Exactly 100 B names, the newest England and Wales rankings and a shortlist test for real family life
100 Baby Boy Names That Start With B
The quick answer: this guide contains exactly 100 distinct boy-name ideas beginning with B. In the official 2025 England and Wales boys’ top 100, there were two exact B spellings: Benjamin ranked 61st with 808 registrations, and Bobby ranked 94th with 544. Benjamin held the same rank as in 2024; Bobby moved down 12 places. Every other name below is a wider idea, not a disguised claim that it appeared in the national top 100.
B can sound familiar and friendly in Ben, Bobby and Billy, polished in Benedict and Barnaby, or crisp and modern in Beau, Beck and Brooks. It also crosses many languages and naming traditions: Babak, Badr, Balázs, Bao, Bashir, Batu, Béla, Bharat, Bilal, Bodhi and Bogdan do not share one origin just because they share an initial.
That makes B a good letter for a longlist and a terrible excuse for a random name dump. Browse all 100, save the names you would genuinely use, then test them with your surname. If you want a wider pool, compare our 200 boy-name ideas or the K boy-name directory. If your shortlist is open to any gender, the matching A girl-name guide is built to the same standard.
Which B boy names are in the 2025 top 100?
The newest Office for National Statistics release covers babies born in 2025 whose births were registered in England and Wales. It was published on 9 July 2026. Only Benjamin and Bobby began with B in the boys’ top 100.
| Name | 2025 rank | Babies registered | Change from 2024 | Change from 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benjamin | 61 | 808 | No change | Down 32 places |
| Bobby | 94 | 544 | Down 12 places | Down 27 places |
The ONS counts the exact spelling recorded at birth. Ben, Benjamin and Benedict are separate names; Bobby and Bobbie are separate; Brodie and Brody are separate. Names used for only one or two babies are suppressed for confidentiality, so “not shown” does not mean “not used”. It means the name was outside the published threshold or table.
These figures are not a single UK chart. Scotland and Northern Ireland publish their own official 2025 statistics, and their rankings can differ. KidsCo keeps the England and Wales numbers separate and links the Scottish and Northern Irish releases in the source box below. That is less tidy than pretending one table covers everybody, but much more useful.
How to use the ranking: if you specifically want a B name outside the England and Wales top 100, Benjamin and Bobby are the two spellings to note for 2025. If popularity is not important to you, skip the league table and concentrate on sound, spelling, family connection and the full name.
The full list: 100 boy names that start with B
Every spelling below appears once. The directory mixes traditional first names, short forms, spelling variants, surnames with established first-name use, word names and names from several languages. Inclusion is an idea, not a claim of English origin, current top-100 status or suitability for every family. Some names are also used for girls or non-binary people; the heading describes the search rather than setting a rule.
Babak to Bastian
- Babak
- Badr
- Bahram
- Bailey
- Baker
- Balázs
- Baldwin
- Balthazar
- Banks
- Bao
- Baptiste
- Barack
- Barnaby
- Barrett
- Barry
- Bart
- Bartholomew
- Bashir
- Basil
- Bastian
Batu to Bernardo
- Batu
- Baxter
- Bayram
- Bear
- Beau
- Beck
- Beckett
- Bekir
- Béla
- Bellamy
- Ben
- Benedict
- Benicio
- Benjamin
- Bennett
- Benoît
- Benson
- Bentley
- Bernard
- Bernardo
Bernd to Bogdan
- Bernd
- Bernie
- Bert
- Bertram
- Bertrand
- Bharat
- Bilal
- Bill
- Billy
- Bjarne
- Björn
- Blaine
- Blair
- Blake
- Blaze
- Bo
- Boaz
- Bobby
- Bodhi
- Bogdan
Bojan to Brennan
- Bojan
- Booker
- Boone
- Boris
- Borislav
- Bowen
- Boyd
- Brad
- Bradley
- Brady
- Braeden
- Bram
- Bran
- Brandon
- Branson
- Braxton
- Brayden
- Braylon
- Brendan
- Brennan
Breno to Byron
- Breno
- Brent
- Brett
- Briar
- Brice
- Bridger
- Briggs
- Brock
- Brodie
- Brody
- Bronson
- Brooks
- Bruce
- Bruno
- Bryan
- Bryce
- Bryn
- Bryson
- Buck
- Byron
Turn 100 B names into a manageable shortlist
If a hundred names make your eyes glaze over, choose a lane first. These groups are deliberately loose: the same name may feel classic to one family and unusual to another.
