Are you looking for some inspiration for short boy names? You’ve come to the right place!
Struggling with finding the perfect name to pair with your last name?
In this ultimate guide, we’ll share with you 150 short boy names, complete with their meaning and origins. Since we’ll be featuring short names for boys, all of the name ideas you’ll find on our list will range from three to five letters long.
We’ve broken these short baby names out into a few different categories listed below.
There’s nothing more important than picking out baby’s first name!
Read on to find the perfect sweet boy name for your little boy…
Classic and Historical Short Boy Names
Let’s start with classic names and historical boy names. These short boy names are based on historical thus have stood the test of time.
Whether you’re looking for an old school name or a more traditional boy name, there’s likely a baby name for you on this list.
1. Aiden
- Origins: Irish and Celtic mythology
- Meaning: This cute boy name came from Aodh, the name of the Celtic God of sun and fire.
2. Amir
- Origins: A popular name for Middle Eastern, Arabic, and Muslim historical figures
- Meaning: Putting an accent mark over the letter “I” will translate the name into “prince.” Meanwhile, placing the mark over the letter A will change its English version to “prosperous.”
3. Cesar
- Origins: Cesar Chavez was a Mexican-American civil rights activist. This name is also known by its alternate spelling, Caesar, due to another historical figure: Gaius Julius Caesar’s Roman emperor.
- Meaning: Thick head of hair
4. Frank
- Origins: French origin; various historical figures. This includes those who went by its alternate forms, such as Franklin and Francis.
- Meaning: Free and from France
5. Henry
- Origins: Germanic word “Heimeric”
- Meaning: House ruler
6. James
- Origins: Hebrew origin; the name of kings. Since one of the apostles is named James, it is also highly considered a biblical name.
- Meaning: Supplanter
7. Karl
- Origins: German origin. It was made popular by historical figures Karl Marx and Karl Jung.
- Meaning: Free man
8. Liam
- Origins: Irish origin or roots; originally spelled as Uilliam
- Meaning: Resolute protection
9. Mason
- Origins: Old French. Historically, Mason is more commonly associated with the oldest fraternal organization in the world, the Freemasons. Their most popular members include George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Winston Churchill, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
- Meaning: An artisan who works in stone or stone worker
10. Nicco
- Origins: Greek origin and Italian origin. Niccolo Machiavelli is definitely one of the greatest thinkers in history.
- Meaning: People of victory
11. Nolan
- Origin: Irish name
- Meaning: Noble or Champion
12. Rah
- Origin: Egyptian
- Meaning: It came from Ra, the Egyptian God of the sun.
13. Rowan
- Origins: Irish and Arabic
- Meaning: Its Irish translation is “red-haired.” Meanwhile, the Arabic translation is “a river in paradise.”
14. Plato
- Origin: Greek word. It also refers to the great Greek philosopher and student of Socrates.
- Meaning: Strong, broad shoulders
15. Wyatt
- Origin: It came from the Old English name Wigheard before it gradually evolved to Wiot during the Middle Ages.
- Meaning: Brave man of war

Related: 50 Cute Ideas for a Baby Boy Nursery
Popular Culture Short Boy Names
Not everyone loves old, historical names. Geek parents and fans of popular culture might want to name their children after their favorite characters instead. Instead of sharing the origins and meanings of these famous names, we’ll share the pop-cultural references that have inspired these short boys names.
16. Damon
- Inspiration: Damon Salvatore of Vampire Diaries, a character portrayed by Ian Somerhalder.
17. Daryl
- Inspiration: Daryl Dixon of The Walking Dead, played by Norman Reedus.
18. Dean
- Inspiration: Dean Winchester from the television series Supernatural, performed by Jensen Ackles.
19. Elric
- Inspiration: The Elric brothers from the anime and manga series, The Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.
20. Finn
- Inspiration: The protagonist from the hit cartoon series Adventure Time.
21. Iroh
- Inspiration: Uncle Iroh; the former Crown Prince and General of the Fire Nation. He’s also the wisest character in the cartoon series Avatar, The Last Airbender.
22. Jax
- Inspiration: Jackson “Jax” Teller, the main protagonist of the television series Sons of Anarchy.
