Middle Names for Boys
Short middle names for boys with a documented meaning, in current U.S. use. 528 names.
Most common origin labels on this list: English (200), Muslim (162), Hebrew (47).
Most used for boys in 2024: Asher, 8,123 births.
Names 301–400 of 528 (page 4 of 6)
How names qualify
A name is listed when a boy record in our data has a documented meaning, the name has 50 or more births for boys in the SSA 2024 national file, so families can find it in use, and it is short: 2 syllables or fewer, or 5 letters or fewer, in a single word. A short middle name leaves room for a long first or last name. 117 more boys' names meet the other tests but are longer, and 1,778 have no documented meaning of their own in our data yet.
SSA counts spellings, not origins: the meaning shown is the one recorded in our data for the same spelling and sex.
Syllables are estimated from spelling with an English-style rule, so they can be off for names pronounced differently from how they are spelled. The row shows the estimate and the letter count that the rule used.
How well a middle name flows depends on the first and last name next to it, so this list does not rate flow. The middle name generator scores a whole name.
169 of the 528 names come from the Muslim-names dataset (Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Turkish, Kurdish and related origins). Names from other traditions appear only where their recorded meaning fits the rule.
Births and ranks are SSA national data: see the source note under the table.
Each row shows the meaning recorded for that name in our data. A name can have other meanings and other origins.
Middle Names for Boys
| Name | Meaning | Origin | Gender | Length and U.S. births |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jamal | Beauty, grace,Handsome. | Muslim | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 175 births |
| Yazan | Od Arabic name | Arabic | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 175 births |
| Vaughn | small | English | Boy | 6 letters, about 1 syllable; 174 births |
| Azlan | Lion | Muslim | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 171 births |
| Crosby | cross, settlement | English | Boy | 6 letters, about 2 syllables; 170 births |
| Kole | Variant of Cole, which means “coal, coal-black” | English | Boy | 4 letters, about 1 syllable; 170 births |
| Hasan | Handsome, beautiful, good-looking. | Muslim | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 168 births |
| Rami | Marksman | Muslim | Boy | 4 letters, about 2 syllables; 167 births |
| Ravi | the sun or the sun-god | English | Boy | 4 letters, about 2 syllables; 166 births |
| Aydin | light; clarity; shining; bright; enlightened, educated, intelligent | English | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 165 births |
| Ismail | Preservation, infallibility, A 9th century scholar, ibn Hammad had this name. | Muslim | Boy | 6 letters, about 2 syllables; 163 births |
| Marley | boundary, pleasant, marten, woodland clearing | English | Boy | 6 letters, about 2 syllables; 161 births |
| Amar | One with strong Imaan, Also a Sahabi | Muslim | Boy | 4 letters, about 2 syllables; 160 births |
| Perry | Diminutive of Peregrine, which means “foreigner” | English | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 160 births |
| Zyan | Adornment, Decoration and Beautification. | Muslim | Boy | 4 letters, about 1 syllable; 159 births |
| Braden | salmon,, descendant of bradán | English | Boy | 6 letters, about 2 syllables; 158 births |
| Ilyas | A Prophet, the biblical Elias. | Muslim | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 158 births |
| Elon | oak tree | Hebrew | Boy | 4 letters, about 2 syllables; 156 births |
| Hakeem | Wise, sage, judicious, prudent, one of Gods ninety nine qualities. | Muslim | Boy | 6 letters, about 2 syllables; 156 births |
| Sami | land, person from finland | Arabic | Boy | 4 letters, about 2 syllables; 156 births |
| Bailey | outer castle wall | English | Boy | 6 letters, about 2 syllables; 155 births |
| Maison | house | English | Boy | 6 letters, about 2 syllables; 155 births |
| Arman | Desire, yearning, wish, ideal, hope, aspiration | Muslim | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 151 births |
| Sultan | Sultan, King, emperor, ruler, authority, power. Title of a Muslim king. | Muslim | Boy | 6 letters, about 2 syllables; 151 births |
