Masculinity has always been correlated with strength. Manhood is perceived to be strength in character, strength in body and in mind.
Is it any wonder then that we tell our little boys to eat up their spinach and drink their milk, so they can grow up to be big strong men?
But before we fast forward to grown men, let’s talk abut finding a name for you little boy. If you are in the market for names with meaning of strength, you are in the right place.
Below is a list with boy names that carry the meanings of strength, valour, and courage, derived from different cultures around the world.
Before we begin however, let us pause for a minute and discuss the process of choosing a name.
Some might prefer to just rush in, but in this matter, rushing in would not always get the best outcome. Still not sure you need a process? Let’s explore all the reasons why.
Gift of a lifetime
While choosing a name for your child might take some of your precious time, for them, it’s the gift of a lifetime. They will have to live with and love (or hate) this name forever.
The older children become, the more independent they will grow to be, and soon enough, they would shake off parental authority in favor of becoming their own person and a full-fledged adult.
But one thing they will keep forever, is the name you give them.
Its worth taking the extra time to dwell on the name you choose. Dwell on the sound of it, the idea of it, and its origin, and most importantly, dwell on the meaning of it. A name carrying meanings of strength and valor will infuse its essence into every aspect of your little boy’s life.
Middle names
When it comes to selecting middle names, the trend is clear: most parents these days are opting in. Most parents are selecting a middle name to go with the first name they’ve picked, or vice versa, and this is where it gets interesting.
While some names sound wonderful when thought of separately, not all mesh well together when combined.
Take an example; the first name Milo. Consider now the middle name Aimilios. Both are strong, masculine names. But combine them in the form of: Milo Aimilios and you have a little bit of tongue twister.
The names don’t roll out smoothly together and you will need to take a long breath in the middle. In comparison, the name Milo Anders, or Milo Maximus, flow smoothly and mesh nicely together.
It’s important to conduct a little vocal reconnaissance of the names you chose, before finalizing your decision. Do the name fit well together? Do they have corresponding or fitting meanings? Do they achieve harmony together? Your little Milo will truly thank you for taking the time to consider his names.
If you are using pre-selected or pre-decided middle names, say from the family tree or in fulfilling your partner’s desire to name your baby after his best friend, that is ok, many parents do.
Just make sure that the first name you select, can work well with it.
And don’t forget; for every yes you will get two-fold the nay-sayers; while it’s good to listen to people’s feedback and comments on the names you’ve chosen, don’t let their views and opinions discourage you.
If saying the names you have picked makes you feel good and connected to your baby; if the names you’ve picked sound like the name of your baby, then don’t worry, others will come around to it too.
Too unique
There is such a thing as too unique. It is in our human nature to desire to stand out and be heard. It can be disheartening to find that a name you found special, is actually quite common and popular and is being chosen by many other parents too.
It would be tempting in such a scenario, to just choose the most unique name you can find, and make sure you, and your child, stand out. But a word of caution: Sometimes names that are too unique, can make your child feel uncomfortable introducing himself, and diminish his confidence in himself.
Consider the origins of the name you are picking, and what context it came from. The cultural nuances and background story behind it.
While we hope your child is confident and strong and can withstand all peer pressure, it’s a good idea to temper our choices to names that are an easy fit for your family and your child.
Initials
I came across a story once, on one of the popular parenting forums regarding ‘baby name choices.” The mother was sharing her story on the forum.
To paraphrase her story; she admitted that when she and her husband were busy picking names for her second daughter, they never once considered her initials.
They thought about whether her first name and middle names meshed well together, and about the meanings of the names, but did not think ahead to initials at all.
As a result?
Her daughter’s initials spelled out are: TRD.
It did not take her fellow classmates long to jump from TRD to an unfortunate word that we need not mention here.
Moral of the story: While it may not be the end of the world, and perhaps it will build character for you child, it’s worth taking the time to think about your boy’s initials spelled out from first name through middle name to last name.
Just like names that are too unique can hurt their confidence, so can somewhat unfortunate initials.