23. Jules
- Inspiration: Jules Winnfield, the character played by Samuel L. Jackson from the movie Pulp Fiction.
24. Kirk
- Inspiration: Captain Kirk of the starship USS Enterprise, in the hit TV series Star Trek.
25. Kylo
- Inspiration: The son of Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa turned Sith in the movie Star Wars, played by Adam Driver.
26. Levi
- Inspiration: Levi Ackermann is the one-person army in the anime and manga series Attack on Titan.
27. Rick
- Inspiration: The greatest scientist of popular culture from the cartoon series Rick and Morty.
28. Saul
- Inspiration: The ace attorney Saul Goodman from Breaking Bad TV series.
29. Troy
- Inspiration: Troy Barnes from the comedy series Community and Troy Bolton from the hit Disney franchise, Highschool Musical.
30. Wes
- Inspiration: Wes Anderson, the film genius known for his unique visuals and narrative styles.
Related: 15 Boy Baby Shower Themes to Inspire You
Cool Boy Names That Are Short and Unique
Want to give your son a cool boy name that will set him apart from others? Here are a few unique baby boy names to consider.
31. Logan
- Origin: Scottish origin
- Meaning: Little hollow
32. Chase
- Origin: Old French
- Meaning: Skilled huntsman
33. Flash
- Origin: America
- Meaning: Bright light
34. Forge
- Origin: French
- Meaning: An occupational name inspired by master artisans of the forge or smithy
35. Haru
- Origins: Japan and Korea
- Meaning: In Japanese, this name means “the season of spring.” In Korean, Haru has an English version of “day.”
36. Hiro
- Origin: Japan
- Meaning: Abundance and generosity
37. Jace
- Origins: Greek origin and Hebrew origin
- Meaning: It translates to “healer” in Greek. Meanwhile, it also means “lord of salvation” in Hebrew.
38. Kaden
- Origin: American
- Meaning: Fighter
39. Mylo
- Origin: Slavic
- Meaning: Merciful soldier
40. North
- Origin: English origin
- Meaning: One of the four cardinal directions
41. Rogue
- Origin: English origin
- Meaning: Savage
42. Scout
- Origin: American
- Meaning: First explorer
43. Shiva
- Origin: Indian
- Meaning: Kind and beautiful
44. Soren
- Origin: Scandinavian
- Meaning: Strict, serious, and severe
45. Truth
- Origin: English origin
- Meaning: As in the virtue. As Henry David Thoreau so adequately puts it: rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth.
Related: 150+ Awesome Baby Names With an Edge

One Syllable Cute Short Boy Names
Where’s the charm of short baby boys names if they’re going to be multiple syllables (or polysyllabic)? For us, nothing beats the straightforwardness of one syllable names. Don’t you think? Here are some cool short first name ideas…
46. Ace
- Origin: Old French
- Meaning: One or expert
47. Blaze
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Flame
48. Cal
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Devotion
49. Cole
- Origin: Middle English
- Meaning: Coal-black, charcoal
50. Jude
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Praised
51. King
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Ruler
52. Lee
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Clearing in the woods
53. Nash
- Origin: English
- Meaning: By the ash tree
54. Rex
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: King
55. Sean
- Origin: Irish origin
- Meaning: Gracious and a gift from God
56. Steve
- Origin: America
- Meaning: Crown or victorious
57. Tru
- Origin: Germanic
- Meaning: Strength of the spear
58. Van
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: God is gracious
59. Zack
- Origin: Hebrew origin, a shorter version of Zachariah
- Meaning: Laughter
60. Zane
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: God is gracious
Related: 80+ Modern One Syllable Boy Names
Unique Boy Names Inspired by Faith
Biblical names don’t just show your devotion – they can serve as a lifelong blessing you can give your child. What better way to honor the word of God than with these old testament and new testament baby names.
Below are several ideas for unique boy names inspired by faith. Since most of them have a biblical or Hebrew origin, we’ll be sharing just the meanings of each baby name instead.
