One of the first decisions you have to make as a parent is also one of the toughest: choosing a baby name. You want to find the perfect name, stay true to yourselves as parents, take family preferences into account and avoid baby-name regret, all without meeting the new baby and getting to know his personality first. It's a lot of up-front responsibility.
For middle names, though, the pressure just isn't there. No parent ever really complains that their baby's middle name is too popular. That gives you more leeway in the names you consider. You can look at the current trends for baby boy names and choose one without fear that your child is going to be one of dozens in his class with the same moniker. Or you could ignore them altogether, and go for a more out-there name — like the current crop of celebrity baby names. These middle names for boys are all currently on-trend. Use them as inspiration, and ensure that your son will have a strong middle to go with their first. (And if you're looking for middle names for girls or gender-neutral names, we have those, too.)
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Find an old-fashioned name
PeopleImagesGetty Images
If you don't want to use the baby's first name to honor a grandfather or great-grandfather, the middle name is a perfect spot. Bonus: Old-fashioned names is also one of the top baby boy name trends, and has been for a few years now. Need proof? Just look to Megan Markle and Prince Harry — Archie had a huge bump in popularity even before it was chosen as a royal baby name.
Ace
August
Calvin
Clyde
Gus
Hank
Hugh
Jude
Louis
Otis
Otto
Theo
Walter
Go cute.
Catherine DelahayeGetty Images
Some of those old-fashioned names, including Archie, are traditionally nicknames — and that's another huge baby-naming trend for boys. The more adorable, the better in fact. The baby-naming website Nameberry sees an increase in interest for these playful boy names.
Bear
Buddy
Lucky
Ozzy
Rocky
Sonny
Teddy
Ziggy
Or go with a last name.
Tetra ImagesGetty Images
Using a traditional last name as a first or middle name is another naming trend — in the end, it's getting harder to tell the difference between the two. Using a family last name as your baby's middle name is another good way of honoring your family tree. Or, if you want to borrow from someone else's family, here's some last-name-as-middle-name inspiration:
Beckham
Cooper
Ellis
Emerson
Fletcher
Flynn
Harrison
Hendrix
Houston
Hudson
Lennon
Monroe
Nixon
Parker
Warren
Watson
Wison
Choose an up-and-coming name.
Elena Litsova PhotographyGetty Images
You may be afraid to pick a trendy name as a first name, for fear that it'll become too popular, but a middle name gives you a chance to choose a name that's of-the-moment. The Social Security Administration (SSA) has identified names that are increasing in popularity, and there are some creative options on the list.
Ander
Aziel
Dior
Jakobe
Jaxtyn
Karsyn
Kenji
Kobe
Kylo
Ocean
Truett
Zyair
Plus, there's our all-time favorite up-and-coming name, Keanu, which jumped 120 places in rank this year.
Pick one of the most popular baby boy names.
RichLeggGetty Images
If you want to go with a good, established name, these boy names are currently the reigning champs, according to the SSA:
Liam
Noah
Oliver
Elijah
William
James
Benjamin
Lucas
Henry
Alexander
Mason
Michael
Ethan
Daniel
Jacob
Logan
Jackson
Levi
Sebastian
Mateo
Jack
Owen
Theodore
Aiden
Samuel
Joseph
John
David
Wyatt
Matthew
Luke
Asher
Carter
Julian
Grayson
Leo
Jayden
Gabriel
Isaac
Lincoln
Anthony
Hudson
Dylan
Ezra
Thomas
Charles
Christopher
Jaxon
Maverick
Josiah
Marisa LaScalaSenior Parenting & Relationships EditorSenior Parenting & Relationships Editor Marisa LaScala covers all things parenting, from the postpartum period through empty nests, for Good Housekeeping; she previously wrote about motherhood for Parents and Working Mother.
This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io
