Top 1,000 Baby Boy Names

Choosing a name for your baby is a huge responsibility but it can also be a lot of fun. There are so many different ways to approach the choices and decisions to be made that finding a bit of advice or tradition can be beneficial for most families. Here are some things to consider as you name your baby boy.

top baby names for boys — Illustration by Emily Roberts, Verywell

How Many Names Will He Have?

The traditional number of names in the United States is three names: a first name, a middle name, and your family or last name. Some families even have a tradition of giving two middle names. You might ask around and see how the number of names in your family varies.

Whether you choose one name, two names, or more, also consider what the initials will spell out.

Whose Name Will He Share?

Naming a baby for a family member is a tradition that a lot of families share, but there are multiple ways to go about it. Some families use a junior or senior style sharing of names, where the son (usually the first child) has the exact same name as the father but also has "junior" in his name. If this extends beyond the original father and son, you typically use Roman numerals to depict this designation, for example, II, III, IV, V, etc.

There may also be name sharing that is less traditional. One example would be using the same first names but different middle names and calling the son by their middle name to help differentiate between the two. Another example would be to use different names, but ones that have similar meanings or sounds.

Outside of family, also consider figures in society who will share your son's name. Are they popular, unpopular, inspirational? Think about if you want your son to share his name with them.

Considering Gender

Up until about the late 1990s, baby names were specifically girl names or boy names, with few exceptions. The trend to have names that are gender neutral has drastically changed the landscape for baby names. Gone are the days when you could look at a list of names and with one hundred percent certainty know that the names represented either a boy or a girl.

This is something to keep in mind when choosing a name for your baby boy. Does the name you are choosing have a history of being male only? Is the name you're considering a name that is more gender fluid? Do you have a problem with that? Boys named Sue face obvious issues, but boys named Taylor or Keegan or Jayden may occasionally be mistaken for girls. This is something that is not a huge deal for most people, but important to consider if it matters to you.

The Social Security Administration

The Social Security Administration (SSA) releases birth certificate data around Mother's Day. It compiles the most popular baby names from the previous year and provides you with the most popular numbers. In addition, you can search their database for over one hundred years worth of data, from 1879 forward.

This year's list of the most popular baby boy names includes a swap in the top two leading boy names. In 2016, Noah was number one, but in 2017 Liam overtook the popular biblical name to nab the number one spot. Mason also dropped in popularity, going from number four to number seven in the top 10 list, overtaken by the name "James." The name "Oliver" is a newcomer to this year's top 10 list, ranking in at a number 9 spot, a jump from number 12 in 2016. Here is a full list of the top 1,000 baby boy names of 2017.

How to Choose a First, Middle, and Last Name for Your Baby