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150 Popular Middle Names for Boys

The first name takes care — but the middle name is where you really get to have fun.

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First names take time, thoughtfulness and consideration to choose. But for middle names? The sky's the limit. Since people can choose how much they want their middle name to be visible to the public, parents get a lot more leeway when choosing one.

Still, it helps to know the baby-name trends before locking in on a choice. Some parents want to avoid the most popular names at all costs, hoping for something more unique. Others like to know they're right with the times. The Social Security Administration keeps track of the most popular boys' names going back to 1900. These are names that are chosen as first names, but they help show which baby name trends are ruling over the decade. With that data in mind, these are some top middle names for boys, or at least some trends to keep in mind.

Honor a last name

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Parents who want to honor a family member — or a whole clan of family members — can look to surnames for inspiration. It'll feel right on trend, since surnames-as-first-names have been a fad for a while now, like with these boys' names:

  1. Brooks
  2. Carter
  3. Cooper
  4. Emerson
  5. Fletcher
  6. Flynn
  7. Harrison
  8. Houston
  9. Jackson
  10. Keegan
  11. Lennon
  12. Monroe
  13. Nixon
  14. Parker
  15. Watson

    Go ultra-trendy

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    The No. 1 source of baby-name regret is picking a name that's too common. But for folks who like a name that's popular or getting trendy, a middle name might be the perfect place for an ultra-contemporary moniker. The SSA has identified names that are increasing in popularity:

    1. Truce
    2. Colsen
    3. Bryer
    4. Halo
    5. Azaiah
    6. Noa
    7. Azai
    8. Eliam
    9. Kolter
    10. Eliel
    11. Zymir
    12. Rocky
    13. Evren
    14. Kace
    15. Kyaire
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    Pay homage to pop culture

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    It's no secret that pop culture drives popularity of baby names. But for those who might be shy about naming a child after a favorite IP or celebrity, a middle name might be a safer spot to show off their fandom. Here are some pop-culture inspired names that are somewhere on the SSA's Top 1,000 — including some names inspired by musicians, TV shows, actors and nostalgic movie blockbusters, like Top Gun, Point Break, Star Wars, Rocky and The Matrix:

    1. Maverick (No. 36)
    2. Bodhi (No. 302)
    3. Kylo (No. 373)
    4. Kobe (No. 409)
    5. Cillian (No. 463)
    6. Anakin (No. 592)
    7. Ozzy (No. 602)
    8. Cassian (No. 616)
    9. Keanu (No. 632)
    10. Creed (No. 612)
    11. Dutton (No. 736)
    12. Lennon (No. 784)
    13. Kaisen (No. 899)
    14. Neo (No. 969)
    15. Osiris (No. 976)

      Choose a favorite word

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      "Dictionary names," or names that are just regular words, are a huge trend for 2025. Many times these are adjectives, but not always — remember that actress Rachel Griffiths named her son Banjo, and actress actress Shannyn Sossamon named her son Audio. Those may be outliers, but these are trending, all falling somewhere on the SSA list:

      1. Chosen
      2. Legend
      3. Loyal
      4. Ocean
      5. River
      6. Rowdy
      7. Royal
      8. True
      9. Saint
      10. Seven
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      Find an old-fashioned name

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      Grandfathers, great-grandfathers, uncles and great uncles are a wealth of baby-name inspiration. Vintage and retro names are popular as first names, but if they feel too out-of-step with the times, the middle is the perfect spot. Try one of these timeless classics on for size:

      1. August
      2. Bernard
      3. Calvin
      4. Clyde
      5. Felix
      6. Hank
      7. Hugh
      8. Louis
      9. Murray
      10. Otis
      11. Otto
      12. Randall
      13. Sigmund
      14. Virgil
      15. Walter

        Look for unisex names

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        Gender-neutral names are on the rise, and the number of names being used for all genders is growing. And, with names like these, we can see why.

        1. Avery
        2. Blake
        3. Brooklyn
        4. Casey
        5. Drew
        6. Emery
        7. Hayden
        8. Hollis
        9. Jamie
        10. Jett
        11. Jordan
        12. Palmer
        13. Quinn
        14. Reese
        15. Rory
        16. Ryan
        17. Salem
        18. Skylar
        19. Tatum
        20. Taylor
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          Punctuate with a short, powerful or cute name

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          Nicknames, sweet names and animal names are also on the rise. If you want to use a middle name as a place for a little levity, try one of these playful names.

          1. Ace
          2. Bear
          3. Buddy
          4. Fox
          5. Lion
          6. Lucky
          7. Ozzy
          8. Sage
          9. Scout
          10. Skipper
          11. Sonny
          12. Teddy
          13. Tiger
          14. Wolf
          15. Ziggy

            Look to the atmosphere

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            Another huge trend for this year is names that are modern and atmospheric — a subset of the all-popular nature names. If you want your baby boy's middle name to keep you on Cloud 9, try one of these airy names:

            1. Aero
            2. Aire
            3. Anil
            4. Azure
            5. Itzel
            6. Lightning
            7. Orion
            8. Sky
            9. Skylar
            10. Snow
            11. Sol
            12. Storm
            13. Sunny
            14. Surya
            15. Zephyr
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            Know the most popular baby boy names

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            Whether they're to be used or avoided, these boy names are currently the most popular names in the United States, according to the SSA:

            1. Liam
            2. Noah
            3. Oliver
            4. Theodore
            5. James
            6. Henry
            7. Mateo
            8. Elijah
            9. Lucas
            10. William
            11. Benjamin
            12. Levi
            13. Ezra
            14. Sebastian
            15. Jack
            16. Daniel
            17. Samuel
            18. Michael
            19. Ethan
            20. Asher
            21. John
            22. Hudson
            23. Luca
            24. Leo
            25. Elias
            26. Owen
            27. Alexander
            28. Dylan
            29. Santiago
            30. Julian
            Headshot of Marisa LaScala
            Marisa LaScala
            Senior Parenting & Relationships Editor

            Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; previously, she wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her toy-collecting husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found helping out her team at bar trivia or posting about movies on Twitter and Bluesky. 

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