200 Popular Asian Boy Names - EverydayKnow.com (2023)

Man’s name can make a huge impact on who he is. A name can shape his character and how people act towards him, and thus this can affect his future. So when picking out a name for your baby boy, think long and hard about what his name means.

If you’re looking for popular Asian names for your baby boy, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve selected various names from all over Asia that are both appealing and popular. And since Asia is a gigantic continent filled with different cultures, the names they bestow upon their children are just as diverse and interesting.

Keep in mind that names always have a backstory. It’s important to know how a name came to be. And in many cases, it’s also important to know about the culture that created the name. For instance, in some Asian countries, the popular names are heavily influenced by religion. This is evident in Arabic-speaking countries and in Hindu countries. Many of the popular names are based on their deity, their prophets, and other mystical beings associated with their religion.

There are also Asian countries who have their own writing system. In cases like this, a syllable can have many different meanings depending on how it’s written. If you choose a name from these countries, it’s important to also know how it’s spelled in the writing system of its origin.

So with a little background on why there are so many fantastic Asian names out there, here’s our list of the most popular ones.

Abdul (Arabic) means “servant of God.” It’s the most common transliteration of the Arabic words Abd (worshipper) and the prefix al (the). Within the Arabic and Islam community, Abdul is often followed by another name, since it literally means “servant of…” However, outside of it is sometimes used by itself outside of Arabic-speaking countries.

Aashirbaad (Bengali) means “the one like a blessing”

Abdullah (Arabic) means “servant of God.” The name Abdul means “servant of…” It is said that it is one of the two names most liked by God.

Abraham (Hebrew) means “father of many.” Abraham was chosen by God to be the father of Israel. His name was later changed to Abram to reflect the responsibility laid upon him. He was the father of Isaac, who was the father of Jacob, the father of the 12 tribes of Israel.

Adam (Hebrew) means “man.” Adam was the first man created by God in the book of Genesis.

Aditya (Sanskrit) means “the sun” or the Sun God, Surya. The Bhagavata Purana lists 12 Sun-gods for the 12 months, and they are all different expressions of Lord Vishnu.

Agung (Indonesian) means “great, large”

Ahmed/Ahmad/Ahmet (Arabic) means “to praise or thank” or “much praised”

Akira (Japanese) means “bright, clear”

Alexei (Russian) Russian form of Alexis meaning “helper or defender”

Ali (Arabic) means “high” or “elevated.” The Islamic traditional use of Ali can be traced back to Ali ibn Abi Talib, an Islamic leader. Eli is essentially the same name in Hebrew.

Amaresh (Sanskrit) means “name of indra”

Amihan (Filipino) North wind, winter storm

Amir/Emir/Ameer (Arabic) means “prince,” “commander,” or “general.” The monarchs of UAR, Qatar, and Kuwait are titled Emirs.

Anatoly (Russian) Russian form of the name Anatolius meaning “sunrise” in Greek

Andreas (Cyprus) From the Greek Andrew, it means “manly, brave”

Anton (Russian) Russian form of Anthony, the name of a Roman clan (Etruscans)

Aram (Armenian) Aram is an Armenian patriarch in the History of Armenia. However, its meaning remains unclear.

Ariel (Hebrew) means “lion of God”

Bagus (Indonesian) means “handsome, excellent”

Bambang (Javanese) means “knight”

Batbayar (Mongolian) means “strong joy.” Korean name meanings differ depending on the combination of hanja characters used.

Bhashkar (Bengali) means “the sun”

Bhavan (Sanskrit) means “lustrous, full of brightness”

Bhavesh (Sanskrit) means “lord of the world.” It’s said to originate from the Sanskrit words bhava meaning “existence” and esh or Ishvara meaning “lord, ruler.” Bhavesh also means “Lord Shiva.” It’s a very popular name in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.

Bình (Vietnamese) means “level, even, peaceful”

Bogdan (Russian) means “given by God”

Brahma (Sanskrit) Brahma is the creator god in Hinduism, who balances the opposing forces of Vishnu and Shiva.

Budi (Indonesian) means “reason, mind, character.” It’s originally from the Sanskrit word buddhi, which means “intellect.”

Byung-ho (Korean) Byung-ho was the third most popualr baby name in 1940 and is still popular today. Byung means “bright, luminous, glorious” and ho means “sky, heaven.”

