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Children’s names that start with “N” are relatively few and far between. In fact, there are only 10 boy names which start with the letter “N.” This is a list of those ten most common boy names that begin with N.
Naomi
Nathaniel
Neil
Nicholas
Noah Nathanial
Nickolas – also spelled Nicolas or Nicky, Niclas or Niklas. With a “k” this is the German form of Nicholas which has been used by the Danish Royal Family since 1730 for their male heirs to the throne and would be pronounced similar to Nicholass in English. It can also be found as Nicolai with an e instead of i when it’s from Greek origin. Nicola (with no h) is derived from Italian/Latin meaning “victory people.” Nicolette comes from French, Nikolaus from Germanic origins but both spellings have been used historically in different countries over time while Nicolas is more of a modern spelling
Noah
Neil – derived from the Gaelic word for “champion” and also an Irish surname. Also spelled Neill or Neilson, this is one of only two English names that have been in continuous use since before the Norman Conquest (the other being John). It’s ranked as the 12th most popular name in Scotland today. In Ireland it has traditionally been used by Catholic families but now ranks 15th there too with 386 boys given this name during 2015. The third-most common form of Newlyn according to ONS data released 2016/2017 is pronounced like ‘Neill’ rather than ‘Neil.’ This reflects how some people outside North America pronounce this particular variant.
Nathan – means “gift from God” in Hebrew and this is the most popular name for baby boys born to Jewish parents. In fact, it’s been used by Jews since biblical times when it was borne by King David’s fourth son whose story is told in the Bible. It has never ranked as highly outside of America but its popularity continues to grow there with a jump from #28 in 1990 up to #11 today. Nathan also seems to be an increasingly popular choice for Hollywood stars such as Ashton Kutcher who named his third child that though he now prefers ‘Punk’ because, like many other guardians of children with traditionally male names these days, he wants them to have more options when they get older and can decide for themselves what they want to be called.
Nick – a variant of the name Nicholas which means “Victory + People”, Nick is also how some people are known who work in their family’s fishing business such as this fisherman named Fischerman. The nickname has been popularized by Hollywood star, actor and comedian Ricky Gervais with his character Derek ‘Nicky’ Noah Moore (Ricky) on UK comedy show, The Office from 2003-2004. It was also used back then by minor league baseball player Jordan Beck whose parents liked the nickname and felt it would make him stand out since there were so many other players with names that start with N too like Nate Colbert or Nolan Ryan. Ben Stiller chose to use this name for his character, Theo Kojac who is the protagonist in Meet the Parents.
Nathan – this name means “gift from God” and is a Hebrew name meaning “he gives”. Nathan was one of King David’s three best friends (along with Jonathan and Abiathar) which he mentions several times in Psalm 41-50. He also has played an important role throughout the Bible as someone who helped to write many psalms including The Lamentations of Jeremiah after Jerusalem had been conquered by Babylonian forces under Nebuchadnezzar II during their Siege upon Judah. Another person that shares this same name is Nathaniel Hawthorne author of novels like The Scarlet Letter or House of Seven Gables. Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s son, Rumi Carter shares this same name too.
Nolan – a Celtic origin meaning “champion boy” or “son of the raven”. Nolan is also derived from the Gaelic word for “descendant of Niall”, which means “champion.” The Irish surname Ní Lochlainn has as its etymological roots “daughter (i)of Loughlin” and was used by descendants of Áed Oirdnidhe who survived after the Battle of Clontarf in 1010 AD. Famous people with this name are actor Ryan Gosling, singer John Lennon, writer J.D Salinger, comedian Louis C K., and American professional wrestler Bray Wyatt.
Nolan – Celtic origin, meaning “champion boy” or “son of the raven”. Nolan is derived from Gaelic word for descendant of Niall. Famous people with this name are actor Ryan Gosling, singer John Lennon, writer J.D Salinger and comedian Louis C K., American professional wrestler Bray Wyatt.
One thing that I wish had known before I tried a lot of different male names beginning with N was to find out if there’s anyone else who shares my son’s name so he doesn’t get totally lost in the sea of other kids named Nathan (or any other popular boys’ first letter). For example: Beyoncé and Jay-Zs son Rumi Carter also shares his initials too!
Nathan – Biblical Hebrew origin, meaning “gift from God”. Famous people with this name are actor Nathan Lane and scientist Charles Darwin.
Nicholas – Greek origin, meaning “victory of the people” or “people’s victory”. Famous people with this name are singer Nick Jonas and baseball player Joe DiMaggio.
Anson (English) is derived from Ansgar, a Germanic given name which was borne by Saint Anselm of Canterbury in the 11th century as well as two earlier saints bearing that same unusual first element-meaning ‘eagle’. It is also an English surname derived from place names like Aynsleyford where it means ‘(place at) The Eagle Ford’. This
11. Nathan: Meaning “gift from god” in Hebrew, Nathans are popular among Christians and Jews alike. The name makes a great middle-ground alternative to the more traditional Nathaniel or Nathen.
The 11 Most-common Boy Names that Start with N
There’s no shortage of names for boys who start their journey into adulthood at age 18–but you can’t go wrong when you choose one of these most common boy names that start with N! And if none of them speak to your son yet, don’t worry – plenty more options await down below 😉
Nathan – meaning “Gift from God” in Hebrew, Nathans are popular among Christians and Jews alike. The name makes a great middle-ground alternative to the more traditional Nathaniel or Nathen.
Naseem – meaning “wise, intelligent” in Arabic, Naseems are popular among Muslims but not unheard of outside that faith either. This is a perfect option for parents looking for something exotic without being too out there!
Nickolas/Nicolas: Nicknames and shortened versions of Nicholas abound–but why limit your son’s potential when he can have both? Plus they’re an easy way to bring the Latin “niger” into his name if you want it 😉
Wyatt – Meaning “warrior,” Wyatts are rare enough these days that this becomes a very cool choice indeed! It also has the distinction of being the first letter of the alphabet in Welsh. Neil – an Irish variant of “Niall,” this name is a popular choice for parents looking to give their baby boy some Celtic flair! It’s also got that air of tradition about it thanks to its Old Norse roots. Nash – Meaning “a youth,” Nash gives your son not only a powerful meaning but also options: he can keep his nickname or shorten it as needed and you’ll still know what that means 🙂 This one has been making waves both on our site–we’ve gotten more than 100 requests for boys named Nash over the last five years!–and elsewhere too with rapper Nas (born NASIR) using the pronunciation NAY-sh instead of
