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110+ Top Canadian Boy Names: Traditional, Popular and Cool

Are you looking for a fantastic name for your little boy? Then why not let our list of names inspire you. Our list features some of the top Canadian boy’s names including traditional, popular, and some cool names for you to choose from.

Traditional Boy Names

Alexander – The Latin version of the Greek name Alexandros, which is composed of ‘alexo’ meaning ‘to defend’ and ‘aner’ meaning ‘man’.

Albert – This Canadian boy’s name gives a nod to the western province of Alberta as well as Prince Albert National Park in Saskatchewan.

Andrew – English and Scottish form of the Greek ‘andreios’ meaning ‘manly’.

Arthur – Could be from the Celtic ‘artus’ meaning ‘bear’ or from the Roman surname Artorius.

Benjamin – From the Hebrew Binyamin meaning ‘son of my right hand’ or ‘favorite son’.

Bennett – From the surname Bennett which is the old English form of Benedict, from the Latin Benedictus, meaning ‘the blessed one’.

Bruce – This Canadian baby boy’s name has a Canadian connection coming from Ontario’s Bruce Peninsula National Park and means ‘From the brushwood thicket’.

Charlie – A pet form of Charles which comes from the Old English word ‘ceorl’ and the German name Karl, both meaning ‘free man’.

Christian – From the Latin Christinus ‘follower of Christ’.

Connor – From the Irish Gaelic name ‘Conchobhar’ possibly meaning ‘lover of hounds’ or ‘lover of wolves’ and taken to mean ‘hunter’.

Daniel – From the Hebrew name Daniyyel, meaning ‘God is my judge’.

Edmund – This can be a salute to the city of Edmonton, capital of Alberta; it means ‘fortunate protector’.

Edward – Edward is an English-given name. It is derived from the old English words ‘ead’ meaning ‘wealth’ and ‘wear’ meaning ‘guardian’ or ‘protector’.

Fraser – The Fraser River in British Columbia is the longest of the Canadian Heritage Rivers, making Fraser a strong name choice. Fraser means ‘strawberry’ or ‘of the forest men’.

Frederic – This name means ‘peaceful ruler’ and is also the capital of New Brunswick.

Gabriel – From the Hebrew name Gavriel, meaning ‘man of God’. In the bible, Gabriel was the angel sent to tell Mary about the forthcoming birth of Jesus.

Gavin – From the Welsh name Gawain which is from the Welsh ‘gwalch’ meaning ‘hawk’.

Hayden – From a surname derived from old English ‘heg’ meaning ‘hay’ and ‘denu’ meaning ‘valley’.

Henry – From the old German name Haimirich which is from the Germanic ‘heim’ meaning ‘home’ and ‘ric’ meaning ‘power, ruler’.

Holt – While not specifically Canadian, it means ‘grove of trees or ‘unspoiled forest’, which typifies Canada’s majestic landscapes and wilderness.

Isaiah – From Hebrew meaning ‘God is salvation.

Jacob – English form of the Hebrew name Yaakov, which could be from the Hebrew words aqev or aqab meaning ‘heel’ or ‘supplanter’.

Jacques – This french-inspired name looks to Jacques Cartier, the explorer who named Canada for France. It’s a derivative of Jacob, which means ‘supplanter’ or ‘grabs the heel’.

James – English and Scottish name from the Latin ‘lacomus’, which could be from the Hebrew words aqev or aqab meaning ‘heel’ or ‘supplanter’. It is also the root of the name Jacob.

Joseph – From the Hebrew Yosef meaning ‘God will give’ via the Greek Losephos.

John – Originally from the Hebrew Yochana, meaning ‘God is gracious.’

Joshua – From the Hebrew Yehoshua, via the Greek lesos meaning ‘God is salvation.’

Julian – From the Latin Julianus, which in turn comes from the Roman family name ‘Julius’.

Lawrence – This traditional boy’s name can make a connection to the St. Lawrence River, and it means ‘from the place of the laurel leaves.’

Lincoln – Refers to the city of Lincoln which, centuries ago, was known as Lindum, ‘lake’ Colonia, ‘settlement’.

Logan – From the Scottish Gaelic meaning ‘little cove’ or ‘small hollow’. The Irish meaning is ‘Meadow’.

Luca – From the Greek name Loukas, meaning ‘from Lucania’, a region in South Italy.

Lucas – A Greek name meaning ‘from Lucania’, a region in Southern Italy.

Major – While Major is a strong military-type name for a boy, Major’s Hill Park is also an outdoor venue that hosts significant events such as Canada Day. It is located in Canada’s capital city, Ottowa, in Ontario.

Marcus – A Roman name with probable roots in Mars, possibly related to mas, ‘male, masculine.’

Mason – From the English surname meaning ‘stoneworker’.

Matthew – An English form of the Latin Matthaeus, from the Hebrew Mattiyahu, meaning ‘gift of God ‘.

Michael – From the Hebrew Mika’el, meaning ‘who is like God’.

Nathan – Means ‘giver’ in Hebrew. Can also be a short form of Nathaniel, from the Hebrew Netan’el, meaning ‘Yahweh has given’.

