Boy names that start with Q are rare by design, and the data agrees. Only four of them sit in the 2025 U.S. top 1,000 for boys: Quinn at 97th, Quincy at 654th, Quentin at 968th and Quinton at 976th (SSA).
The other 96 names below are the reason to keep scrolling. They come from Arabic, Chinese, Albanian, Greenlandic, Quechua, Inuit and Vietnamese, and most have never been given to enough American boys in a single year for the federal files to list them at all.
Every entry carries the origin, meaning, pronunciation and, where they exist, notable bearers and current U.S. rankings.
Popularity at a Glance
The most popular names on this list in the United States, 1965 to 2025: Quinn, Quincy, Quentin, Quinton and Quinten.
100 Cool Male Names That Start with Q
Collect your quota of 100 boy names that start with Q!
Qaaid
The Arabic Qaaid (KA-IHD) and the Irish Quaid (KWAYD) look like cousins on the page and share nothing on the tongue. Qaaid began as a Norman title in Sicily, handed to Muslims and converts who served as palatine officials and members of the court, so leader, chief is a job description rather than a hope. Federal birth data has never recorded enough American boys called Qaaid to publish it, which leaves the title about as exclusive now as it was then.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Leader, chief, commander
- Pronunciation: KA-IHD
- Variations: Qaid, Kaid, Caïd
- Namesakes: Qaid ibn Hammad ibn Buluggin, the second Hammadid ruler of present-day Algeria. Al-Qaid Jawhar ibn Abdallah, a Shia Muslim Fatimid general.
- Popularity: Qaaid has less than ten known bearers worldwide.
Qabil
Qabil is the Arabic transliteration of the biblical name Cain, and the story attached to it is dark: Genesis makes Cain the firstborn of Adam and Eve and the brother of Abel. The Quran carries the name too, and there the root Q-B-L gives it a far gentler reading, accepter, endorser, or approver. Families who like the sound more than the scripture lean on that second meaning. Two beats, kah-BEEL, and you are done.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Something produced, accepter, approver
- Pronunciation: kah-BEEL, kuh-BEEL
- Variations: Qabel
- Namesakes: Qabil Ajmeri, a Pakistani Urdu poet.
- Popularity: Qabil has about 19,500 bearers worldwide, with the majority in Azerbaijan, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
Qaçhan
Qachan is hard to pin down. It may come from the root kachan, meaning fugitive, escaped, or from kac, honor or cross, joined to the Turkic title khan, ruler, king. A word that can mean either honorable king or runaway will keep a family arguing pleasantly for years.
- Origin: Turkic
- Meaning: Honorable king, fugitive
- Pronunciation: KA-chaan
- Popularity: Qaçhan has one known bearer worldwide.
Qadam
Qadam is Arabic for foot, which sounds plain until you see where it turns up. It names a Syrian municipality and the road al-Qadam al-Sharif, the Noble Foot, and it rarely stands alone: the Quranic epithet Muqadam means put forward, brought forward. It may also be an alternate transcription of the Indian Kadam, start, beginning. For a first son, that last reading has real charm.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Foot
- Pronunciation: ka-DAM
- Namesakes: General Qadam Shah Shahim, an Afghan diplomat and former army officer.
- Popularity: Qadam is most prevalent in the Middle East, with about 7,403 bearers internationally.
Qadan
Qadan means cliff, and Mongolian names lean toward that kind of solid, physical imagery. It fits comfortably on a shortlist of Asian names for boys and suits families with Mongolian or Chinese roots who want something familiar at home and unusual everywhere else. A cliff does not move, which is a decent thing to wish on a boy.
- Origin: Mongolian
- Meaning: Cliff
- Pronunciation: kaw-DAN
- Namesakes: Qadan Kabenūly, a Chinese politician of Kazakh ethnicity. Qazi Qadan, a Samma Dynasty Sindhi (present-day Pakistan) Sufi poet.
- Popularity: Qadan has about 4,470 bearers worldwide.
Qadir
Qadir is a strong male moniker built on the Arabic root Q-D-R, meaning capable, powerful, and able. The Quran uses it seven times, and al-Qadir is one of the 99 names of Allah, so the word carried weight long before it was anyone’s first name. American families have used it quietly since the early 1980s without ever making it common. Adept and competent sit in the meaning too, which is a great deal to hand a newborn.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Capable, powerful, able
- Pronunciation: KA-dee-r, ka-DEE-r
- Variations: Qadeer, Kader
- Namesakes: Qader Magsi, a Pakistani politician. Faqir Qadir Bux Bedil, a renowned Sufi poet and scholar. Qadir Yar, born Qadar Baksh, a Muslim Sandhu Jat and Punjabi language poet.
- Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration figures put Qadir at 5,155th in 2025. It first appeared in the data in 1982 and was at its highest in 1995, at 4,003rd.
Qahir
Qahir means conqueror or subduer, and al-Qahir is one of the 99 names of Allah. It appears in the Quranic compound Abdul Qahir, servant of the Supreme, and doubles as a village name in Yemen and a common surname in Pakistan. Among religiously grounded Q names for boys, this one states its case bluntly.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Conqueror, subduer
- Pronunciation: ka-HEER, KA-hihr
- Namesakes: Qahir Madhany, an American real estate managing director. Qahir Dhanani, an American managing director and partner.
- Popularity: Qahir is somewhat popular in Afghanistan, with almost 1,200 global bearers.
Qaisar
Qaisar is the Arabic form of Caesar, and the route is worth tracing. Roman and Byzantine emperors wore it as a cognomen, and Arab and Persian writers used Qaisar-e-Rum, Caesar of Rome, for the emperor in the East. The Latin root caesaries actually means hair, so a word that began as a remark about somebody’s head ended up meaning king. Caesar, Kaiser, Kayser and Qaiser are all the same crown in different spellings.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Hairy
- Pronunciation: KEYE-sar
- Variations: Caesar, Kaiser, Qaiser, Kaisar, Kayser, Keiser, Keyser
- Namesakes: Qaisar Abbas Khan Magsi, a Pakistani politician. Qaisar Hameed, an Iraqi football player. Qaisar Shafi, a Pakistani-American theoretical physicist and a university physics professor.
- Popularity: Qaisar is the 9,661st most common name worldwide and is popular in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
Qalbinur
Qalbinur joins the Arabic galb, heart, to nur, light, giving something close to light of the heart. To an English ear it sounds like a dressed-up Calvin, which may be the easiest way to introduce it at a family gathering. It is genuinely rare, gender-neutral, and appears as a forename mostly in Azerbaijan. Qelbinur is the other spelling you will meet.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Light of the heart
- Pronunciation: KAL-bih-nuur, kal-bih-NOOR
- Variations: Qelbinur
- Popularity: Qalbinur has under 100 bearers worldwide.
Qamar
Qamar is Arabic for moon, and although it leans feminine in most places, Pakistan, Nigeria and a few English-speaking countries give it to boys. Its American numbers are climbing faster than any other name here, which suggests parents are hearing something current in it rather than something borrowed. If your son arrived at night, or simply has the roundest cheeks on the ward, the meaning does the work for you.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Moon, natural satellite
- Pronunciation: kah-MAAR
- Namesakes: Qamar-ol-Moluk Vaziri, an Iranian singer and one of the first women to sing publicly in Iran without a veil. Saba Qamar Zaman, a Pakistani actress.
- Popularity: Qamar reached 2,745th for U.S. boys in 2025, its best rank yet, and has charted since 2005. Measured over the last ten years of births against the ten before them, it is up about 343%, the largest gain of any charted name on this list.
Qamari
Qamari comes from the Quranic root Q-M-R and means moon-like, radiant, with good-looking as a secondary reading. It is a relative of Qamar with an extra syllable and a softer landing. Its resemblance to Amari, a name American classrooms already know, means Qamari rarely has to be spelled twice.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Moon-like, radiant, bright
- Pronunciation: KA-MA-ree, KU-mu-REE
- Variations: Qamary
- Namesakes: Bashir Qamari, a Moroccan literary critic, novelist, and playwright.
- Popularity: Qamari entered U.S. data in 2007, peaked at 12,006th that same year, and last appeared at 13,681st in 2023.
