Reviving Boy Names

Names with a clear peak long ago and a clear climb now — the shape that proves the hundred-year rule rather than merely illustrating it.

Rankings for

250 names, most popular first in the United States

Very Rare Rare Uncommon

Girls Boys Unisex

Henry Henry is a boy's name of Germanic origin meaning "home ruler," from heim, meaning home or estate, and ric, meaning ruler or power.
Germanic #5 in US
Arthur Arthur is a boy's name of disputed origin.
Celtic #87 in US
Dean Dean is a boy's name with two English origins.
English #125 in US
Calvin Calvin is a boy's name of French origin meaning "little bald one," from the Latin calvus, bald.
French #133 in US
Leon Leon is a boy's name of Greek origin meaning "lion."
Greek #138 in US
Warren Warren is a boy's name from a Norman place name, and it is the second-strongest revival on record — it peaked in 1921 and now ranks 240th in the United States on 1,493 births, a century later.
Norman #240 in US
Walter Walter is a boy's name from Germanic elements meaning ruler of the army.
Germanic #251 in US
Harvey Harvey is a boy's name of Breton origin meaning "battle worthy."
Breton #253 in US
Wade Wade means a river crossing, and there is a second Wade entirely — a Germanic sea giant from Old English legend whose story Chaucer refers to as though everyone knew it, and which is now lost.
English #344 in US
Russell Russell is a boy's name from a Norman nickname meaning little red, given to someone red-haired or ruddy.
Norman #346 in US
Franklin Franklin means a freeholder — a man who owned his land but held no noble rank, a specific medieval class.
English #359 in US
Forrest Forrest is one of only two names in this group birth records mark as rising, and it is on its second life — American births ran 490 in 2018 and 862 in 2025, having collapsed from a 1994 peak twenty years before.
English #374 in US
Conrad Conrad set its American peak in the most recent year on record, 2025, on 770 births — a name birth records carry from 1880 reaching its high point a hundred and forty-five years later.
German #419 in US
Lewis Lewis is a boy's name of Germanic origin meaning "famous warrior," the English form of Louis.
English #433 in US
Frederick Frederick is a boy's name of Germanic origin meaning "peaceful ruler."
Germanic #436 in US
Mack Mack means son of, and on its own it is only half a name — the Gaelic mac is a prefix, so using it alone is like naming a child Junior with nothing in front of it.
Scottish #463 in US
Augustine Augustine means venerable, and it began as a title rather than a name — the Senate voted Octavian the style Augustus in 27 BC, and everything since descends from that vote.
Latin #547 in US
Rocky Rocky is a boy's name that began as a nickname for Rocco and similar names, or for a tough person.
American, Italian #568 in US
Louie Louie is a boy's name of Germanic origin meaning "famous warrior."
Germanic #596 in US
Harlan Peaked in 1924 · 28,478 births since 1880
#617 in US
Leonard Leonard is a boy's name of Germanic origin meaning "lion-strong," and its saint is the patron of prisoners and of women in labor.
Germanic #637 in US
Otis Otis is a boy's name of Germanic origin meaning "wealth" or "fortune."
Germanic #655 in US
Marcel Marcel is a boy's name of Latin origin meaning "little warrior," a diminutive of Marcus and so ultimately from Mars.
French #730 in US
Amos Peaked in 1922 · 38,799 births since 1880
Hebrew #731 in US
Hugh Hugh is a boy's name from a Germanic word for mind or spirit, brought to Britain by the Normans.
Germanic #732 in US
Clyde Clyde took nothing from Bonnie and Clyde.
Scottish #742 in US
Forest Peaked in 2022 · 19,306 births since 1880
#751 in US
Benny Benny means son of the right hand, and Jacob overruled the name at the deathbed — Rachel called the child son of my sorrow as she died, and his father renamed him on the spot.
Hebrew #842 in US
Leroy Leroy is a boy's name that is simply the French for the king, taken as one word.
French #884 in US
Lucien Lucien is a boy's name of Latin origin meaning "light," the French form of Lucian.
French #897 in US
Wallace Wallace means foreigner, and the irony is complete — it is the Anglo-Saxon word for the Britons who were there first, so Scotland's national hero carries a name meaning outsider in his own country.
Scottish #961 in US
Maurice Maurice is a boy's name from a Latin word meaning a Moor, originally describing someone from Roman North Africa. It is reviving, and it peaked in 1920 — a century-long gap of the same kind we see in Walter and Frances.
Latin #1,019 in US
Lyle Lyle is a boy's name from the Norman French for "the island," and the l at the front is the definite article rather than part of the word.
Scottish #1,047 in US
Gordon Gordon is a Scottish surname turned given name, from a place in Berwickshire whose meaning is not settled — spacious fort is the usual gloss but it is a guess.
Scottish #1,052 in US
Edmund Edmund was England's patron saint before George — Edmund the Martyr, king of East Anglia, was killed by a Viking army in 869 and held that position for some three hundred years before a crusader saint displaced him.
English #1,083 in US
Booker Peaked in 1916 · 12,288 births since 1882
#1,160 in US
Oren Peaked in 2025 · 11,107 births since 1880
Hebrew #1,185 in US
Emil Peaked in 1917 · 36,469 births since 1880
Latin #1,271 in US
Percy Peaked in 1921 · 34,683 births since 1880
#1,276 in US
Harris Harris is a boy's name of English origin meaning "son of Harry," a surname turned first name that has climbed to ninth in Scotland.
English #1,297 in US
Hans Peaked in 1970 · 18,726 births since 1880
#1,324 in US
Gus Peaked in 1921 · 21,350 births since 1880
#1,329 in US
Noble Peaked in 2019 · 10,341 births since 1880
#1,338 in US
Warner Peaked in 1921 · 8,769 births since 1880
#1,365 in US
Amar Peaked in 1967 · 14,557 births since 1927
Dutch #1,390 in US
Leander Peaked in 2025 · 7,372 births since 1880
Dutch #1,460 in US
Joao Peaked in 1972 · 7,498 births since 1930
#1,475 in US
Monty Peaked in 1961 · 18,845 births since 1900
#1,545 in US

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