love all things sun, sand and outdoorsy? Check out these nature-inspired boy names that start with b:

Barlow

• Origin: Old English (place name/surname)
• Pronunciation: BAR-loh · ˈbɑːrloʊ
• Meaning: barley hill or barley clearing
• Popularity: #9,061 and rising (#12,462 → #9,061, 2024)

Bartley

• Origin: English (place name/surname, unelaborated in available sources)
• Pronunciation: BART-lee · ˈbɑːrtli
• Meaning: from the meadow of the birch trees
• Popularity: #10,945 as of 2021 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Bradburn

• Origin: English (surname)
• Pronunciation: BRAD-burn · ˈbrædbɜːrn
• Meaning: from the broad stream (wide brook)
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Byrne

• Origin: Irish (surname)
• Pronunciation: BURN · bɜːrn
• Meaning: descendant of Bran (‘raven’)
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Bramley

• Origin: Old English (place name/surname)
• Pronunciation: BRAM-lee · ˈbræmli
• Meaning: broom-covered meadow
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Briar

• Origin: English (Middle English)
• Pronunciation: BRY-er · ˈbraɪər
• Meaning: thorny shrub or bramble
• Popularity: #698 and falling (#670 → #698, 2024)

Byrd

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

Brentley

• Origin: modern coinage (compare Brent, Brantley)
• Pronunciation: BRENT-lee · ˈbrɛntli
• Meaning: from the meadow near the hill
• Popularity: #1,775 and falling (#1,421 → #1,775, 2024)

Unique Boy Names That Start with B

For parents who love something totally different, these uncommon baby boy names are a great choice – 

Banner

• Origin: Old French (ultimately Germanic ‘bandwa’, sign/standard)
• Pronunciation: BAN-er · ˈbænər
• Meaning: standard-bearer, flag
• Popularity: #2,306 and falling (#2,147 → #2,306, 2024)

Barton

• Origin: Old English (place name/surname)
• Pronunciation: BAR-tuhn · ˈbɑːrtən
• Meaning: barley enclosure or settlement
• Popularity: #12,522 and falling (#11,038 → #12,522, 2024)

Bjorn

• Origin: Old Norse (via Swedish/Danish/Norwegian/Icelandic Björn/Bjørn)
• Pronunciation: BYORN · ˈbjɔːrn
• Meaning: bear
• Popularity: #767 and rising (#798 → #767, 2024)

Bauer

• Origin: German (surname)
• Pronunciation: BOW-er · ˈbaʊər
• Meaning: one who farms the land
• Popularity: #3,214 and falling (#2,768 → #3,214, 2024)

Blessing

• Origin: English (transparent word-name, chiefly used in African, especially West African/Nigerian, English)
• Pronunciation: BLES-ing · ˈblɛsɪŋ
• Meaning: a blessing or gift from God
• Popularity: #2,367 and rising (#2,769 → #2,367, 2024)

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)

Becker

• Origin: German (occupational surname)
• Pronunciation: BEK-er · ˈbɛkər
• Meaning: baker
• Popularity: #4,434 and falling (#3,631 → #4,434, 2024)

Brixton

• Origin: Old English (place name)
• Pronunciation: BRIKS-tun · ˈbrɪkstən
• Meaning: stone marker named for a Saxon lord called Brixi
• Popularity: #652 and rising (#655 → #652, 2024)

Bray

• Origin: English/Irish (place name of unknown origin, no confirmed given-name entry)
• Pronunciation: BRAY · ˈbreɪ
• Meaning: one who cries out
• Popularity: #2,789 and rising (#3,355 → #2,789, 2024)

Barnabas

• Origin: Aramaic
• Pronunciation: BAR-nuh-bus · ˈbɑːrnəbəs
• Meaning: son of the prophet
• Popularity: #4,571 and rising (#5,090 → #4,571, 2024)

Bristol

• Origin: Old English (place name)
• Pronunciation: BRIS-tul · ˈbrɪstəl
• Meaning: bridge place / settlement at the bridge
• Popularity: #9,083 and falling (#6,951 → #9,083, 2024)

Boaz

• Origin: Hebrew
• Pronunciation: BOH-az · ˈboʊæz
• Meaning: strength (traditionally expanded as ‘in him is strength, ‘ though the name’s precise root is debated by scholars)
• Popularity: #1,015 and falling (#952 → #1,015, 2024)

Bourne

• Origin: Old English (habitational surname)
• Pronunciation: BORN · bɔːrn
• Meaning: one who lived near a stream
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Berlin

