150 Strong Boy Names (With Meanings)

Every parent hunting for a "strong" boy name is really after one of two things: a name that means strength, or a name that sounds like it. This list covers both, because they're rarely the same set.

150 names, grouped by the kind of strength they carry — from literal warrior meanings to the quiet, unshowy classics that have simply outlasted everything else. Meanings and origins throughout.

Names that literally mean strong

1. Ethan — Hebrew, "firm, enduring"
2. Gabriel — Hebrew, "God is my strength"
3. Andrew — Greek, "manly, brave"
4. Valentine — Latin, "strong, healthy"
5. Kenzo — Japanese, "strong and healthy"
6. Ezekiel — Hebrew, "God strengthens"
7. Amos — Hebrew, "strong, carried by God"
8. Aziz — Arabic, "powerful, beloved"
9. Bernard — Germanic, "brave as a bear"
10. Everett — English, "brave as a wild boar"
11. Griffin — Welsh, "strong lord"
12. Angus — Scottish, "one strength"
13. Denzel — Cornish, "stronghold"
14. Barrett — Germanic, "bear strength"
15. Ansel — Germanic, "with divine protection"
16. Osric — Old English, "divine ruler"
17. Maynard — Germanic, "hardy, brave, strong"
18. Ozzy — Old English, diminutive of Oswald, "divine power"
19. Konrad — Germanic, "bold counsel"
20. Aurelio — Latin, "golden," long associated with strength of character

Warrior and fighter names

21. Alexander — Greek, "defender of men"
22. Marcus — Latin, "of Mars," the god of war
23. Duncan — Scottish, "dark warrior"
24. Louis — Germanic, "renowned warrior"
25. Harvey — Breton, "battle worthy"
26. Cassius — Latin, an old Roman name carried by fighters ever since
27. Ronan — Irish, "little seal," long linked with fierce protectors
28. Murphy — Irish, "sea warrior"
29. Gunnar — Norse, "bold warrior"
30. Sloan — Irish, "raider, fighter"
31. Marcel — Latin, a softer form of Marcus, still martial at the root
32. Herman — Germanic, "army man"
33. Walter — Germanic, "ruler of the army"
34. Wyatt — English, "brave in war"
35. Callum — Scottish, "dove" — peace carried with confidence
36. Boris — Slavic, "fighter"
37. Ivor — Norse, "archer, warrior"
38. Marlon — uncertain origin, popularised by a famously commanding namesake
39. Wallace — Scottish, forever tied to a national fighter
40. Cedric — Celtic-influenced literary name, "war chief"

Short and punchy

41. Max — Latin, "greatest"
42. Kane — Irish, "little battler"
43. Dax — French place name, sharp and modern
44. Cole — English, "swarthy, coal-black"
45. Zane — Hebrew variant, "God is gracious"
46. Jax — modern short form of Jackson
47. Rex — Latin, "king"
48. Beau — French, "handsome"
49. Cash — English occupational name, blunt and confident
50. Knox — Scottish, "round hill"
51. Bo — Scandinavian, "to live"
52. Finn — Irish, "fair, white"
53. Rhys — Welsh, "ardour, enthusiasm"
54. Hugh — Germanic, "mind, intellect"
55. Blaze — English word name, unmistakable
56. Cruz — Spanish, "cross"
57. Tate — English, "cheerful"
58. Vaughn — Welsh, "small" — ironic, and it works
59. Drake — English, "dragon"
60. Wolf — Germanic, exactly what it says

Quietly strong classics

61. Samuel — Hebrew, "God has heard"
62. Thomas — Aramaic, "twin"
63. Henry — Germanic, "home ruler"
64. James — Hebrew, "supplanter"
65. Edward — Old English, "wealthy guardian"
66. Charles — Germanic, "free man"
67. William — Germanic, "resolute protector"
68. George — Greek, "farmer"
69. Frederick — Germanic, "peaceful ruler"
70. Arthur — Celtic, "bear"
71. Albert — Germanic, "noble, bright"
72. Theodore — Greek, "gift of God"
73. Nathaniel — Hebrew, "gift of God"
74. Benjamin — Hebrew, "son of the right hand"
75. Daniel — Hebrew, "God is my judge"
76. Joseph — Hebrew, "he will add"
77. Matthew — Hebrew, "gift of God"
78. Simon — Hebrew, "he has heard"
79. Philip — Greek, "lover of horses"
80. Vincent — Latin, "conquering"