61. Adam
- Meaning: Son of the red earth
62. Caleb
- Meaning: Faithful
63. Cohen
- Meaning: Priest
64. David
- Meaning: Beloved
65. Elias
- Meaning: The Lord is my God
66. Ethan
- Meaning: Strong
67. Gabe
- Meaning: Hero of God
68. Isaac
- Meaning: One who laughs
69. Jacob
- Meaning: Supplanter
70. Jesus
- Meaning: From the Hebrew name Yeshua that means “to deliver or rescue”
71. Jonah
- Meaning: Dove
72. Mark
- Meaning: Shining; although it means “consecrated to the God, Mars” in other cultures.
73. Mateo
- Meaning: Gift of God
74. Peter
- Meaning: Rock
75. Seth
- Meaning: Appointed
Modern Baby Boy Names Inspired by Nature
Do you dream of having a son who loves nature and travel? Maybe giving him an earthy name will help set him down this path!
Since these names for boys all originated from the natural world, most readers probably know the meanings of these cool names already. Let’s just enumerate them instead!
- 76. Birch
- 77. Cloud
- 78. Cliff
- 79. Colt
- 80. Fjord
- 81. Flame
- 82. Flint
- 83. Frost
- 84. Fox
- 85. Glade
- 86. Glenn
- 87. Leaf
- 88. Onyx
- 89. Storm
- 90. Thorn
Space-Inspired Short Baby Boy Names
Boys names inspired by outer space belong to dreamers and adventurers. If you think that’s going to be perfect for your little one, any of the cool short boy names below will make a good choice.
91. Aries
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: It stands for the astrological sign of the Ram.
92. Astro
- Origin: Greek origin
- Meaning: Of the stars
93. Atlas
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Enduring
94. Buzz
- Origin: American
- Meaning: It is inspired by the American pilot and astronaut Buzz Aldrin.
95. Comet
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: From the word kometes that means “long-haired star.”
96. Halo
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Divine aura or circular aura of light
97. Jett
- Origin: English
- Meaning: An aircraft
98. Leo
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: It stands for the astrological sign of the Lion.
99. Mars
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: God of war. Mars is also the fourth planet in our solar system.
100. Moon
- Origin: Old English word
- Meaning: To measure, as back then, people used the moon to measure months.
101. Neil
- Origin: Irish origin
- Meaning: This name has a lot of meanings, such as cloud, honor, passion, and victory. It became more popular in recent decades due to Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on our moon.
102. Orion
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Rising in the sky, one of the most popular constellations.
103. Rigel
- Origin: It is the name of the seventh brightest star in the heavens and the brightest one in the Orion constellation.
- Meaning: It means foot and is used for the star since it marks Orion’s left foot.
104. Sky
- Origin: Scandinavian
- Meaning: The heavens
105. Solar
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Of the sun

Simple Boy Names Inspired by Art
Let’s take a look at these cool boy names inspired by famous artists. For these names, we’re just going to share the names of each influential person, instead of the names root origins and meanings. You may find some of these to be a common name, but plenty are considered an unusual name.
106. Andy
- Inspiration: The American Pop Art artist Andy Warhol.
107. Blake
- Inspiration: The English poet and Romanticist painter Willian Blake.
108. Bosch
- Inspiration: The Dutch Renaissance painter Hieronymous Bosch.
109. Claude
- Inspiration: The French Baroque painter, etcher, and draughtsman Claude Lorrain.
110. Dali
- Inspiration: The Spanish Surrealist painter and photographer Salvador Dali
111. Diego
- Inspiration: The Mexican muralist Diego Rivera
112. Ernst
- Inspiration: The German painter, sculptor, graphic artist, poet Max Ernst.
113. Greco
- Inspiration: The Greek Spanish Renaissance painter, sculptor Domenikos “El Greco” Theotokopoulos.
114. Hans
- Inspiration: The German Northern Renaissance painter Hans Holbein the Younger.
115. Max
- Inspiration: the German-American Pop Art painter Peter Max.
116. Monet
- Inspiration: The French Impressionist painter Claude Monet
117. Pablo
- Inspiration: The Spanish Cubist painter and sculptor Pablo Ruiz Picasso
118. Rodin
- Inspiration: The French Impressionist sculptor Francois Auguste Rene Rodin
119. Vince
- Inspiration: The Dutch Post-Impressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh
120. Vinci
- Inspiration: The Italian High Renaissance painter, engineer, draughtsman, scientist, theorist, architect, and sculptor Leonardo da Vinci
Short Names for Boys That Are Inspired by Music
Just like how we featured the name ideas above, we’ll be listing down the musicians that inspired the short boys names below, unless the name wasn’t derived from a music icon, of course.