Qannik
Qannik means snowflake in Inupiaq and traces back to the Greenlandic qanik. It is the modern spelling of K’anik, and it carries the obvious but lovely idea that no two are alike. U.S. birth records have never listed enough boys with the name to publish it, so a Qannik will almost certainly be the only one in his school. Winter babies have first claim.
- Origin: Inuit
- Meaning: Snowflake
- Pronunciation: KUN-nik
- Variations: K’anik
- Popularity: Qannik is limited to the U.S. and has less than five bearers.
Qara
Western eyes read Qara as KA-RA, but the Azerbaijani pronunciation is closer to GAH-RAH, in the neighborhood of the Japanese Gaara. The name belongs to the history of the Qara Qoyunlu, the Black Sheep Turcoman tribe, whose rulers included Qara Yusuf ibn Mohammad Barani and his father, the chieftain Qara Mahammad. For parents drawn to names with a documented dynasty behind them, few short options can match it.
- Origin: Azerbaijani
- Meaning: Black
- Pronunciation: GAH-RAH
- Variations: Gara
- Namesakes: Qara Shemsi Abdal, an Ottoman-era Turkish poet who wrote in Turkish and Persian. Qara Mahammad, a chieftain of the Qara Qoyunlu tribe and the father of Qara Yusuf.
- Popularity: Qara is popular in Azerbaijan and Lebanon, ranking in the top 1,000.
Qari
A qari is someone who recites the Quran correctly, following the rules of tajwid, so this name describes a skill rather than a temperament. It comes from the root Q-R-HAMZ, by way of the Arabic qurra and qara’ah. English speakers hear Corey, which makes it one of the gentlest Arabic Q names to carry in the States.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Reciter, reader
- Pronunciation: KAW-ree
- Variations: Qaari
- Popularity: Qari first showed up in U.S. birth data in 2019 at 13,651st and last appeared at 13,682nd in 2023, so it sits right at the edge of what the federal files publish.
Qarun
Qarun is the Arabic form of the biblical Korah, and the Quran names him first among the rebels who stood against Moses. In Islamic tradition he stands for wealth and arrogance, a warning rather than a model. Strip the story away and the word itself means soul or self, which is a much quieter thing to call a child. Most people will meet this name in a text long before they meet a person wearing it.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Soul, (one)self
- Pronunciation: ka-ROON, kuh-ROON
- Variations: Qārūn
- Popularity: With less than 30 bearers worldwide, Qarun is extremely rare.
Qasim
Qasim comes from the Arabic root qasama, to divide or to share, and it names the person who hands things out: one who distributes, or simply the giver. The eldest son of the Prophet Muhammad bore it and died shortly after turning three, which helped fix the name in Muslim communities. In the United States it has climbed steadily rather than spiked, reaching its best rank, 2,327th, in 2025. Qasem and Qazeem are the spellings you will meet after this one.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: One who distributes, generous, handsome
- Pronunciation: KA-seem, KA-sihm
- Variations: Qasem, Qazeem
- Namesakes: Qasim ibn Muhammad, the eldest of Muhammad and Khadija bint Khuwaylid’s sons. Qasim Melho, a Syrian TV, theater, and voice actor. Qasim Tawfiq, a Jordanian novelist.
- Popularity: Qasim reached 2,327th for U.S. boys in 2025, its highest placement since it entered the data in 1977.
Qaswar
Qaswar means lion, and Arabic is not short of words for lion, but this is likely the only one that begins with Q. It also carries a sense of hardness and young male strength, so it reads as a name a boy is expected to grow into. Qas, said KAS, is the nickname already waiting inside it.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Lion, strong young man
- Pronunciation: KAS-wa-r
- Variations: Qaswari
- Popularity: Qaswar is most common in Pakistan, with about 575 bearers globally.
Qaumaniq
Qaumaniq comes from the Inupiaq language and is usually glossed as enlightening knowledge. Very little about it has been written down, which is true of many Inuit names, and even its pronunciation is unsettled outside the communities that use it. That places a small duty on any family that chooses it: learn where it came from before you hand it over.
- Origin: Inuit
- Meaning: Enlightening knowledge
- Pronunciation: KA-WMAN-IHK
- Popularity: Qaumaniq is limited to the U.S., with about one recorded bearer.
Qays
Qays is usually read as measurement or example, though some sources argue for firm. Its associations run to piety and soldiering: Qays ibn Sa’d led part of the Rashidun army and was a companion of the Prophet Muhammad. A Syrian actor and an Iraqi historian carry it today, so the name has range. Qais and Kais are the same name with the corners rounded off.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Measurement, example
- Pronunciation: HEYESS, KEYESS
- Variations: Qais, Kais
- Namesakes: Qays Sheikh Najib, a Syrian film, TV, and theater actor. Qays Abd al-Hussein al-Yasiri, an Iraqi media historian, academic, and poet.
- Popularity: Qays has charted in U.S. data since 2003, reaching 10,467th in 2016 and last appearing at 11,797th in 2021.
Qemal
Qemal is the Albanian form of the Arabic Kamal and means perfection, completeness, and pinnacle. Albania has given it to architects, footballers and politicians alike. Every parent privately believes the meaning already; Qemal simply says it out loud.
- Origin: Albanian, Arabic
- Meaning: Perfection
- Pronunciation: ka-MAL
- Variations: Kemal, Kamal
- Namesakes: Qemal Butka, an Albanian architect, painter, politician, and stamp engraver. Qemal Stafa, an Albanian politician and party founding member. Qemal Vogli, an Albanian footballer.
- Popularity: Qemal is very popular in Albania, ranking near the top 100 names.
Qëndrak
Qendrak comes from the Albanian qender, meaning center, middle, which runs back through the Latin centrum to the Greek kentron, a sharp point. The name therefore says something close to one who is balanced. It is the calmest choice among guy names that start with Q, and in the early weeks, when nothing at all is calm, that counts for something.
- Origin: Albanian
- Meaning: Center, balanced
- Pronunciation: zuun-DRAK
- Popularity: Qëndrak doesn’t appear on popularity charts.
Qerim
Qerim is the Albanian version of Kerim, and both go back to the Arabic Karim and the root karuma, to be generous. Oddly, it is more popular in Kosovo than in Albania itself, though the two share a language and much of their culture. Qerim, Karim and Kerim sit close enough together that a boy could answer to any of them.
- Origin: Albanian, Arabic
- Meaning: Generous, gracious one
- Pronunciation: KEH-rehm, KEH-reem
- Variations: Karim, Kerim
- Namesakes: Qerim Begolli, an Albanian activist and nationalist during WWII. Qerim Idrizaj, an Austrian football player.
- Popularity: Qerim has almost 3,000 bearers worldwide and is popular in Albania.
Qhawa
Qhawa is masculine in Aymara and feminine in Quechua, which makes it one of the few names here whose gender depends on which side of a language border you are standing on. The Aymara sense, breastplate, armor, points at protection, and the extended reading is one who watches. Nobody agrees on the pronunciation, so the family that picks it effectively sets it.
- Origin: Aymara, Quechua
- Meaning: Breastplate, armor, one who watches
- Pronunciation: KA-WA
- Variations: Qhawaq
- Popularity: Qhawa doesn’t show up on popularity charts.
Qi
Two letters, one syllable, and a very large idea. Qi transliterates the Chinese qi, which can mean air, breath, steam, life energy, or to open, to enlighten, or plan, strategy, depending on the character behind it. Most people will know it from the traditional idea that every living thing is made of life force. As a name it is about as short as English allows while staying pronounceable, CHEE.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Air, vital energy, strategy, enlighten
- Pronunciation: CHEE
- Variations: Chi
- Namesakes: Qi of Xia, a Xia-dynasty Chinese king and the son of Yu the Great. Qi Qi, a Chinese artistic gymnast.
- Popularity: Qi appeared in U.S. birth data from 2000, reached 9,150th in 2002 and last surfaced at 13,636th in 2018.
Qian
Qian is far more common as a surname than a first name, and the character behind it changes what it says. Written one way it once meant smiling or handsome; written another it means money. The 2nd-century BC envoy Qian Zhang and the rocket engineer Xuesen Qian both carried it. Either character makes it a quiet wish for a son’s good fortune.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Money, iron spade
- Pronunciation: CHEE-ehn
- Variations: Chien, Tsien
- Namesakes: Qian Zhang, a 2nd-century BC Chinese official, diplomat, and imperial envoy. Xuesen Qian, a Chinese aerospace engineer (rocket scientist) and cyberneticist.