Nicknames
Nicknames can be the best until they are the worst.
People love abbreviations and shortening of names. It’s human nature.
Shorter names are easier and faster to call out, sound more familiar and put us at ease, and can be also endearing. Its sign of familiarity and friendship hen someone comes up with a nickname for you.
People will always strive to find nicknames for even the shortest of names.
While some nicknames are obvious, like calling an Edward Eddie, or Andrew Andy, others might take you by surprise (like Ike for Isaac).
Test the names you choose for potential nicknames, and make sure that you like these nicknames, as you will probably be hearing them said often and might wind up using them yourself.
Professionalism
We’ve gone full circle and have come back to little boys growing up into strong and brave men.
Names should stay with a person for their entire lifetime, as they do not outgrow them. So, make sure that your selection will sound just as good on a full grown adult man, as they do on a chubby little baby.
Maybe Booboo is perfect for little toothy Bernard, but you will be happy to switch to Bernie or Bernard when he is a little bit older. (Or maybe not. Booboo is pretty darn cute.)
Whichever names you pick, think of the nicknames.
And finally, remember that you can always change your mind.
Many a mother found herself throwing out her first and second choices out the window in favor for the runners up, after seeing her little baby’s face.
Sometimes the baby becomes a name, rather than a name becoming them. That is why it’s a good idea to have a small short list of pre-approved, pre-tested first and middle names, just in case you have a change of heart.
Without further ado, please find below a list of names carrying meaning of strength, valour and courage.
Strong Baby Boy Names that means Strength
A
- Amzi
- Anders
- Andrea
- Arnold
- Aaron
- Angus
- Arne
- Aziel
- Arnaud
- Andrey
- Andrew
- Arsen
- Arhan
- Abelardo
- Abir
- Aimilios
- Aiden
- Armando
- Aryan
- Aloysius
- Alger
- Azai
- Alexander
B
- Bernard
- Bernhart
- Baint
- Briar
- Bryant
- Bryan
- Bernardo
- Barrett
- Brian
- Boris
- Blaise (Check out popular middle names)
C
- Charles
- Conall
- Chuck
- Caelan
- Callan
- Chadwick
- Caesar
- Cesar
D
- Drew
- Duncan
- Dustin
- Denzell
E
- Ethan
- Everett
- Ezekiel
- Erander
- Eitan
- Etan
- Edric
F
- Fortney
- Fort
G
- Griffin
- Garett
- Gavin
- Gabriel
- Guy
- Garick
- Gunther
- Gunner
H
- Hamzah
- Hardy
- Hagam
- Herbert
- Henry
- Humphrey
- Herman
- Harold
- Harvey
- Harv
- Harvard
I
- Igor
- Ikaika – beautiful Hawaiian name that means strong
J
- Jedrek
- Jed
- Jerry
- Josiah
- James
K
- Karl
- Kennard
- Kane
- Kavan
- Ken
- Kalman
- Kano
- Kenzo
L
- Liam
- Luigi
- Louis
- Lewis
- Ludwig
- Luther
- Leonardo
- Leo
M
- Maynard
- Maximus
- Max
- Morgan
- Magnus
- Miles
- Milo
- Micheal
- Marcel
- Marc
- Marcello
- Martin
- Marcus
- Maoz
N
- Neev
- Neron
- Nolan
- Nikostratos
O
- Owen
- Oscar
- Oswald
- Osiris
- Ozni
- Oz
P
- Patrick
- Peyton
- Ptolemy
- Patton
- Phoenix
Q
Quillon
R
- Richard
- Ragnar
- Ryker
- Ricardo
- Ricky
- Ritchie
- Rostam
- Rich
- Ryan
- Raynor
- Roger
- Reginald
S
- Sacha
- Shad
- Swain
T
- Tyrrell
- Terrell
- Troy
- Thor
U
- Umberto
V
- Valentine
- Valen
- Villads
- Valens
- Virgil
- Valerian
W
- Wyatt
- William
- Warrick
- Walter
- Werner
- Warner
X
- Xander
Z
- Zale