Cahaya (Malay) means “light.” Korean name meanings differ depending on the combination of hanja characters used.

Chakara (Cambodian) means “center of energy”

Chamroeun (Cambodian) means “prosperity.” A famous bearer of this name is Chamroen Songkitrat, a former Thai boxer and policeman.

Chan (Cambodian) means “moon; Monday”

Chandra (Sanskrit) Chandra is the lunar god in Hinduism. He is also the lord of plants and vegetation. Chandra is also the Sanskrit word for “moon.”

Chí (Vietnamese) chi means “will, spirit”

Christos (Cyprus) Christos comes from the Greek chrio, which means “to anoint.” It was the name applied to Jesus by early Christians who spoke greek. It’s the translation from the Hebrew word mashiyach (origin or messiah), which also means “anointed.”

Daisuke (Japanese) means “big help”

Daniel (Hebrew) means “god is my judge.” Daniel is the name of a noble Jewish youth from Jerusalem. He is the hero in the Book of Daniel.

Dara (Khmer) means “star”

Datu (Filipino) means “chief”

David (Hebrew) means “beloved.” Daniel was the second king of the United Kingdom of Israel. He is a prominent figure in the scriptures of Abrahamic religions.

Davit (Armenian) means “beloved.” It’s from the Hebrew David.

Deepankar (Sanskrit) means “one who lights lamps.” A famous bearer of this name is Deepankar De, a Bengali actor.

Dhanush (Sanskrit) means “bow”

Dimitri (Russian) Russian form of Demetrius, after the Greek goddess of the harvest Demeter.

Dông (Vietnamese) means “fair, equitable, public”

Dong-geun (Korean) dong means “east” and geun means “root.” Korean name meanings differ depending on the combination of hanja characters used.

Do-yun (Korean) do means “path, road, way” and yun means “allow, consent.” Korean name meanings differ depending on the combination of hanja characters used.

Dức (Vietnamese) means “virtue”

Dương (Vietnamese) means “male, virile”

Eli (Hebrew) means “ascent.” Eli is a high priest in the Books of Samuel. It can also be a nickname for Elijah.

Elijah (Hebrew) means “my god is Yahweh.” Elijah was a prophet from the northern kingdom of Israel. In the bible, he defended the worship of Yahweh over the Canaanite deity Baal.

Evgeni (Russian) Russian form of Eugene meaning “well-born” in Greek

Ezra (Hebrew) means “help” or “helper.” Ezra is a biblical figure known for being Jewish scribe and priest. He is the author of the Book of Ezra. Famous bearers of this name include poet Ezra Pound and actor Ezra Miller.

Faizan (Arabic) means “successful,” “beneficence,” and “ruler.” Faizan is one of the most popular names for baby boys in India, Indonesia, and Pakistan. It may also be used as a surname.

Fakhir (Arabic) means “proud”

Fyodor (Russian) Russian form of Theodore meaning “gift of God.” It’s also the name of three Russian tsars and writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Ganaatar (Mongolian) means “steel hero.” Korean name meanings differ depending on the combination of hanja characters used.

Ganapati (Sanskrit) Lord Ganesha is the most famous and most worshipped deity in Hinduism. He also goes by the name Ganapati. He is known as the remover of obstacles, patron of the arts and sciences, and the deva of wisdom.

Gandharva (Sanskrit) means “celestial musician.” Gandharva is the name used for heavenly beings (specifically male nature spirits) in Hinduism and Buddhism, but it’s also a term for skilled musicians in Indian classical music. Gandharvas are often depicted as singers in the court of the Gods.

Ganzorig (Mongolian) means “steel courage.” Korean name meanings differ depending on the combination of hanja characters used.

Gorou (Japanese) Go means “five” and is the traditional name for the fifth son.

Govinda (Sanskrit) Govinda is one of the names of Vishnu, which means the “finder/protector of veda.” Go can also mean “cow” or “land.” Govinda can also mean “cowherd” or “protector of cows.”

Gusti (Balinese) means “leader”

Ha-jun (Korean) ha means “summer” and jun means “approval.” Korean name meanings differ depending on the combination of hanja characters used.

Haneul (Korean) means “heaven, sky” Korean name meanings differ depending on the combination of hanja characters used.

