Browse Names

This is a list of names in which the gender is masculine; and the categories include bluegrass musicians.
gender
usage
Alwyn m Welsh
From the name of the River Alwen in northern Wales (a tributary of the River Dee).
Arlen m English
Meaning unknown, possibly from a surname.
Aubrey m & f English
From Auberi, an Old French form of Alberich brought to England by the Normans. It was common in the Middle Ages, and was revived in the 19th century. Since the mid-1970s it has more frequently been given to girls, due to Bread's 1972 song Aubrey along with its similarity to the established feminine name Audrey.
Bailey m & f English
From an English surname derived from Middle English baili meaning "bailiff", originally denoting one who was a bailiff.... [more]
Béla m Hungarian
The meaning of this name is not known for certain. It could be derived from Hungarian bél meaning "guts, bowel" or Old Slavic bělŭ meaning "white". This was the name of four Hungarian kings. It was also borne by the Hungarian composer Béla Bartók (1881-1945).
Benny m English
Diminutive of Benjamin or Benedict.
Bernie m & f English
Diminutive of Bernard, Bernadette, Bernice and other names beginning with Bern.
Brennan m English
From an Irish surname (Anglicized from Irish Gaelic Ó Braonáin) that was derived from the byname Braonán, itself from Irish braon meaning "rain, moisture, drop" combined with a diminutive suffix. As a given name, it has been used since the 1960s as an alternative to Brendan or Brandon, though it has not been as popular as them.
Buddy m English
From the English word meaning "friend". It probably originated as a nursery form of the word brother.
Byron m English
From a surname that was originally from a place name meaning "place of the cow sheds" in Old English. This was the surname of the romantic poet Lord Byron (1788-1824), the writer of Don Juan and many other works.
Charlie m & f English
Diminutive or feminine form of Charles. A famous bearer was the British comic actor Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977). It is also borne by Charlie Brown, the main character in the comic strip Peanuts by Charles Schulz.
Clarence m English
From the Latin title Clarensis, which belonged to members of the British royal family. The title ultimately derives from the name of the town of Clare in Suffolk. As a given name it has been in use since the 19th century.
Clinton m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from towns named Glinton, of uncertain meaning, or Glympton, meaning "settlement on the River Glyme". A famous bearer of the surname is former American president Bill Clinton (1946-).
Colton m English (Modern)
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "Cola's town". It started being used as a given name in the 1980s. Likely in some cases it was viewed as an elaborated or full form of Cole or Colt.
Dale m & f English
From an English surname that originally belonged to a person who lived near a dale or valley.
Deacon m English (Modern)
Either from the occupational surname Deacon or directly from the vocabulary word deacon, which refers to a cleric in the Christian church (ultimately from Greek διάκονος (diakonos) meaning "servant").
Dean m English
From a surname, see Dean 1 and Dean 2. The actor James Dean (1931-1955) was a famous bearer of the surname.
Doyle m English
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Dubhghaill, itself derived from the given name Dubhghall. A famous bearer of the surname was Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), the author of the Sherlock Holmes mystery stories.
Dudley m English
From a surname that was originally from a place name meaning "Dudda's clearing" in Old English. The surname was borne by a British noble family.
Dustin m English
From an English surname that was derived from the Old Norse given name Þórsteinn (see Torsten). The name was popularized by the actor Dustin Hoffman (1937-), who was apparently named after the earlier silent movie star Dustin Farnum (1874-1929).
Earl m English
From the aristocratic title, which derives from Old English eorl "nobleman, warrior". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century.
Ernest m English, French, Catalan, Polish, Slovak, Slovene
Derived from Old High German ernust meaning "serious, earnest". It was introduced to England by the German House of Hanover when they inherited the British throne in the 18th century, though it did not become common until the following century. The American author and adventurer Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) was a famous bearer of the name. It was also used by Oscar Wilde for a character in his comedy The Importance of Being Earnest (1895).
Fred m English, Dutch, German, French, Portuguese, Swedish, Norwegian
Short form of Frederick and other names containing the same element. A famous bearer was the American actor and dancer Fred Astaire (1899-1987). It was also borne by the cartoon caveman Fred Flintstone on the television series The Flintstones (1960-1966).
Gabe m English
Short form of Gabriel.
Gene m English
Short form of Eugene.
Hunter m & f English
From an English occupational surname for a hunter, derived from Old English hunta. A famous bearer was the eccentric American journalist Hunter S. Thompson (1937-2005).
Isaac m English, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, French, Jewish, Biblical, Biblical Latin
From the Hebrew name יִצְחָק (Yitsḥaq) meaning "he will laugh, he will rejoice", derived from צָחַק (tsaḥaq) meaning "to laugh". The Old Testament explains this meaning, by recounting that Abraham laughed when God told him that his aged wife Sarah would become pregnant with Isaac (see Genesis 17:17), and later Sarah laughed when overhearing the same prophecy (see Genesis 18:12). When Isaac was a boy, God tested Abraham's faith by ordering him to sacrifice his son, though an angel prevented the act at the last moment. Isaac went on to become the father of Esau and Jacob with his wife Rebecca.... [more]
Jake m English
Medieval variant of Jack. It is also sometimes used as a short form of Jacob.