- Popularity: Qian has been in U.S. data since 2000, peaking at 9,405th in 2014 and last listed at 10,358th in 2015.
Qianfan
Qianfan pairs qian, front, forward, with fan, sail, to give a thousand sails. The image belongs to China’s long history of shipbuilding and naval power, which is an unusually cinematic thing to call a child. Three syllables, all of them soft, CHEE-EHN-FEHN.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Thousand sails
- Pronunciation: CHEE-EHN-FEHN
- Namesakes: Qianfan Zhang, a Chinese constitutional law professor and an activist.
- Popularity: Qianfan is most prevalent in China and has about 4,386 bearers worldwide.
Qiang
Qiang runs on two characters that pull in opposite directions: one means strong, powerful, energetic, the other means rose. The first is the masculine reading, the second is usually given to girls. It is one of the most common names in China and one of the least expected in an English-speaking classroom. A boy named Qiang will never be short of namesakes; a mathematician, a scientist and a boxer share this page with him.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Strong, powerful, rose
- Pronunciation: CHYUNG
- Namesakes: Qiang Yang, a Chinese scientist and university department head. Qiang Du, a Chinese mathematician, computational scientist, and university professor. Qiang Liu, a Chinese amateur boxer.
- Popularity: Qiang is in the top 100 names in China and is the 104th most common name worldwide.
Qillaq
Qillaq opens and closes with the letter that brought you here. It means seal hide in Greenlandic, and the Greenlandic q is not the English one: it forms at the back of the throat, closer to a swallowed k. In Greenland and Denmark it is a first name, while in Canada it turns up, rarely, as a surname. Qillaq belongs completely to one place.
- Origin: Greenlandic
- Meaning: Seal hide, seal skin
- Pronunciation: KEE-lak, KHEE-lakh
- Popularity: In 2014, Qillaq ranked 298th in Greenland, where it’s most popular.
Qimmiq
Qimmiq is the Inuit word for dog, and the Canadian Inuit Dog is still called qimmiq or qimmit. Naming a child after an animal is ordinary in many cultures, and the point is usually the qualities that travel with it: loyalty, steadiness, a good temper in hard conditions. Qimmik is the alternate spelling. For a family with any tie to the North, it is a plain and warm choice.
- Origin: Inuit
- Meaning: Dog
- Pronunciation: KIHM-MEEK, KHIHM-MIHK, KWIHM-MIHK
- Variations: Qimmik
- Popularity: Qimmiq is limited to the U.S., with less than five known bearers worldwide.
Qing
Qing is usually written with the characters for blue or young, and sometimes with one meaning clear, pure, clean or honest, upright. Any of those is a fine thing to wish on a child. Most readers know the word from the Great Qing, China’s last imperial dynasty, which lends the name a weight its gentle sound never prepares you for.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Blue, green, young
- Pronunciation: CHYUNG, CHEENG
- Variations: Ching
- Namesakes: Qing Jiang, a Chinese contemporary Confucian. Qing Jiang, a Chinese communist revolutionary, actress, and wife of the Paramount leader, Mao Zedong.
- Popularity: Qing surfaced in U.S. birth data once, at 17,741st in 2003.
Qinglong
Qinglong is the azure dragon of Chinese mythology, tied to the east and to springtime. The creature appeared on the yellow dragon flag, considered China’s first national flag, and the name carries the Qing dynasty in its opening syllable. It is grand, and it knows it. If you want a name that sounds like an inheritance, here it is.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Azure dragon
- Pronunciation: CHING-long, CHYUNG-long
- Variations: Qianlong
- Namesakes: Qianlong, a Chinese Qing Dynasty Emperor and the fourth Qing Emperor to rule over China. Qianlong Wu, a Chinese race-walker from Inner Mongolia.
- Popularity: Qinglong has never appeared in U.S. birth data, staying below the Social Security Administration’s five-births publication line.
Qismat
Qismat means fate or fortune in Arabic and stretches to destiny or God’s will. Turkey has its own version, Kismet. The name is barely known in the West and has real followings in Pakistan and Azerbaijan. There are worse things to tell a child than that he was meant to arrive.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Fate, fortune
- Pronunciation: kuus-MEHT, KIHS-mut
- Variations: Kismet, Qesmat
- Namesakes: Qismat Alıyev, an Azerbaijani professional football player.
- Popularity: Qismat ranked in the top 1,000 names in Azerbaijan in 2014 but is most popular in Pakistan.
Qiu
Qiu comes from either the character for autumn or the one for mound, hill. The second is usually a surname, with one famous exception: Confucius was born Kong Qiu, clan name Kong, given name Qiu, and only later became Master Kong. Not many one-syllable names arrive with a philosopher attached.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Autumn, hill
- Pronunciation: CHYOH
- Variations: Chiu
- Namesakes: Qiū Kong, better known as Confucius, a renowned ancient Chinese philosopher.
- Popularity: Qiu is most prevalent in Hong Kong, where it usually ranks in the top 1,000 names, but it is also used in the U.S.
Qochata
Qochata is Hopi and is usually translated as white man. It is rarely used as a given name, which leaves it wide open. U.S. birth records have never listed it. Families drawn to the sound are usually drawn to Hopi culture as well, and the name is a reasonable place to begin reading.
- Origin: Native American
- Meaning: White man
- Pronunciation: koo-CHA-ta
- Popularity: Qochata doesn’t show up in the top 1,000 names in the U.S.
Qoni
Qoni is a comforting Quechua moniker that means “warmth.” It’s quite sweet. The unrelated Uzbek word “qoni,” means “blood.” Whether you’re referring to the cozy bundle swaddled in your arms or the ancestral blood flowing through his veins, Qoni keeps it close to the heart.
- Origin: Quechua
- Meaning: Warmth
- Pronunciation: KOH-neye, KOH-nah
- Popularity: Qoni has about 128 bearers internationally.
Qorane
Qorane is a Somali option that refers to the Islamic holy book of the Quran. Where Quran means “recitation,” Qorane means “writer.” This forename is also found to a much lesser extent in Somaliland, South Africa, Eritrea, and Ethiopia. As a surname, Qorane is most common in Somalia.
- Origin: Somali
- Meaning: Writer
- Pronunciation: KAW-RAN
- Popularity: Qorane has less than 1,000 bearers worldwide, mostly in Somalia.
Quade
Quade is the Anglicized Quaid, from the Irish Gaelic surname Mac Uaid, son of Uaid, and Uaid runs back to the Germanic Wat, a short form of Walter, power of the army. A second line goes through the Middle Low German quat, evil or false, and a third through the Middle High German quat, dirt, mud. Pick your ancestor.
- Origin: English, Irish
- Meaning: Son of Uaid, power, authority
- Pronunciation: KWAYD
- Variations: Quaid
- Namesakes: Quade Cooper, a New Zealand-born professional rugby union player representing Australia. Edward Quade Winter, an American composer, musical restorationist, and translator.
- Popularity: Quade sits at 2,299th for U.S. boys in 2025 and has charted since 1984, with a high of 1,584th in 1995.
Quadir
Quadir is the same Arabic word as Qadir, mighty, able, powerful, wearing a U in second position. In 2025 Quadir ranked 4,221st while Qadir sat at 5,155th. Al-Qadir is one of the names of Allah, so the association with godliness travels with either spelling. Take this one if you want the meaning without the more expected form.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Powerful, capable
- Pronunciation: KA-dee-r, ka-DEE-r
- Variations: Qadir, Qadeer
- Namesakes: Quadir Maynard, a Bermudian football player. Quadir Hassan Welton, an American basketball player.
- Popularity: Quadir peaked at 1,371st in 2002 and stood at 4,221st for U.S. boys in 2025, having charted since 1977.
Quaid
Quaid comes from the Irish surname Mcquaid, from Mac Uaid, son of Uaid. It gets confused with the Arabic Qaid and Qaaid, and the two are unrelated: near-twins on the page, different continents. The German lines, quat meaning evil or mud, are the less flattering possibilities. Quade is its spelling twin, and the pair have charted alongside each other for decades.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Son of Uaid, power, authority
- Pronunciation: KWAYD
- Variations: Quade
- Popularity: Quaid has charted in U.S. data since 1971, peaking at 2,589th in 1991 and landing at 5,001st in 2025.