Haru (Japanese) means “peaceful, clear weather” or “spring moon”

Hayate (Japanese) means “sudden” or “sound of the wind”

Hideki (Japanese) hide means “excellent” and ki means “tree”

Hideyoshi (Japanese) Hideyoshi was a 16th-century daimyo who unified Japan and attempted to conquer Korea. Hide means “excellent” and yoshi means “good, respectable.”

Hiroshi (Japanese) tolerant, generous, prosperous

Hùng (Vietnamese) means “brave, manly”

Hwan (Korean) means “shining, brilliant, lustrous”

Ibrahim (Arabic) means “father of multitude.” Ibrahim is the Arabic name of the prophet Abraham. Abraham was chosen by God to be the father of Israel. His name was later changed to Abram to reflect the responsibility laid upon him. He was the father of Isaac, who was the father of Jacob, the father of the 12 tribes of Israel.

Ichiro (Japanese) means “one” and “son.” It’s often the name given to the first son.

Isaac (Hebrew) means “he laughs.” Isaac is the name of the son of Abraham and Sarah from the bible. He is the father of Jacob, who was the father of the 12 tribes of Israel. Isaac’s joyful name is due to the fact that Sarah laughed when she heard that she would bear a child in old age. A famous bearer of this name is Sir Isaac Newton.

Iseul (Korean) means “dew.” Korean name meanings differ depending on the combination of hanja characters used.

Jagdeep (Sanskrit) means “lamp of the world.” It’s the screen name of Syed Ishtiaq Ahmed Jafri, an Inidian actor who has appeared in over 400 films.

Jareshwar (Bengali) means “splendor of the flame”

Jeong/Jung (Korean) means “quiet, still, gentle” or “virtuous, chaste, loyal.” Korean name meanings differ depending on the combination of hanja characters used.

Jericho (Arabic) means “city of the moon.” Jericho originated from the Hebrew yeriho, from the Canaanite word reah or “fragrant.” However, another popular theory states that Jericho comes from the Canaanite word for moon, yareah. Jericho is a city in the Palestinian territories that is rich in culture.

Jigme (Bhutanese) jig means “fear” and me means “no,” so Jigme means “no fear.” Jigme is the name of many Bhutan kings, including the present King of Bhutan.

Jin-soo (Korean) This is a unisex name. Jin means “genuine” or “precious” while soo means “harvest” or “long life.” Korean name meanings differ depending on the combination of hanja characters used.

Jirou (Japanese) means “two” and “son.” It’s often the name given to the second son.

Jun-ho (Korean) jun means “talented” or “handsome” and ho means “bright.” Korean name meanings differ depending on the combination of hanja characters used.

Jyrgal (Kyrgyz) means “happiness.” Korean name meanings differ depending on the combination of hanja characters used.

Kayaan (Sanskrit) Kayaan is the name of the dynasty of King Kaikobad.

Kenichi (Japanese) ken means “healthy, strong” and ichi “means to study”

Kenji (Japanese) means “intelligent second son”

Khandu (Bhutanese) means “God of Khandoba.” Khandoba is a manifestation of Lord Shiva.

Kiyoshi (Japanese) means “pure”

Kostas (Cyprus) means “steady, stable”

Kumar (Sanskrit) means “prince, a boy, or son”

Kuwat (Indonesian) means “strong”

Li Qiang (Chinese) means “strong”

Li Wei (Chinese) means “great”

Liu Wei (Chinese) means “great”

Loday (Bhutanese) means “wisdom.” Guru Loday Choeksey is a famous Buddhist Tantric Master in the 8th century. The name also became famous after Bhutanese Football star Karma Loday Yeshey.

Mahmoud (Arabic) means “praise”

Makara (Sanskrit) Makara is a sea creature in Hindu culture. Makara appears as the vehicle of the river goddess Ganga and the sea god Baruna. Makara ornaments are also popular wedding gifts for a bride.

Makoto (Japanese) means “sincerity”

Michalis (Cyprus) Michalis comes from the Hebrew mikhael, which means “Who is like God?” It’s the name of one of the seven archangels.

Mikhail (Russian) Russian form of Michael meaning “Who is like god?”

Minh (Vietnamese) means “bright” A famous bearer was the communist revolutionary Ho Chi Minh 1890-1969

Min-jun (Korean) min means “quick, clever” or “gentle, affable” and jun means “talented, handsome.” Korean name meanings differ depending on the combination of hanja characters used.

