50 Strong & Powerful Boy Names (Popular & Rare Ideas)

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Learn how to choose the best name for your son

Co-authored by Lacey Coffey and Raven Minyard, BA

Last Updated: September 10, 2025 Fact Checked

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If you’re having a baby boy, you probably want him to grow into a strong, independent man. Get the ball rolling by choosing a powerful, masculine name to match! In this article, we’ve compiled a list of both popular and rare boy names that feel strong and masculine. We also interviewed baby name experts to provide tips on how to choose the best name.

Powerful Names for Boys

Baby name expert Lacey Coffey says there are many boy names that are associated with and invoke masculinity, like Gunnar, Cash, and Ford. Some other names with strong, masculine meanings include:

• Alexander (meaning “defending man”)
• Conrad (“brave counsel”)
• Garrett (“spear strength”)
• Ambrose (“immortal”)
• Burke (“fortress”)
• Maverick (“independent”)

Steps

Section 1 of 3:

Popular Strong & Masculine Names

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1. 
   Choose a classic name for a popular option. If you’re looking for popular masculine names, you usually can’t go wrong with something classic and traditional. Many of these names have been around for generations and often have strong meanings, like “brave,” “protector,” or “ruler.” Here are some of our favorites:

   • Aaron (Hebrew for “high mountain, exalted”)
   • Aiden (Irish for “little fire”)
   • Alexander (Greek for “defending man”)
   • Andrew (Greek for “strong, manly, courageous”)
   • Augustus (Latin for “majestic, venerable”)
   • Bear (English for “the brown one”)
   • Charles (German for “free man”)
   • Cliff (English for “steep rock face”)
   • Conrad (German for “brave counsel”)
   • Cyrus (Greek for “lord”)
   • Dustin (Norse for “brave warrior, Thor’s stone”)
   • Eric (Norse for “sole ruler”)
   • Ethan (Hebrew for “solid, enduring, firm”)
   • Garrett (Irish for “spear strength”)
   • Henry (German for “house ruler”)
   • Hudson (English for “son of Hugh/Hudd”)
   • Leo (Latin for “lion”)
   • Liam (Irish for “helmet of will, protection”)
   • Luis (Spanish and Portuguese for “famous warrior”)
   • Michael (Hebrew for “who is like God?”)
   • Owen (Welsh for “noble-born”)
   • Sasha (Russian for “defending man”)
   • Victor (Latin for “conqueror”)
   • William (German for “will helmet”)
   • Wyatt (English for “battle, brave, hardy”)

   Meet the wikiHow Experts

   Lacey Coffey is a baby name expert who started the viral account "Soft Baby Names." She has dual degrees in religion and intercultural studies and teaching English (with a focus on linguistics). Her studies directly influence her name research and interests.

   Chloe Hodgson is a baby name expert based in the UK. She began building her community on Instagram in 2018.

   Sonya Prior is a name consultant known as the BB Namer based in Auckland, New Zealand. She currently has over 30k followers across Instagram and TikTok.
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Section 2 of 3:

Uncommon Strong & Masculine Names

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1. 
   Choose a rare name if you want to stand out from the crowd. Depending on where you live, some powerful boy names will be more unique than others. Consider honoring your culture by choosing a name from your ethnic background, or simply go for something that sounds cool. For instance, Coffey suggests choosing a name with traditionally masculine associations, like Gunnar (associated with “gun”), Cash (related to a man being the provider), or Ford (associated with cars). Some other unique examples include:

   • Ambrose (Greek for “immortal”)
   • Amell (German for “power of an eagle”)
   • Ande (African for “pillar”)
   • Ansaldo (Italian for “power, leader”)
   • Ballard (Scandinavian for “brave, strong”)
   • Barrett (German for “strength of a bear”)
   • Bidziil (Navajo for “he is strong”)
   • Burke (English for “fortress”)
   • Conall (Irish for “strong wolf”)
   • Denzel (English for “high stronghold”)
   • Ebert (American and German for “brave boar”)
   • Farrell (Irish for “man of valor”)
   • Farris (Scottish for “masculine strength”)
   • Godric (English for “God’s ruler”)
   • Griffin (Welsh for “strong prince”)
   • Haile (Ethiopian for “power, force”)
   • Idris (Welsh for “ardent lord”)
   • Jarek (Slavic for “fierce, strong”)
   • Maverick (English for “independent”)
   • Melech (Hebrew for “king”)
   • Orion (Greek for “heaven’s light”)
   • Sewell (English for “strong sea”)
   • Valente (Latin for “strong, healthy, brave”)
   • Warrick (German for “leader who defends”)
   • Wayan (Balinese and Sanskrit for “energy, strength”)

Section 3 of 3:

How to Name Your Baby Boy

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1. 1
   Consider any themes or meanings you want. Choosing a name for your baby can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be! Before looking at individual names, baby name expert Chloe Hodgson recommends coming up with specific “requirements,” like how long you want the name to be or what you want it to mean. “It narrows it down a lot more, and it’s easier to research,” she explains.

   • For example, maybe you’re interested in names that mean “warrior” or “lion.” Start by looking up names that have those meanings.
   • If the name’s meaning doesn’t matter to you, consider how you want the name to sound. For example, maybe you want something short or something that begins with the letter A.
   • If you’re struggling, baby naming expert and content creator Sonya Prior suggests writing down 5 names you like and 5 you don’t. Then, figure out what those names have in common to continue your search.
2. 2
   Don’t pay attention to trends. Ultimately, it’s important to choose a name that you really like and that you can see growing with your child as they age. “Everything is cyclical,” says Prior, meaning that names that are popular now will eventually be less popular. Names that are out of style now will come back into style. So, don’t choose a name simply because it’s trendy. Go for something that fits your personal tastes.
3. 3
   Say the full name out loud. Once you have some potential names picked out, say them out loud with your last name and possible middle names. This will help you make sure the name is easy to say and flows well as a whole. It may also help to write the name down to make sure it’s easy to spell and avoid any potentially embarrassing nicknames or initials.
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