Qualetaga
Qualetaga is quite a mystery. With an uncertain origin and pronunciation, there is plenty of opportunity to create a culture around it. Qualetaga is one of the more unique options on our list of male names that start with Q. What could be better for your special little angel?
- Origin: Native American
- Meaning: Angel
- Pronunciation: KA-LAY-TA-GA
- Popularity: Qualetaga does not show up on popularity charts.
Quamdeen
Quamdeen is a rare Islamic option from the Yoruba language. It means “pillar of (the) faith” from the Arabic elements “qawam” (standing upright/leader) and “deen” (faith/religion). It’s sometimes confused for the similar unisex Islamic Qamar ud-Din, also spelt Qamardeen or Kamaruddin (ka-ma-ruu-DEEN), meaning “moon of (the) faith/religion.” Quamdeen appears to be a fairly modern creation.
- Origin: African, Arabic
- Meaning: Pillar of the faith (Islam)
- Pronunciation: kuh-wam-DEEN
- Variations: Qawam-deen
- Popularity: Quamdeen is most common in Nigeria, where there are about 26 bearers.
Quan
Quan is primarily a “Q” surname, and the Quan family founded a state of the same name during China’s Shang dynasty. As a given name it is mostly masculine, and the character behind it decides the meaning: spring, fountain, power, authority, whole, entire, or fine cloth. Vietnamese families use it as readily as Chinese ones. Its American peak came in the early 1980s and it has been quietly present ever since.
- Origin: Vietnamese, Chinese
- Meaning: Army, fountain, authority, fine cloth
- Pronunciation: KWAAN, CHWEHN
- Variations: Kwan, Guān
- Namesakes: Quan Yeomans, an Australian musician and band frontman.
- Popularity: Quan entered U.S. data in 1969, peaked at 1,644th in 1982 and ranked 7,092nd in 2025.
Quanah
Quanah is the Anglicized form of the Comanche kwana, fragrant, smell, odor. Quanah Parker, war leader of the Kwahadi band of the Comanche Nation, is the reason the name is known at all outside the tribe. American use rose in the mid-1970s and has thinned since. As for the meaning, no one who has held a newborn needs it explained.
- Origin: Native American
- Meaning: Fragrant
- Pronunciation: KWAH-nuh
- Variations: Kwana
- Namesakes: Quanah Parker, a war leader of the Kwahadi band of the Comanche Nation.
- Popularity: Quanah charted in U.S. data from 1973, reaching 3,214th in 1976 and last appearing at 11,805th in 2018.
Quang
Quang romanizes the Sino-Vietnamese quang, written either as bright, clear or as broad, extensive. Emperor Quang Trung of the Tay Son dynasty, the chess grandmaster Quang Liem Le and the author Quang Pham all carry the name. It is common in Vietnam and was most visible in American records in the years after 1975. One syllable, easy to spell, hard to forget.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Bright, clear
- Pronunciation: kWANG, gWANG
- Namesakes: Emperor Quang Trung, an emperor of Vietnam’s Tây Sơn dynasty. Quang Liêm Lê, a Vietnamese chess grandmaster. Quang Pham, a Vietnamese-American veteran and author.
- Popularity: Quang was at its most common in U.S. records in 1981, at 1,493rd, and last appeared at 13,603rd in 2021.
Quantavious
Quantavious is a modern African American creation, joining Quan, army, to a respelling of the Latin Octavius, eighth. It is long, and that is part of the appeal: it gives a boy a full name and a choice of short ones. The rapper Young Nudy was born Quantavious Thomas. Four decades in the birth data is a long run for a name most people assume was invented last year.
- Origin: African American
- Meaning: Eighth army
- Pronunciation: kwaan-TAY-vee-us
- Variations: Quantavius
- Namesakes: Quantavious Thomas, stage name Young Nudy, an American rapper. Quantavious Leslie, an American gridiron football player.
- Popularity: Quantavious peaked at 2,252nd in 1997 and was still on the U.S. list in 2025 at 11,675th, having first charted in 1980.
Quantez
Quantez is probably an invented name, which makes its meaning a matter of opinion. The most persuasive reading joins the Chinese surname Kwan, frontier pass, to the Spanish suffix ez, son of. The Latin quantus, how much, is the other candidate. Quan and Tez are both waiting inside it, which is a practical advantage on a playground.
- Origin: African American
- Meaning: Frontier pass, son of Kwan
- Pronunciation: KWAAN-tehz
- Variations: Quantis
- Namesakes: Quantez Robertson, an American professional basketball player.
- Popularity: Quantez peaked at 2,398th in 1992 and last appeared in U.S. data at 11,799th in 2021.
Quartez
Quartez is an English respelling of the Spanish surname Cortez, itself a variant of Cortes, meaning courteous and polite. Most parents would take those two qualities over most others. One swapped letter gives an ordinary surname an entirely different first impression.
- Origin: African American, Spanish
- Meaning: Polite, courteous
- Pronunciation: KAWR-tehz, KOHR-tehz
- Variations: Cortez
- Namesakes: Quartez Harris, an American writer.
- Popularity: Quartez has appeared in U.S. birth data since 1978, at its best in 1990 at 2,602nd, and was last recorded at 11,800th in 2021.
Quartus
Quartus stems from the Latin word for “fourth.” It was likely used for the fourth-born son or one born in the fourth month. The moniker goes back centuries. In the Bible, Paul greeted Quartus, an early Christian disciple living in Corinth, in his letter to the Romans. You can use Quartus regardless of your son’s birth order.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Fourth
- Pronunciation: KWAR-tohs, KWAWR-tus
- Variations: Kouartos
- Namesakes: Quartus de Wet, a South African judge. Quartus of Berytus, a bishop of Beirut.
- Popularity: With about 151 bearers, Quartus is extremely rare worldwide.
Quartz
Quartz is a gemstone with increased popularity as a first name due to Cartoon Network’s show, Steven Universe. It stems from the German “quarz” (rock crystal), itself from the Middle High German “twarc” (dwarf). It goes further back to the Old Slavic “tvrudu” (hard) and the Proto-Indo-European root meaning “to grasp, hold, hard.” Quartz is perfect for your precious gem.
- Origin: German, English
- Meaning: Hard, rock, crystal
- Pronunciation: KWAWRTS, KWAWTS
- Namesakes: Jakie Quartz, born Jacqueline Cuchet, a French singer.
- Popularity: Quartz is quite rare, with less than 50 bearers worldwide.
Quashie
Although Quashie is primarily a Caribbean surname, it has gained some traction as a first. It comes from the Jamaican Patois “kwesiada,” meaning “Sunday,” and is taken from the Akan language Kwasi. This West African masculine moniker was given to a son born on a Sunday. Quashie could be a cool way to explore and connect with Afro-Caribbean culture.
- Origin: Caribbean, West African
- Meaning: Sunday, (born on a) Sunday
- Pronunciation: KWAH-shee
- Namesakes: Vice Admiral Mathew Quashie, a Ghanaian naval officer.
- Popularity: Quashie is mostly found in Nigeria, Ghana, and the English-Speaking Caribbean, but is rare internationally.
Quasimodo
Quasimodo can mostly be found in Cameroon and Italy. Victor Hugo created it for the protagonist of his novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. This unusual epithet derives from the Sunday after Easter (Quasimodo Sunday), named for the baptismal ceremony which was customarily held. The Latin phrase “Quasi modo geniti infantes…” (As newborn babes…) was chanted during the proceedings.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: As it were
- Pronunciation: KWAH-zee-MOH-doh, KA-zee-MOH-doh
- Namesakes: Salvatore Quasimodo, an Italian poet, translator, and Nobel Prize laureate.
- Popularity: Quasimodo is most popular in Cameroon but doesn’t make the top 1,000 names there.
Quattro
Quattro is more often a surname, but it’s catching on as a first. Derived from Santiquattro, this personal epithet was given in honor of the four saints who were martyred by Emperor Diocletian. Although today, Quattro might be associated with Audi’s trademarked automotive technologies, it’s still a great option. Why not add some Italian flair to your son’s birth order?