• Origin: German (place name, disputed pre-Germanic origin)
• Pronunciation: ber-LIN · bərˈlɪn
• Meaning: uncertain; possibly ‘swampy ground’ (a disputed Slavic root, not a German word)
• Popularity: #4,195 and rising (#4,359 → #4,195, 2024)

Bronson

• Origin: English (surname)
• Pronunciation: BRAHN-sun · ˈbrɑːnsən
• Meaning: son of Brun/Brown, i.e. of the brown- or dark-haired man
• Popularity: #1,035 and rising (#1,096 → #1,035, 2024)

Bramwell

• Origin: English (surname, no confirmed etymology)
• Pronunciation: BRAM-wel · ˈbræmwɛl
• Meaning: from the raven’s spring
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Bond

• Origin: Old Norse/English (occupational surname)
• Pronunciation: BOND · bɑːnd
• Meaning: peasant farmer / bondsman
• Popularity: #7,809 and falling (#6,582 → #7,809, 2024)

Burke

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

Vintage Boy Names That Start with B

Lastly, old-fashioned finds from years gone by, these handsome boy names were first loved decades ago –

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)

Broderick

• Origin: Welsh (surname)
• Pronunciation: BRAHD-er-ik · ˈbrɑːdərɪk
• Meaning: son of Rhydderch (Welsh for ‘reddish-brown’)
• Popularity: #2,391 and falling (#2,192 → #2,391, 2024)

Boyd

• Origin: Scottish Gaelic (uncertain)
• Pronunciation: BOYD · ˈbɔɪd
• Meaning: blond/fair-haired (uncertain, possibly place-derived)
• Popularity: #2,207 and falling (#2,148 → #2,207, 2024)

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)

Burton

• Origin: Old English (place name/surname)
• Pronunciation: BUR-tuhn · ˈbɜːrtən
• Meaning: fortified farmstead
• Popularity: #5,076 and falling (#3,633 → #5,076, 2024)

Brown

• Origin: English (surname)
• Pronunciation: BROWN · ˈbraʊn
• Meaning: brown-haired / dark-complexioned
• Popularity: #8,349 as of 2023 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

More Names We Love

Bryson

• Origin: English (surname)
• Pronunciation: BRY-sun · ˈbraɪsən
• Meaning: son of Brice
• Popularity: #147 and rising (#150 → #147, 2024)

Barrett

• Origin: English/Irish surname (Anglo-Norman origin)
• Pronunciation: BAIR-it · ˈbɛrɪt
• Meaning: surname of disputed origin, linked to a root meaning ‘quarrelsome’ or to Old French for ‘trickery/deception’
• Popularity: #186 and rising (#206 → #186, 2024)

Brayden

• Origin: Irish (Anglicized surname, variant of Braden)
• Pronunciation: BRAY-dun · ˈbreɪdən
• Meaning: salmon (via Braden)
• Popularity: #190 and falling (#160 → #190, 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)

Bodhi

• Origin: Sanskrit/Pali (Buddhist term)
• Pronunciation: BOH-dee · ˈboʊdi
• Meaning: awakening or enlightenment
• Popularity: #302 and falling (#294 → #302, 2024)

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)

Benicio

• Origin: Spanish
• Pronunciation: buh-NEE-see-oh · bəˈniːsioʊ
• Meaning: blessed (Spanish form of Benedict)
• Popularity: #751 and rising (#778 → #751, 2024)

Bobby

• Origin: Germanic (via Robert/Roberta)
• Pronunciation: BAH-bee · ˈbɑːbi
• Meaning: bright fame
• Popularity: #1,123 and rising (#1,191 → #1,123, 2024)

Beauregard

• Origin: French (place name/surname)
• Pronunciation: BOH-ruh-gard · ˈboʊrəɡɑːrd
• Meaning: beautiful view (from French ‘beau, ‘ beautiful, + ‘regard, ‘ look/outlook)
• Popularity: #3,043 and falling (#2,952 → #3,043, 2024)

Bartholomew

• Origin: Aramaic (via Greek Bartholomaios, Latin Bartholomaeus)
• Pronunciation: bar-THOL-uh-myoo · bɑːrˈθɑːləmjuː
• Meaning: son of Talmai (Talmai being a personal name, possibly the biblical king of Geshur or a rendering of ‘Ptolemy’)
• Popularity: #3,323 and rising (#3,477 → #3,323, 2024)

Balthazar

• Origin: Akkadian (via Hebrew, Greek, and Latin biblical tradition)
• Pronunciation: BAL-thuh-zar · ˈbælθəzɑːr
• Meaning: Bel protects the king (Bel being a title of the Babylonian god Marduk)
• Popularity: #7,796 and falling (#7,338 → #7,796, 2024)

