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Middle Names for Boys

Middle names for boys are traditionally family names – father's or grandfather's first name as an honorific, mother's maiden name, or perhaps a first name or surname from further back in the family tree, be it Charles or Lennox.

But increasingly, parents are looking to their son's middle name as a way to honor a hero, symbolize a passion, or indulge a taste for a more unusual name they may not want to put in first place.

Along with Charles and Lennox, other baby boy middle names common as first names in the US Top 1000 include Atlas, Cash, Fox, Henry, Maverick, Orion, River, and Sam. Middle names for baby boys that are more unique include Bravery, Drummer, Lior, and Yale.

More people are giving their baby boys two middle names, too, so one can be a family name and the other something more personal or fanciful. The names here are typically used as middle names for boys. For even more names that work in the middle, browse our master list of Middle Names.

Flynn

Meaning: descendant of the red-haired one

Origin:Irish
126
River A name as beautiful as River is another grea...
Origin:Nature name
114
Orion

Meaning: boundary, limit

Origin:Greek
119
Grant

Meaning: large

Origin:Scottish from French
203
Tate

Meaning: cheerful

Origin:English from Norse
219
Lennox

Meaning: elm grove

Origin:Scottish
271
Moss

Meaning: descendant of Moses

Origin:English
533
Art

Meaning: noble one; bear man

Origin:Diminutive of Arthur
538
Origin:Animal name
336
Wolf

Meaning: traveling wolf

Origin:Animal name or diminutive of Wolfgang, German
382
Xavier

Meaning: new house

Origin:Basque
75
Hale

Meaning: someone who lives in a hollow

Origin:English
433
Bridger

Meaning: lives near the bridge

Origin:English
1090
Thelonious The meaning of Thelonious is 'people' and it...
Origin:Latinized variation of German Tillman, “one who plows the earth”
502
Cole

Meaning: swarthy, coal black

Origin:English
148
Leif

Meaning: heir, descendant

Origin:Scandinavian
201
Bandit The meaning of Bandit is 'a burglar' or 'a r...
Origin:Word or occupational name
933
Trip The meaning of Trip is 'voyage' or 'travel'....
Origin:Word name
975
Bear

Meaning: bear

Origin:Animal name
1368
Ray

Meaning: wise protector

Origin:Diminutive of Raymond
215