Looking for a strong, spirited name for your little guy? I’ve compiled a list of strong baby boy names that have toughness written all over them complete with meanings and a printable list.
Oh the joy of naming your little one. I can recall when we named our boys. We had such an array of different names. From biblical to family names, it’s hard to narrow down the perfect name. After all, the name your give your child will follow them forever. When it came to naming our second son, I was really undecided. Even names that were still on our list from our first son, didn’t totally appeal to me this time. It was strange. I definitely kept leaning towards stronger names.
My oldest son is so gentle and meek. He’s very obedient and tenderhearted. It seems only natural that his name is a diminutive form of John. But what to name my youngest. As it happens, my youngest son ended up being true to his namesake. He is very bold, loud and willful. His own grandmother calls him “a storm” and my husband and I tend to measure our days in hurricane categories. “How was Tristan today, honey,” my husband will ask. “He was a CAT 4! Part of the roof is missing. Our sofa is down two blocks away on the street and water and debris are everywhere.” Ha!
Seriously, I love my little guy but parenting a strong-willed child is harder than I ever imagined. I am, however, really glad we named him Tristan. It fits him perfectly. So if you are looking for a strong name for your little man, I’ve got a good list for you. Some are straight-up bad boy names, others are strong names of prophets. Yet, others have strong meanings like war, battle, and defender.
How to Choose the Perfect Name
Consider Trends
Some names are currently trendy, but in a few years they may seem very dated. On the other hand, consider that very popular names may result in having your child share the name with multiple classmates. There is nothing wrong with picking a popular name, but those issues may be problematic to you. So make sure you talk it over with your partner.
Consider It as a Middle Name
Sometimes if you and your partner disagree on a name, consider perhaps using it as a middle name instead. Sometimes names have a better ring when paired with another name
Consider Cultural and Spiritual Origins
If it is important to you, you may consider whether or not the name has spiritual or religious origins. Many names found in the Bible mean some sort of blessing from God, for example. Also, names and derivatives can be found across different cultures with different spellings and pronunciations. Take my name, Mary which is Hebrew. In Spanish it is Maria and in French, Marie. But there are also derives like Mariam, Marian and Marilyn.
Will It Be A Family Name
Sometimes it’s nice to include a name as a tribute to a family member, living or deceased. Johnny is a common family name for my family, but since my sister-in-law had also married a John, I didn’t want to trample on her ability to name her child John too. So we chose a derivative of John, Jackson.
Say The Child’s Full Name Out Loud
Say the name out loud. I had a friend who had the name Harrison picked out for her son only to realize later that the name was going to be Harry Carey which is also a name for an act of suicide! There are lots of unfortunate incidents where someone’s name also has a double meaning. Take a look at these ill-fated mishaps if you want a good laugh. Then double-check your child’s name!
Will It Be Shortened
Some names have a shortened version or nickname attached to it. My brother Matthew really disliked when people called him Matt. He always corrected people and told them it was Matthew. My poor brother has been correcting people ever since he was little. When you choose a name you may decide against it because of nicknames or shortened versions of it, so maybe be mindful about that.
Strong Baby Boy Names
- Abraham (father of nations)
- Ace (expert)
- Anders (manly, virile)
- Alexander (defender of the people)
- Apollo (destroyer)
- Arne (pronounced Arn-uh) (eagle)
- Asger (spear of God)
- Atticus (of Attica)
- Axel (father of peace)
- August (to increase)
- Austin (exalted)
- Blaze (flame)
- Caleb (dog)
- Cash (maker of chests)
- Constantine (steadfast)
- Dash (from the ash)
- Destin (determined, destiny)
- Diesel (people, race)
- Dustin (Thor’s stone)
- Gunnar (army)
- Gunner (bold warrior)
- Gustav (staff of the God’s)
- Houston (intelligent)
- Hunter (one who hunts)
- Idris (prince)
- Indiana (land of the Indians)
- Isaiah (to save, salvation)
- Ivan (God is gracious)
- Jarl (chieftain)
- Jeremiah (God will uplift)
- Jett (black)
- Joshua (God is my salvation)
- Justice (Doing right by the law)
- Kylo (sky)
- Maddox (welsh surname)
- Magnus (big, great)
- Maverick (independent)
- Maximus (great)
- Montana (from a hilly land)
- Nash (ash tree)
- Odin (fury)
- Osmond (divine protection)
- Phoenix (dark red)
- Ranger (forest guardian)
- Rock (stone)
- Rocco (rest)
- Ryder (mounted warrior)
- Thor (god of thunder)
- Tristan (sad, bold, loud)
- Viggo (battle)
- Wilder (to cause to lose one’s way)
- Zane (gift from God)
I’ve also provided a printable version of this list to help you. You can download it below.
I hope you enjoyed my list of strong baby, boy names. Before you go, take a look at my other post, Biblical Baby Boy Names and Biblical Baby Girl Names. Thanks so much for reading and congratulations on your pregnancy. In the comments, I’d love to hear about your own name. Do you love it or hate it? Do you go buy a nickname? Let me know!