- Origin: Italian
- Meaning: Four
- Pronunciation: KWOT-roh, KWAAT-roh, KWAT-roh
- Namesakes: Van Quattro, an American actor and producer.
- Popularity: As a forename, Quattro has just under 40 bearers worldwide, but as a surname, it has over 700 bearers.
Quavion
Quavion is an African American variant of Kavon, which comes from Kevon and ultimately from Kevin, the Irish Caoimhin, handsome. Another reading builds it from the prefix Kev and the suffix von, possibly the Welsh vaughn, little. Either way it lands on little handsome one, which is accurate on day one and stays accurate.
- Origin: African American
- Meaning: Handsome, little handsome one
- Pronunciation: KWAY-vee-un, kwyuu-VEYE-un
- Variations: Quavon, Kevon
- Popularity: Quavion has charted in U.S. data since 1994, peaking at 4,786th in 2005 and ranking 13,417th in 2025.
Quavon
The meaning of Quavon is genuinely uncertain; warrior is the reading most often offered, and none of the alternatives are better documented. Its variant Quayvon is rarer still, carried by the gridiron player Quayvon Hicks. Quavon itself has held a place in American birth records since the late 1980s, which is more than most invented names manage.
- Origin: African American
- Meaning: Warrior
- Pronunciation: KWAY-vaan
- Variations: Quayvon
- Popularity: Quavon peaked at 2,743rd in 1995 and stood at 11,676th in U.S. data in 2025, having charted since 1989.
Quay
A quay is a platform built along water for loading and unloading ships, and the word reached Middle English from the Old French kay before the modern spelling quai reshaped it. The name is said KEE or KEH, never KWAY, which trips up almost everyone at first. Saint Quay Portrieux is a commune in Brittany. The record producer Quay Global and the politician Matthew Quay are the bearers most often cited.
- Origin: French, English
- Meaning: Wharf
- Pronunciation: KEE, KEH
- Namesakes: Christopher Rosser, stage name Quay Global, an American record producer. Matthew Quay, an American politician.
- Popularity: Quay first charted in U.S. data in 1914 at 2,417th, its best rank, and last appeared at 10,664th in 2024.
Qubad
Qubad is a variant of the Persian Qobad. There are just about 869 bearers worldwide. Qubad Kamran, also called Kavadh I, was a king of Persia and a character in the epic The Adventures of Amir Hamza. The meaning of Qubad is influenced by this king’s just and courageous rule.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Beloved king
- Pronunciation: kuu-BAD
- Variations: Qobad, Qobaad
- Namesakes: Qubad Talabani, an Iraqi Kurdish politician, the Kurdistan Region’s deputy prime minister, and son of former Iraqi president Jalal Talaban. Qubad, or Kubad, the 13th Shah of Shirvan.
- Popularity: Qubad is most common in Azerbaijan but doesn’t crack the top 1,000 names there.
Qudrat
Qudrat is derived from the Arabic word “qudrah,” meaning “power, strength, force.” This stems from the Quranic root Q-D-R, making it a popular Islamic choice. Qudrat might seem unusual in the West, but this manly pick could also make a meaningful middle name.
- Origin: Arabic, Persian
- Meaning: Power, aptitude, strength
- Pronunciation: KOOD-reht, kood-RAAT
- Variations: Qudrah, Qudra
- Namesakes: Qudrat Shahab, a Pakistani Urdu-language writer and civil servant. Qudrat Ali, a Pakistani mountaineer. Muhammad Qudrat-A-Khuda, a Bangladeshi chemist and writer.
- Popularity: In 2014, Qudrat ranked in or near the top 1,000 names in Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan.
Que
Que is a Catalan variant of Quer, rock, cliff, and in Chinese it points at the city of Quetang or a surname meaning a palace gate watchtower. English speakers may know it best as a short form of Quentin. The nicknames double back on themselves: Queque, said KAY-kay, or simply Q. Three letters, two vowels, and a pet name that is a single character.
- Origin: English, Catalan, Chinese
- Meaning: Rock, cliff, palace watchtower/rampart
- Pronunciation: KEHY, KAY
- Variations: Qué
- Namesakes: Angelo Que, an award-winning Filipino professional golfer.
- Popularity: Que has charted in U.S. data on and off since 1916, peaking at 3,440th in 1921 and appearing again at 11,678th in 2025.
Quebec
Quebec is used as a Filipino Spanish habitational surname for someone from Quebec, Canada. Although it’s associated with this French-speaking province of Canada, Quebec comes from the Native American Algonquin word “kepec,” meaning “narrows.” As a forename, there are only about 47 bearers worldwide. Quebec is ideal for parents interested in travel names or Algonquin culture.
- Origin: French, Spanish, Native American
- Meaning: Narrow passage, straight
- Pronunciation: kwuh-BEHK, kwih-BEHK, KAY-behk
- Variations: Québec
- Namesakes: Ike Abrams Quebec, an American jazz tenor saxophonist.
- Popularity: Quebec doesn’t rank in the U.S. top 1,000 names, but in 2010, it ranked 125,282nd out of 162,253 surnames in the U.S.
Quennel
Quennel has two unrelated origins, which is unusual for a name this rare. One is Nahuatl, glossed as what is to be done or what remedy. The other is the Old French habitational surname Quennell, from Quesnel, small oak. The surname route is the one that carried it into English-speaking countries, and the pianist Quennel Gaskin is its best-known bearer.
- Origin: French, Native American
- Meaning: (Dweller by the) small oak, what remedy
- Pronunciation: KWEH-NEHL, KEH-nehl
- Variations: Quennell
- Namesakes: Quennel Gaskin, an American pianist.
- Popularity: Quennel appeared in U.S. birth data between 1979 and 1990, at its most common in 1983 at 3,810th.
Quent
Quent is Quentin with the ending clipped off, and behind both stands the Latin Quintus, fifth. It reads like a nickname that decided to leave home. American parents used it briefly in the 1960s and then stopped, which gives it a distinctly mid-century feel. If you like Quentin but not the syllables, this is the fix.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Fifth
- Pronunciation: KWEHNT, KEHNT
- Popularity: Quent had a short run in U.S. data from 1963, peaking at 1,685th in 1964 and last listed at 4,862nd in 1969.
Quentin
Quentin is the French and English form of the Latin Quintinus and the praenomen Quintus, fifth. The Normans carried it to England, and Theodore Roosevelt’s youngest son, Quentin Roosevelt, put it in front of American parents at the start of the last century, which is exactly when its U.S. rank was highest. Quentin Tarantino is the modern reference, for better or worse. Quintin, Quinten, Quenton and Quintyn are all within reach if the spelling matters to you.
- Origin: English, French, Latin
- Meaning: Fifth
- Pronunciation: KWEHN-tin, KAA-teh
- Variations: Quintin, Quinten, Quentyn, Quenton, Quintyn
- Namesakes: Quentin of Amiens, an early Christian saint.Quentin Roosevelt I, American president Theodore Roosevelt’s youngest son. Quentin Kūhiō Kawānanakoa, an American politician and descendant of Hawaiian royalty.
- Popularity: Quentin is one of four Q names in the 2025 U.S. top 1,000 for boys, at 968th. It ranked as high as 220th in 1919 and has been in the data since 1900.
Quentrel
Quentrel is an invented African American moniker. The meaning is uncertain, but some propose it means “dashing.” Quentrel may have taken inspiration from Quennel (little oak) or the Latin-derived Quentin (fifth).
- Origin: African American
- Meaning: Dashing, elegant
- Pronunciation: KWEHN-trehl
- Variations: Quentrell
- Namesakes: Quentrel Provo, an American singer, songwriter, and activist.
- Popularity: Quentrel is limited to the U.S., where it is extremely rare, with less than five known bearers.
Quesnel
From the Picard French dialect, Quesnel or Quesnell means “little oak.” It’s a French and Swedish surname but is most popular in France and Canada. As a forename, Quesnel is most often used in Haiti and the U.S. Though the usual English pronunciation is KWEHZ-nul, some pronounce it as kwuh-NEHL, closer to the original French keh-NEHL.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Little oak
- Pronunciation: KWEHZ-nul, keh-NEHL
- Variations: Quesnnell
- Namesakes: Yannick Quesnel, a French football player.
