Nickname help!
We want to name our baby Penelope but we can’t decide on a nickname? Help!
It takes two, baby! Two-syllable baby boy names to be exact. We’ve got a list of 101 of our favorites. You might just find your favorite here, too.
Looking for a name that’s not two long and not two short 😉?
Two-syllable baby names are a great in-betweener.
A little softer on the ear than a one-syllable name but without the formality that can come with one too many syllables.
Let’s take you through how it works.
In this article: 📝
- What is a 2-syllable name?
- Popular 2-syllable boy names
- Short and sweet 2-syllable names
- 2-syllable nature names
- Badass 2-syllable boy’s names
- Our best-loved 2-syllable names
What is a 2-syllable name?
A syllable is defined as a part of a word that contains a single vowel sound and is pronounced as a unit.
It’s often easiest to identify syllables by clapping the word out.
A name like Abe has one syllable, Aaron has two syllables (Aa-ron), and Adrian (A-dri-an) has three.
When in doubt, clap it out!
Popular 2-syllable boy names
Taken from the Top Ten names in the US for 2021, here are the trendiest two-syllable names.
- Liam: Short for William, but strong enough to stand on its own, it means “protector.”
- Noah: The most popular baby name at the moment, Noah is a lovely biblical name meaning “to comfort.”
- Lucas: This name has both Latin and Greek origins and means “bringer of light.”
- Henry: A German name meaning “ruler of the household.” A royal name for a little prince.
Short and sweet 2-syllable names
- Adam: A Hebrew name meaning “red earth.”
- Alex: Short for Alexander, this Greek name means “helper and defender of mankind.”
- Ali: This enchanting Arabic name means “exalted.”
- Amir: A lovely Arabic name meaning “prince.”
- Eli: At only three letters, this mighty little name means “uplifted.”
- Ezra: A popular name at the moment, Ezra means “helper” and has Hebrew origins.
- Ian: A Scottish name that means “God is gracious.”
- Leo: Perfect for your little lion boy.
- Levi: Classic and cool, just like the jeans. This name has Hebrew roots and means “joined.”
- Luca: This Greek name means “one from Lucania.”
- Milo: A gentle name with a hidden strength, meaning ”soldier.”
- Owen: This Welsh name means “young warrior.”
- Remy: This sweet French name means “oarsman.”
- Tayo: This brilliant Yoruba name means “worth joy.”
- Theo: Short for Theodore (#10 of the most popular boy’s names for 2021), this name means “divine gift.”
- Timo: A Norwegian form of Timothy.
- Zion: Hebrew. “A sign, excellent.”
2-syllable nature names
Nature names are very popular at the moment, so here are our top picks for two-syllable boy names that honor the world around us.
- Asher: Very popular at the moment, it means “ash tree dweller” in Old English and “happiness” in Hebrew.
- Brady: This Irish name means “broad meadow.”
- Corbin: This English and French surname is fairly rare as a first name and means “crow.”
- Dylan: Meaning “son of the seam” this Welsh name is one of our favorites.
- Forest: An English word name that suggests strength and integrity like the trees it’s named for.
- Gavin: A Celtic name that means “white hawk.”
- Hayden: An English name meaning “fire.”
- Kellen: This unique two-syllable boy name is German and Irish in origin and means “swamp” and “slender.”
- Landon: A great English name with a refined feel that means “long hill.”
- Lennox: This edgy Scottish name means “elm grove.”
- Logan: Another Scottish name meaning “small hollow.”
- River: A great English name suggesting a gentle peaceful nature but with the potential for great strength.
- Silas: A Latin name meaning “forest.”
- Wesley: This charming English name means “western meadow.”
- Wilder: A gorgeous name means “untamed,” just as it suggests, and is perfect to describe a free-spirited child who loves the outdoors.
Badass 2-syllable boy’s names
We hear you asking, “ok we’ve seen the gentle nature names, but what is a badass name for a boy?”
Well, here are 11 stunners.
You’ll recognize a lot of celebrity names on this list.
They definitely have star power.
- Axel: This Scandinavian name is possibly the most rock-n-roll name ever, and at the same time, it means “father of peace.” Such a great combination!
- Hendrix: Meaning “son of Hendrik,” this name also has iconic status in the music world. Perfect for a musical family.