Samuel – From the biblical name Shemu’el which means ‘God has heard.’

Sebastian – From ‘sebastos’ meaning ‘venerable’ and the Greek translation of the Latin Augusta, the name given to all Roman emperors.

Theo – From the Greek words ‘theos’ meaning ‘God’ and ‘doran’ meaning ‘gift’.

Thomas – The Greek form of the Aramaic name ‘Teoma’ meaning ‘twin’.

Timothy – If you’ve been to Canada, you’ve likely had Tim Horton’s Coffee. And if coffee isn’t your thing, the name also means ‘honored by God’.

Wayne – Can you have a list of Canadian-inspired names without including at least one ice hockey legend? Wayne Gretzky, ‘The Great One’, this one is for you. It means ‘craftsman, wagon driver’.

William – From the Old High German name Willahelm, from wil, meaning ‘will, desire’ and helm meaning ‘helmet, protector.’ The name in whole means ‘resolute protector.’

Popular Boy Names

Adam – From the Hebrew ‘Adama meaning ‘earth’.

Aiden – English version of the Irish Aodan meaning ‘fire’.

Asher – From the Hebrew meaning ‘fortunate’ or ‘happy’.

Austin – Probably derived from the English surname Austin, which is a shortened form of the Latin name Augustus which means ‘great’.

Avery – Originally a surname, from the French variation of Alfred, from the old English ‘aelf’ meaning ‘elf’ and ‘raed’ meaning ‘counsel’.

Brayden – From old English meaning ‘from the broad meadow’.

Brody – Originally a surname, from the Gaelic ‘brothaigh’ meaning ‘ditch’.

Callum – From the Latin name Columba, meaning ‘dove’.

Carson – From a Scottish and Irish surname with unknown meaning.

Carter – From the surname Carter, which was an occupational name for someone who transported goods. Believed to originally derive from the Latin ‘Carrum’ meaning ‘carrier’.

Chandler – This boy’s name can be given as a reference to the Canadian town Chandler in Quebec. It means ‘candle maker’.

Dominic – English and Irish form of the Latin name Dominicus meaning ‘of the Lord’.

Drake – Canadian rapper Drake put this boy’s name on the map, which means ‘dragon’ or ‘male duck’.

Dylan – From the Welsh ‘dy’, meaning ‘great’ and ‘llanw’ meaning ‘sea’. 

Eli – From the Hebrew Eliyahu meaning ‘my God is Yahweh’.

Elias – From the Hebrew Eliyahu, meaning ‘my God is Yahweh’.

Elijah – From the Hebrew name Eliyahu, meaning ‘my God is Yaweh’.

Elliot – From Elias, the Greek form of the Hebrew name Elijah. This comes from the Hebrew Eliyahu which means ‘my God is Yahweh’.

Ethan – From the Hebrew meaning ‘solid’ or’ strong’.

Evan – Form of Ifan or Ieuan, the Welsh form of John, from the Greek name Ioannes, which comes from the Hebrew name Yochanan meaning ‘God is gracious.’

Everett – A form of Everard and originally an English surname. From the German ‘eber’ meaning ‘wild boar and ‘hard’ meaning ‘brave, hardy.’

Harrison – From the Latin name Columba, meaning ‘dove’.

Hartley – If you happen to love Native American history, Hartley Bay is a First Nations community in British Columbia. However, it has English origins and means ‘stag wood’ or ‘meadow’.

Isaac – From the Hebrew Yitzchaq meaning ‘he laughs’ or ‘laughter’.

Jack – Originally a pet form of John, via the nickname Jankin, but is now a name in its own right.

Jackson – From the English surname, meaning ‘son of Jack’. Jack is a pet form of John, which is originally from the Hebrew name Yochanan meaning ‘God is gracious.

Jasper – A strong boy’s name, Jasper can refer to Alberta’s Jasper National Park, the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies. The name itself means ‘treasurer’.

Jayden – Either from the name of the green stone or from Hebrew meaning ‘thankful’.

Jordan – From the name of the River Jordan, from the Hebrew name Hayarden meaning ‘descend’.

Kayden – Of Scottish origin, simply meaning ‘from the wetlands’.

Kennedy – A name for a boy or a girl, Kennedy has a Canadian reference to the Kennedy Lakes in New Brunswick. This name does however mean ‘ugly’ or ‘misshapen head’.

Leo – A Latin name, originally from the Greek Leon meaning ‘lion’.

Levi – From Hebrew meaning ‘joined’ or ‘attached’.

Liam – An Irish form of William, derived from the Germanic Wilhelm, a composite of the words will ‘will’ and helm, ‘helmet’.

Luke – An English form of the Greek name Loukas, meaning ‘from Lucania’, a region in Southern Italy. In Greek, the meaning of Luke is ‘light giving’

Mackenzie – This name has lots of Canadian connections including the longest and largest river system as well as 3 prime ministers. It also means ‘child of the wise leader’.