121. Angus
- Inspiration: The Australian co-founder and lead guitarist of the band AC/DC Angus Mckinnon Young
122. Bowie
- Inspiration: The English singer and songwriter David Bowie
123. Corey
- Inspiration: The American singer, musician, songwriter, and frontman of Slipknot and Stone Sour: Corey Todd Taylor
124. Dylan
- Inspiration: The American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan.
125. Elton
- Inspiration: The English singer-songwriter Sir Elton John
126. Iggy
- Inspiration: The American Musician Iggy Pop
127. Jazz
- Origin: American
- Meaning: A style of music
128. Jimi
- Inspiration: The American singer, musician, songwriter Jimi Hendrix
129. Kurt
- Inspiration: The American singer, artist, musician, and Nirvana frontman Kurt Donald Cobain
130. Ozzy
- Inspiration: The English singer and Heavy Metal icon Ozzy Osbourne
131. Riff
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Riff refers to the repeated chord progression that is commonly played using an electric guitar. It can also be a shortened term for refrain.
132. Ringo
- Inspiration: The English drummer of the band The Beatles: Ringo Starr
133. Slim
- Inspiration: The American rapper, Marshall Bruce Mathers III, more popularly known as Eminem or Slim Shady
134. Stan
- Origin: American
- Meaning: It’s a term that refers to a devoted celebrity fan, more specifically a musician.
135. Tempo
- Origin: Latin word
- Meaning: Time; also a term that refers to the timing or speed of a musical piece.
Cute Short Boy Names Inspired by Books
Finally, here are some ideas for baby boy names that book-loving parents will definitely want to consider.
136. Aslan
- Inspiration: Aslan, the Great Lion, the God figure, in C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia series
137. Byron
- Inspiration: The English poet, George Gordon Byron, more popularly known as Lord Byron
138. Conan
- Inspiration: The British writer, Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, author of the legendary crime fiction series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
139. Cullen
- Inspiration: A family name in the popular novel series, Twilight, written by Stephenie Meyer
140. Dante
- Inspiration: The Italian poet Dante Alighieri who wrote The Divine Comedy
141. Darcy
- Inspiration: Fitzwilliam Darcy, the romantic hero in Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice
142. Godric
- Inspiration: Godric Gryffindor, a legendary character in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series
143. Homer
- Inspiration: The ancient Greek epic poet, Homer. His most notable works are the Iliad and the Odyssey.
144. Hugo
- Inspiration: Victor Hugo, the French writer most known for Les Miserables and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
145. Kafka
- Inspiration: Franz Kafka, the Bohemian Modernist novelist
146. Khal
- Inspiration: A leadership title in the popular epic fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire. It was the base material of the TV series, Game of Thrones.
147. Oscar
- Inspiration: The Irish poet Oscar Wilde. He is most known for his work, The Picture of Dorian Gray.
148. Poe
- Inspiration: The American writer and poet Edgar Allan Poe
149. Rhett
- Inspiration: The male protagonist in Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind: Rhett Butler.
150. Roald
- Inspiration: The British novelist Roald Dahl. He is most known for his works Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda.
Final Words on Short Boy Names
We understand how hard it can be to think of the perfect baby boy name for your son. After all, it’s a decision that will impact the rest of his life!
We hope you found the perfect short name from this list of short boys names. Remember: If you’ve chosen your child’s name out of love, hopes, and dreams, you really can’t go wrong.
Need More Baby Name Inspiration?
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This article is a fantastic resource for anyone looking for short and meaningful boy names. I love how the names are organized into categories and come with their origins and meanings—it makes the search so much easier! The focus on names with three to five letters is especially helpful for parents who want something simple yet unique. If you’re writing an article review, you might want to highlight how the guide is well-structured and user-friendly. For professional help, consider checking out an article review writing service https://essaypro.com/article-review-writing-service to make your analysis even stronger!