Parents-to-be seeking a middle name for a boy won't have to look very far.
Traditionally, middle names for boys used to be reserved for family names, but modern parents are trying new ideas. Both trendy and traditional middle names rank high for parents-to-be.
Parents seeking a classic middle name may opt for John or James, while moms and dads looking for a contemporary option may consider a middle name like Fox or Wilder.
If your son's first name is already settled, it's time to start deciding the perfect middle name to complement your baby boy's first and last names.
Pamela Redmond, baby name consultant and founder of Nameberry, tells TODAY.com that a boy’s middle name may also be the name of one — or both — of his grandfathers.
"Mom’s surname is also a contemporary choice as a middle name for boys," Redmond says, adding that word names, nature names and place names have also become more popular as middle names.
"The middle name might be a spot where you can get more adventurous than you do with the first name," Redmond says. "This is true especially for boys, who are still more likely to get one of the more traditional or popular boys’ names as a first name and so parents may feel like they can go a little wilder in second place."
Redmond says that some parents might use the middle spot to honor someone they admire .
"King, as in Dr. Martin Luther, or Lennon, for Beatle John, are two popular choices," she says.
Popular Middle Names For Boys
Of course, middle names can still work as connective tissue between the first and the last names, which is why many favor short, one-syllable names.
Redmond says many parents are interested in how to create a “pleasing” flow with a middle name and finding one that fits in terms of the rhythm of the name as a whole.
Traditional choices like James, John and Lee are still used as middle names, but there are also new one-syllable favorites such as Blue, Rue and Ren.
Redmond tells TODAY.com that another trend, especially with the spotlight on royal babies, is two middle names.
"For boys, these might be two honor names as in their two grandfathers, or they might be one honor name plus one that’s much more adventurous," she said. "As parents have fewer children, this is a way to wedge in more names you love."
For parents wanting to create a “rhythm” for their son’s name, a good rule of thumb is an unequal number of syllables in each name.
“So if you have a two-syllable last name, you might go with a three-syllable first and one-syllable middle or vice versa,” Redmond explains. “The same number of syllables for each name is generally not recommended, though other considerations like family or meaning might be more important.”
Top 5 Middle Names For Boys
- James
- Alexander
- Henry
- Michael
- William
For parents looking for more contemporary middle names for boys, the top spots include Arthur, Theodore, Fox, Frederick and Wilder.
For parents seeking one syllable middle names for their son, the top five names are Kai, Finn, Jude, James and Rhys.
100 Middle Names For Boys
The top 100 middle names for boys include family names, honor names, one-syllable names and classic boy middle names.
- Kai
- Finn
- Jude
- Oscar
- Atlas
- James
- Henry
- Nico
- River
- Orion
- Rhys
- Thomas
- Alexander
- Louis
- Bodhi
- Jack
- Max
- Knox
- Xavier
- Danger
- Flynn
- Maverick
- Zephyr
- Seth
- Ash
- Wilder
- George
- William
- Hayes
- Lennox
- Cole
- Bear
- Tate
- Hunter
- Apollo
- Sage
- Ralph
- Anthony
- Nash
- Brooks
- Francis
- Onyx
- Wolf
- Fox
- Lawrence
- Ray
- Winston
- Leif
- Cash
- Grant
- John
- Edward
- Charles
- Mac
- Blaise
- Amadeus
- Crew
- Grey
- Easton
- Gray
- Sirius
- Reed
- Forest
- Hendrix
- Arden
- David
- Joseph
- Jay
- Bowie
- Christian
- Valentine
- Lennon
- Clay
- Paul
- Rye
- Kit
- Lane
- Cedar
- Ocean
- Ben
- Mark
- Raven
- Colt
- Sky
- Robert
- Aries
- Drew
- Sam
- Gage
- Nova
- Zen
- Beck
- Dash
- Huck
- Van
- Stone
- Jericho
- Cruz
- Art
- Ever
