Top Baby Boy Names That Start With A

As you mull over choosing a name for your new baby boy, it's possible that you may be hunting for a boy’s name that starts with the letter A. Well, we’ve got exactly that for you — check out these cool, unique, cute, rare, and biblical boy’s names we've compiled, all starting with A. Plus, you’ll find boy names with Italian, French, Greek, and Japanese roots.

Popular Boy Names Starting With A

In the United States, these were the top 12 boy names chosen in 2020 that start with the letter A:

1. Alexander. This boy’s name of Greek origin means “defending men.” The name appears in Greek mythology and in the New Testament, and was the name of the king of Macedon, Alexander the Great, who built an empire stretching from Greece to India. As an American boy’s name that starts with A it peaked in the 1990s, and is still going strong.

2. Aiden. Also spelled Aidan, this name is the English form of the Irish name Aodhán, which appears in Irish mythology. It means “little fire,” the perfect description for your fiery little boy.

3. Asher. In Hebrew, this name means “happy” or “blessed.” Asher appears in the Old Testament as a son of Jacob.

4. Anthony. This name derives from the Roman family name Antonius. The most famous bearer of this name was Marcus Antonius, better known as Mark Antony, the lover of Cleopatra. In Christian culture, the name became famous after fourth- and thirteenth-century saints with the name. As an American boy’s name that starts with A it peaked in the 1980s.

5. Andrew. Of Greek origin, the name Andrew means “manly.” In the New Testament, Jesus’ first disciple was the apostle Andrew. The name grew in popularity throughout Europe during the Middle Ages, and even more so after St. Andrew.

6. Adrian. This name is a variant of Hadrian, which means “from Hadria” in Latin. Many saints and six popes had the name Adrian. In the United States, the boy’s name rose to popularity in the mid-2000s.

7. Aaron. The meaning of this Hebrew name is uncertain, but it’s thought to be Egyptian in origin, and may possibly mean “exalted” or “high mountain.” In the Old Testament, Moses’ brother is named Aaron. The name peaked in popularity in the United States in the 1980s.

8. Axel. This is the Danish version of the biblical boy’s name Absalom, which means “my father is peace” in Hebrew. In the Bible, Absalom is a son of King David.

9. Angel. This name is considered a unisex name and comes from the Latin male name Angelus, which means “messenger” in Greek, referring to angels being messengers of God. It’s considered a rare name. If you like, choose the Italian spelling Angelo.

10. Austin. This is a shortened version of the name Augustine. It also exists as a surname and as the name of a city in Texas.

11. Adam. In the Bible, Adam was the name of the first man; this name literally means “man” in Hebrew. The Hebrew word can also mean “to be red,” referring to the clay from which Adam was created by God. If you’re interested in another biblical “A” name, consider Abel who was one of Adam and Eve’s sons. In the United States, the name Adam was at the height of its popularity in the 1980s.

12. Amir. In Hebrew, this name means “treetop.” In Arabic, the boy’s name means “commander” or “prince.” Any of these would be a cool meaning for your little prince!

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Rare and Unique Boy Names That Start With A

13. Altair. If you’re into astronomy, this could be a good name choice, as it’s the name of a star in the constellation Aquila, which is represented by an eagle. In Arabic, the name means “the flyer.”

14. Alvise. This is the Venetian form of the name Louis. The name has Germanic roots and means “famous battle.”

15. Amand. This is the male form of the female name Amanda, which means “worthy of love.” What a beautiful meaning!

16. Anand. This Sanskrit name means “happiness” or “bliss,” two things you may experience after your baby boy is born.

17. Antares. If you follow astrology and appreciate astronomy, you’ll like this name, as it’s the name of the brightest star in the scorpion-shaped constellation of Scorpio. In the zodiac, Scorpio covers the birthdates from October 23 to November 21. So, if your baby boy is born during this time, you might consider this unique name.

18. Aravind. If you appreciate Eastern religions and mysticism, you’ll may appreciate this Sanskrit boy’s name that means “lotus.”

19. Archer. This English surname of French origin refers to the art of archery. This would make a cool first or middle name that starts with A for your boy.

20. Arjuna. In Sanskrit, this name means “white” or “clear.” In Hinduism, Arjuna is the son of the god Indra and the princess Kunti. Another variant of the name is Arjun.