- Jackson/Jaxon: Hebrew. “Son of Jack.”
- Jagger: This is an English occupational name for a “carter.”
- Ledger: A word name that refers to a book for record keeping. And of course, made famous by the incredible actor Heath Ledger.
- Maddox: This brilliant Welsh name means “fortunate.”
- **Mason: With both French and German roots, this name means “stoneworker.”
- Paxton: Of Latin and English origin, this name means “peace town.”
- Phoenix: The ever-rising mythical bird makes a super cool two-syllable boy name.
- Viggo: A Scandinavian name meaning “war.”
- Xander: Names beginning with X are always interesting. This strong Greek name means defender.
Our best-loved 2-syllable names
And we’re not done yet.
Here are some of our other favorite two-syllable boy names.
Some vintage, some new, but all picked especially for you.
- Aaron: This traditional Hebrew name means “enlightened.”
- Aiden: A Gaelic name meaning “little fire.”
- Andrew: A classic Greek name meaning “strong,” “manly” and “courageous.”
- Austin: Both a place and a name meaning “magnificent.”
- Bennet: A gorgeous Latin name meaning “little blessed one.”
- Bentley: English. “From the moor.”
- Bryson: An English name for “son of Bryce.”
- Caleb: This solid name with biblical origins means “devotion.”
- Carter: Irish, “transporter of goods.”
- Christian: Latin, meaning “follower of Christ.”
- Charley: This short version of Charles means “free man.”
- Colton: An interesting English word name for a town of colt breeding.
- Connor: With Irish and Scottish origins, this name is believed to mean “lover of hounds” and “wise.”
- Cooper: Latin, “barrel maker.”
- David: Hebrew, “beloved.”
- Declan: The English version of an Irish name, thought to mean “man of prayer” or “full of goodness.”
- Easton: This Scottish name means simply “east.”
- Emmett: With English and Hebrew roots, this name means “universal” and “truth.”
- Ethan: A popular Hebrew boy’s name that means “long lived.”
- Eric: Scandinavian, “ever powerful.”
- Ever: This is a unique and simple English word name.
- Felix: Hebrew, “happy.”
- Fintan: Irish, “white fire or white bull.”
- Grayson: A traditional English surname, it means “son of a gray-haired man.” Married to a silver fox 😉?
- Griffin: Welsh, “strong lord.”
- Hugo: A form of Hugh meaning “mind, intellect.”
- Isaac: This joyful Hebrew name means “he will laugh.”
- Jacob: Another great name for people of faith, Jacob is Hebrew and means “supplanter.”
- Jason: A Greek name meaning “to heal.”
- Jasper: A Persian name meaning “bringer of treasure.”
- Joseph: Hebrew. “God shall add.”
- Jayden: This modern name is fresh and cool.
- Kingston: An English name means “king’s town.”
- Leon: This form of the Latin Leonard means “like a lion.”
- Lincoln: Latin, “lithe.”
- Linus: This uber-chic Greek name means “flax.”
- Mathew: Hebrew. “Gift of God.”
- Magnus: A powerful Scandinavian name meaning “greatest.”
- Memphis: A historical place name dating back to Ancient Egypt.
- Micah: A version of Michael.
- Michael: Hebrew, “who is like God.”
- Nathan: Hebrew, “He gave.”
- Nolan: This Irish name means “noble” or “famous.”
- Omar: This commanding Arabic name means “flourishing.”
- Oscar: An Irish name meaning “God spear” or “champion warrior.”
- Parker: A medieval English name for a game keeper.
- Renzo: This a slick shortened form of the Italian name Lorenzo.
- Roman: This strong Latin name is thought to mean “famous man.”
- Roscoe: A Norse name meaning “deer forest.”
- Rowan: Irish, “red.”
- Ryan: Traditionally an Irish surname, Ryan means “little king.”
- Ryder: This modern name is the fav of many celebrities for their children.
- Ryker: A German name meaning “rich.”
- Stellan: While the precise meaning is unknown, this Swedish name may mean “calm.”
- Thomas: Hebrew, “twin.”
- Waylon: English, “wayside land.”
- Wyatt: With old European origins, this name is most often associated with the Wild West and means “strong in war.”
There you have it.
Two cute.
Two charming.
Two special.
Two-syllable names for the win. 👏