225 Old & Unique Southern Boy Names & Their Meanings

The Southern states include Virginia, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky. I have hand-picked 225 unique and old Southern names for boys with meanings included.

List of 225 Unique and Old Southern Names for Boys with meanings:

Claiborne

”Boundary of clay.” William C.C. Claiborne was the first governor of the state of Louisiana.

Beauregard

“Beautiful to look at,” it is linked to Château De Beauregard, a privately owned château in the Loire Valley.

Hezekiah

In the Bible Hezekiah was the 13th king of Judah. He was succeeded by his son, Manasseh. King Hezekiah had a water tunnel dug under Jerusalem.

Calhoun

Calhoun has its origins in the Gaelic term caladh (”narrow corner”). Calhoun is also a variant of the Scottish Colquhoun, a habitational name from the barony of Colquhoun in Dunbartonshire.

Prentiss

Prentiss is symbolizing a ”learner” or ”apprentice.”

Atticus

It is in the top 1,000 names for boys in the US in the last two decades and means “man of Attica.” Atticus Finch is a fictional character from the book ”To Kill a Mockingbird.”

Herschel

Herschel is of Yiddish origin and is meaning ”deer.” Variations include Hershel and Herschelle. Georgia’s Herschel Walker won the Heisman Trophy in 1982.

Rhett

Rhett is an Anglicization of the Dutch de Raedt.

Leroy

With Norman origins and is symbolizing ”the king.” Variations include LeRoy, Lee Roy, LeeRoy, and Leeroy. American aeronautical engineer Leroy Grumman co-founded Grumman Aircraft Engineering Co. in 1929.

Newton

It combines niwe, new, with tun, town.

Southern masculine names with dark meanings:

Name	Meaning	Pronunciation
Jabez	he causes pain	JAY-bez
Corbin	raven	KOR-bin
Mallory	”unlucky”	MAL-uh-ree
Absalom	the rebel son	AB-suh-lum
Doyle	dark stranger, in Irish	DOYL
Benoni	son of sorrow	buh-NOH-nye
Ichabod	”no glory.”	IK-uh-bod
Bowie	names a knife	BOO-ee or BOH-ee
Lazarus	”risen from death”	LAZ-uh-rus
Duncan	dusky warrior	DUN-kin
Ahab	the wicked king	AY-hab
Mortimer	”dead sea.”	MOR-tih-mer
Nimrod	let us rebel	NIM-rod
Cecil	blind, in Latin	SEE-sul or SES-ul
Blake	black, or pale	BLAYK

The list continues.

Wade

From Old English wadan, to go.

Jedediah

”Beloved of Yahweh.”

Orville

With Germanic and French origins, Orville means ”golden city.”

Blaine

Yellow.

Ezra

”Help.” Save

Porter

From Old French portier, gatekeeper.

Roscoe

Roscoe is rooted in the Old Norse words for ”deer wood.”

Lawson

Son of Lawrence.

Zachariah

Hebrew zekharyah, ”Yahweh remembers.”

Beckett

”Beehive.”

Lemuel

It signifies ”devoted to God.” In the Bible, King Lemuel is mentioned in Proverbs 31:1 and 4. ”The sayings of King Lemuel, an inspired utterance his mother taught him.” Proverbs 31

Anderson

From Andrew, son of Andrew.

Southern male names from the 1800s:

Name	Meaning	Pronunciation
Micajah	who resembles Yahweh	mih-KAY-juh
Seaborn	”born at sea”	SEE-born
Isom	Ise river home	EYE-sum or IZ-um
Leonidas	the lion’s son	lee-ON-ih-dus
Pleasant	”agreeable.”	PLEZ-unt
Ransom	son of Rand	RAN-sum
Cicero	chickpea	SIS-uh-roh
Erastus	”beloved”	ih-RAS-tus
Columbus	dove, in Latin	kuh-LUM-bus
Squire	shield bearer	SKWYRE
Hiram	exalted brother	HY-rum
Lycurgus	”wolf’s work.”	ly-KUR-gus
Elisha	God saves	ih-LY-shuh
Green	green, or youthful	GREEN
Archibald	”truly bold”	AR-chih-bawld

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Jasper

It comes from Persian ganzabara, treasurer.

