Presenting the Top Boy Names 2023 on Appellation Mountain!
Inserting my annual caveat here: the “on Appellation Mountain” part really matters. This list consists of the most viewed Name of the Day posts on this quirky little sit.
That means it won’t look like any other Most Popular list anywhere else … and it definitely doesn’t indicate what babies are being named in the real world, either.
But it does hint at names that attract attention, often from expecting and future parents. In many cases, that does translate into a measurable rise in popularity – eventually. Because you, dear AM readers, are consistently ahead of the curve.
And as I often say: parents can’t choose a name for their child unless they hear it somewhere. Sometimes? That means hearing it here first.
TOP BOY NAMES 2023: THE TOP TEN
If you’re curious how these compare to last year’s Top Ten, know that there’s plenty of overlap … but also some change. James stays #1; Kai advances from #3 to #2; Otto falls to fourth; and Huxley advances into the Top Three. Here’s the full rundown, along with the names’ rank in the current US Top 1000 noted.
10. RHODES (#922 in the US)
Rhodes signals achievement, whether it’s the scholars or the colossus of the ancient world. A common surname – it simply means “cleared land” – Rhodes fits right in with Wells and Miles and Brooks. It’s also familiar thanks to Marvel’s War Machine, friend to Iron Man, and, in civilian life, James “Rhodey” Rhodes.
9. ARTHUR (#140 in the US)
Names cycle in and out of favor. No question that Arthur has slowly been working its way from so-far-out to the-next-Henry for a while now. It benefits from our love of R-ending names – see Archer – as well as the inevitable march of time that brings classics back into favor.
8. CASPIAN (#723 in the US)
A place name turned literary royal, thanks to CS Lewis, Caspian fits right in with Julian, Adrian, and Sebastian. While it’s quickly transformed from out-there possibility to near-mainstream favorite, it’s still pleasingly distinctive. Nickname Cas/Cass seems particularly appealing, too.
7. KOA (#351 in the US)
Kai’s younger brother, another Hawaiian choice, with a heavy nod to former #1 name Noah, too. Koa benefits from a double meaning. It’s a nature name, like Kai. Koa refers to a tree native to the Hawaiian islands. But it’s also a word meaning fearless, or warrior. That’s quite a lot of significance to pack into just three letters.
6. ARCHER (#126 in the US)
Since entering the US Top 1000 in 2009, Archer has marched straight up the rankings. But lately it’s really on fire. One possible reason? Archie is the new Charlie, but Archibald? Not nearly as appealing a formal name as Charles. Archer solves that problem with elegance.
5. RAPHAEL (#483 in the US)
Could Raphael be the new Theodore? It’s got history galore, including plenty of notable bearers. Short form Rafe is all kinds of fabulous. And it looks a little like more recent favorites, including Gabriel and even Michael. Worth noting: Rafael is a Top 250 name, meaning that Raphael/Rafael could be set to repeat the Sophia/Sofia phenomenon of the early 2000s.
4. OTTO (#309 in the US)
A vintage O-ending name set to follow favorites like Leo and Arlo into wider use, Otto is the kind of name that feels slightly different, but instantly familiar. Other Otto names, like Otis and Odette, have also gotten plenty of attention in recent years, but it’s Otto that leads the pack.
3. HUXLEY (#609 in the US)
A long-time Appellation Mountain Pinterest favorite, Huxley has all the makings of a hit. Surname style, that edgy middle X, vaguely unisex appeal, nickname Hux or Huck. And yet, it’s actually falling in use in the US rankings. Still, above the Top 100 names or so, what looks like a big fall in rank isn’t always so dramatic in terms of actual births. (At peak use, American parents welcomed 524 boys named Huxley in 2020; that number dropped to 457 births in 2022.) So it’s easy to imagine that Huxley’s best days might still lie ahead.
2. KAI (#59 in the US)
A fast-rising favorite equally popular here. It’s a little bit of everything: effortlessly international; a successor to Kyle and Ryan; a brief, but complete pick in the key of Jack. No wonder Kai appeals to such a wide range of parents.
1. JAMES (#4 in the US)
The only nationwide Top Ten name to also be wildly popular on the site. Other classic names, like William and Henry, fail to make the top boy names 2023 round-up. Then again, Theodore does, as well as traditional choices like Arthur and Philip. So maybe this just truly reflects James’ enduring popularity.
TOP BOY NAMES on APPELLATION MOUNTAIN: THE FULL LIST
- JAMES
- KAI
- HUXLEY
- OTTO
- RAPHAEL
- ARCHER
- KOA
- CASPIAN
- ARTHUR
- RHODES
- CALLUM
- EVREN
- SULLIVAN
- ST. JOHN
- CASSIAN
- COSMO
- BLAISE
- WESLEY
- ZEV
- HAL
- EVANDER
- PHOENIX
- TORIN
- FELIX
- RIVER
- JONES
- GAGE
- COVE
- RAFE
- ASA
- THATCHER
- EVER
- BOWIE
- PEREGRINE
- THEODORE
- REID
- JULES
- ATLAS
- RIO
- IGNATIUS
- ROWAN
- ARLO
- PHILIP
- CREW
Why stop at 44? According to page views, Crew is the last name to make my most-viewed posts lists. I was tempted to dig to reach an even 45 or even 50, but … the 44th most popular boys’ name is already pretty far down on the list, so I decided to stop there.
Some of these names – like St. John and Cove – perform so well at Appellation Mountain not because parents are actively considering them, necessarily. But because they pique curiosity and this site is one of the few to go into detail on such rarities. Others, though – Cosmo, Evander, Jones – are names currently rising or poised to gain in use significantly in the coming years.
Have you been searching any of these names? Do you have a favorite from the Top Boy Names 2023?
