There’s something about a southern boy name that just makes you think of sweet tea and long summer days. Maybe it’s the lazy drawl that some of them seem to have or the way that they just roll off the tongue. Or maybe it’s the long history of southern culture, or maybe it’s the strong association with masculinity.
Part of the appeal of a Southern baby boy name is the sense of tradition that comes with it. These names have been passed down through generations, and they evoke a sense of history and heritage.
Southern names also tend to be very strong and masculine, which is likely another factor in their popularity. In a world where boys are often expected to be tough and independent, a southern name can convey those qualities.
Whatever it is, there’s no denying that southern boy names have a certain Southern charm to them. Even if you’re not from the south, you can’t help but feel a little bit of nostalgia when you hear some of these timeless Southern boy names.
Due to their popularity and to make searching for the right Southern baby names for boys easier for you, we made lists of timeless Southern boy names, unique Southern boy names, classic Southern boy names and cute Southern boy names.
Popular Southern Boy Names
When it comes to naming a baby boy, there are countless western boy names to choose from. But if you’re looking for a name that’s steeped in Southern culture, you can’t go wrong with one of these popular southern names.
For starters, Southern baby names like Wyatt and Colt are always popular in the South which includes Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
Or, if you want to pay tribute to Southern cities, consider naming your son after one of the most iconic places in the region, like Memphis or Dallas.
Here’s our list of some of the most popular Southern baby boy names:
Abbott
Abbott is an English occupational name meaning “abbot, father” from Old English abbod and ultimately from Latin abbas.
Alfred
A name of English origin, Alfred means “wise counselor”. It is derived from the Old English elements ælf “elf” and ræd “counsel”.
Ashton
The name Ashton is of English origin and means “ash tree town”. It is a variation of the name Ashley.
Austin
A charming boy’s name of English origin, meaning “great” or “magnificent”.
Billy
A diminutive of the name William, which is derived from the Germanic name Wilhelm, meaning “will helmet, protection”.
Bradley
A name of English origin, meaning “broad clearing in the wood” or “broad meadow”.
Caleb
A Hebrew name that means “faithful” or “devoted”. It can also be translated to “whole hearted”.
Camden
The boy’s name Camden is of English origin and means “winding valley”.
Carter
A southern name that is of English origin and means “transporter of goods by cart.”
Charlie
A diminutive form of Charles, meaning “free man” or “warrior”.
Colt
A name of English origin, Colt is a diminutive form of the name Nicholas. It means “young horse” or “filly”.
Dallas
A Scottish place name that means “meadow dwelling”.
Duncan
A Scottish name that means “dark warrior” or “brown warrior”. It is derived from the Gaelic name Donnchadh, which is a combination of the elements donn (meaning “brown”) and cath (meaning “warrior”).
Elijah
A Hebrew name that means “Yahweh is my God”.
Finn
A name of Irish and Scottish Gaelic origin. It is derived from the Old Irish name Fionn. The meaning of Finn is “fair haired”.
Garth
Garth is a name of Welsh origin, meaning “enclosure” or “garden”. It is a name of a popular singer of country music.
Gavin
A name of Scottish origin meaning “white hawk” or “hawk of the battle.” It is derived from the Old Irish name Gawain, meaning “hawk of the sun.”
Grayson
A southern boy name of English origin, Grayson is a variation of the name Greyson. The name Grayson means “son of the steward” or “son of the gray-haired man”.
Henry
A name of Germanic origin, meaning “estate ruler”. It was derived from the Germanic name Heimirich which was composed of the elements heim, meaning “home”, and ric, meaning “ruler, power”.
Knox
A name of Scottish origin that comes from a place name meaning “round topped hill” in Old English.
Leo
A name of Latin origin meaning “lion”. It is also the name of a constellation and the fifth astrological sign in the zodiac.
Lucas
A name of Latin origin meaning “light” or “illumination”.
Memphis
The name Memphis is of Egyptian origin and it means “enduring and beautiful.”
Nash
A unisex name that is of English origin and it means “by the ash tree”. The name was originally given as a descriptive nickname to someone who lived near an ash tree.
Over time, the name Nash came to be used as a given name, and it is now a popular Southern baby boy name for baby boys in the United States.
Neil
A name of Celtic origin that means “cloud”.
Noah
A Hebrew name that means “rest, comfort”. It is derived from the root word nuach meaning “to rest, to be at ease”.
Sean
The name Sean is of Irish origin and it means “God is gracious”.
Ryan
A name of Irish origin, meaning “little king” or “illustrious”.
Trenton
Trenton is a name of English origin, and it means “gushing waters” or “trent’s town”. It is derived from the Old English words “treowe” meaning “tree” and “tun” meaning “settlement”.
