There are so many choices when it comes to names for baby boys. It’s easy to see why new parents can be overwhelmed. But thinking of that perfect name for your new arrival is one of the most exciting parts of becoming a new parent.
Maybe you are thinking that a short name will be super cool and is perfect for your little boy, we have put together some of our favorites along with their meaning.
Take a look at our list and see if there is anything that takes your fancy or just inspires you to continue your search for the perfect short baby boy name.
In this article
Traditional Short Names
Abe – The name is of English origin and means Father of Nations. It is also a diminutive of Abraham.
Art – A name of English origin and means bear. It is also the short form of the name Arthur.
Al – Is short for names beginning with AL and is of English origin.
Beau – French in origin and means beautiful and handsome.
Ben – The short form of Benjamin or Benedict and is of Hebrew origin.
Blake – A name of English origin and means pale blond one or dark.
Brant – Means firebrand and is of English origin.
Brock – A name of English origin and means badger. Brock was originally an English surname for someone who was buggy or mischievous.
Brooks – Of English origin and means from the brook.
Bryce – This is a gender-neutral name but is traditionally a boy’s name. It means speckled and is of English origin.
Cale – A name of American origin and means dog.
Chad – Originally a nickname for Chadwick in the US. The name is of English origin and means from the warrior’s town.
Chase – Of English origin and means hunter, originally an occupational name. Also short for Chauncey.
Clark – A name of English origin and means clerk. The name was originally an English surname.
Dale – Means valley and is of German origin.
Dane – It’s of Scandinavian origin and means God is my judge or from Denmark.
Dean – English origin and means from the valley.
Drake – Means dragon and is of English origin.
Drew – A short form of Andrew, is of English origin and means manly.
Duke – This is a title of nobility and is of English origin.
Eli – Means height and is of Hebrew origin. This can also be a diminutive form of Elijah.
Enzo – Short form of Lorenzo and is of Italian origin.
Erik – A name of Scandanavian origin and means always ruler.
Ethan – Of Hebrew origin and means firm or strong.
Ezra – Hebrew in origin and means help. This is traditionally a boy’s name but is also used as a Persian girl’s name.
Floyd – The name is of English origin and means gray. The name comes from a Welsh byname.
Gabe – The short form of Gabriel, which means God is my strength. Gabe is of English origin.
Gary – Means spear rule and is of English origin.
Gavin – Of English origin and means white hawk.
Glenn – A name of Scottish origin and means from the wooded valley.
Grant – Means large, great, and is of English origin.
Greg – Of Greek origin and means vigilant or watchful.
Guy – A name of unknown meaning and of German origin.
Hank – Means ruler of the home and is of American origin.
Heath – Of English origin and means land of heather and grass.
Hugh – German in origin and means bright in mind and spirit.
Ian – Means God is gracious and is of Scottish origin.
Ike – The name means he will laugh and is of American origin. It is also a short form of the name Isaac or Dwight.
Jack – A name of English origin and means God is gracious. Jack was originally a nickname for the given name of John, it has now become a given name in its own right.
Jake – Means supplanter and is of Hebrew origin.
James – Of Hebrew origin and means supplanter.
Jan – A name of Dutch origin and means God is gracious.
Jay – Of Latin origin and means a bird in the crow family.
Jeb – Jeb is a nickname for James or Joseph and is of American origin.
Jed – Another name of American origin and means friend of God. It is a short form of the name Jedidiah.
John – Hebrew in origin and means God is gracious.
Kai – A name of Hawaiian origin and means ocean.
Kent – English in origin and means high or coastal land.
Kit – A nickname for Katherine or Christopher and is of American origin. This is a gender-neutral name.
Kyle – Means narrow strait or channel and is of Scottish origin.
Luke – Luke is usually used as a nickname for the name Lucas. Although it has now become a name in its own right and is quite commonly used. A name of Greek origin and means a person from Lucania.
Mac – A name of Scottish origin and means son.
Max – Latin in origin and means greatest. It is a short form of Maximillian or Maxwell.
Mika – Means beautiful smell and is of Native American origin.
Miles – Of Latin origin and means soldier.
Neil – A name of Irish origin and means champion or passionate.
Noah – Hebrew in origin and means rest, peace.
Paul – Means humble, small, and is of Latin origin.