21. Artair. This is the Scottish form of Arthur.

22. Artem. This is the Russian version of the Greek name Artemios, which refers to the Greek goddess Artemis. Both names stem from Greek words meaning “safe” or “butcher,” possibly a reference to Artemis as the goddess of hunting.

23. Asim. In Sanskrit, this name means “boundless” or “limitless.” In Arabic, it means “protector.”

Choosing a baby name can be fun yet also overwhelming. Watch this video for some exciting facts that could help you find the perfect baby name!

Cool and Cute Boy Names That Start With A

24. Ace. This cute boys' name is commonly used as a nickname, but why not consider it for a given name? Ace means “highest rank,” which is the perfect way to perceive your new baby boy.

25. Adi. This unisex name means “jewel” or “ornament” in Hebrew. In other languages, the name is sometimes used as a nickname for Adrian.

26. Ajit. This Sanskrit name means “unconquered” or “invincible.” The name is also often used as an epithet for the Hindu gods Shiva and Vishnu.

27. Akamu. This is the Hawaiian form of the name Adam. Consider this cool and unique name if you’d like your son’s name to have traditional roots with a twist.

28. Akim. This is the Russian form of the name Joachim. St. Joachim was thought to be the father of the Virgin Mary.

29. Akira. This Japanese boy’s name that starts with A means “bright” or “clear.”

30. Akiva. This is the Aramaic form of the name Yaakov, which is the Hebrew form of the name Jacob. It’s a great choice if you’re looking for a boy’s name that starts with A, one that has classic roots but appears different and unique.

31. Akram. This Arabic name means “most generous.”

32. Albie. This is the diminutive of the German boys' name Albert, which means “noble and bright.”

33. Alfie. As the diminutive for the boy’s name Alfred, Alfie sounds cuter. Alfred means “elf counsel” in Old English; consider choosing this cool shortened version.

34. Algar. This unique name means “elf spear” in Old English. Other names that began with Al ended up becoming more popular than this unique name. But why not revive it?

35. Almas. In Persian, this Arabic name means “diamond.” Almas could be a distinct and unique name for your precious baby.

36. Alon. In Hebrew, this short name means “oak tree.” In Tagalog, it means “wave.” Either meaning is pretty cool! A variant spelling is Elon, a famous bearer being entrepreneur and businessman Elon Musk.

37. Amani. This Arabic name, which is considered unisex, simply means “wishes.” If you like the idea of a unisex name, get more options here .

38. Amon. This Egyptian name means “the hidden one” and was the name of the Egyptian god of air, creativity, and fertility. His identity was later combined with the god Ra to form the deity Amon-Ra.

39. Amos. This name of Hebrew origin means “load” or burden.” Amos was one of the 12 minor prophets in the Old Testament.

40. Anakoni. This is the Hawaiian form of the name Anthony.

41. Ander. This is the Basque version of the name Andrew, which is no. 5 on our list of boys’ names that start with A.

42. Anri. This is the Georgian form of the French name Henri, pronounced Ahn-Ree. The name originated as the German name Heinrich, which means “home ruler.”

43. Archie. This is the diminutive of Archibald, a name of German origin that means “genuine” and “bold.” The name was brought to England by the Normans, after which it became used in English-speaking countries. Fans of the comic book series Archie may adore this name!

44. Ari. As a Hebrew name, this means “lion.” In Old Norse, it means “eagle.” And, in Armenian, it means “brave.” Any of them sound pretty good for your boy!

45. Ariel. In Hebrew, this name means “lion of God.” In the Old Testament it was also used as another name for the city of Jerusalem. Shakespeare also used it for a character in The Tempest. Although this is a male name, it’s been used as a female name, one that became especially popular in the late 1980s after Disney introduced the animated mermaid character of Ariel.

46. Arlo. Supposedly this name was created by poet Edmund Spenser. The name is most likely in reference to an Irish place that means “between two highlands” in Gaelic.

47. Armas. In Finnish, this name means “beloved,” ideal for your beloved boy.

48. Armin. This is the modern form of the Germanic name Arminius and may also be related to the name Herman. It likely means “whole” or “universal.”

