Are you looking for a short and sweet name for your new son? This list of four letter boy names will help you find the perfect name for your new baby!
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Why Choose a Four Letter Name for Your Baby Boy?
Short names have so many benefits. If you choose a short name, you’ll be almost guaranteed to have a name that it easy to spell and pronounce. It will also be easy for your future preschooler to learn to print, unlike the poor kids with 7+ letters in their names!
Short names are often simple, with no muss or fuss. They’re strong and straightforward. Some of the most beautiful names are the shortest.
Perhaps my favorite benefit of a four letter name is that you don’t need a shortened form or nickname. Your name is your name. As someone who goes by a nickname, I am constantly correcting people who call me by my formal name, and I HATE it!
This list of short four letter names for boys is sure to help you in your quest to find the perfect name for your baby!
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Four Letter Baby Names
Ok, so without further ado, here’s the list of four letter boy names!
Abel
Abel is a Hebrew name meaning ‘breath’. In the Bible, Abel was a son of Adam, who was murdered by his brother Cain.
Adam
Adam comes from the Hebrew word for ‘man’. In the Bible, Adam was the first man God created.
Ajax
This name comes from the Greek, meaning either ‘mourner’ or ‘earth, land’. There are several famous Ajax in Greek mythology.
Alan
Alan is a name which comes from Britanny and means ‘hansome’ or ‘little rock’ in Breton.
Alec
Alec is a shortened form of Alexander, which means ‘defending men’. There are several famous Alexanders in history, including Alexander the Great.
Alex
Alec is a shortened form of Alexander, which means ‘defending men’.
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Amos
Amos is one of the 12 minor prophets in the bible. It comes from the Hebrew word meaning ‘load, or burden’.
Andy
Andy is a nickname for Andrew, which means ‘manly’ or ‘masculine’.
Arlo
The meaning of this name is unknown, but was possibly inspired by the fictional place name ‘Arlo Hill’ from Edmund Spenser’s poem ‘The Faerie Queene’.
Axel
This is the Danish form of Absalom, a Hebrew name which means ‘my father is peace. In the Bible, Absalom is the son of King David.
Baer
A shortened form of the Limburgish name, Albaer, meaning ‘bright’.
Bart
A version of Bartholomew, an apostle in the New Testament.
Beau
Beau is a French name that means ‘handsome’.
Bert
A shortened form of Albert, meaning ‘noble’ and ‘bright’.
Bill
A nickname for William, meaning ‘will or desire’.
Boyd
Boyd was originally a Scottish surname that perhaps originally comes from the name of the island of Bute.
Brad
Shortened version of Bradley, originally a surname meaning ‘broad clearing’.
Bret
Meaning ‘a Breton’ or inhabitant of Brittany in Middle English.
Burt
Nickname for Burton, meaning ‘fortified town’.
Cade
Meaning ’round’ in Old English, this was originally a surname.
Cain
This name means ‘acquired’ in Hebrew. In the Bible, Cain was a son of Adam who killed his brother, Abel.
Carl
The German form of Charles, meaning ‘man’.
Cary
This name comes from the Irish surname Carey, which is the angliczed version of O Ciardha, meaning descendant of Ciardha.
Cash
Originally a surname made popular by singer, Johnny Cash.
Chad
Possibly meaning ‘battle’, this name is derived from the Old English name Ceadda.
Chaz
Chaz is a nickname for Charles, which stems from the German word for ‘man’.
Chet
Chet is a shortened form of the name Chester. Chester was originally a surname in Britain.
Chip
Shortened form of Charles, meaning ‘man’, or Christopher, meaning ‘bearer of Christ’.
Clay
Originally a surname for someone who worked with clay.
Coby
Coby is a nickname for Jacob, which ultimately comes from the Hebrew name that means either ‘holder of the heel’ or ‘supplanter’.
Cody
Cody comes from an Irish surname, meaning ‘descendant of Cuidightheach’.
Cole
Originally an Old English surname ‘Cola’.
Colt
The name Colt is often given in honour of Samuel Colt, the founder of a firearms company of the same name. Colt is the English word for a young male horse.
Conn
Conn is an Irish name. It means ‘cheif’ in Gaelic.
