Have a sweet little boy on the way? Or maybe you keep a list of baby names in your notes app even though it’s years before you’re ready to seriously think about children (doesn’t everyone?). Either way, picking one from about a billion boy names is a major decision and can be a little stressful — after all, you’re not just naming a baby, you’re also naming a whole human adult.
Unique boy names are tricky. You (most likely) don’t want to create a roll call nightmare with something too… “X Æ A-12”-coded. On the flip side, it’s also a little bit of a bummer to be the seventh Jake in your class — absolutely nothing against Jakes, of course. But thankfully, there are a ton of places to take inspiration from when it comes to picking fun boy names that give those “cool boy” vibes everyone is after.
Of course, it only makes sense that the best boy names come from interesting sources. Get started on your brainstorming with the help of this list of names for boys inspired by books (romantasy and OG romance included), astrology, celebrities, travel, and much more.
That first one is all too fitting for boy name inspo in 2024. Every day, the BookTok girlies and guys are falling deeper and deeper in love with yet another “book boyfriend” and naturally, they always have such strong and charming names to match their captivating personalities. (And who wouldn’t want to be named after the most powerful High Lord in Prythian history anyway?) As for celebs, it’s no secret that many go by stage names, but their real names are often just as unique as their chosen titles.
While people have taken inspiration from sources like literature and astrology for hundreds (and even thousands) of years, these names are certifiably fresh. In one way or another, these boy names have that main character, star-quality energy.
Boy Names From Sarah J. Maas Books
- Adion, Throne of Glass
- Azriel, A Court of Thorns and Roses
- Cassian, A Court of Thorns and Roses
- Chaol, Throne of Glass
- Cortland, Throne of Glass
- Dorian, Throne of Glass
- Hunt, Crescent City
- Ithan, Crescent City
- Lorcan, Throne of Glass
- Lucien, A Court of Thorns and Roses
- Nyx, A Court of Thorns and Roses
- Rhysand, A Court of Thorns and Roses
- Rowan, Throne of Glass
- Ruhn, Crescent City
Boy Names From Colleen Hoover Books
- Atlas, It Ends With Us
- Dean, Hopeless
- Ledger, Reminders Of Him
- Ridge, Maybe Someday
- Ryle, It Ends With Us
Boy Names From Emily Henry Books
- Alex, People We Meet On Vacation
- Augustus, Beach Read
- Charlie, Book Lovers
- Miles, Funny Story
- Wyn, Happy Place
Boy Names From Rebecca Yarros Books
- Liam, Fourth Wing
- Ridoc, Fourth Wing
- Xaden, Fourth Wing
Boy Names From Jennifer L. Armentrout Books
- Beckett, From Blood and Ash
- Casteel, From Blood and Ash
- Hawke, From Blood and Ash
- Kieran, From Blood and Ash
- Rhain, From Blood and Ash
Boy Names From Game Of Thrones
- Bran
- Bron
- Eddard
- Jorah
- Tormund
Boy Names From Bridgerton
- Anthony
- Benedict
- Colin
- Simon
- Edmund
Boy Names From Outlander
- Angus
- Fergus
- Hugh
- Ian
- Jamie
- Murtagh
- Rupert
Star-Inspired Boy Names
- Altair
- Castor
- Pollux
- Regulus
- Sirius
Astrology-Inspired Boy Names
- Aquila
- Archer
- Draco
- Leo
- Lynx
- Orion
Planet-Inspired Boy Names
- Aitken (the moon’s largest crater)
- Charon (a moon of Pluto)
- Mars
- Jovian (pertaining to the planet Jupiter)
- Narvi (a moon of Saturn)
Greek God-Inspired Boy Names
- Achilles
- Adonis
- Apollo
- Damon
- Eros
Musician-Inspired Boy Names
- Benson
- Collins
- Colson
- Coltrane
- Davis
- Drake
- Dre
- Kendrick
- Koe
- Lionel
- Louis
- Lupe
- Malone
- Noah
- Prince
- Usher
- Zayn
Actor-Inspired Boy Names
- Ansel
- Asa
- Chadwick
- Chalamet
- Channing
- Dax
- Denzel
- Donald
- Finn
- Gaten
- Idris
- Javier
- Joaquin
- Keanu
- Kellan
- Kit
- LaKeith
- Oakes
- Rami
Celebrity Baby-Inspired Boy Names
- Ace
- August
- Axl
- Canon
- Cruz
- Grey
- Knox
- Luai
- Maddox
- Malachi
- Otis
- Riot
- Roman
- Townes
Boy Names Inspired By Athletes
- Ali
- Beckham
- Brady
- Bryant
- Cale
- Mikko
- Tatum
Boy Names From Disney
- Abu, Aladdin
- Ajax, Donald Duck And The Gorilla
- Eli, The Princess And The Frog
- Flynn, Tangled
- Francis, Oliver & Company
- Hans, Frozen
- Naveen, The Princess And The Frog
Boy Names From Pixar
- Arlo, The Good Dinosaur
- Emile, Ratatouille
- Fergus, Brave
- Hamish, Brave
- Manny, A Bug’s Life
Movie-Inspired Boy Names
- Cullen, Twilight
- Forrest, Forrest Gump
- Jack, Titanic
- Ken, Barbie
- Lawrence, Little Women
- Marvel
- Westly, The Princess Bride
Boy Names Inspired By Cities And Towns
- Afton
- Aspen
- Austin
- Bronx
- Cairo
- Camden
- Carson
- Dallas
- Diego
- Hamilton
- Jackson
- Kingston
- Lincoln
- Macon
- Memphis
- Orlando
- Phoenix
- Rio
- Rome
- Santiago
- Stirling
- Trenton
Boy Names Inspired By Countries And Regions
- Cyrus
- Holland
- Jordan
- Oz
- Zealand
Boy Names Inspired By Bodies Of Water
- Aden
- Alsek
- Caspian
- Hudson
- Nile
Boy Names Inspired By Mountains
- Ande
- Brooks
- Elias
- Everest
- Fuji
- Kaplan
- Smoky
Boy Names Inspired By National Parks
- Biscayne
- Bryce
- Canyon
- Denali
- Glacier
- Joshua
- Kenai
- Rainier
- Rocky
- Saguaro
- Sequoia
- Zion
Boy Names Inspired By Geology
- Copper
- Flint
- Jasper
- Jett
- Lazuli
- Mica
- Onyx
- Slate
Boy Names Inspired By Food
- Bartlett
- Colby
- Cormac
- Graham
- Rye