Owen
A Welsh name that means “young warrior” or “noble”. This cute baby name is derived from the Latin name Eugenius.
Paxton
A name of English origin, Paxton is derived from the Old English words “pac” and “tun” meaning “peace town”.
Victor
A name of Latin origin, meaning “conqueror”.
Wade
A name of English origin, from a surname which was derived from the Old English given name Wada. The meaning of Wade is “to go” or “to cross”. It is a name steeped in country style.
Wyatt
Wyatt is an English name that comes from the Old French name Guyot, which was derived from the Germanic name Wido, which means “wood” or “wide”.
Classic Southern Boy Names
Classic and strong Southern boy names have always been popular. Throughout the years, they have remained strong and steady.
Even in today’s society, there are many old southern boy names that are just as popular as they were years ago. The strong connection to inner Southern roots make these names remain strong throughout the years.
As we look back at history, we can see how many of these classic Southern boy names were given to great leaders and well-known figures. This only adds to the intrigue and allure of these classic Southern name for boys.
When choosing a boy’s name for your own little Southern gentleman, consider some of these classic options that have stood the test of time.
Aaron
This classic Southern boy name is of Hebrew origin, meaning “mountain of strength”.
Atticus
A baby name of Latin origin, Atticus means “from Attica”. Attica is the historical region that encompasses the city of Athens, Greece.
Bentley
A southern name of English origin, Bentley is a habitational name from any of the various places named with the Old English pre 7th Century word beonet “bent grass”, plus Old English leah “woodland, clearing” or “meadow with coarse grass”.
Brooks
This name for a baby boy is of English and Scottish origin and comes from the Old English word broc meaning “stream” or the Scottish word brock meaning “badger”.
Charleston
A city in South Carolina, USA. The name Charleston is derived from Charles Town, named after King Charles II of England. The name Charleston means “free peasant’s settlement”.
Cooper
A name of English origin, Cooper is derived from the Middle English word “couper” which means “barrel maker”.
Cornelius
A name of Latin origin meaning “horn”. It is derived from the word cornu, meaning “horn”.
Darius
A Persian name that means “possesses a good chariot” or “rich and kingly”.
Deacon
A timeless southern boy name of Greek origin meaning “messenger”.
Duke
A masculine name of English origin, Duke means “leader”.
Emmett
A name of English origin, Emmett is derived from a surname which was derived from a given name meaning “entire, universal”.
Ewan
A Scottish name meaning “youth” or “young warrior” or “born of the yew tree”.
Ford
A name for a Southern baby boy of English origin, Ford is derived from a place name meaning “river crossing”.
Ford came to be used as a surname, given to people who lived near a fording point. In modern times, the name Ford is still used as a surname, but it can also be given as a first name.
Franklin
A name of English origin, meaning “free man” or “free land holder”. It is derived from the Old French word “franc” meaning free.
Gatlin
A name of English origin, Gatlin is a habitational name from any of the various places named with the Old English pre 7th century personal name Gata, + Old English tun “enclosure, yard, town”. It may also mean “wandering man”.
Harlan
A name of English origin, Harlan means “army land” or “rocky land”.
Jackson
A name of English origin, Jackson means “son of Jack”.
Lyle
A name of English origin, meaning “from the island.”
Marshall
A name of French origin, meaning “one who looks after horses.”
Martin
A name of Latin origin meaning “warlike”. It is also a popular surname.
Nelson
A name of English origin, meaning “son of Neil”.
Otis
Otis is a name of English origin, and it means “wealthy”.
Parker
This name is of English origin and means “park keeper”.
Patton
This name is of English and Scottish origin, and means “fighter’s town”. It is derived from the Old English word pæt, meaning “pit, trench”, or “warrior”, and the Old English tun, meaning “enclosure, settlement”.
Prescott
A name of English origin, meaning “priest’s cottage”.
Presley
The name Presley is of English origin and is a variant of the name Preston.
Rufus
A Latin name that means “red-haired”.
Sawyer
A name of English origin, Sawyer is an occupational name meaning “one who saws wood”.
Weston
Weston is a name of English origin, and it means “from the western town”.
Cute Southern Baby Boy Names
You might be looking for charming and cute Southern names for your baby boy. In that case, you’ll want to check out this list of cute and sweet Southern boy names.
Ace
A unisex name that is derived from the English word meaning “one, unity”. It can also be given to a person who excels in a particular field.
Alden
A name of English origin, meaning “old friend” or “wise friend”.
Beau
A name for a baby boy of French origin, meaning “handsome” or “beautiful”.
Brody
A name of Scottish and Irish origin. It is a variation of the name Brodie, which is derived from a Gaelic word meaning “broad island” or “muddy place”.
Chase
A name for a baby boy and of English origin, Chase is derived from the Old French word “chacier” which means “to hunt”.
