Trending Baby Boy Names for a Stronger 2022
Louise Unruh |
There’s an undercurrent welling up in boy names and all I can say is, it’s about time.
No secret has been made about the all-out attack on males in our current culture. In the name of gender equality, our men are being hounded with harassment all too often for the mere fact that they are male.
But it’s not just the men, our boys are being singled out as well.
While phrases like “girl power,” “girls rule,” “women empowerment,” and “women owned” can be found anywhere from a coffee mug to a t-shirt, to the social accounts of your favorite laundry detergent, sayings like “boys will be boys!” are being scratched out and swapped with “boys will be good humans” and “boys will be kind.” These sayings leave one to feel boys couldn’t possibly be kind while clambering up a tree-house yelling at the top of their lungs or be good kids and at the same time be covered in mud as they’re declared “safe!” at home base… No, no, there’s no gender equality accomplished here. Equality doesn’t elevate one and put down another, you see there’s a certain word for that: prejudice.
There is an undercurrent of anger against this mainstream accepted prejudice – and it’s influencing how we name our baby boys.
Out with the new, in with the old
Weekly I see a new thread asking for “grandparent names” on any one of the name boards or new mom groups I follow. Everything comes back in style, eventually, this is true in names as well. Frank now feels like a fresh name for a baby next to the few Coltons and Braxtons you already know.
But there’s more to it than simply a refresh of style, there’s a beckoning for the valor that we once well knew.
Who were our grandfathers?
Well, they were the ones fighting a World War before they were given the chance to complete college. They’re the ones celebrating 65-year wedding anniversaries. They’re the ones who built a family business from scratch that has now been handed down for three generations. They were working their personal farm, while selling insurance, just to raise their batch of eight children. They were the men who built the railroad you cross over every day. They were the ones running into the burning Twin Towers thinking of a stranger’s life more than their own. These are our American grandfathers.
Everything may come back in style eventually, but some things like bravery, strength, fortitude, loyalty…these never go out of style.
Yes, go ahead and give your son that “old fashioned” name. It will serve him, and perhaps us all, well.
White House worthy names
Naming our sons after presidents is nothing out of the ordinary. Names like Reagan, Zachary, Jackson, Lincoln, and Theodore, have had a good run. Whether each child with these names was named for the president himself I doubt it, but what we do know is, there’s a definite attraction to the names of those who have sat in the Oval Office! I wouldn’t be surprised to hear more in 2022. Personally, I’d love to see a couple Millards, Rutherfords and oh, maybe, a few Donalds.
Great Americans have always been a source for naming inspiration. In my own family tree I have a great, great grandfather named Thomas Jefferson, and another who was Benjamin Franklin. With the renewed rise of patriotic spirit these last few years, we’ve seen that great Americans are still a strong naming influence for this generation!
If you’re looking for a name for your son along this line, there’s a slew of names previously possessed by worthy men for you to choose from. I could go at this for days, but instead I’ll just name a few American greats to kickstart your own search:
| Nathan Hale | David (Davy) Crockett | George (Babe) Ruth Jr. |
| Sam Houston | Dwight L. Moody | Melvin (Mel) Blanc |
| Robert Fulton | Marion Morrison (John Wayne) | Meriwether Lewis |
| Rush Limbaugh | Eli Whitney | William Clark |
| Thomas Paine | Christopher (Kit) Carson | Jesse (Don) Knotts |
| George Washington | John Adams | William (Billy) Graham Jr. |
| Henry Ford | Booker T. Washington | Gary Cooper |
| James (Jim) Thorpe | Douglas MacArthur | Richard Henry Lee |
| Thomas Edison | Francis Henry Maynard | Christopher (Chris) Kyle |
| Byron White | Paul Harvey |
Taking boyhood back
BNOG (boy name on girl) is on decline
As parents are taking a stand for their sons, they’re also giving a good effort to reclaim names that were originally viewed as masculine. But it’s not boy parents only here! Expecting girl parents are also trying to steer away from BNOG with the overwhelming voice on the name boards being that a girl doesn’t need a traditional male name to be a strong female. They couldn’t be more right!
So, while you’ll see a decline of girl baby announcements with Logan, Blake, or Cameron, it’s likely you’ll see more classic, bold names on boys this year. Remember hearing about the days of a school classroom with a Tommy, Billy, and Rob? Those might be just around the corner again.
Expect to reach for some hardy, timeless names for your blue bundle in 2022!
The Last shall be First
If you look through our history books, you’ll see Americans have long appreciated the use of family surnames. In the past they’ve usually been in the middle spot and it seemed as common a practice for daughters as it was for sons.
Americans still have a fondness for last names and nowadays they are frequently used as first names. So if you have a special family last name that you’re hoping to use, don’t hesitate! Not feeling brave enough to use it as the first name? The middle name is still a great way to pass on that particular surname.
Many last names have masculine meanings. For instance, names ending in -son, literally mean “son of.” Names ending in -er often had occupational meaning originally. If you don’t already have a particular last name you want to use, ones with Irish, Scottish, and German origin often have a brawny meaning! (Murphy: sea-battler, McLoughlin: Viking, Collins: young warrior, Lowe: lion, Eisenberg: iron mountain, Jaeger: huntsman, Gordon: spacious fort.)
On the hunting trail
While you’re not likely to see most of the names listed below topping the charts, they all reflect the traditional style that is becoming all the rage. I hope it gives you some inspiration on your name hunt for baby boy!
Gilbert
Meaning: “Bright promise”
Suggested middle names:
Gilbert Thomas
Gilbert Lee
Gilbert Hayes
Gilbert Dylan
Gilbert Lloyd
Miller
Meaning: “One who grinds grain”
Suggested middle names:
Miller Slade
Miller Cartwright
Miller Augustus
Miller Tate
Miller Blake
Willard
Meaning: “Brave and strong”
Suggested middle names:
Willard Jase
Willard George
Willard Luke
Willard Colm
Willard Rhett
Truett
Meaning: “Warrior for Christ”
Suggested middle names:
Truett James
Truett Zane
Truett Flynn
Truett Nathaniel
Truett Atticus
Wilder
Meaning: “Untamed, wild”
Suggested middle names:
Wilder Declan
Wilder Miles
Wilder Ellis
Wilder Breccan
Wilder Shane
Matthew
Meaning: “Gift of God”
Suggested middle names:
Matthew Quinn
Matthew Jude
Matthew Brayden
Matthew Gray
Matthew Cole
Rune
Meaning: “Secret”
Suggested middle names:
Rune Alexander
Rune Calloway
Rune Elliott
Rune Jameson
Rune Perry
August
Meaning: “Great, magnificent”
Suggested middle names:
August Taylor
August Drew
August Warner
August Kade
August Joel
Lawrence
Meaning: “Bright, shining”
Suggested middle names:
Lawrence Douglas
Lawrence Grant
Lawrence Jacob
Lawrence John
Lawrence Mitchell
Orin
Meaning: “Fair one”
Suggested middle names:
Orin Zachary
Orin Prescott
Orin Abel
Orin Edmund
Orin Paul
Rudy
Meaning: “Famous wolf”
Suggested middle names:
Rudy James
Rudy Wyatt
Rudy Nolan
Rudy Thomas
Rudy Lincoln
Amos
Meaning: “Carried by God”
Suggested middle names:
Amos Callum
Amos Flynn
Amos Colton
Amos Hudson
Amos Eugene
Many parents are taking a look back at where we came from, taking a stand in our current condition and battling for the American dream for their own next generation.
How we’re naming our children may be an understated way to combat the mainstream culture, but I see it as a parent’s first gift to their child on the way to the American dream.