Cory
Cory stems from the Old Norse name ‘Kori’.
Curt
A short form of Curtis, which was originally an English surname stemming from the word, ‘courteous’.
Dale
From the English surname which referred to someone who lived close to a dale.
Dana
Dana was originally a surname that referred to a person from Denmark. It also means ‘wise’ in Persian.
Dane
An English surname which was a variant of Dean, or referred to someone from Denmark.
Dave
Shortened form of David, meaning ‘beloved’.
Davy
Davy is a nickname for David, which means ‘beloved’.
Dean
Originally an English surname.
Dirk
Shortened form of Diederik, which is a Scandinavian name meaning ‘ruler of the people’.
Doug
Shortened form of Douglas, which was originally a Scottish surname, meaning ‘black stream’ in Gaelic.
Drew
Shortened form of Andrew, meaning ‘warrior’.
Duke
Duke is a noble title in English aristocracy. It comes from the latin word, ‘dux’, meaning ‘leader’.
Durk
A variation of Dirk, meaning, a Scandinavian name meaning ‘ruler of the people’.
Earl
Originally an aristocratic title meaning ‘nobleman’ or ‘warrior’.
Eddy
A shortened form of Edward (meaning ‘rich guard’) or Edmund (meaning ‘wealth’ and ‘protection’).
Eden
This name either comes from the Hebrew word meaning ‘pleasure or delight’, or the Sumerian word ‘meaning ‘plain’.
Enzo
This name could either come from the old Italian form of Heinz or a variant of the Germanic name, Anzo. It can also be a nickname for names ending in -enzo, like Vincenzo.
Eric
Eirc is a Scandinavian name meaning ‘always ruler’. Eric was the name of several early Scandinavian kings from Sweden, Denmark and Norway.
Evan
Evan is the Anglicized form of Iefan, the Welsh name for John. Evan means ‘God is gracious’
Ezra
This name comes from the Hebrew word for ‘help’.
Finn
A name from Old Norse, meaning ‘person from Finland’.
Fitz
Fitz is a shortened form of any name beginning with Fitz. It comes from the Norman French, meaning ‘son of’.
Ford
Ford comes from a surname that was originally a place name in Old English and refered to someone who lived by a ford.
Fred
Shortened form of Frederick, meaning ‘peaceful ruler’.
Gabe
Shortened form of Gabriel, meaning ‘God is my strength’.
Gage
An English surname orginally from the Old French for ‘measure’.
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Gary
Gary stems from a French surname meaning ‘spear’. Gary Cooper, a film star from the 1920’s, popularized the name, after using it as a stage name after his hometown of Gary, Indiana.
Gene
Gene is a shortened form of Eugene, meaning ‘well born’.
Glen
Originally a Scottish surname from the Gaelic word for ‘valley’.
Gord
Gord is a nickname for Gordon, which is a Scottish surname. It means ‘spacious fort’ and was originally derived from a place name in Berwiskshire.
Gray
This one syllable baby name was originally an English surname.
Greg
Shortened form of Gregory, meaning ‘watchful’.
Grey
Alternate spelling of the name that was originally an English surname.
Hale
Originally an Old English surname meaning ‘nook’ or ‘retreat’.
Hank
A nickname for Henry (meaning ‘ruler’), made popular by baseball player Hank Aaron, and musician Hank Williams.
Hoyt
Originally a surname from the Middle English word for ‘stick’.
Hugh
Originally stemming from the Germanic, meaning ‘heart, spirit, mind’.
Hugo
Hugo is the Latinized form of Hugh, meaning ‘heart, spirit, mind’ in Germanic languages.
Iain
This one syllable baby name is the Scottish variant of John.
Iggy
Iggy is the shortened form of Ignatius, which comes from the surname of the Roman family, Egnatius.
Igor
Igor is the Russian form of Yngvarr, which combines the name of the Germanic god, Yngvi and ‘arr’, which means warrior.
Ivan
This Slavic name originally comes from the Greek, Iohannes.
Ives
Ives is the English version of Yves, a French name originally coming from the Germanic element ‘yew’.
Izzy
Izzy can be a nickname for names like Isaac, Isaiah, or Isreal.