| Trent | through, path, over, way | English | Boy | 5 letters, about 1 syllable; 151 births |
| Dovid | Variant of David, which means “beloved” | English | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 150 births |
| Benton | bean, bentgrass, enclosure; settlement, town | English | Boy | 6 letters, about 2 syllables; 149 births |
| Rayyan | Luxuriant, one of the gates of paradise | Muslim | Boy | 6 letters, about 1 syllable; 147 births |
| Hans | john | German | Boy | 4 letters, about 1 syllable; 145 births |
| Clifford | cliff, ford | English | Boy | 8 letters, about 2 syllables; 142 births |
| Kiran | ray of light | Sanskrit | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 142 births |
| Micheal | Variant of Michael, which means “who is like God?” | Hebrew | Boy | 7 letters, about 2 syllables; 142 births |
| Jad | Curly, Frizzled, ibn Dirhim had this name, he ws the tutor of Marwan. | Muslim | Boy | 3 letters, about 1 syllable; 141 births |
| Aayan | God's gift | Muslim | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 140 births |
| Kenny | Diminutive of Kenneth, which means “handsome” | English | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 140 births |
| Saif | Sword (of Religion) | Muslim | Boy | 4 letters, about 1 syllable; 140 births |
| Ross | heath, headland | English | Boy | 4 letters, about 1 syllable; 139 births |
| Sanad | Another name for Allah, evidence, proof, Support, prop. | Muslim | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 139 births |
| Eliot | Variant of Elliott, which means “my God is Yahweh” | Hebrew | Boy | 5 letters, about 3 syllables; 137 births |
| Karam | Generosity, Kindness, favor, bounty, clemency | Muslim | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 137 births |
| Willie | willie mae | English | Boy | 6 letters, about 2 syllables; 137 births |
| Anas | Friend, Affection, love, very sociable, name of one of the Prophet's companions. | Muslim | Boy | 4 letters, about 2 syllables; 136 births |
| Raheem | Merciful, One of the name of Allah, Variant transcription of RAHIM | Muslim | Boy | 6 letters, about 2 syllables; 136 births |
| Anson | son of agnes | English | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 134 births |
| Ripley | woodland clearing | English | Boy | 6 letters, about 2 syllables; 134 births |
| Dov | bear | English | Boy | 3 letters, about 1 syllable; 133 births |
| Tariq | Nocturnal visitor, Name of a star | Muslim | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 133 births |
| Yair | he will light up | Hebrew | Boy | 4 letters, about 1 syllable; 133 births |
| Barry | white, head | Irish | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 130 births |
| Milton | mill, middle, settlement | English | Boy | 6 letters, about 2 syllables; 128 births |
| Niam | Favors, benefits | Muslim | Boy | 4 letters, about 2 syllables; 126 births |
| Faris | Horseman, knight, cavalier | Muslim | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 125 births |
| Ilan | Good person, Intelligent | Muslim | Boy | 4 letters, about 2 syllables; 125 births |
| Jahir | Creativity,Dignity | Muslim | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 125 births |
| Noam | pleasantness; a male name | Hebrew | Boy | 4 letters, about 1 syllable; 125 births |
| Shaya | Worthy | Muslim | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 125 births |
| Taj | Crown | Muslim | Boy | 3 letters, about 1 syllable; 124 births |
| Teagan | poet | Irish | Boy | 6 letters, about 2 syllables; 124 births |
| Akeem | Wise, Intelligent | Muslim | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 122 births |
| Cecil | blind | English | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 122 births |
| Mahir | Skilled, skilful, proficient, experienced, Clever, Genius | Muslim | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 122 births |
| Eamon | edmund | English | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 119 births |
| Warner | descendant of Murnán | English | Boy | 6 letters, about 2 syllables; 119 births |
| Ammar | Virtuous, pious, devout, religious, tolerant. | Muslim | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 118 births |
| Elvin | Variant of Alvin, which means “elf friend” | English | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 118 births |