49. Arnie. This name is the English short form for Arnold, and a very cute nickname at that.

50. Arno. This is the short form for the Dutch name Arnoud and the German name Arnold. It means “eagle power.”

51. Artie. This is the short form for Arthur, which most likely has Celtic origins and means “bear man.” Although, with the cute name Artie, it’s hard to imagine a ferocious bear!

52. Ashanti. This unisex African name means “warlike” in the Twi language.

53. Ashton. Originally a surname, Ashton means “ash tree town” in Old English. Consider using it as a middle name that starts with A for your boy.

54. Ashwin. In Sanskrit, this name means “possessed of horses.” In Hinduism, the Ashvins are twin gods of sunrises and sunsets.

55. Aslan. In Turkish, this unique name means “lion.” It was used by several medieval Turkish rulers. And in popular culture, it’s the name of the lion in the Chronicles of Narnia books and films.

56. Aston. This given name was likely derived from a surname that means “east town” in Old English.

57. Astor. This given name comes from a famous surname (the eighteenth-century family founded by John Jacob Astor) that means “hawk.”

58. Atem. This unique name comes from Egyptian mythology and means “completion” or “totality.”

59. Avrum. This is the Yiddish form of the name Abraham.

60. Aziz. This Arabic name means “powerful,” “respected,” “beloved,” and “cherished.” With all those amazing meanings, it’s perfect for a baby boy!

Biblical Boy Names That Start With A

61. Abdiel. Meaning “servant of God” in Hebrew, the name appears in the Old Testament. It’s also the name of a character in John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost.

62. Abel. This name has Hebrew origins, and means “breath.” In the Bible, Abel, the second son of Adam and Eve, is killed by his brother, Cain. Despite the unhappy story, the name Abel became popular during the Middle Ages and during Puritan times. It has been making a resurgence in modern times, too, peaking in 2015.

63. Abner. This name of Hebrew origin means “my father is light.” Abner was a commander of an army in the Old Testament. The name was once popular among Christians, especially Puritans, but has since become less common. But why not consider naming your baby boy with a rare and unique name that starts with an A?

64. Abraham. In Hebrew, this name means “father of many,” referring to the biblical figure considered a patriarch in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The most famous bearer of this name was Abraham Lincoln.

65. Abram. In Hebrew, this name means “high father.” As recounted in the Bible, Abram was originally the name of the biblical Abraham before it was changed by God.

66. Absalom. Meaning “my father is peace” in Hebrew, this name originated in the Old Testament. Absalom was a son of King David.

67. Asa. It’s thought that this name means “healer” in Hebrew. The name appears in the Old Testament.

68. Azariah. This name of Hebrew origin means “Yahweh (God) has helped.” The name also appears in the Old Testament. It can also be spelled Azaria.

69. Azriel. This name of Hebrew origin means “my help is God.” The name appears in the Old Testament.

Classic and Old-Fashioned Boy Names That Start With A

70. Alan. The name comes from Brittany, a region in France. It may mean “little rock” or “handsome.” It may also have Iranian roots. If you like, choose a variant spelling of the name, such as Allen (English and Scottish), Alain (French), or Ailín (Irish).

71. Alastair. This name is the Scottish version of Alexander, which appears as the no. 1 name in our list of boys' names that start with the letter A. This is a much more unusual version.

72. Alberich. In German, this name means “elf ruler.” In German mythology, Alberich was the king of the elves. It’s a unique name that’s perfect for lovers of mythology.

73. Alfred. In Old English this name means “elf counsel.” The name has fallen in popularity, but why not revive it? If you’re having twin boys, you could pair Alfred with the name Alberich, which means “elf ruler.” Alfie and Albie would be cute nicknames for your boys.

74. Alvin. This is a medieval form of the Old English name Ealdwine, which means “old friend.” It’s also considered a Scandinavian name that’s derived from Alfvin.

75. Archibald. This common Scottish name has Germanic roots and means “genuine” and “bold.” Either meaning could be just right for your baby boy. His nickname could be Archie.

76. Arnold. This Germanic name means “eagle power.” A few saints bore this name; a well-known modern bearer is bodybuilder-turned-actor-turned-politician Arnold Schwarzenegger.

77. Arthur. The meaning of this English name is unknown, but it likely derived from Celtic and means “bear man” or “bear king.” The name became popular after the King Arthur legend. A cute nickname is Artie.