- Popularity: Quesnel is most common in Haiti, but falls short of the top 2,000 names there.
Quest
Quest is an English word name from the Latin questa, search, inquiry, or quaerere, to ask, to seek. It is technically unisex and overwhelmingly given to boys. American use has climbed since the early 1990s, in step with a broader taste for word names that state an intention. Parents hunting for a Q name could hardly be more on the nose.
- Origin: English, Latin
- Meaning: Search, inquiry
- Pronunciation: KWEHS, KWEHST
- Namesakes: Quest Couch, an American writer, designer, and inventor. Richard Quest, a British journalist and news anchor.
- Popularity: Quest has charted in U.S. data since 1991, reached 1,870th in 2022 and ranked 2,413th in 2025.
Quetzalcoatl
Quetzalcoatl looks unmanageable and is not. The Classical Nahuatl breaks into quetzalli, a quetzal feather or precious thing, and coatl, snake, serpent, giving the plumed serpent of Mesoamerican belief. The Maya called the same god Kukulcan. It shortens to Coatl, said koo-ATL, which is how most families would carry it day to day.
- Origin: Aztec, Native American
- Meaning: Precious feathered serpent
- Pronunciation: keht-saal-koo-atl, keht-sul-koo-A-tl
- Popularity: Quetzalcoatl entered U.S. data in 1999 at 11,185th, its best rank, and last appeared at 13,847th in 2022.
Quill
Quill leads a pleasant double life: the shaft of a feather, and the pen made from one. It comes from the Middle English quil, and it may also be a short form of the occupational surname Quillan or Quiller, from the Old French cuiller, spoon. An Anglicized Irish surname meaning forest, wood, hazel tree is in the mix as well. For parents who want a nature name that also nods at writing, it does both jobs in five letters.
- Origin: English, Irish
- Meaning: Shaft of a feather, fragment of reed, forest, wood
- Pronunciation: KWIHL
- Variations: Quille
- Popularity: Quill is a recent arrival in U.S. data, first charting in 2013, peaking at 2,226th in 2019 and ranking 3,361st in 2025.
Quillan
Quillan is a transferred use of the Irish surname Quillen, which runs back through Hugelin and Hugh to the Germanic Hugo, spirit, mind, thought. The Gaelic form is Mac Uighilin, son of Hugelin. A competing reading gives it as cub, which is the version most parents will prefer. Two athletes carry it, a Canadian footballer and a British BMX rider.
- Origin: English, Irish
- Meaning: Spirit, mind
- Pronunciation: KWIH-lun, KWIH-lihn
- Variations: Quillen
- Namesakes: Quillan Roberts, a Canadian-born professional football player of Jamaican and Guyanese descent. Quillan Isidore, a British BMX rider.
- Popularity: Quillan is the rarest of the charted names here, ranked 13,419th in 2025, or about one boy in 333,333. It first appeared in U.S. data in 1982 and peaked at 4,175th in 1991.
Quincy
Quincy sounds expensive, and the history obliges: it comes from the Norman-English surname de Quincy, of Quincy, and that place is the French village of Cuinchy, whose own name traces back to Quintus, fifth. John Quincy Adams took it into American public life and Quincy Jones kept it there. It is one of four Q names inside the 2025 U.S. top 1,000, and the only one of the four charted as far back as 1880.
- Origin: English, Norman
- Meaning: Fifth
- Pronunciation: KWIHN-see
- Variations: Quincee, Quincey
- Namesakes: Quincy Jones Jr., an American record producer, songwriter, composer, and film and TV producer. Quincy Brown, an American actor and singer. Quincy Alexander, a Trinidad and Tobago track cyclist.
- Popularity: Quincy has been in U.S. birth records since 1880, peaked at 273rd in 1977 and ranked 654th in 2025.
Quinlan
Quinlan is the Anglicized O Caoindealbhain, from the given name Caoindealbhan: the Old Irish cain, handsome, plus delb, form, image, and a diminutive ending. Handsome little form is the literal sense, which is a great deal of compliment for one word. The Jedi Master Quinlan Vos is the bearer most children will meet first. Its American numbers have dropped sharply this past decade, so it is heading toward rare rather than away from it.
- Origin: English, Irish
- Meaning: Handsome form, fit
- Pronunciation: KWIN-luhn
- Namesakes: John Quinlan Terry, a British architect.
- Popularity: Quinlan peaked at 1,176th in 2006 and stood at 3,921st in 2025. Measured over the last ten years of births against the ten before them, it is down about 51%, the steepest fall of any charted name on this list.
Quinn
Quinn comes from the Anglicized Irish surname O Cuinn, which goes back to the Old Irish Conn, read either as sense, reason or as chief, head. It is the one Q name that needs no explaining anywhere in the English-speaking world, and it carries across genders without feeling borrowed in either direction. Australia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and England and Wales all use it. If you want a Q name a teacher will spell right on the first day, this is the one.
- Origin: Irish, English
- Meaning: Chief, reason, wise
- Pronunciation: KWIHN
- Variations: Quin
- Namesakes: Quinn Cook, an American professional basketball player. Quinn Carpenter, an American male ice dancer. Quinn Farrell, a U.S. Virgin Islands (association) football player.
- Popularity: Quinn ranked 97th for U.S. boys in 2025, the only Q name inside the top 100. Its best year was 2022, at 73rd, and it has charted since 1948.
Quint
Quint is the Catalan and French form of Quintus and a Dutch, German and English short form of anything beginning with quint, so fifth follows it everywhere. There is an older second thread: the Middle English queint(e), meaning wise, prudent, sly, crafty. That mix of numeral and mischief is unusual in one syllable. Quin is the obvious clip if five letters still feel too abrupt.
- Origin: English, German
- Meaning: Fifth, prudent, crafty, sly
- Pronunciation: KWIHNT
- Namesakes: Quint Kessenich, an American TV sportscaster. Pieter Philips Jurriaan Quint Ondaatje, a Dutch patriot and politician.
- Popularity: Quint peaked at 808th in U.S. data in 1964 and last appeared at 12,002nd in 2024, having first charted in 1959.
Quintavious
Quintavious is an African American invention with Latin parts. The quint at the front points to Quintus, fifth; the tail may come from avius, bird, though it may simply have been chosen for the way it moves. The singer Quintavious Johnson is its best-known bearer. Long names hand a child options, and this one offers Quin, Quint and Tavi without any effort.
- Origin: African American
- Meaning: Fifth, the fifth bird
- Pronunciation: kwihn-TAY-vee-us
- Variations: Quintavius
- Namesakes: Quintavious Johnson, an American singer.
- Popularity: Quintavious peaked at 2,080th in 2000 and last appeared in U.S. data at 8,761st in 2023.
Quinten
Quinten is the English and Dutch variant of Quentin, and the spelling follows the language: it is strongest in the Netherlands, Belgium, South Africa and Curacao. The Belgian cyclist Quinten Hermans and the Dutch footballer Quinten Timber both carry it, which tells you where the name lives. American use peaked at 676th in 1996 and has fallen to 2,205th since. Same fifth, different vowel.
- Origin: Dutch, English
- Meaning: Fifth
- Pronunciation: kfihn-TOON, KWIHN-tun
- Variations: Quentin
- Namesakes: Quinten Hermans, a Belgian road and cyclo-cross cyclist. Quinten Hann, an Australian professional pool and snooker player. Quinten Timber, a Dutch association football player.
- Popularity: Quinten has charted in U.S. data since 1913, peaked at 676th in 1996 and ranked 2,205th in 2025.
Quintez
Quintez elaborates Quin, from the Old Irish conn, sense, reason, or cenn, head, chief. It may equally combine the Latin-derived given name meaning fifth with the Spanish ez, son of. The football player Quintez Cephus is its most visible bearer. Both etymologies land on something confident.
- Origin: African American
- Meaning: Chief, reason, wise
- Pronunciation: KWIHN-tehz
- Namesakes: Quintez Cephus, an American gridiron football player and free agent.
- Popularity: Quintez peaked at 2,338th in 1991 and last appeared in U.S. data at 13,764th in 2024.