Percy

”Pierce the valley.” Save

Waylon

Waylon is a variant of Wayland, “land by the road.”

Facts about the Southern US

It is a diverse meteorological region with numerous climatic zones.

People in South Carolina weren’t allowed to get tattoos until 2004.

In the past, it relied heavily on agriculture.

The Southern United States is one of the four census regions of the US.

There’s an island in South Carolina where only monkeys are allowed.

Wiley

Wiley is a habitational name and means “of the willows.” Its etymology is linked to the River Wylye. Variations that I like are Willey, Willie, Willy, Weillie, Wyly, Weyley, and Weylie.

Everett

”Brave as a boar.”

Milton

Mill town.

Jackson

”Son of Jack,” and Mississippi’s capital is called after Andrew Jackson.

Sampson

”Sun.”

Rare Southern boy names:

Name	Meaning	Pronunciation
Taliaferro	iron cutter	TOL-ih-ver or tal-ee-uh-FAIR-oh
Coy	”quiet”	KOY
Vardaman	the warden	VAR-duh-mun
Haskell	cauldron of God	HAS-kul
Purvis	he supplies	PUR-vis
Dabney	from Aubigny	DAB-nee
Truett	”little trout.”	TROO-it
Lamar	the pond	luh-MAR
Sherrod	shire clearing	SHAIR-ud
Talmadge	”bag maker”	TAL-midge
Burl	knot in wood	BURL
Thurman	servant of Thor	THUR-mun
Fenton	marsh settlement	FEN-tun
Wilkes	son of Wilkin	WILKS
Yancey	”Englishman.”	YAN-see

Even more below.

Davis

Davis comes from David, beloved.

Lucius

From Latin lux “light,” Lucius is related to the Latin verb ”lucere.” Lucius Tarquinius Superbus was the legendary seventh king of Rome. Tarquinius is mentioned in the 4th book of The Trials of Apollo.

Wesley

Western meadow, and John Wesley preached in Savannah before Methodism ignited.

Nehemiah

”Yahweh comforts,” as well as a governor who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem.

Clarence

”Of Clare.”

Ward

From Old English weard, guard.

Lyle

Island.

Sawyer

Woodcutter, and Tom Sawyer tricks his friends into whitewashing a fence.

Tobias

”God is good.”

Julius

”Youthful”.

Spurgeon

Spurgeon comes from the Norse for “little branch.”

Homer

It has origins in Greek homeros, hostage.

Hayes

”Hedged area.”

Eugene

Well born.

Woodrow

Woodrow (”row by the wood”) Wilson was born in Staunton, Virginia.

Caleb

”Whole heart,” and one of the twelve spies that were sent into Canaan.

Clifton

It combines clif, cliff, with tun, settlement.

Emmett

”Universal.”

Dixon

”Son of Dick”. Jeremiah Dixon surveyed the Mason-Dixon Line.

Brooks

Of the stream.

Alonzo

From Alfonso, noble and ready.

Hardy

Oliver Hardy (”bold”) of Laurel and Hardy was born in Georgia.

Cletus

”Called forth.”

Wallace

From Old French waleis, foreigner.

Solomon

Peace.

Tennessee

For an interesting option for your baby boy, I give you Tennessee, after the central Southern state.

Osborne

From Old Norse ás, god, and björn, bear.

Carter

”Cart driver,” and Jimmy Carter’s hometown is Plains, Georgia.

Jonah

”Dove.”

Hampton

It is made of ham, home, and tun, settlement.

Grady

Noble.

Winfield

Winfield (”friend’s field”) Scott, born in Virginia, led the US Army for 20 years.

Jeremiah

”Yahweh exalts”.

Levi

Joined.