Nature strength

81. Bear — English word name, increasingly used outright
82. Ridge — English, landscape name
83. Stone — English word name
84. Flint — English, hard stone that makes fire
85. Oak / Oakley — English, the sturdiest tree
86. Cliff — English, short for Clifford
87. Hawke — English, bird of prey
88. Falcon — Latin-rooted bird name
89. Colt — English, young horse
90. Wilder — English, "untamed"
91. Ash — English, tree name with a hard edge
92. Steel — English word name, used sparingly
93. Storm — English word name
94. River — English nature name, quiet persistence
95. Cedar — English tree name
96. Bramble — English, thorny and resilient
97. North — English direction name
98. Cairn — Scottish, a stone marker
99. Boulder — English, unsubtle but memorable
100. Fox — English animal name, clever rather than brute

Mythology and legend

101. Thor — Norse god of thunder
102. Atlas — Greek titan who carried the sky
103. Odin — Norse, chief of the gods
104. Achilles — Greek, the near-invincible warrior
105. Hector — Greek, "holding fast"
106. Leander — Greek, "lion man"
107. Apollo — Greek god of light
108. Orion — Greek hunter turned constellation
109. Perseus — Greek, slayer of monsters
110. Titan — Greek, the elder gods
111. Loki — Norse, cunning over force
112. Magnus — Latin, "great"
113. Caesar — Latin, the imperial name itself
114. Ajax — Greek, second only to Achilles
115. Ulysses — Latin form of Odysseus, endurance personified
116. Griffin (mythical beast) — see also #11
117. Draco — Latin, "dragon"
118. Ares — Greek god of war
119. Bran — Welsh, "raven," a giant king in legend
120. Cyrus — Persian, "sun" — borne by an empire-builder

Modern strength

121. Ryker — Danish, "rich"
122. Zaid — Arabic, "growth, abundance"
123. Kaiser — German, "emperor"
124. Bodhi — Sanskrit, "awakening"
125. Titus — Latin, "title of honour"
126. Enzo — Italian, short for Lorenzo, all confidence
127. Nash — English, "at the ash tree"
128. Ronin — Japanese, a masterless samurai
129. Kairo — modern respelling of Cairo
130. Zayn — Arabic, "beauty, grace"
131. Brix — modern coinage, hard-edged
132. Onyx — Greek, the black stone
133. Arlo — uncertain origin, sturdy and current
134. Emrys — Welsh, "immortal"
135. Idris — Welsh/Arabic, "ardent lord" / "interpreter"
136. Kian — Irish, "ancient, enduring"
137. Zephyr — Greek, the west wind
138. Milo — Germanic/Latin, long linked to a famously strong athlete
139. Sterling — English, "of the highest quality"
140. Royce — Germanic, "famous"

Strong middle names

141. Cain — Hebrew, "acquired"
142. Rue — French, both a street and a herb
143. Slate — English, stone name
144. Vance — English, "marshland"
145. Reid — Scottish, "red-haired"
146. Blaine — Scottish, "yellow"
147. Quill — English, sharp and light
148. Rowe — English, "hedgerow"
149. Brand — Norse, "sword"
150. True — English virtue name, the quietest strength on the list

How to test a name before you commit

Say it out loud with your surname, in full, in the tone you'd use when they're in trouble. Then say the likely nickname the same way. If both survive, you've got a real candidate — a name has to work shouted across a park as well as printed on a certificate.

More lists: 80 boy names that mean brave and 120 old-fashioned boy names.