Three Letter Boy Names
Updated Wed Nov 22 2023
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Three letter boy names are led by Kai, one of the sleek international male names in this fashionable category.
Along with Kai, other baby boy names with three letters in the US Top 300 include Eli, Ian, Leo, Max, Jax, and Ace.
Many of the most classic nicknames are three letter male names: Bob, Jim, Tom, Tim, Joe, and Sam, for instance.
Unique three letter names for boys on our recommended list include Art, Asa, Cal, Fox, Lev, Mac, Pax, Rex, Sem, Van, and Wim.
Take a peek at our full list of three letter names for boys below., ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.
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- Bao
Origin:
Chinese or VietnameseMeaning:
"treasure, jewel"Description:
A unisex Chinese and Vietnamese with an appealingly simple, vowel-rich spelling.
- Abt
Origin:
German, variation of AbbottDescription:
A German surname you do NOT want to use as a first.
- Xan
Origin:
Diminutive of AlexanderMeaning:
"defending men"Description:
With the plethora of Alexes around, Xan (and Xander) have emerged as hot new nicknames for Alexander. Xan also stands well on its own. It can be found--not surprisingly--in several computer games.
- Abi
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"father"Description:
Short form of the Biblical name Abiah or Abijah, meaning "my father is God".
- Ham
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"hot, warm"Description:
Along with Shem and Japheth, a son of Noah with a name that's almost never used -- for more obvious reasons than those of his brothers.
- Ace
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"one, unity"Description:
No longer tied to the hapless Ace Ventura, this jaunty, high-flying nickname name is starting to take flight among celebrity and other parents, with its countless positive references to doing well in tests and poker games, on the tennis court and golf course, and in the air.
- Adi
- Ade
Origin:
YorubaMeaning:
"crown"
- Agu
Origin:
IgboMeaning:
"tiger"Description:
In its native Nigeria, Agu is a surname that signifies strength and being a force of nature. Agu as a first name has some pedigree, however: most notably via Agu Casmir, a famous Nigerian-Singaporean soccer player.
- Aja
Origin:
HindiMeaning:
"goat"Description:
Retro musical reference to classic Steely Dan rock album, but mostly for girls today.
- Aki
Origin:
Japanese; Finnish,"born in the autumn; ancestor"Meaning:
"born in the autumn; ancestor"Description:
A name known in several cultures, also through animated book character Tiger Aki. Finnish author Aki Ollikainen is another notable bearer.
- Ric
- Lex
Origin:
Diminutive of AlexanderMeaning:
"defending men"Description:
Cool short form of Alexander, fresher than Alex and less trendy than Xander... for now.
- Zan
Origin:
Diminutive of Alexander, GreekMeaning:
"defending men"Description:
There's Zan and there's Xan--take your pick. Both of these are the latest generation of Alexander nicknames, Xan having been noticed first as a character on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (a rich source of names), and soon phoneticized into Zan.
- Abe
Origin:
Diminutive of AbrahamDescription:
Old-time nickname that may follow in the fashionable footsteps of cronies Jake and Sam.
- Alf
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"elf counsel"Description:
Short form of Alfred that had fallen out of favor, but could come back alongside Alfie and other clunky old-style nicknames like Gus and Ike.
- Ali
Origin:
ArabicMeaning:
"supreme, exalted"Description:
This is one of the ninety-nine attributes of Allah, deemed by Muhammad to be a recommended name for a male child. In this country, it's been primarily associated with boxing immortal Muhammad Ali, known as "the greatest." But Ali is also one of the most popular unisex names for both boys and girls.
- Alv
- Aed
- Aba