Jace
Jace is a nickname for Jason, meaning ‘to heal’.
Jack
A nickname for John, it is now more popular as a name of its own.
Jake
This one syllable baby name was is a variation of Jack, or a shortened form of Jacob, meaning ‘supplanter’.
Jase
A shortened form for Jason, meaning ‘healer’.
Jean
Meaning ‘God is gracious’, Jean is a French form of John.
Jeff
Nickname for Jeffery (meaning ‘peace’) or for the Dutch name, Jozef, meaning ‘God will increase’.
Jett
Variation of the English word, jet, referring to the colour black, or a jet airplane.
Joel
Anglicized version of the Hebrew name, Yoel, Joel is a minor prophet of the Old Testament.
John
Meaning ‘God is gracious’, two important figures in the New Testament are names John.
Jory
Jory is the Cornish form of George, meaning ‘farmer’.
Josh
Shortened form of Joshua, meaning ‘God is salvation’.
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Jove
Jove is originally derived from Jupiter, the Roman god of the sea.
Judd
A medieval form of Jordan, referring the the Jordan river, which runs between Isreal and Jordan.
Jude
Shortened form of Judas, popularized by the song, ‘Hey Jude’.
Kade
Kade is an alternate spelling of Cade, which was originally a surname meaning ’round’ in Old English.
Kain
A form of Cain, the spelling was used in the Greek Old Testament. Cain means ‘acquired’ in Hebrew. In the Bible, Cain was a son of Adam who killed his brother, Abel.
Kale
Kale is the Hawaiian form of Charles, meaning ‘man’.
Karl
Karl is the Germanic and Scandinavian form of Charles, meaning ‘man’.
Kerr
Kerr was originally a Scottish surname. It comes from the Old Norse for ‘rough, wet ground’.
Kian
In Persian, Kian means ‘king, foundation, symbol of pride’.
King
King comes from the English word, king.
Kirk
Originally an English and Scottish surname meaning ‘church’.
Knox
Originally a Scottish surname referring to a round hill.
Kobe
Kobe is a shortened form of Jakob in Dutch.
Kris
Shortened form of Christopher, meaning ‘bearer of Christ’.
Kyle
Originally a Scottish surname from the Gaelic word for ‘strait’ or ‘channel’.
Lake
This name comes from the English word for the body of water.
Lane
Originally a surname referring to a person who lived near a lane or path.
Leif
An Old Norse name meaning ‘descendant’ or ‘heir’
Leon
Leon originally comes from the Greek word for lion.
Levi
In Hebrew, Levi means ‘joined’ or ‘attached’.
Liam
The Irish shortened form of William, meaning ‘resolute protector’.
Loup
French form of the name Lupus, meaning ‘wolf’.
Loyd
From the Welsh surname referring to the colour grey.
Luca
Luca is a form of Lucas in Italian and Romanian
Luke
English version of the Greek name meaning from Luciana, a region in Southern Italy.
Lyle
Originally from the French word for island (l’isle), Lyle stemmed from an English surname, brought to England by the Normans.
Mack
This one syllable boys name comes from a number of Scottish surnames, all beginning with Mac. Mac is the Gaelic word meaning son, and can also be used as a general sland term for ‘man’.
Marc/Mark
Originally coming from the Latin name, Marcus, it was originally derived from the Roman god, Mars, who was the god of war. It means ‘male’.
Matt
Shortened form of Matthew, meaning ‘gift of God’.
Merv
This one syllable name is a shortened form of Mervyn, which originated from a Welsh king named Merfyn.
Mick
Mick is a nickname for Michael (meaning ‘Who is like God?’ or the archangel of the same name) or a slang term that refers to an Irishman.
Mike
Mike is the common diminuitive of Michael, meaning ‘who is like God?’.
Milo
Milo is an Old Germanic form of Miles, meaning ‘gracious’.
Nash
Nash is a very trendy one syllable name that originally stems from a middle English phrases meaning ‘at the ash tree’.
Nate
This is another one syllable name that is a shortened form of Nathan (meaning ‘he gave’) or Nathanial (meaning ‘God has given’).
Neil
Anglicized version of Niall, the Scottish name meaning ‘champoin’.