Jere m Finnish, Croatian, English
Finnish diminutive of Jeremias (usually used independently), as well as a Croatian diminutive of Jeronim and an English diminutive of Jerald or Jeremiah.
Jerry m & f English
Diminutive of Jeremy, Jerome, Gerald, Geraldine and other names beginning with the same sound. Notable bearers include the American comedians Jerry Lewis (1926-2017) and Jerry Seinfeld (1954-), as well as the American football player Jerry Rice (1962-).
Jessie 2 m English
Variant of Jesse.
Jimmy m English
Diminutive of James. This was the usual name of American actor James Stewart (1908-1997). It is also used by the former American president Jimmy Carter (1924-).
Johnny m English
Diminutive of John. A famous bearer is American actor Johnny Depp (1963-).
Keith m English, Scottish
From a Scottish surname that was originally derived from the name of a place in East Lothian, itself possibly derived from the Celtic root *kayto- meaning "wood". This was the surname of a long line of Scottish nobles. It has been used as a given name since the 19th century, becoming fairly common throughout the English-speaking world in the 20th century.
Larry m English
Diminutive of Laurence 1. A notable bearer is former basketball player Larry Bird (1956-).
Lester m English
From an English surname that was derived from the name of the city of Leicester, originally denoting a person who was from that place. The city's name is derived from the river name Ligore combined with Latin castra "camp".
Lincoln m English
From an English surname that was originally from the name of an English city, called Lindum Colonia by the Romans, derived from Brythonic lindo "lake, pool" and Latin colonia "colony". This name is usually given in honour of Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), president of the United States during the American Civil War.
Mac m English
Variant of Mack 1.
Mick m English, Dutch
Short form of Michael. This name has become a slang term for an Irishman.
Mitchell m English
From an English surname, itself derived from the given name Michael or in some cases from Middle English michel meaning "big, large".
Nelson m English, Spanish
From an English surname meaning "son of Neil". It was originally given in honour of the British admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805). His most famous battle was the Battle of Trafalgar, in which he destroyed a combined French and Spanish fleet, but was himself killed. Another notable bearer was the South African statesman Nelson Mandela (1918-2013). Mandela's birth name was Rolihlahla; as a child he was given the English name Nelson by a teacher.
Noam m & f Hebrew, French
Means "pleasantness" in Hebrew. A famous bearer is Noam Chomsky (1928-), an American linguist and philosopher.
Owen 1 m Welsh, English
Anglicized form of Owain.
Preston m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "priest town" (Old English preost and tun).
Ralph m English, German, Swedish
Contracted form of the Old Norse name Ráðúlfr (or its Norman form Radulf). Scandinavian settlers introduced it to England before the Norman Conquest, though afterwards it was bolstered by Norman influence. In the Middle Ages it was variously spelled Rauf, Rafe or Ralf reflecting the usual pronunciation. The Ralph spelling became more common in the 18th century. A famous bearer of the name was Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), an American poet and author who wrote on transcendentalism.
Ray m English
Short form of Raymond, often used as an independent name. It coincides with an English word meaning "beam of light". Science-fiction author Ray Bradbury (1920-2012) and musician Ray Charles (1930-2004) are two notable bearers of the name.
Rex m English
From Latin rex meaning "king". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century.
Ricky m English
Diminutive of Richard.
Roland m English, French, German, Swedish, Dutch, Hungarian, Polish, Slovak, Albanian, Georgian, Carolingian Cycle
From the Old German elements hruod meaning "fame" and lant meaning "land", though some theories hold that the second element was originally nand meaning "brave".... [more]
Ronnie m & f English
Diminutive of Ronald or Veronica.
Roy m Scottish, English, Dutch
Anglicized form of Ruadh. A notable bearer was the Scottish outlaw and folk hero Rob Roy (1671-1734). It is often associated with French roi "king".
Russell m English
From an English surname, of Norman origin, meaning "little red one" (a diminutive of Old French rous "red"). A notable bearer of the surname was the agnostic British philosopher Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), who wrote on many subjects including logic, epistemology and mathematics. He was also a political activist for causes such as pacifism and women's rights.... [more]
Shelby m & f English
From an English surname, which was possibly a variant of Selby. Though previously in use as a rare masculine name, it was popularized as a feminine name by the main character in the movie The Woman in Red (1935). It was later reinforced by the movie Steel Magnolias (1989) in which Julia Roberts played a character by this name.
Sonny m English
From a nickname that is commonly used to denote a young boy, derived from the English word son.
Tyler m English
From an English surname meaning "tiler of roofs", derived from Old English tigele "tile". The surname was borne by American president John Tyler (1790-1862).
Uwe m German
German form of Ove.
Van m English
Short form of names containing van, such as Vance or Ivan.
Vern m English
Short form of Vernon.
Willard m English
From an English surname that was derived from the Old German given name Willihard (or the Old English cognate Wilheard).