Quintiliano
Quintiliano is the Spanish, Italian and Portuguese form of the Latin praenomen Quintilianus, which came from the surname Quinctilius and ultimately from Quintus, fifth. A fifth-born son, or one born in the fifth month, is the traditional reason for it. Five syllables is a lot for a first name and just right for a middle one. It also hides more short forms than most: Quin, Quinny, Quint, Lee and Tilian all live inside it.
- Origin: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
- Meaning: Fifth born, born in the fifth month
- Pronunciation: KEEN-tih-lee-a-NOH
- Variations: Quintilianus, Quintilian
- Namesakes: Quintiliano de Mesquita, a Brazilian physician and scientist.
- Popularity: Quintiliano is popular in Mexico and Brazil, but with about 2,704 bearers worldwide, it is quite rare.
Quintino
Quintino is the Italian and Portuguese form of Quintinus. Ultimately, this stems from the Latin Quintus, meaning “(the) fifth.” Quintino may be popular mostly in Portuguese territories and in Italy, but it has the potential to be a hit among English-speakers. After all, who could pass up a nickname as adorable as Tino?
- Origin: Italian, Portuguese
- Meaning: The fifth
- Pronunciation: kwihn-TEE-noh, kin-CHIH-noh
- Namesakes: Quintino de Sousa Bocaiuva, a Brazilian politician, and writer. Quintino de Lacerda, an Afro-Brazilian politician and abolitionist.
- Popularity: Quintino made the charts in Brazil at 700th in 1930 and 877th in 1940.
Quinton
Quinton reads old-fashioned in the way that has lately come back around. It is partly a variant of Quentin and partly an Old English place name in its own right, from cwen and tun, the queen’s town. South Africa uses it heavily, which is why the cricketer Quinton de Kock is its most recognizable bearer. For parents who like Quentin but want the harder middle syllable, this is the answer.
- Origin: English, Latin
- Meaning: Fifth, queen’s town
- Pronunciation: KWIHN-tun
- Variations: Quentin, Quinnton
- Namesakes: Quinton Aaron, an American actor known for starring in The Blind Side. Quinton de Kock, a South African cricketer. Quinton Hooker, an American professional basketball player.
- Popularity: Quinton has been in U.S. data since 1903, peaked at 298th in 1990 and ranked 976th in 2025, one of four Q names in the top 1,000.
Quintrell
Quintrell reached England after the Norman conquest as an Anglicization of the Old French Cointerel, from a nickname meaning something close to beau or dandy. A second theory makes it a place name, from the French commune Chantarel(le). It began as a surname and now works as a first name, mostly in the United States, where the basketball player Quintrell Thomas carries it.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Beau dandy, dashing
- Pronunciation: KWIHN-trehl, KWIHN-trl
- Namesakes: Quintrell Thomas, an American professional basketball player.
- Popularity: Quintrell first charted in U.S. data in 1976, peaked at 3,710th in 1992 and ranked 9,490th in 2025.
Quintus
Quintus is the Latin praenomen standing behind a dozen of the names here. It was originally spelled Quinctus and given to a fifth-born son or a boy born in the fifth month. Its most famous bearer, the poet Quintus Horatius Flaccus, reaches English readers as Horace. If you want the root rather than one of its many branches, take it straight.
- Origin: Latin, English
- Meaning: Fifth
- Pronunciation: KWIHN-tus, KWEEN-toos
- Variations: Quinctus, Quinto
- Namesakes: Quintus Rufus, a 1st-century Roman historian. Quintus Maximus Verrucosus, a 3rd-century Roman statesman and general. Quintus Horatius Flaccus, a Roman poet.
- Popularity: Quintus first charted in U.S. data in 1917 at 3,150th, its best year, and ranked 7,558th in 2025.
Quique
Quique is a nickname turned standalone given name. It’s a diminutive of Enrique, which ultimately stems from the Germanic Heimirich (later spelled Heinrich), meaning “home ruler.” Quique is also the Portuguese short form of Henrique, which comes from Eric, meaning “ever-ruler.” Although Quique is super cute, it’s still quite rare worldwide. Bring home a little king with Quique.
- Origin: Spanish, Portuguese
- Meaning: Home ruler, ever-ruler
- Pronunciation: KEE-keh
- Variations: Kike
- Namesakes: Quique Dacosta, a Spanish chef. Quique Somenzini, an Argentine professional aircraft pilot and designer. Quique Sinesi, a Latin Grammy Award-winning Argentine guitarist.
- Popularity: Quique is most prevalent in Spain, but doesn’t crack the top 1,000 names there.
Quirin
Quirin is the German form of the Latin Quirinus, which might have roots in the Sabine word “quiris” (spear). Quirinus was a god in Roman mythology and later became another name for the god Janus. Because of its meaning, Quirin feels fierce despite its unassuming appearance.
- Origin: German, Latin
- Meaning: Spear
- Pronunciation: kvee-REEN
- Variations: Quirino, Quirinus
- Namesakes: Quirin Moll, a German professional football player. Quirin Agrippi, a Swiss actor. Egid Quirin Asam, a German plasterer, sculptor, architect, and painter.
- Popularity: Quirin is most common in Germany and Benin, but in 1940, it ranked 448th in France.
Quirinius
Quirinius is sometimes confused with Quirinus, but it’s a Latin cognomen (nickname turned patronymic) of uncertain meaning. Quirinius might stem from the Sabine word “quiris,” meaning “spear,” making the two names related. As its only known bearer was Quirinius or Cyrenius, a Roman governor mentioned in the Bible, it may derive from the Greek city of Cyrene.
- Origin: Greek, Latin
- Meaning: Spear, from Cyrene
- Pronunciation: kwih-RIH-nee-us, kwee-REE-nee-oos
- Variations: Cyrenius
- Namesakes: Publius Sulpicius Quirinius, or Cyrenius, was a Roman aristocrat.
- Popularity: Quirinius has about 27 bearers worldwide and is most common in Uganda.
Quirinus
Quirinus was an ancient Roman god sometimes associated with Romulus, though later, this epithet became attached to the god Janus. Quirinus might come from the Sabine word “quiris” (spear). Although Quirinus is rare, its bearers are notable enough to be a source of inspiration. With so many Quirinus’ in the arts, perhaps your son will have a strong creative streak.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Spear
- Pronunciation: kwee-REE-noos, kwee-REE-nus
- Variations: Quirin, Quirino
- Namesakes: Quirinus van Amelsfoort, a Dutch painter. Quirinus Harder, a Dutch architect. Quirinus Kuhlmann, a German Baroque poet and mystic.
- Popularity: Quirinus is quite rare, with about 344 bearers worldwide. It’s most popular in Indonesia.
Quirtsquip
Quirtsquip is rare and thinly documented. Which Native American tribe it comes from is unsettled, though the meaning, chewing elk, is given consistently. It sounds like a stretched-out version of the English nickname Squirt, which is fitting for someone that size.
- Origin: Native American
- Meaning: Chewing elk
- Pronunciation: KWIRTS-kwihp
- Popularity: Quirtsquip does not appear on popularity charts.
Quissina
Quissina is unusual and might even seem a little funny. This Greenlandic moniker combines Quissik (urinated on) with the suffix “-na,” which indicates a personal name. In Greenlandic legend, there was a shaman called Quissik, so-named for a strange and otherworldly encounter with foxes disguised in human form. If you’re going with Quissina, just don’t tell your mother-in-law.
- Origin: Greenlandic
- Meaning: Urinated on
- Pronunciation: tihs-ih-NA, kihs-ih-NA
- Popularity: Quissina doesn’t rank on popularity charts as a first name but as a surname, it has one known bearer in Angola.
Quixote
Quixote was invented by Miguel de Cervantes for the protagonist of his novel Don Quixote. It’s based on the Spanish surname Quixano, an older spelling of Quijano. It comes from a village in Spain. Some suggest that Quixote means “thigh,” but the Spanish suffix “-ote” means “large/great big,” as in “muchachote” (getting very big/getting puffed up).
- Origin: Spanish
- Meaning: (He wants) to be large, puffed up
- Pronunciation: kee-OH-tay, kee-HOH-tay
- Popularity: Quixote is extremely rare with less than 30 bearers worldwide.
Qujana
Qujana is the younger form of the Greenlandic K’ujana, built from K’ujage plus the suffix na, which marks a personal name. The Greenlandic q is a soft click at the back of the throat, and to an English ear the result can land closer to a tapped T, which is why the pronunciation is given two ways. The meaning, prized, favorite, darling, is what parents say anyway.
