Baby Boy Names That Have Serious Swagger — for Your Little Badass

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
• 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 recently born celebrity baby boys are sporting names with a cool combination of modern edge and classic, old-fashioned sound. For inspiration, check out the following.

• • •  
    • Zaire: Son of former NBA player Dwyane Wade
    • 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

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