Mohammed/Mohammad (Arabic) means “praiseworthy.” Mohammad comes from the root of Hamad, which means praise. It’s the name of the Islamic prophet. While Mohammad has many variants and spellings, it remains one of the most popular names in the world. In fact, it’s estimated that over 150 million men and boys bear the name Muhammad.

Mohan (Sanskrit) means “attractive and charming.” Mohan is also another name for Lord Krishna.

Mustafa (Arabic) Mustafa is the epithet of Muhammad, which means “The Chosen One.” It’s mostly used in Turkey after its founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Naranbaatar (Mongolian) means “sun hero.” Korean name meanings differ depending on the combination of hanja characters used.

Narek (Armenian) Taken from the birthplace of St. Gregory of Narek, an Armenian monk, poet, philosopher, and theologian.

Narith (Cambodian) means “masculine man”

Nathan (Hebrew) means “he gave.” There are two famous Nathans from the bible. One is the prophet who lived in the times of Kings David and Solomon, and the other is the Son of David and his wife Bathsheba.

Nawang (Tibetan) means “the possessive one”

Nikolai (Russian) Russian form of Nicholas meaning “Victory of the people”

Noboru (Japanese) means “rise, ascend”

Nobu (Japanese) means “trust or prolong/stretch”

Nuyên (Vietnamese) means “original, first”

Panagiotis (Cyprus) Panagiotis is a common Greek name which comes from the word Panagia or Panayia or “All-Holy.” it’s the name of several famous Greek and Cypriot people.

Phurba (Bhutanese) Religious dagger used by Buddhist masters for rituals

Ponleak (Cambodian) means “strength; endurance”

Prasert (Thai) means “excellent, superb”

Preecha (Thai) means “intelligence, wisdom”

Puthyrith (Cambodian) means “merciful power”

Pyotr (Russian) Russian form of Peter meaning “stone”

Quyền (Vietnamese) means “power, right, authority”

Raj (Sanskrit) means “king, rule, kingdom, monarch”

Rajinder (Sanskrit) means “emperor, king of kings”

Rakesh (Sanskrit) means “lord of the night” or “lord of the full moon”

Ranjit (Sanskrit) means “delighted one, victorious”

Ravi (Sanskrit) means “sun”

Reuben (Hebrew) According to the Torah, the name Reuben is from the Hebrew phrase for “he has seen my misery.” Reuben’s mother Leah is known to not have been the favorite of his father Jacob. Another explanation for the name Reuben is taken from the Hebrew phrase for “he will love me” as a plea from Leah to make Jacob love her. An explanation not from the Torah is from the Hebrew phrase meaning “behold, a son.”

Riku (Japanese) means “wise” and “sky”

Rithipol (Cambodian) means “mystical powers”

Ryou (Japanese) means “cool, refreshing”

Ryuu (Japanese) means “dragon”

Sakchai (Thai) sak means “power, honour” and chai means “victory”

Salman (Arabic) means “healthy, safe, wholesome.” Salman is the name of the first Persian to convert to Islam and a companion of Muhammad. A famous person with this name is the author Salman Rushdie.

Sanjaya (Sanskrit) means “triumphant.” Sanjaya is a character from the epic Mahabharata. He was the disciple sage of Krishna Dwaipayana Veda Vyasa, and the charioteer of King Dhritarashtra.

Sankara (Sanskrit) sham means “auspicious” and kara means “maker”

Sasithorn (Thai) means “the moon”

Sathea (Cambodian) means “compassion”

Seok (Korean) means “stone.” Korean name meanings differ depending on the combination of hanja characters used.

Sergey (Russian) Russian form of Sergius meaning “servant”

Setiawan (Indonesian) means “loyal friendmeans ”

Shou (Japanese) means “soar, glide or prize, reward”

Shun (Japanese) means “fast”

Somboon (Thai) som means worthy” and bun means “merit”

Somchai (Thai) som means “worthy” and chai means “man”

Somnang (Thai) means “lucky; fortunate”

Somporn (Thai) som means “worthy” and phon means “blessing”

Somsak (Thai) som means “worthy” and sak means “power, honour”.

Sovannarith (Cambodian) means “golden boy”

Suchart (Thai) means “born into a good life”

Suresh (Sanskrit) Suresh is the epithet of the Hindu gods Indra, Vishnu, and Shiva.