- Origin: Greenlandic
- Meaning: Prized, favorite, darling
- Pronunciation: tuu-ya-NA, koo-ya-NA
- Variations: K’ujana
- Popularity: Qujana has bearers in South Africa and the U.S. but is extremely rare.
Qulutaq
Qulutaq is one of the Greenlandic options for boys that means “snow bunting,” a black and (mostly) white bird inhabiting the northern hemisphere. Qulutaq derives from the older K’ulutaĸ. If you’re interested in traditional Greenlandic epithets, that one’s a classic.
- Origin: Greenlandic
- Meaning: Snow bunting
- Pronunciation: too-luu-TAK, koo-loo-TAK
- Variations: K’ulutak
- Popularity: Qulutaq is limited to Greenland, where there are less than ten bearers.
Quoc
Quoc is the Anglicized spelling of the Vietnamese Quoc, from a Sino-Vietnamese character meaning nation, country. Few names say that much in one syllable. A singer, a politician and a composer share it in Vietnam. Its American run peaked in the early 1980s and has faded since.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Nation, country
- Pronunciation: kWUK, WOK
- Namesakes: Quốc Thiên Trần, a Vietnamese singer. Quốc Cường Nguyễn, a Vietnamese politician. Quốc Trung Nguyễn, known as Quoc Trung, a Vietnamese composer, sound arranger, and record producer.
- Popularity: Quoc charted in U.S. data from 1975, peaking at 1,338th in 1982 and last appearing at 13,540th in 2006.
Quon
Quon is a Cantonese romanization of a character meaning mountain pass, frontier pass, and it turns up elsewhere as Guan, Kwan or Quan. The listed meaning, bright, reflects a different character, which is normal for a name that has passed through several spelling systems. It remains far more common as a surname than a first name.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Bright
- Pronunciation: CHOHN, KWAAN
- Variations: Guan, Kwan
- Namesakes: Quon Prater, an American internet personality.
- Popularity: Quon appeared in U.S. birth data once, at 8,432nd in 1993.
Quran
Quran names the Islamic holy book, and the word comes from the Arabic qara, to read, to recite, so it means the thing that is recited. As a personal name it is used sparingly and with obvious care. American use peaked at 1,292nd in 1997 and has fallen to 4,669th since. Qur’an is the more formal transliteration.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Recitation, reading
- Pronunciation: kaw-RAAN, KOH-raan
- Variations: Qur’an, Qur’ān
- Popularity: Quran peaked at 1,292nd in 1997 and ranked 4,669th in U.S. data in 2025, having charted since 1971.
Qurban
Qurban resembles an Arabic version of the Hebrew “qorban.” They aren’t perfect synonyms despite being cognates (having the same linguistic root). Qurban is Arabic for “sacrifice” and refers to a sacrificial animal. It’s associated with the holiday Eid al-Adha. In Judaism, qorban wasn’t necessarily an animal sacrifice. From the root “karev” (to draw near), it meant “coming closer.”
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Sacrifice, sacrificial animal
- Pronunciation: kohr-BAAN, kawr-BAAN
- Variations: Gurban
- Namesakes: Qurban Qurbanov, an Azerbaijani football manager and former player. Qurban Hussain, Baron Hussain, a British-Pakistani politician. Qurban Urozgani, an Afghan governor.
- Popularity: In 2013, Qurban ranked in the top 1,000 names in Pakistan, Azerbaijan, and Afghanistan.
Qurbanov
Qurbanov ultimately comes from the Arabic “qurban,” meaning “sacrifice, sacrificial animal.” It’s an Azerbaijani surname that means “son of Qurban.” Qurbanov is the masculine version of this surname, while Qurbanova is feminine. Qurbanov is also a popular family name in Russia and Tajikistan.
- Origin: Azerbaijani, Arabic
- Meaning: Son of Qurban
- Pronunciation: kur-BAH-nof
- Variations: Kurbanov, Kurbanow, Kurbonov, Gurbanov
- Namesakes: Karomatullo Qurbonov, a Tajikistani pop singer. Jahon Qurbonov, a Tajikistani amateur boxer. Qurban Qurbanov, an Azerbaijani football manager and former player.
- Popularity: Qurbanov ranked in the top 100 names in Azerbaijan in 2014.
Quriñawi
Quriñawi is a Quechua and Aymara pick that means “(he who has) eyes the color of/as beautiful as gold.” As with many Quechua monikers, the pronunciation is uncertain. But if your boy has dreamy hazel or beautiful brown eyes, give Quriñawi a chance.
- Origin: Quechua, Aymara
- Meaning: Golden eyes
- Pronunciation: KUU-REE-NyA-WEE
- Popularity: Quriñawi does not show up on popularity charts.
Quron
Quron is the Uzbek spelling of Quran, and it arrives as a rarer, softer version of a name most people already recognize. Some American families use it as a respelling of similar-sounding English names rather than for the religious sense. The football player Quron Pratt is its main bearer.
- Origin: English, Uzbek
- Meaning: Recitation, Quran
- Pronunciation: kuu-RUN, koo-RON
- Namesakes: Quron Pratt, an American gridiron football player.
- Popularity: Quron charted in U.S. data from 1975, peaked at 3,949th in 2001 and last appeared at 10,595th in 2022.
Qusay
Qusay is an Old Arabic name usually traced to qasi, distant. It is well used across Muslim communities, entering American records in 2008, peaking at 5,465th in 2017, and easing since. Its bearers include a Syrian footballer and an Iraqi-Danish writer. Distant is not a criticism here; it suits a child who spends a good part of the day somewhere else.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Distant
- Pronunciation: koo-SHEYE
- Variations: Qusai
- Namesakes: Qusay Habib, a Syrian association footballer. Qusay al-Shaykh Askar, an Iraqi-Danish writer and literary scholar. Qusay Hussein, an Iraqi politician, military leader, and son of Saddam Hussein.
- Popularity: Qusay entered U.S. data in 2008, peaked at 5,465th in 2017 and ranked 6,357th in 2025.
Qutb
Qutb is a religiously upright option. It means “pole” or “pillar” in Arabic and can be combined with other components. When used in Qutbuddin, it literally means “pillar of the faith,” but in this instance can mean “leader of the faith.” Parents worldwide want their children to be good people. Qutb reminds them to stick to the straight and narrow.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Pole, pillar
- Pronunciation: kuu-TUUB, KOOTb, KOTb
- Variations: Qotb
- Namesakes: Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi, an influential 13th-century Persian polymath and poet. Qutb ud-Din Aibak, a Kazakh general of the Ghurid emperor, Muhammad Ghori.
- Popularity: Qutb doesn’t appear on U.S. popularity charts, but it’s common in Afghanistan and ranked in the top 1,000 names in Kuwait in 2014.
Qutuz
Qutuz comes from the 12th-century captured Turkic prince turned sultan of Egypt who was known for his wolf-like ferocity and bravery. He was nicknamed Qutuz (vicious beast/wolf-strength) by the Mongols. Wolves symbolize loyalty in Arabic culture, whereas they are associated with heaven in Mongolia. Qutuz is a powerful choice among our boy names that start with Q.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Vicious beast, strong as a wolf
- Pronunciation: KWOH-tuz
- Variations: Kutuz, Kotuz
- Namesakes: Saif ad-Din Qutuz, a Turkic military leader and a Mamluk Sultan of Egypt.
- Popularity: Qutuz is most common in Afghanistan and doesn’t appear on U.S. charts.
Quy
Quy has two homes. In Vietnamese it means turtle, or comes from a Sino-Vietnamese character meaning precious, valuable. In England it is a habitational surname from Quy in Cambridgeshire, built from the Old English cu, cow, and eg, island. Three letters that slot into almost any middle-name combination.
- Origin: Vietnamese, Old English
- Meaning: Turtle, precious, valuable, cow island
- Pronunciation: gWEE, WEE, KWEE
- Namesakes: Quy Van Nguyen, a Vietnamese composer and musician. Quý Võ, a Vietnamese zoologist, professor, and a Blue Planet Prize recipient.
- Popularity: Quy charted in U.S. data from 1980, peaked at 4,406th in 1983 and last appeared at 13,593rd in 2013.
