First Baby: Strong, Solid Boy Names

Name Help is a series at Appellation Mountain. Every week, we discuss reader’s name questions, usually on Tuesdays and Fridays. We’re relying on thoughtful comments from the community to help expectant parents narrow down their name decisions. Thank you in advance for sharing your insight! To have your question considered, email appmtn (at) gmail. Looking for your own private #namehelp post? Order one here.

LOOKING FOR SOLID BOY NAMES

Kate writes:

Our first child will be here at the end of August. It’s a boy! Somehow neither of us had any really strong ideas about names at the beginning of this pregnancy, but now we’ve really got to think about it, and it turns out we can’t agree.

We both know that want something strong and solid. No crazy spellings, no dramatic words, nothing that is trendy or sounds like we named him after a quarterback or a reality show.

But names like William, Jeffrey, Charlie, Henry, Joe, or John aren’t really for us, either.

This is our list, a mix of his favorites and my favorites that one of us has not said no to:

• AUGUST
• BECKETT
• BLAKE
• BROOKS
• COLIN
• DAMIAN
• DEAN
• ELLIOT
• EVAN
• EVERETT
• JUDE
• KIERAN
• LANE
• ROWAN
• RYDER
• THEO
• WYATT
• ZEKE

Our last name starts with an M and ends with a -shall. We will probably use the middle name Kelley, for my dad.

Please read on for my response and leave your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.

NARROWING A LONG LIST

Abby replies:

Congratulations on your firstborn!

Here’s the thing: you’ve started in a really logical place. You’ve got a long list of names that one of you really likes, at the other at least tolerates.

And I think you’ve done some of the hard work of identifying qualities you prefer: nothing too classic or traditional, but also not too trendy or novel.

But let’s do a little more work talking about the most important qualities, because I think there might be a very logical way to narrow this list. Even if your right name isn’t on here, I think the process will help.

DOES SYLLABLE COUNT MATTER?

My first instinct was to focus on one- and three-syllable names. After all, Kelley and M plus -shall are both two-syllable names. It’s not a rule, but it can be appealing to vary syllable count. Jude Sullivan Kerry rather than Jude Kai Smith, for example. Both work, but the first has a little more flow.

Except I do think a lot of your two-syllable names offer enough distinct sounds that they’d work well with your middle and last names.

TRENDY VERSUS TRENDING

I wouldn’t call any name on your list trendy. Two things worth noting: first, we often perceive names as trendy simply because they were very popular. Think of Austin and Kyle from the mid-90s. Perfectly solid boy names – but a little bit time-stamped to their moment. Instead, it’s helpful to consider trending names. Those choices that rank in the US Top 100 right now, possibly for the first time ever, and will likely be associated with this generation – for better and for worse.

NICKNAME-PROOF

It feels like your definition of a “solid” name means mostly nickname-proof. You’ve opted for Theo, not Theodore, and none of your favorites are easily shortened. That’s a great place to start when choosing names – but since it describes your current list, it doesn’t necessarily help us narrow the possibilities now.

Instead of ranking all of your names, I’m going to choose a Top Five. I don’t know which picks are yours or your partner’s favorites, so hopefully I’ll end up taking some from each list. I’m using the criteria mentioned above.

THE BEST SOLID BOY NAMES

5. ROWAN

There’s no question that Rowan is trending. It was barely a blip before the year 2000 and now it’s on every grade school roster in the country. It’s also used for girls, though consistently more popular for boys. I think it’s very much a 21st century staple, a strong and bright sound. But it might read more tied-to-the-era than you like.

4. EVERETT

The same things I said about Rowan mostly apply to Everett. Both names rank in the current boys’ Top 100, though not the Top 50. I love the hint of an extra syllable in Everett. It’s easy to run together into ev-rhett, but it can be a little closer to ev-r-ett.

3. KIERAN

Quietly Irish, Kieran is one of those names that parents are warming to now, at least in the US. In Dublin or Belfast, Ciarán would be the more familiar spelling. Unlike Everett and Rowan, Kieran is pretty unusual in the US – it just entered the Top 400 last year. But it still feels like a strong choice for a son in 2026.

2. JUDE

While Jude is obviously a Biblical choice, it doesn’t wear the gray beards of Nehemiah or Ezekiel. It’s smooth and modern, bolstered by the Beatles’ enduring “Hey Jude.” It’s hovered in the US Top 200 since 2009, a steady choice that feels right for this moment, but isn’t trendy or even trending.

1. DEAN

Compared to James or Matthew, Dean doesn’t quite feel like a classic. But it’s got history to spare. In the US, it had a moment during the 1950s and 60s. Unlike many mid-century favorites, though, Dean made a quiet, early comeback, thanks to a mix of real figures and fictional characters by the name. Think Gilmore Girls and Supernatural, as well as the lingering cool of James Dean and the hint of scholarly wisdom from the name-as-job-title.

Overall, I love that Dean and Jude are brief, strong, vibrant choices. They’re not exactly timeless, but they’re not super time-stamped to this exact moment, either. I think both might be great compromises.

The question now, is whether either of those names appeals equally to you both.

Readers, over to you! What would you list as solid boy names for their firstborn?