Clarence
The name Clarence is of Latin origin. It came from the word ‘clarus,’ meaning “clear, bright or famous.” It was the name of a 6th-century Saint from Italy.
Daryl
A name of English origin, Daryl is a variation of the name Darrell, which is a combination of the Old English words for “dear” and “famous”.
Devon
Devon is a county in England. The name Devon is derived from the Brythonic word for deep which is the same as the modern Welsh word dyfyn.
Frederick
A masculine name of German origin that means “peaceful ruler”.
Harley
A boy’s name that is derived from a surname, which in turn was derived from a place name. The name Harley means “hare clearing” or “hare wood”.
Hudson
Hudson is a name of English origin. The meaning of Hudson is “son of Hugh”
Livingston
A name of Scottish origin. The meaning of Livingston is “lives near the lime-stone settlement”.
Maddox
A name of Welsh origin, Maddox is a variation of the name Madoc, which is derived from the Welsh elements mad “fortunate” and oc “son”.
Mason
A name of English origin, Mason means “one who works with stone”. It can also be derived from the French word “maçon” meaning “stonemason”.
Maverick
A name of English origin, Maverick means “independent”.
Sebastian
A name of Greek origin meaning “venerable” or “revered”. It is the name of a number of saints and popes.
Shane
A name of Celtic origin that means “God is gracious”.
Spencer
A name of English origin for a baby boy, meaning “dispenser of provisions”.
Tobias
Tobias is a name of Greek origin that means “God is good”.
Tyler
A name of English origin, Tyler is derived from the Old French word “tieuleor” which means “tile maker or roofer”.
Wesley
The name Wesley is derived from a West Saxon surname which was derived from the Old English given name Westlea. The meaning of the name is “western meadow” or “westerly field”.
Unique Southern Names for Boys
Many southern names for boys have strong ties to family history and can be passed down for generations. Plus, these southern baby boy names often have a charming southern drawl that is sure to please.
Some unique southern names for boys include Ambrose, Innis and Judson. No matter what you’re looking for in a boy’s name, you’re sure to find the perfect fit with a little bit of southern flair.
Ambrose
The name Ambrose is derived from the Ancient Greek name Ambrosios, which itself comes from the word ambrosia, meaning “immortality”.
Ardy
A diminutive of the name Ardith, which is a Hebrew name meaning “flowering field” or “blooming meadow”.
Augustus
A name of Latin origin, meaning “great” or “venerable”. It was a title given to Roman emperors and was first used as a given name in the 18th century.
Boone
A name of French origin, Boone is derived from the word “bon” meaning “good”. It can also be a variation of the German name “Bruno”.
Buck
A name of English origin, Buck is a diminutive form of the name Buckingham, meaning “dweller by the water meadow”. It also means “male deer”.
Carlisle
The name Carlisle is of English and Scottish origin. The meaning of Carlisle is “from the walled city”.
Emerson
This name is of English origin and means “Emery’s son”. Emery is an English form of the Germanic name Amalric which was derived from the elements amal meaning “work”
Flynn
Flynn is a name of Irish origin that comes from the Old Gaelic name “Floinn”. The name Flynn means “son of the red-haired one”.
Huck
A diminutive of the name Huckleberry, Huck is a nickname for someone who is small or mischievous. It can also be a surname.
Innis
A name of Irish origin, meaning “island”.
Judson
A name of English origin, Judson is a variation of the name Jordan. It means “son of Jordan”.
Kendall
A baby name of English origin. The meaning of Kendall is “valley of the river Kent”.
Kingston
A name of English origin, meaning “king’s town”.
Landon
A name of English origin, meaning “long hill”.
Montgomery
A habitational name from any of the numerous places in France named Montgomeri, from Old French mont “mountain, hill” + Germanic personal name Gomeri, Latinized as Gomericus.
Nolan
Nolan is name of Irish origin that comes from the Old Irish name Ó Nualláin, which is derived from the word nuall, meaning “noble”.
Sutton
A name of English origin, meaning “from the south town” or “from the southern homestead”.
Wilber
A name of old German origin, meaning “resolute brightness”.
Wilbur
The name Wilbur is of Germanic origin and means “bright will, bright desire”.
Conclusion on Southern Boy Names
Boy southern names often have significant meaning to the parents. They may be inspired by a beloved family member or a favorite author.
Additionally, southern baby boy names tend to be unique and distinct, setting the child apart from his peers. These boy names also often have a strong connection to the region’s history, culture and country music. Many parents simply find southern names to be incredibly handsome and charming.
Whatever the reason, there is no doubt that these strong and cute southern boy names are becoming increasingly popular. So if you’re on the hunt for a boy’s name for your new little guy, be sure to consider some of the south’s best baby boy names.