Nick
Short for Nicholas, meaning ‘victory of the people’.
Noah
Noah is originally a Hebrew name meaning ‘rest’.
Noel
Noel comes from the French for ‘Christmas’, and was traditionally given to children born on this holiday.
Otis
An English name originally stemming from the name, Otto, meaning ‘wealth’.
Owen
The Anglicized version of Irish and Welsh name for Eugene, meaning wealth.
Paul
Meaning ‘small’ or ‘humble’ in Latin, Paul comes from the Paulus family, an important Roman family. Paul was an important early Christian leader.
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Pete
A nickname for Peter, which originated from the Greek word meaning ‘stone’.
Phil
The shortened form of Philip, meaning ‘friend of horses’.
Quin
Quin comes from an Irish surname, originally spelled Quinn.
Rain
From the English word, ‘rain’.
Reid
Originally a surname, it comes from the Old English word, ‘read’, a nickname given to a redhead.
Remy
Remy is the French form of Remigius, the Latin name meaning ‘oarsmen’ or ‘rower’.
Rene
A form of the name Renatus, meaning ‘born again’.
Rhys
Rhys is a Welsh name meaning ‘enthusiasm’.
Rich
Rich is a short form of Richard, which means ‘brave, power’.
Rick
Shortened form of Richard, which means ‘brave, power’.
Rolf
Originally this name comes from Rudolf, meaning ‘fame’ and ‘wolf’.
Rory
Rory is the Anglicized form of Ruaidhri, an Irish name that means ‘red’.
Ross
A Scottish surname, coming from the Gaelic word for ‘headland’.
Rudy
Rudy is a shortened form of Rudolph, meaning ‘fame’ and ‘wolf’.
Russ
Shortened form of Russell, meaning ‘little red one’ in French.
Ryan
Ryan comes form the Irish surname O Rian, meaning descendant of Rian, which means ‘little king’.
Sage
Sage is the English word referring to the spice, or a wise person.
Saul
Saul is a cute boys name, meaning ‘asked for’, ‘prayed for’ in Hebrew.
Scot
Scot’s original meaning is “Gaelic speaker’ in Latin. It refers to someone from Scotland or who speaks Scottish Gaelic.
Sean
Irish form of John, meaning ‘God is gracious’.
Seth
In Hebrew, Seth means ‘appointed’.
Shaw
Coming from an English surname, meaning ‘thicket’.
Shay
This Irish Gaelic name means ‘majestic’ or ‘esteemed’.
Shea
An alternate spelling of the Irish Gaelic name means ‘majestic’ or ‘esteemed’.
Stan
Shortened form of Stanley, coming from a surname meaning ‘stone clearning’ in Old English.
Sven
Sven means ‘boy’ in Old Norse.
Tate
Originally a surname in Old English coming from the given name.
Thor
From the Old Norse, meaning ‘thunder’, Thor is the Norse god of stregnth, storms, thunder and war.
Toby
Shortened form of Tobias.
Todd
Todd stems from the Middle English word for fox.
Tony
Tony is a nickname for Anthony, from the Roman family Antonius.
Trey
Originally a nickname in English meaning ‘three’.
Troy
Originally a surname referring to someone who lived in the French city of Troyes.
Vern
This is the shortened form of Vernon, which means ‘alder’.
Wade
Originally, Wade was a an Old English word referring to a ford.
Walt
A shortened form of Walter, meaning ‘ruler of the army’.
Ward
Originally an English surname for a person who worked as a guard or watchman.
Will
Shortened form of William, meaning ‘resolute protector’ in Old French.
Wolf
A shortened form of Wolfgang, or after the animal of the same name.
Yvon
A nickname for the French name, Yves, originally stemming from the Germanic word for ‘yew’.
Yves
A French name, originally stemming from the Germanic word for ‘yew’.
Zach
Nicknames for Zachary, meaning ‘God rememebered’.
Zane
Originally an American surname of unknown meaning.
Zeke
A nickname for Ezekiel, which means ‘God will strengthen’.
Zion
The biblical term for the promised land.
Name meanings sources from Behind the Name
Well that’s my list of four letter boy names. I hope this helps you on the search for the perfect name for your new son! Happy name-hunting and good luck!
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