Ernest

Serious, and Ernest Gaines wrote about Louisiana in A Lesson Before Dying.

Chester

From Latin castra, camp.

Gideon

“Hewer” or “feller,” Gideon comes from the Hebrew gaḏa. Gidieon, Gédéon, Guideon, and Gideone are different variations and spellings. Gideon was an Israelite prophet mentioned in Judges 6–8 in the Hebrew Bible.

Isaiah

”Yahweh is salvation.”

Denver

Danes’ ford.

Wendell

Wanderer, and the first name of Kentucky farmer and writer Wendell Berry.

Lavern

Lavern has its origins in the Gaulish word vern (alder tree).

Elsworth

”Eli’s farm.” Spelling variations that I like include Ellsworth and Ellsworthy.

Jefferson

”Son of Jeffrey”. Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia.

Marshall

From Old French mareschal, horse servant.

Reuben

”Behold, a son.”

Cornelius

Cornelius comes from the Latin element cornu, ”horn.” Cornelius the centurion was the first Gentile baptized in the Book of Acts.

Barrett

”Strong as a bear.”

Sanford

Sandy ford.

Truman

”Loyal one,” and Truman Capote was born in New Orleans.

Crockett

Crockett has its origins in the Middle English word croket, ”a large curl.”

Washington

It comes from an Old English place name, Wassa’s settlement.

Cyrus

Cyrus (”throne”) McCormick of Virginia invented a mechanical reaper.

Leland

Fallow land.

Wyatt

”Brave in war.”

Elbert

It combines adal, noble, with beraht, bright.

Edgar

Edgar (”rich spear”) Allan Poe was raised in Richmond, Virginia.

Pierce

From Petrus, rock.

Tucker

”Cloth fuller.”

Zeb

“Yahweh has bestowed.” Zeb can be a short form of Zebedee or Zebulon.

Elijah

”My God is Yahweh.”

Yates

Gates.

Knox

Round hill, and Knoxville honors General Henry Knox.

Clement

From Latin clemens, merciful.

Presley

Presley is a good way to honor the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley.

Dillard

Dillard is from the Old English “Deorleod” (”dear to the people”).

Tillman

“One who plows the earth.”

Rufus

”Red-haired.” Rufus is rooted in Latin. It is also mentioned in the Bible. ”Now Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way …” Mark 15:21

 

 

Amos

Amos is Old Hebrew and symbolizes “to carry” or ”burdened.”

 

 

Fletcher

Arrowsmith or arrow maker. Fletcher is an occupational name from Old French fleche.

Lester

It has origins in the English city of Leicester.

Colt

Young horse.

Boaz

”Swiftness,” and a farmer who married Ruth in the Bible.

Delmont

“From the mountain.”

Decatur

”Resolute.”

Zebediah

Zebediah has Hebrew origins, and is meaning ”gift of Jehovah.”

Odell

”Woad hill.”

Radford

Radford is an English toponymic name, and means red ford.

Macon

Macon has a meaning that I love, “one who works with stone.” Macon has French origins.

Nathaniel

”Gift of God.”

Quincy

”Fifth”.

Dalton

Valley town, and Dalton, Georgia, calls itself the Carpet Capital of the World.

Harlan

Harlan is in the Old English elements here (”warrior”) and land (territory).

Buren

”Of the bower.”

Silas

Silas is a cognate of Silvanus, “of the forest.”

Boone

It appeared into English from the Old French bon. Daniel Boone (1734-1820) pushed the trail into Kentucky, one of the 10 Southern states on your list.

Sterling

”Little star.”

Weldon

Hill with a spring.

Hosea

It comes from Hebrew hoshe’a, salvation.

Augustus

Augustus is symbolizing “venerable” or “majestic” in Latin. Southern families trimmed it to Gus for daily use.

Jarvis

From Norman French Gervais, spear servant.

Monroe

”Mouth of the Roe,” and Liberia’s capital Monrovia is linked to James Monroe.

Judah

Praised.

