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Baby Boy Names With Edge, Swagger, & Style to Spare

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Are you about to birth a baby boy? Congratulations! He’s probably one of those little dudes about whom you just know: This kid is going to be hella cool. You’re lucky enough to have a super-chill kid who seems to already rock some serious style right out of the gate (er, womb). So you best give him a name that befits his burgeoning badassery, right? Whether you prefer more unique baby boy names or something a little more elegant, these swag-tastic names ahead are fit for a kid who enters the world with confidence and never looks back.

“Parents in the 21st century are being more creative with baby boy names,” says Babynames.com founder Jennifer Moss. “Instead of using the stock Biblical names like Michael, John, and David, they’re going for characteristic names — names of gods, titles, and dictionary names that instill strength, like Axel. An axle literally holds the wheels on a car — it has to be strong.”

Another boy name trend that’s holding strong, according to Moss: surnames like Addison, Parker, and Beckett as first names. “It’s a way to use a name that’s familiar but doesn’t yet have many associations,” she explains.

Although we love classic baby boy names, we know some babies just demand a baby name with a more unique twist. Luckily, there are plenty of names that rise to the occasion — and we think your little man is going to rock (at least) one of these. Check out our favorite picks for baby boy names that have serious swagger:

Unique baby boy names

Can we give a shoutout to these super-underrated baby names? One of these cool-guy options may be just what you’re looking for — and chances are good that with one of these unique baby boy names, your child won’t be one of four kids in his class with the same name.

Raddix

Amin

Arrow

Aadi

Thorn

Enzo

Rhys

Brooks

Ryland

Orion

Zayden

Reid

Hamlin

Jamison

Quinton

Brees

Nixon

Smith

Lincoln

Porter

August

Topher

Tad

Waldo

Zane

Tough-sounding baby boy names

We love these tough-guy names because they have a confident air to them, often thanks to the letters X or Z (think Axel or Zander). Moss agrees: “A name tends to seem “tough” if it contains plosive consonants like T, X, or K; if there is only one syllable (like Jett); or if it’s a dictionary word that has a strong association, like Pistol,” she says.

Skip too-obvious names like Hercules or King, however, which can seem like you’re trying too hard to sound tough or strong. Rocco gets that done in spades and is much more subtle, no? We’re also partial to Jett — the name chosen by former Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson East and her NFL longer snapper husband, Andrew East, for their baby boy. Check out our picks below.

Jag (or Jagger)

Jax

Damon

Dexter

Axel

Cason

Calum

Cash

Titus

Kace

Maximus

Ryker

Harley

Zander

Zeke

Zenon

Phoenix

Rocco

Jett

Fox

Cannon

Sid

Gunner

Pierce

Cadmus

Blaze

Hunt

Racer

Pistol

Knox

Dax

Dex

Cool baby boy names

Some parents simply want a baby name with a great meaning. The cool baby boy names below have it all — depth, strength, valor, luck, bravery — and they just plain sound good.

Bryant: Celtic name meaning “strong”

Chasin: Hebrew name meaning “strong”

Kemen: Spanish name meaning “strong”

Donovan: Celtic name meaning “strong fighter”

Griffin: Welsh name meaning “strong in faith”

Felix: Latin name meaning “lucky”

Faust: Italian name meaning “lucky”

Chance: English name meaning “good fortune”

Frederik: German name meaning “leader”

Brendan: Gaelic name meaning “brave”

Farrell: Celtic name meaning “brave”

Hardwin: English name meaning “brave friend”

Baldwyn: German name meaning “brave friend”

Sebastian: Greek name meaning “revered”

Dustin: English name meaning “valiant”

Neron: Spanish name meaning “strong”

Celebrity baby boy names

Celebrities always seem to have their fingers on the pulse of what’s cool and unique — and names are no exception. Many celebrity baby boys are sporting names with a cool combination of modern edge and classic, old-fashioned sound. For inspiration, check out the following.

Aire: Son of Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott

Rhodes: Son of actors Emma Roberts and Garrett Hedlund

Hendrix: Son of actor Sasha Pieterse

Ozzie: Son of actress and singer Mandy Moore and singer Taylor Goldsmith

Ace: Son of singer and actor Jessica Simpson

Cruz: Son of singer Victoria Beckham and athlete David Beckham

Magnus: Son of actor Elizabeth Banks

Saint: Son of Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West, also son of rocker Pete Wentz

Apollo: Son of singer Gwen Stefani

Atlas: Son of actress Anne Heche

Milan: Son of singer Shakira and Gerard Pique

Mason: Son of Kourtney Kardashian

Reign: Son of Kourtney Kardashian

Axl: Son of Fergie and Josh Duhamel

Milo: Son of actor Alyssa Milano

Duke: Son of E! News host Giuliana Rancic

Camden: Son of actor Vanessa Lachey

Jaxon: Son of Laguna Beach alum Kristin Cavallari

Otis: Son of Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis

Kase: Son of singer Jewel

Marcelo: Son of actor Ali Landry

Colt: Son of John Rich of the band Big & Rich

Xander: Son of actor January Jones

Arlo: Son of actor Toni Collette

Felix: Son of actor Elizabeth Banks

Max: Son of actor Cynthia Nixon

Leo: Son of actor Penélope Cruz

Onyx: Son of Iggy Azalea

Flynn: Son of actor Orlando Bloom

Jett: Son of Shawn Johnson East and Andrew East

Thunder: Son of Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt

Slash: Son of model Amber Rose

Rocky: Son of Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze, Jr.

Romello: Son of Teen Mom 2 star Kailyn Lowry

Zuma: Son of Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale

Wilde: Son of rapper Eve

Ziggy: Son of singer Ashlee Simpson

From Severin to Stellan, here are a few “dark academia” baby names for your son or daughter.

A version of this article was originally published in February 2016. 

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