Peter – A name of Greek origin and means rock. In the Bible, Peter was an apostle of Christ.
Reid – Of English origin and means red headed.
Rhys – Welsh in origin and means passion, enthusiasm.
River – Means stream of water that flows to the sea and is of English origin.
Ryan – A name of Irish origin and means descendant of the king.
Sam – English in origin and is the short form of Samuel.
Scott – Means person from Scotland and is of English origin.
Sean – Irish in origin and means God is gracious.
Seth – Of Hebrew origin and means appointed.
Tom – A name of Greek origin and is a short form of Thomas. Also, a Hebrew name meaning innocence or purity.
Wynn – Of Welsh origin and means fair, white, or blessed.
Zac – Short form of Zachary and is of English origin.
Zane – American in origin and means God is gracious.
Zeke – A Hebrew name that means God will strengthen. Zeke comes from Ezekiel.
Cool Short Names
Ace – A name of Latin origin and means one or expert.
Abel – Hebrew in origin and means breath or breathing spirit.
Arlo – Of Spanish origin and means barberry tree.
Artie – The name is derived from Arthur and is of American origin. It means bear.
Axel – This name has origins in both German and Scandinavian and is the German form of the Hebrew name Absalom, meaning father in peace.
Benjy – A name of Hebrew origin and means son of my right hand. It is a diminutive form of Benjamin.
Cade – Cade means stout or sturdy and is of English origin. The name is gender-neutral.
Cal – Short form of names beginning with Cal and is of English origin.
Cash – Means maker of chests and is of English origin.
Clay – This is an occupational surname that means clay worker and is of English origin.
Clark – A name of English origin and means clerk.
Craig – Means from the crag and is of Scottish origin.
Cleo – A name of Greek origin and means glory.
Cole – English in origin and means victory of the people. The name was originally a diminutive of Nicholas.
Crew – The name was originally meant as a group of people who operate a ship or vessel of some kind. The name is of English origin.
Dion – Greek in origin and is the Greek god of wine.
Elton – An Old English name that means Ella’s town.
Enzo – A short form of Lorenzo, Italian in origin and means laurel.
Finn – Irish in origin and means fair. It is also a Nordic name meaning man from Finland.
Ford – Of English origin and means river crossing.
Gage – Originally an English occupational surname, means measurer, and is of English origin.
Gray – A name of English origin and is a color name that refers to black mixed with white. The name was originally used to denote a person with gray hair.
Gunn – Shortened form of the German name Gunther which means warrior.
Gus – Of English origin and means great. It is also a diminutive form of Gustav, Angus, or Augustus.
Hale – A name of English origin and means from the remote valley.
Hayes – Means lives by the forest or brush and is of English origin.
Holt – Of English origin and means woodland.
Jai – A name of Indian origin and means victory.
Jair – Means he shines or he is enlightened and is of Hebrew origin.
Jake – Jake is of Hebrew origin and means supplanter. It is a short form of Jacob.
Jax – American in origin and means son of Jack.
Jett – A simple name of English origin that means jet black.
Joel – Of Hebrew origin and means the lord god.
Jude – English in origin and means from Judea. It is a gender-neutral name.
Lee – A name of English origin and means field.
Leon – Of French origin and means lion.
Levi – A name of Hebrew origin and means joined in harmony.
Liam – Means with gilded helmet and is of Irish origin.
Nate – A diminutive form of Nathan or Nathaniel and is of English origin.
Rex – Of Latin origin and means king.
Remy – A name of French origin and means oarsman or remedy.
Ty – American in origin and means from the land of Eoghan. Ty is also a short form of the name Tyrone or Tyler.
Tyr – A name of Scandanavian origin and means battle. It is traditionally a male name.
Yves – French in origin and means yew.
Disney Inspired Short Names
Adam – Of Hebrew origin and means man or red or earth.
Buzz – A name of English origin and means to create excitement or sound.
Eric – Scandinavian in origin and means everlasting ruler.
Flynn – Means descendant of the red-headed man and is of Irish origin.
Hans – It’s of Scandinavian origin and means God is ever gracious.
Hiro – A name of Japanese origin and means one who has a backbone who can fly.
Koda – Native American in origin and means friend.
Milo – A name of German origin and means compassionate or gracious.
Ralph – Means renowned wolf and is of English origin.