Jubal

“Stream.” In Genesis 4:21 Jubal is called the forefather of everyone who plays the harp and pipe.

Thaddeus

Thaddeus has Aramaic roots and is symbolizing “heart” or “courageous.” Some have the nickname Thad.

Barnabas

“Son of encouragement.”

Ambrose

Ambrose comes from the Greek ambrosios, “immortal,” and is the same word behind ambrosia aka the food of the gods. Saint Ambrose is the patron of beekeepers.

Moses

Drawn out.

Calvin

”Bald.”

Alvin

Alvin (”elf friend”) York of Tennessee detained 132 German soldiers in World War I.

Jethro

Jethro is Hebrew for “abundance” or “excellence.”

Ezekiel

Hebrew for “God strengthens.”

Obadiah

“Servant of Yahweh.” Obadiah also known as Abdias is the author of the shortest book in the Hebrew Bible.

Malachi

Hebrew mal’akhi, ”my messenger.”

Simeon

He has heard.

Earl

”Nobleman,” and Earl Scruggs of North Carolina changed the bluegrass banjo.

Enoch

Enoch is the man who “walked with God” and was taken up without dying according to Genesis.

Kirby

It comes from Old Norse kirkja, church, and býr, farm.

Raleigh

”Deer meadow,” and North Carolina has its capital after Sir Walter Raleigh.

Russell

Little red.

Cassius

Muhammad Ali was born as Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. in Louisville, Kentucky. Cassius is from the Latin cassus, “hollow” or “vain.”I have a soft spot for the short form Cash which sounds current.

Jesse

Gift.

Obed

”Servant.”

Wilbur

”Wild boar,” and Wilbur Wright flew at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

Lafayette

The Marquis de Lafayette was the Frenchman who fought beside Washington. It means “beech grove.”

Palmer

”Pilgrim”.

Ephraim

”Fruitful.”

Chandler

Joel Chandler (”candle maker”) Harris wrote the Uncle Remus stories in Georgia.

Vance

From Old English fenn, marsh.

Marcellus

Marcellus is the Latin diminutive of Marcus, so the meaning is “little Marcus” and by extension a young son of Mars, the god of war.

Ira

”Watchful”.

Bennett

”Blessed.”

Forrest

Forest dweller, and Forrest Gump’s hometown is Greenbow, Alabama.

Booker

Booker is an English trade name for a “maker of books.”

Hudson

”Son of Hudd.”

Garland

”Wreath.”

Luther

”Army of the people”. Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta.

Winston

It comes from Old English wynn, joy, and stan, stone.

Otis

Otis grew out of the medieval Ode, a cousin of Otto that is rooted in a Germanic word for “wealth.”

Hank

Hank (”home ruler”) Williams was born in Mount Olive, Alabama.

Clayton

It combines clæg, clay, with tun, settlement.

Lowell

”Young wolf.”

Hollis

“By the holly trees.”

Abner

Abner is Hebrew for “father of light.”

Virgil

Virgil has origins in Publius Vergilius Maro who was the Roman poet of the Aeneid.

Grover

Grover is someone who lived “by a grove” of trees.

Uriah

“Yahweh is my light.”

Elmore

The “moor where elm trees grow.” Novelist Elmore Leonard was born in New Orleans in 1925.

Rutherford

From Old English hrither, cattle, and ford.

Floyd

Grey.

Josiah

”Yahweh supports,” and a boy who became king of Judah at 8.

Landry

Landry comes from the Germanic land plus ric and is meaning “ruler of the land.” Cajun families shorten it to Ti-Lan, “little Landry.”

Clovis

Clovis is from “fame” and “battle.”

Haywood

Hedged forest.

Tate

”Cheerful.”

Asa

”Healer,” and Asa Candler made Coca-Cola into a business in Atlanta.

Theron

From Greek therao, to hunt.

Merle

Merle (”blackbird”) Travis gave it to a guitar style called Travis picking.

Major

Greater.

Granville

From Old French grand, large, and ville, town.

Dempsey

”Proud.”