Bertram

• Origin: Germanic
• Pronunciation: BUR-truhm · ˈbɜːrtrəm
• Meaning: bright raven
• Popularity: #7,806 and rising (#12,479 → #7,806, 2024)

Bereket

• Origin: Amharic
• Pronunciation: beh-reh-KET · bɛrɛˈkɛt
• Meaning: blessing
• Popularity: #11,082 and falling (#6,938 → #11,082, 2024)

Boniface

• Origin: Latin
• Pronunciation: BAHN-ih-fiss · ˈbɑːnɪfɪs
• Meaning: good fate
• Popularity: #12,550 and falling (#8,342 → #12,550, 2024)

Babatunde

• Origin: Yoruba
• Pronunciation: bah-bah-TOON-day · ˌbɑːbɑːˈtuːndeɪ
• Meaning: father has returned
• Popularity: #9,796 as of 2010 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Baldwin

• Origin: Germanic
• Pronunciation: BAWLD-win · ˈbɔːldwɪn
• Meaning: bold friend
• Popularity: #10,979 as of 2023 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Benedek

• Origin: Hungarian
• Pronunciation: BEH-neh-dek · ˈbɛnɛdɛk
• Meaning: blessed
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Berhane

• Origin: Amharic/Tigrinya
• Pronunciation: bair-HAH-nay · bɛrˈhaːneɪ
• Meaning: light
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Bjarne

• Origin: Old Norse (Norwegian/Scandinavian usage)
• Pronunciation: BYAR-nuh · ˈbjɑːrnə
• Meaning: bear (short form of names beginning with Bjarn-, from Old Norse bjǫrn)
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Bulan

• Origin: Austronesian (Malay/Indonesian, also Tagalog/Ilocano and other Philippine languages)
• Pronunciation: BOO-lahn · ˈbuːlɑːn
• Meaning: moon
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Bergman

• Origin: Swedish/German (surname)
• Pronunciation: BURG-mən · ˈbɜːrɡmən
• Meaning: mountain man
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Bautista

• Origin: Spanish
• Pronunciation: bow-TEES-tah · bawˈtista
• Meaning: the Baptist
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Bozidar

• Origin: South Slavic (Serbian/Croatian/Bulgarian)
• Pronunciation: BO-zhee-dar · ˈbɔʒidaːr
• Meaning: God’s gift
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Birger

• Origin: Old Norse
• Pronunciation: BEER-yer · ˈbɪərjər
• Meaning: helper, one who aids or rescues
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Babájídé

• Origin: Yoruba
• Pronunciation: bah-bah-JEE-day · bɑː.bɑːˈdʒiː.deɪ
• Meaning: Father has woken and come back
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Babáyẹmí

• Origin: Yoruba
• Pronunciation: bah-bah-YEH-mee · bɑː.bɑːˈjɛ.miː
• Meaning: [Having a] father suits/befits me
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Babáọlá

• Origin: Yoruba
• Pronunciation: bah-bah-AW-lah · bɑː.bɑːˈɔː.lɑː
• Meaning: Father [brings] honor/wealth
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Bọ́láyẹmí

• Origin: Yoruba
• Pronunciation: baw-lah-YEH-mee · bɔ́lɑ́jɛ̄mí
• Meaning: Wealth/honor suits me
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Bhavnoor

• Origin: Punjabi (Sanskrit + Perso-Arabic compound)
• Pronunciation: buhv-NOOR · bʱəvˈnuːr
• Meaning: light of existence — combining ‘bhav’ (world/being, from Sanskrit bhava) with ‘noor’ (light, from Arabic/Persian nūr)
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

How These Names Are Trending

33 of these names rose in the U.S. Social Security rankings last year, and 33 are falling, per Social Security data through 2024.

How These Names Are Trending

33 of these names rose in the U.S. Social Security rankings last year, and 33 are falling, per Social Security data through 2024.

How These Names Are Trending

33 of these names rose in the U.S. Social Security rankings last year, and 33 are falling, per Social Security data through 2024.

How These Names Are Trending

26 of these names rose in the U.S. Social Security rankings last year, and 26 are falling, per Social Security data through 2024.

How These Names Are Trending

28 of these names rose in the U.S. Social Security rankings last year, and 27 are falling, per Social Security data through 2024.

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📊 Curious how popular a name actually is? Look it up in our Baby Name Popularity Checker — pulls live SSA data to show ranking trends.

Wrapping Up

Whether you’re on the hunt for something totally unique, or maybe a well-loved name that feels just right, I hope my picks for modern boy names that start with B helped you out on your journey today! 

Happy nesting, mama!

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