| If you like… | Try these | What to notice |
|---|---|---|
| Short and simple | Ben, Beau, Beck, Bo, Bill, Blair, Blake, Bryn | Short names can sound clean; check that the first and last name do not blur together |
| British-feeling classics | Barnaby, Barry, Benedict, Benjamin, Bernard, Bert, Bruce | Likely nicknames may feel very different from the formal version |
| Vintage revivals | Basil, Bobby, Billy, Bernie, Bertram, Byron | A name can feel charmingly old-fashioned to one person and simply old to another |
| Surname-style choices | Baker, Banks, Barrett, Baxter, Beckett, Bentley, Booker, Brooks | Say two surname-like parts together before deciding that the full name flows |
| Nature and word names | Bear, Blaze, Briar, Buck | The image is immediate, so make sure you like the everyday association as well as the sound |
| Names used across cultures | Babak, Bao, Bashir, Batu, Béla, Bharat, Bilal, Bodhi, Bogdan | Check the specific language, pronunciation and cultural context rather than copying a one-line meaning |
Do not force sibling names to match. Benjamin and Kai can sit together perfectly well; Beau, Blake and Brooks may create a pattern you feel obliged to continue. If you are naming twins, prioritise two names that work independently and are easy to distinguish when shouted from another room. Our D girl-name guide and broader girl-name guide can help build a mixed shortlist without turning every child into part of a theme.
Meanings and origins: where name lists usually get too confident
Names move between languages, collect different spellings and sometimes arise independently in more than one place. A neat one-word meaning may leave out the language, the older form or the fact that scholars are uncertain. Use these notes as starting points, then follow the linked name reference and ask somebody who knows the relevant language when a cultural connection matters.
| Name | A careful starting note | Worth checking |
|---|---|---|
| Babak | A Persian name traced to a Middle Persian form | Natural Persian pronunciation rather than an English guess |
| Bao | A Chinese name that can be written with different characters and meanings | The exact character, tone and family context |
| Barnaby | A medieval English form of Barnabas | Whether Barney is a nickname you enjoy |
| Basil | There are distinct Greek-derived and Arabic name histories | Which pronunciation and origin you mean |
| Baptiste | A French name with an explicitly Christian history | The religious association, especially outside a French-speaking family |
| Bayram | A Turkish and Azerbaijani name associated with a festival or holiday | Language-specific pronunciation and significance |
| Béla | A Hungarian name whose deeper meaning is not certain | Keep the accent if it is part of the intended spelling |
| Bilal | An Arabic name with an important early Islamic namesake | Religious history and correct pronunciation |
| Björn | A Scandinavian form from an Old Norse word for bear | The ö is not decorative; Bjorn is a different written form |
| Bodhi | A Sanskrit and Pali term connected with awakening in Buddhism | Its religious meaning rather than treating it as a generic “boho” sound |
| Bran | A name with Welsh and Irish mythological histories | It is not automatically just a short form of Brandon |
| Bryn | A Welsh name formed from the Welsh word for hill | Usage by gender varies outside Wales |
The same caution applies to variants. Brodie and Brody may sound alike, but spelling can reflect different family preferences; Bryan is not merely a typo for Brian; Benoît normally carries its circumflex in French. If you choose a form from another language, preserving it accurately is a nicer starting point than sanding it down for a nursery sign.
A 10-minute test for your favourite B names
Take no more than five names into this test. Say each one with the middle name and surname, then use it in real sentences: “Bobby, your shoes are by the door”; “Is Benjamin Cook here?”; “Bryn, time for tea.” A name that is lovely in calligraphy can still feel awkward at full speed.
| Check | Question to ask | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Does it flow with the middle name and surname in your normal accent? | 0, 1 or 2 |
| Everyday use | Can the parents or carers imagine saying it warmly, firmly and quickly? | 0, 1 or 2 |
| Spelling | Are you comfortable with how often this exact form may need to be spelled? | 0, 1 or 2 |
| Short forms | Do the obvious nicknames and initials avoid anything that truly bothers you? | 0, 1 or 2 |
| Family fit | Does it work across the family’s accents, languages, faiths and surnames? | 0, 1 or 2 |
Score the names independently and keep the strongest two or three. Leave them alone for 48 hours rather than adding another 30 from social media. If two adults are choosing, give each person a small number of no-argument vetoes; nobody wins by making the other person tired. A shared “yes” is worth more than a clever sales pitch.