| Adnan | A descendant of Ismail and traditional ancestor of the North Arabian tribes.. who called themselves 'the sons of Adnan'. | Muslim | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 117 births |
| Lamar | the pool | English | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 117 births |
| Payton | enclosure; settlement, town | English | Boy | 6 letters, about 2 syllables; 117 births |
| Cian | ancient | English | Boy | 4 letters, about 2 syllables; 115 births |
| Wolfgang | wolf | English | Boy | 8 letters, about 2 syllables; 115 births |
| Khaled | Eternal, glorious, Variant transcription of KHALID | Muslim | Boy | 6 letters, about 2 syllables; 114 births |
| Linden | lime tree | English | Boy | 6 letters, about 2 syllables; 113 births |
| Vernon | uerna | English | Boy | 6 letters, about 2 syllables; 112 births |
| Clarence | from the town of Clare | English | Boy | 8 letters, about 2 syllables; 111 births |
| Ori | A small light | English | Boy | 3 letters, about 2 syllables; 111 births |
| Alton | river source, settlement, town | English | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 110 births |
| Said | Rising, ascending, Happy, Fortunate, auspicious, venerable, dignified. | Muslim | Boy | 4 letters, about 1 syllable; 110 births |
| Shaun | God is gracious | Irish | Boy | 5 letters, about 1 syllable; 110 births |
| Naim | One who lives a good life, who lives proudly, Comfort, ease, tranquility | Muslim | Boy | 4 letters, about 1 syllable; 109 births |
| Smith | a surname, smith | English | Boy | 5 letters, about 1 syllable; 109 births |
| Yasin | The opening letters of the first verse of surat Ya Sin (36:1). An epithet of the Prophet Muhammad. | Muslim | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 109 births |
| Armaan | Desire,Wish, hope | Muslim | Boy | 6 letters, about 2 syllables; 108 births |
| Mahdi | Guided to the right path | Muslim | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 107 births |
| Hadi | Guiding to the right (truth), One who leads to the right path, guide, one of the names of Allah. | Muslim | Boy | 4 letters, about 2 syllables; 106 births |
| Aram | Quiet | Muslim | Boy | 4 letters, about 2 syllables; 105 births |
| Irving | fresh, river | English | Boy | 6 letters, about 2 syllables; 105 births |
| Jasir | Brave, bold, courageous, valiant. | Muslim | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 105 births |
| Benji | Diminutive of Benjamin, which means “son of the right/south or son of days” | English | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 104 births |
| Kent | corner, rim | English | Boy | 4 letters, about 1 syllable; 104 births |
| Syed | Always in control | Muslim | Boy | 4 letters, about 1 syllable; 104 births |
| Amin | Trustworthy, faithful, reliable, custodian, honest. | Muslim | Boy | 4 letters, about 2 syllables; 103 births |
| Denis | Variant of Dennis, which means “follower of (the wine god) Dionysus” | Ancient Greek | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 103 births |
| Brent | steep | English | Boy | 5 letters, about 1 syllable; 102 births |
| Chester | a town or city, especially a Roman one | English | Boy | 7 letters, about 2 syllables; 102 births |
| Hussain | Handsome, Elegant, beautiful, Grandson of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Son of Hazrat Ali and Hazrat Fatima (rta),Name of saint | Muslim | Boy | 7 letters, about 2 syllables; 101 births |
| Arnold | eagle, power | Germanic | Boy | 6 letters, about 2 syllables; 99 births |
| Cosmo | order, ordered universe | Ancient Greek | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 99 births |
| Steve | crown, wreath | English | Boy | 5 letters, about 1 syllable; 99 births |
| Usman | The young of a lark, A nice pen (a literary person), name of the third Caliph of Islam. | Muslim | Boy | 5 letters, about 2 syllables; 97 births |
| Stephan | to crown, that which surrounds, crown, wreath | English | Boy | 7 letters, about 2 syllables; 96 births |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Popular Baby Names (national data, 1880-2024). Counts are Social Security card applications for births in the United States; names with fewer than 5 births in a year are not listed, and spelling variants are counted separately. Baby Name Wizard is not affiliated with or endorsed by the SSA.