115 4-Letter Boy Names, From Trendy To Classic

They say big things come in small packages and I’m inclined to agree. That’s true not just of babies, but of baby names. Just a few letters can convey a lot of history, culture, meaning, and general vibes. That’s why there’s a list here of the best 4-letter boy names. Whether you have a long last name, prefer a short moniker, or are just looking for something that sounds right, there’s a lot of variety here. This list is organized by placing the names into different categories to help you narrow down your choices a bit! From classics to more modern trends, there’s something for everyone.

Nature-Inspired 4-Letter Boy Names

These 4-letter boy names draw inspiration from the elements, the world around us, animals, and the galaxy. So whether you love to get out in nature or just want to instill a love of the environment in your little one from the get-go, these names from around the world are beautiful, with a great mix of classic and unique.

• Adam (Hebrew; “earth”)
• Elio (Italian; “sun”)
• Linc (Old English; diminutive of Lincoln, “lake/pool colony”)
• Rhys (Welsh; “fire, ardent”)
• Abel (Hebrew; “breath, vapor”)
• Reef (English; “a ridge of rock, sand, or coral just beneath the surface of the ocean”)
• Yuze (Chinese; “rain, friend”)
• Yves (French; “yew”)
• Dean (Old English; “valley”)
• Knox (Scottish; “hill”)
• Ross (Scottish; “upland peninsula”)
• Beck (Old English; “stream”)
• Ravi (Sanskrit; “sun”)
• Adom (Ghanian from Hebrew; “man of the earth”)
• Nash (English; “by the ash tree”)
• Atid (Thai; “sun”)
• Colm (Irish; “dove”)
• Ford (English; “river crossing”)
• Dawa (Tibetan; “moon”)
• Elon (Hebrew; “oak tree”)
• Arlo (Old English; “fortified hill”)
• Lyon (French; “lion”)
• Oran (Irish; “little green one”)
• Esen (Turkish; “wind”/ Mongolian; “good health”)
• Rafe (English from Old Norse; “wise wolf, counsel of the wolf”)
• Wolf

Spiritual & Religious 4-Letter Boy Names

Some of these 4-letter boy names are inspired by religious figures from a variety of faith traditions while others just have deeply spiritual meanings

• Gabe (Hebrew; diminutive of Gabriel, “man of God”)
• Theo (Greek; “god”)
• Jose (Spanish; “God will give”)
• Zeke (Hebrew; diminutive of Ezekiel, “God strengthens”)
• Joel (Hebrew; “YWH is god”)
• Zion (Hebrew; “highest point” also a name for Jerusalem)
• Hans (German; “God has been gracious”)
• Bram (Dutch from Hebrew; diminutive of Abraham, “father of multitudes”)
• Jude (English from Hebrew; “praised, Jewish man”)
• Cruz (Spanish; “cross”)

Mythology-Inspired 4-Letter Boy Names

There’s a reason these stories have been with us for thousands of years — they resonate on a deep, sometimes primordial level, capturing something about our collective humanity that’s as true today as it was in, say, the days of Ancient Greece. Often, gods and heroes have very long names (who can forget that figure from Japanese folklore Jugemu-jugemu Gokōnosurikire Kaijarisuigyo-no Suigyōmatsu Unraimatsu Fūraimatsu Kūnerutokoroni-sumutokoro Yaburakōjino-burakōji Paipopaipo-paiponoshūringan Shūringanno-gūrindai Gūrindaino-ponpokopīno-ponpokonāno Chōkyūmeino-chōsuke), but others keep it short, sweet, and simple.

• Dion (Greek; “follower of Dionysus”)
• Odin (Old Norse; “raging, frenzied,” the name of the king of the gods in Norse mythology)
• Ajax (Greek; “eagle.” The name of a hero of the Trojan War)
• Loki (Old Norse; “airy,” the name of the Norse god of mischief)
• Thor (Old Norse; “thunder,” the name of Norse god of thunder and rain)
• Zeus (Greek; “sky, shine,” the king of the gods of Mount Olympus)
• Ares (Greek; “ruin, throng of battle,” the Greek god of war)

Warrior-Inspired 4-Letter Boy Names

A lot of 4-letter boy names denote a fighting spirit, probably since warriors were (and often still are) so respected in cultures around the world. These names are perfect for parents who strive to raise a little boy who is willing to stand up and fight for what’s right.