Taalay (Kyrgyz) means “lucky, happy”

Takashi (Japanese) means “filial piety, noble, prosperous”

Tarek/Tareq/Tariq (Arabic) means “morning star.” In classical Arabic, tariq is used as the term for a visitor who travels at night (often to avoid the heat). The name is associated with stars because stars only come up at night.

Thaddeus (Aramaic) means “heart” or “courageous.” Thaddeus is usually identified as Jude the Apostle, who was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus.

Thaksin (Thai) means “south” or “right hand”

Thomas (Aramaic) Thomas originates from the Aramaic tauma meaning “twin.” Thomas is an epithet given to Thomas the Apostle, whose name was Yehuda or Judas. He is the second Judas in the apostles and Thomas was used to distinguish the two.

Thuần (Vietnamese) means “pure, clean, simple”

Tigran/Tigranes (Armenian) Tigranes was the name of many Armenian historical figures, primarily kings. The most popular Tigranes is Tigranes the Great who founded an Armenian empire.

Tobgay (Bhutanese) There is no clear definition for the name Tobgay. However, a popular bearer of this name is Tshering Tobgay, the Prime Minister of Bhutan since 2013.

Tomorbaatar (Mongolian) means “iron hero.” Korean name meanings differ depending on the combination of hanja characters used.

Tshering (Bhutanese) tshe means “long” and ring means “life”

Tuân (Vietnamese) means “obey, follow, honour”

Ugyen (Bhutanese) There is no clear definition for the name Ugyen. However, a popular bearer of this name is Ugyen Wangchuk, the first Druk Gyalpo (King of Bhutan) who reigned from 1907 – 1926.

Văn (Vietnamese) means “literature, culture, writing.” This is a common middle name for Vietnamese boys.

Vanna (Cambodian) means “golden”

Vasiliy (Russian) Russian form of Basil meaning “king”

Vasudev (Sanskrit) means “all-pleasing lord or father of Lord Krishna”

Vidhya (Sanskrit) wisdom, related to saraswati

Viên (Vietnamese) means “round, full, complete”

Vihaan (Sanskrit) means “dawn” or “beginning of a new era”

Vijay (Sanskrit) means “victory” or “strong”

Vinh (Vietnamese) means “glory”

Vinod (Sanskrit) means “happiness, joy, enjoyment, pleasure.” However, it can also mean “hedonism” in Sanskrit.

Vireakboth (Cambodian) means “brave; noble son”

Viseth (Cambodian) means “excellent, superb”

Vitali (Russian) Russian form of Vitale meaning “of life, vital” in Latin

Vithu (Cambodian) means “intelligent, scholarly”

Vladimir (Russian) Derived from the Slavic words vladeti (to rule) and meru (great, famous)

Wahyu (Indonesian) means “revelation”

Wang Lei (Chinese) means “rock pile”

Wang Wei (Chinese) means “great”

Wang Yong (Chinese) means “brave”

Wattana (Thai) means “development”

Yati (Sanskrit) means “devoted, ascetic”

Yeong-cheol (Korean) yeong means “eternal” and cheol means “wise sage.” Korean name meanings differ depending on the combination of hanja characters used.

Yeong-gi (Korean) yeong means “glory, honor, prosper” and gi means “rise up.” Korean name meanings differ depending on the combination of hanja characters used.

Yiorgos (Cyprus) Yiorgos comes from the Greek name Georgios. It means “farmer, earthworker.” It comes from the Greek elements ge meaning “earth” and ergon meaning “work”

Yong (Korean) means “brave” or “eternal.” Korean name meanings differ depending on the combination of hanja characters used.

Yoshi (Japanese) means “good luck, righteous, virtuous/respectable”

Yuri (Russian) Russian form of George meaning farmer or worker. It’s the name of the first man in space Yuri Gagarin.

Yusuf (Arabic) means “God increases in piety, power, and influence.” Yusuf originates from the Hebrew name Joseph. Yusuf is one of the prophets in the Quran, whose story is much like that of Joseph the Dreamer.

Zaccheus (Aramaic) means “clean, pure.” In the bible, Zaccheus was a tax collector who became a desciple of Jesus.

Zain (Arabic) means “friend, beloved”

Zhang Wei (Chinese) means “great”

Zhang Yong (Chinese) means “brave”

Of all these Asian names, which one is your favorite?