Check the initials, search the full name for an overwhelming public association, and notice the likeliest mispronunciation. Those are checks, not automatic bans. If the baby is still a little way off, our before-baby checklist covers the jobs that matter beyond names, while Welcome to Parenthood is a calmer guide to the first days.
Are any B names gender-neutral?
Bailey, Blair, Blake, Bellamy, Briar and Bryn all have use beyond one gender in at least some countries or periods. Beau is traditionally masculine in French grammar, but modern English-language use does not always follow the same pattern. There is no permanent global unisex list: usage changes across time, place and family.
Spelling, pronunciation and cultural respect
A British reader does not need every name to behave like an English name. It is reasonable to choose a spelling that requires occasional correction, provided you understand it and are happy to help others learn. The practical difference is between a deliberate choice—Béla, Benoît, Bao—and an online list that drops marks or invents a meaning because it looks prettier.
For a name from a culture that is not your own, check more than the sound. Learn the pronunciation, the actual language, religious or historical associations and whether your claimed meaning comes from the right written form. Ask informed people when you can. Respectful research does not make a name unusable; it stops the choice being based on nonsense.
When the chosen name becomes official, the wider newborn to-do list usually arrives too. Use NHS baby health and care and NHS Start for Life baby advice for care questions while you sort the registration.
When does the name become official?
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, a birth normally has to be registered within 42 days. Scotland has a separate registration service and timetable, so use the guidance for the nation where the birth is being registered. GOV.UK explains who can register a birth and which details are recorded.
You do not have to announce the name first. Meeting the baby, trying two favourites privately and deciding inside the official deadline is completely reasonable. If a celebration comes before the decision, our baby-shower guide does not require a personalised banner or public name reveal.
This guide can help settle a spelling debate, not a baby-health worry. For feeding, sleep and everyday care, use NHS baby health and care and NHS Start for Life baby advice.
Common questions
What is the most popular B boy name in England and Wales?
Benjamin was the highest B spelling in the 2025 boys’ top 100. It ranked 61st and was registered to 808 babies. Bobby was the only other B spelling in that top 100, ranking 94th with 544 registrations.
Does this page really contain 100 different names?
Yes. The directory contains exactly 100 entries, each counted once. Similar spellings such as Brodie and Brody are separate written names, just as the ONS records exact spellings separately.
Is Ben counted with Benjamin in the official figures?
No. The ONS ranks the exact first name recorded at registration. Ben, Benjamin, Benedict and Bennett are not combined, even when families may use Ben as a nickname for more than one of them.
Are Bobby and Bobbie the same in the rankings?
No. They may sound identical in many accents, but the spellings are counted separately. The 544 figure belongs to Bobby only.
Should a baby’s first and surname start with the same letter?
Alliteration can sound memorable—Bobby Brown, for example—but it is neither automatically good nor bad. Say the full name at normal speed, check the initials and decide whether you enjoy the rhythm rather than following a rule.
The bottom line
A useful longlist gives you possibilities; it should not pretend to choose for you. Begin with these 100, keep five, test three and agree on one. The best B name is the one that works in your family’s real accents and languages, fits the full name, carries associations you understand and still feels kind when you imagine saying it to an adult as well as a baby.
Sources checked for this guide
KidsCo checked these sources on 8 August 2026. Official statistics support every ranking and count; the name reference supports the origin cross-checks; official registration guidance supports the practical deadline:
- Office for National Statistics: baby names in England and Wales, 2025 release (published 9 July 2026)
- ONS boys’ name dataset for England and Wales (rank, count and comparison tables)
- ONS baby-name quality and methodology information
- National Records of Scotland: babies’ first names, 2025
- Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency: baby names, 2025
- Behind the Name: masculine names beginning with B (cross-checking established forms and selected origin notes)
- GOV.UK: register a birth