78. Ashley. This was originally used an English surname that means “ash tree clearing” before it became famous as a given name for boys. Somewhere in the 1960s the name became more popular as a girl’s name.

79. Aubrey. This is the Norman French version of the name Alberich, which also appears on this list. It was a common boy’s name in the Middle Ages, but by the 1970s it became more popular for girls. But, it’s still considered a unisex name. If you’re having boy and girl twins, you might like to think about twin baby name pairings like Aubrey paired with Audrey.

80. Avery. This was originally a surname that was derived from the names Alberich and Alfred. It’s now considered a unisex name, peaking in popularity in the United States in the mid-2000s.

Italian, French, and Spanish Boy Names That Start With A

81. Alcide. This is the Italian and French form of the Latinized name Alcides, which means “strength” in Greek.

82. Aldo. This cute Italian name means “old” or “noble,” perfect for a child who you feel is wiser beyond his years.

83. Alessio. This is the Italian version of the name Alexis. Not only is it unique, but it has a melodic sound.

84. Alfonso. As the Spanish and Italian version of a Germanic boy’s name meaning “noble and ready,” Alfonso was used by several kings of Spain and Portugal. It may just be the noblest boy’s name that starts with A for your little guy! A notable modern bearer of this name is Alfonso Cuarón, the first Mexican-born filmmaker to win an Academy Award for best director. Check out more Spanish names of Mexican heritage here.

85. Anastacio. This is a Spanish and Italian form of the name Anastasios, which has Latin and Greek origins, and means “resurrection.” The name can also be spelled Anastasio.

86. André. Spelled with or without the accent, this variant of Andrew is common in French, Portuguese, German, Dutch, and English.

87. Anthelme. This rare French name is based on the ancient German name of Anthelm without the e at the end. It means “wrath” or “zeal” and “helmet” or “protection”—a fierce meaning and name for a boy!

88. Antoine. This is the French form of the name Anthony, which comes in at no. 4 on the popularity scale of boys’ names that start with the letter A. Other variants of the name are Antwan and Antonio.

89. Armand. This name is the French version of Herman, which means “army man” in German.

90. Arsenio. This is the Spanish and Italian version of the ancient Greek name Arsenios, which means “virile.”

Classical Latin and Greek Boy Names That Start With A

91. Achilles. The origin of this Greek name is unknown, but it’s thought to mean “pain.” Achilles was the name of a famous warrior in Greek mythology. He died in battle with an arrow to his heel, which was the only vulnerable part of his body; hence the term “Achilles’ heel.”

92. Aeneas. This is the Latin form of a Greek name that means “praise.” In Greek mythology, Aeneas was the son of the goddess Aphrodite. In Virgil’s Aeneid, Aeneas is also the founder of Rome.

93. Aesop. This was the name of a Greek writer who may or may not have written some fables that were later collected and became known as Aesop's Fables.

94. Agathon. This is the male form of the female name Agatha, which means “good” in Greek. It’s a unique name with a simple meaning.

95. Albus. This Roman name means “white” or “bright” in Latin. Harry Potter fans will immediately recognize this name!

96. Alexis. In Greek, this name means “helper” or “defender.” Several saints and a third-century Greek poet bore this name. It’s now considered a unisex name.

97. Aloysius. This name is the Latin form of the name Aloys, which is an Occitan (Southern French) version of Louis. This boy’s name that starts with an A is quite rare and unique.

98. Ambrose. This rare boy’s name comes from Latin and Greek and means “immortal.” The name came into use after a saint, but then became less common. Consider this boy’s name that starts with an A for your baby boy.

99. Apollo. This name of Greek origin means “strength” or “father light.” In Greek mythology, Apollo was the god of many things, but most importantly of the sun and light. Your new baby boy may bring a lot of light into your world!

100. August. This name comes from the Latin name Augustus, which means “exalted” or “venerable.” Augustus was the given name of the Roman emperor who succeeded Julius Caesar. The name has a very dignified sound and meaning for a boy.

The Bottom Line

Have you found the perfect boy’s name that begins with the Letter A? If you haven’t, there are plenty of other baby name articles you can check out. Take a look at our international baby names and our top 1,000 baby boy names for more great ideas.

Our Baby Name Generator can also help you find the perfect name. It enables you to search thousands of names using filters like first letter and theme.