• Nick (Greek; diminiutive of Nicholas, “victory of the people”)
• Luis (Spanish from German; “famous warrior”)
• Milo (Slavic; “beloved”/German; “soldier, merciful”)
• Cain (Hebrew; “spear”)
• Mark (Latin; “consecrated to Mars, warlike”)
• A-wut (Thai; “weapon”)
• Liam (Irish from English from German; diminutive of William “protector”)
• Hank (English; dimunitive of Henry, “home ruler”)
• Ryan (Irish; “little king”)
• Owen (Welsh; “noble, youthful”)
• Eric (Old Norse; “forever ruler”)
• Lars (Scandinavian from Latin; “crowned with laurel”)
• Enzo (Italian; diminutive of Lorenzo “home ruler”)
• Leif (Scandinavian; “heir”)
• Ewan (Scottish; uncertain, possibly “warrior,” “well born,” or “of the mountain” or “yew tree”)
• Nico (Italian; “victory of the people”)
• Amir (Arabic; “prince”)
• Duke (English from French; the highest nobility title within British peerage)
• Khan (Mongolian; “warrior king, military ruler”)

Sweet 4-Letter Boy Names

These names all convey some characteristic or trait that any parent would be proud to have embodied in their little boy, from good looks to humility, honesty to happiness. These truly sweet meanings are all worth exploring.

• Zane (Arabic; “beauty, grace”)
• Aldo (Italian; “wise and noble”)
• Thad (Aramaic; “courageous”/ Greek; “god’s gift”)
• Noah (Hebrew; “rest, repose”)
• Ezra (Hebrew; “helpful, helper”)
• Levi (Hebrew; “joined together”)
• Luca (Italian; “bringer of light”)
• Omar (Arabic; “flourishing, long-lived”)
• Desi (Spanish; “desired one”)
• Paul (Latin; “humble”)
• Femi (Yoruba; “love me”)
• Gage (French; “pledge, oath”)
• Emil (Latin; “rival, to excel”/ French; “eager”)
• Idir (Tamazite; “alive”)
• Hugh (English; “mind, intellect”)
• Beau (French; “handsome”)
• Bash (American; diminutive of Sebastian, “venerable”)
• Dayo (Yoruba; “joy arrives”)
• Nero (Latin; “stern”)
• Sage (Latin; “wise”)
• Otto (German; “wealth, prosperity”)
• Alem (Arabic; “wise man”)
• Zuko (Xhosa; “glory”)
• Alan (Gaelic; “handsome, cheerful”)
• Miro (Slavic; “peace, world”)
• Batu (Mongolian; “firm, loyal”/ Turkish; “prevailing”)
• Gang (Chinese; “hard, unyielding”)

Trendy 4-Letter Boy Names

The word “trendy” sometimes gets a bad rap when it comes to baby naming... but why? Who cares if a name doesn’t stay popular in the charts for decades? That doesn’t mean it’s not a great name! Here are some 4-letter boy names that have been trending lately.

• Cash (English: “hollow, chest maker”)
• Cian (Irish; “ancient”)
• Ever (English; “always”)
• Grey (English; referring to the color)
• Finn (Irish; “fair”)
• Dash (Scottish from French; unclear, possibly “young man”)
• Seth (Hebrew; “appointed”)
• Jace (Greek; diminutive of Jason “healer”/ Hebrew: “the lord of salvation”)
• Evan (Welsh; “the lord is gracious”)
• Reid (English; “red headed”)
• Xavi (Basque and Spanish; diminutive of Xavier, “the new house”)
• Wynn (Old English; “friend”)
• Remy (French; “oarsman”)
• Axel (Scandinavian from Hebrew; “my father is peace”)

Timeless 4-Letter Boy Names

And of course, on the opposite side of trendy are the names that are perpetually in the top 100 baby names (or 20 or 10) with good reason. Not only are these names classic and full of tradition and history, they also might be a great way to honor an ancestor or older relative.

• John (English from Hebrew; “God is gracious”)
• Will (English from German; diminutive of William, “protector”)
• Luke (Latin from Greek; “light-bringing”)
• Jack (English; diminutive of John, “God is gracious”)
• Sean (Irish; “God is gracious”)
• Jake (English from Hebrew; diminutive of Jacob, “supplanter”)
• Ivan (Russian; “God is gracious”)
• Alex (Greek; diminutive of Alexander, “defender of mankind”)
• Chin (Chinese; “money, ancient”)
• Kofi (Ghanian; “born on a Friday”)
• Hiro (Japanese; “abundant, prosperous”)
• Saro (Ogoni; “first son”)

115 names feels like a good place to start when choosing a 4-letter boy name. From trendy to classic to everything in between, there are plenty of gorgeous, short boy names for your little guy.