Shang – Chinese in origin and means to soar.
Sven – Means youthful warrior and is of Scandinavian origin.
Nature Inspired Short Names
Alder – A name of English origin and means old. The name also refers to the Alder tree.
Aran – Of Thai origin and means forest.
Ash – English in origin and refers to the Ash tree.
Bay – A name of English origin and means sea inlet. It is a gender-neutral baby name.
Basil – Means royal and relates to the herb of the same name. It is of Greek origin.
Bear – American in origin and means bear-like. Usually an American nickname.
Birch – Of English origin and refers to the tree of the same name.
Cove – Gender-neutral name that is of English origin and means small coastal inlet.
Dren – Means deer in Albanian.
Dune – The name means a hill or ridge of sand piled up by the wind.
Egbo – Nigerian in origin and means forest.
Elm – Meaning red, brown. It is a tree name that has worked its way into the mainstream.
Florin – Of Latin origin and means flower or flowering.
Fox – A name of English origin and means wild animal in the dog family. Originally an English surname.
Frost – Gender-neutral name of English origin and means the freezing of water. An English descriptive surname for a person who had white hair or a cold disposition.
Hawk – English in origin and means like the bird. Hawk was originally a nickname for someone who looked like a hawk.
Heath – Originally a short form of Heathcliff. A name of English origin and means land of heather and grass.
Lirio – A name of Spanish origin and means iris.
Oak – Another great tree name that is making its way into the mainstream. Of English origin and refers to the oak tree.
Reef – German in origin and originally an occupational name for someone who made or sold rope.
Ren – Means lotus and is of Japanese origin.
Ridge – A name of English origin and means ridge.
Rowan – Means little red one and refers to the Rowan tree. It is of Irish origin.
Rye – English in origin and refers to the grain of the same name.
Sky – Originally an old Norse word meaning cloud. It is of Scandinavian origin and means atmosphere seen from Earth.
Wolf – Of English origin and means wolf.
Worldwide Inspired Short Names
Afon – Of Welsh origin and means river in Welsh.
Agni – A mythological name of an ancient Hindu fore god. It is Sanskrit for fire.
Anso – Of Ancient Germanic origin and means god.
Bram – A name of English origin and means father of a multitude. It is also a diminutive of Abraham.
Cenk – An ancient Turkish word for battle.
Cruz – Spanish in origin and means the cross of Christ. It is also a Spanish surname.
Dane – The name means God is my judge or from Denmark. It is a name of Scandinavian origin.
Dev – A name of Hindi origin and means god.
Dov – Hebrew in origin and means bear. It is a Hebrew form of David.
Kai – Of Hawaiian origin and means ocean. It is also the Welsh form of Caius, pronounced as Kye.
Keir – Irish in origin and means black. This is a gender-neutral name.
Leif – A name of Scandinavian origin and means heir.
Olek – Polish short form of Alexander and means defending men.
Penn – Penn is a name of English origin and means lives by the hill.
Rafe – The medieval pronunciation of the name Ralph. It is of English origin and means wolf counsel.
Rene – French in origin and means reborn.
Renz – Of Italian origin and means laurel.
Rome – A gender-neutral name of Italian origin and means from Rome, Italy.
West – Of English origin and means from the west.
Zev – A name of Hebrew origin and means wolf.
Literary Short Names
Bronn – A name of Irish origin and means he who descends.
Darcy – Irish in origin and means dark one. Refers to the dashing character in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
Graham – A name of English origin and means from the gravelly homestead.
Huck – The name is a short form of Huckleberry and is of American origin.
Jacob – Of Hebrew origin and means to replace.
Jorah – A name of Hebrew origin and means early rain.
Merry – English in origin and means happy.
Peeta – Means pita or bread and is of English origin.
Pip – English in origin and means one who loves horses. It is also the name of the main character in Great Expectations.
Poet – An occupational name of English origin and means one who writes verse.
Robin – German in origin and means bright.
Romeo – A name of Italian origin and means pilgrim who comes to Rome.
Uncool Short Names
Alan – A name of English origin and means little rock.
Burt – Diminutive form of the names in Burt or Bert and is of English origin.
Frank – English in origin and means free or from France. Diminutive form of Francis.
Gus – A diminutive form of the name Gustav, Angus, August, or Augustus. It is of English origin and means great.