Max – A short form of the Latin Maximilian, from Maximus, meaning ‘the greatest. Also used as a short form of the English name Maxwell which means ‘stream of Maccus’.

Nicholas – From the Greek Nikolaos, a combination of the elements ‘nike’ meaning ‘victory’ and ‘laos’ meaning ‘people’.

Noah – From the Hebrew word noach meaning ‘comfort’ or ‘rest’.

Nolan – Originally a surname, O Nuallian, meaning ‘descendant of Nuallan’. Nuallan means ‘champion’ or ‘chariot fighter’ and is an old Gaelic personal name.

Oliver – From the Latin olivam meaning ‘olive tree’.

Owen – An Anglicised form of Owain, a Welsh name with several possible origins. It could be a variant of the Greek name Euguene meaning ‘well born’ or the Welsh word ‘oen’ meaning ‘lamb’.

Rowan – From the Gaelic name Ruadhan, from ‘rudah’, meaning ‘red’.

Ryan – From the Gaelic ‘ri’ meaning ‘king’.

Ryder – Means a horseman or knight.

Cool Boy Names

Abbott – This is a nod to John Abbott, the 3rd Prime Minister of Canada. Abbott means ‘father’.

Alanis – Singer Alanis Morissette was a sensation in the 90s and also comes from Canada. This name means ‘handsome, cheerful’.

Blake – From the surname which is from the old English ‘blac’ meaning ‘black’.

Bowen – Bowen island, just a very short ferry ride from Vancouver, inspires this baby boy’s name, which means ‘son of Owen’.

Caleb – From Hebrew meaning ‘dog’ and taken from the bible where Caleb was a friend of Moses.

Cobie – Usually a boy’s name, it was made popular for girls due to Canadian actress Cobie Smulders, best known as Robin on the TV series ‘How I Met Your Mother’.

Cole – From the old English name Cola which meant ‘coal black’.

Colton – From an Old English surname which was originally from a place name, meaning ‘coal town’.

Dawson – A boy’s name made popular from the TV show ‘Dawson’s Creek’ but it can also be a reference to Dawson City in the Canadian Yukon. Dawson means ‘son of David’.

Declan – English form of the Irish name Deaglan, which is of unknown meaning but it is the name of the 5th-century Irish saint.

Easton – A Scottish surname that comes from the Old English ‘ast’ meaning ‘east’ and ‘ton’ meaning ‘town’.

Emmett – From the Old English surname Emmet, which is a form of the name Emma, which is from the Old German ‘erm’, meaning ‘whole’ or ‘universal’.

Felix – From the Latin word, meaning ‘lucky’ or ‘fortunate’.

Grayson – Means son of steward.

Hudson – From a surname meaning ‘son of Hudd’, Hudd being a form of Hugh.

Hunter – From the occupational surname, which is from the Old English ‘hunta’ meaning ‘to hunt.

Jace – From the American meaning ‘moon’. A variant of Jacey.

Kensington – This is a sophisticated name for a boy, which has Canadian allusions to Kensington Maret in Toronto as well as the town on Prince Edward Island.

Landon – From an old English place name meaning ‘long hill’. 

Langford – Another great choice for a boy’s name, which refers to the city of the same name in British Columbia. Langford means ‘lives near the long ford’.

Layton – This strong and unique Canadian baby boy name means ‘herb garden’ or ‘from the meadow farm’.

Matteo – Variation of the Latin Matthaeus meaning ‘gift of God’.

Maverick – From the English word, meaning ‘independent’, originally from a surname’.

Parker – Originally a surname, meaning ‘keeper of the park’.

Riley – A transferred use of the English surname, from the old English ‘ryge’, meaning ‘rye’ and ‘clearing’ or ‘meadow’. Alternatively from the Irish surname Reilly or O’Reilly’.

Tobin – If your family has a love of fishing, Tobin Lake in Saskatchewan is one of Canada’s primary fishing hot spots. It also has Hebrew roots and means ‘God is good.’

Tori – Tori (for a boy or a girl) is a sweet choice all by itself but if you happen to love the city of Toronto as well, it could be perfect. This name is a derivative of Victoria and means ‘winner, conqueror’.

Tristan – Derived from the Celtic name Drystan which means ‘riot’. This ancient name was probably influenced by the French term ‘triste’ meaning ‘sad’.

Van – Another popular choice for a boy but even more meaningful if Vancouver means anything to you. Historically in Middle English and Middle French, it means ‘old winnowing machine’.

 Wyatt – Derived from the Old English ‘wig’ meaning ‘war’, and ‘heard’ meaning ‘brave, hardy.’

Xavier – Of Basque and Arabic origin. Derived from the Spanish place name, Etxabier, meaning ‘new house’. Its Arabic meaning is ‘Bright’.

Zachary – From the Hebrew Zechariah, meaning ‘God remembers’.

Zayn – Means ‘Gos’d gracious gift’.

If you are looking for some more cool boy names why not check out our Magical boy names.

The Final Thought

That brings us to the end of our list of top Canadian boys’ names. But don’t panic if you still haven’t found the perfect name for your little one, you could always check out our rustic country boy names for some further inspiration.