Keith – Means offspring, young person and is of Scottish origin.
Ned – English in origin and means wealthy guardian. Ned is most often a diminutive of the name Edward or other names starting with Ed.
Roy – Scottish origin and means red. Roy is also a French surname meaning king.
Space Inspired Short Names
Alcor – A name of Arabic origin and means forgotten, this relates to a star of the same name.
Aries – Of Latin origin and means ram. This refers to the constellation of the same name and the zodiac sign.
Cyrus – Means sun and is of Persian origin.
Draco – Latin in origin and means dragon. It refers to the constellation of the same name.
Isio – A name of Nigerian origin and means star.
Izar – Of Spanish origin and means star.
Mars – A name of Latin origin and means male. The name refers to the planet of the same name.
Orion – This is the name of the most recognizable constellation in the world. It is of Greek origin and means mountain dweller.
Qamar – Means moon and is of Arabic origin.
Sol – Spanish in origin and means sun.
Unique Short Names
Beck – A name of English origin and means from the brook or stream.
Binx – Of Arabic origin and means gift of God.
Blaise – French in origin and means lisps, a speech impediment. It is a name that can be used for either gender.
Chance – Means fortune or luck and is of English origin.
Cord – A diminutive shortened form of the German name Conrad. Cord means bold counsel and is of German origin.
Creed – From the Latin word credo. A name of American origin and means doctrine, religious belief.
Edom – A great uncommon variant of Adam and means red.
Hale – English surname and means from the remote valley.
Hart – From an English surname for persons who owned harts or lived near families of harts. It means male deer or stag.
Hunt – An English occupational surname that means chase or hunter.
Idan – Of Hebrew origin and means era.
Jace – The name means nickname and is of American origin. Jace was originally a nickname for the name Jason.
Kemp – A name that means champion, athlete, or warrior.
Kin – Japanese in origin and means golden. The name also means members of the family in English.
Lars – Means person from Laurentum and is of Scandinavian origin.
Link – Of English origin and means a link. Link is also a diminutive form of Lincoln.
Lior – This Hebrew word means light for me.
Loic – Of French origin and means famed warrior.
Luigi – Italian in origin and means famous warrior.
Lynx – A species of wild cats and also a software technology that provides internet, phone, and medical devices to millions of people.
Mace – A medieval form of Matthew. Of English origin and means gift of God.
Malo – Of Hawaiian origin and means winner.
Nael – French in origin and means generous.
North – A name with a geographical direction meaning and of English origin.
Pons – A very rare name of French origin and is a short form of Pontius which means fifth.
Ray – Short form of Raymond and is of English origin meaning counsel protection.
Reko – A Finnish short form of Gregory and means watchful.
True – A short form of Trudy. A name of English origin and means real, genuine.
Zen – Japanese in origin and means type of Buddhism.
Names Inspired By Light
Haru – A name of Japanese origin and means sunlight.
Luca – Of Latin origin and means one who brings light.
Lucio – Means illumination and is of Portuguese origin.
Luke – Latin in origin and means giving light.
Lux – A name of Latin origin and means light.
Meir – Of Hebrew origin and means one who brings light.
Nuru – Swahili in origin and means light.
Rishi – Means ray of light and is of Indian origin.
Zohar – A name of Hebrew origin and means light.
Names From Greek Mythology
Aion – A name of Greek origin and means timeless. it refers to the Greek God of time.
Ajax – This name refers to a Greek warrior of strength and means from the Earth.
Ares – Refers to the God of War and is of Greek origin.
Atlas – Greek in origin and means enduring. The name relates to the Greek Titan who held the sky up.
Damon – Means to subdue and is of Greek origin. The name is synonymous with the willingness to sacrifice for a friend.
Eleos – A name of Greek origin and means mercy. A name that refers to the Greek god of compassion.
Eros – Means desire to love and is of Greek origin. The name refers to the Greek god of love.
Jason – Greek in origin and means one who heals. A name that refers to the fearless leader of the Argonauts.
Myles – A name of Greek origin and means destroyer. This name refers to an ancient king.
The Final Thought
That’s the end of our list. Hopefully, you have found a short boy’s name that really takes your fancy.
But even if you haven’t do not worry, I’m sure we have given you plenty of inspiration to continue your search for the perfect name for your little one.
