Baby boy names beginning with C – with origins and meanings
Are you on the hunt for baby name ideas for a boy that start with the 3rd letter of the alphabet? Have a look at our list which is chock-full of captivating names along with their origin and meaning
Looking for inspiration for a good baby boy name? Have a fondness for the letter C? Look through our list of names and their meanings to see whether your child could be a Cadao, Clerebold or Cyrus
1. Cadao
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: ballad, song
2. Cadell
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: battle spirit
3. Cadfael
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: battle metal
4. Cadmus
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: man from the east
5. Cadoc
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: battle; the name of a 6th-century Welsh saint and missionary
6. Cadwallader
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: battle leader
7. Cain
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: possession; the son of Adam and Eve who killed his brother Abel
8. Caleb
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: intrepid
- Also: Cale, Cal
8. Caley
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: slender
9. Calhoun
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: from the forest
9. Callum
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: a dove
- Also: Calum, Cally, Caley
10. Calvin
- Origin: Old French
- Meaning: bald
- Also: Cal
11. Camden
- Origin: English
- Meaning: unknown; probably derived from the area of north London
- Also: Camdyn
12. Cameron
- Origin: Gaelic
- Meaning: crooked nose
- Also: Camron
13. Campbell
- Origin: Gaelic
- Meaning: crooked mouth
14. Canute
- Origin: Old Norse
- Meaning: a knot
- Also: Cnut, Knut
15. Caquingora
- Origin: Incan
- Meaning: ibis-like bird
16. Caradoc
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: beloved
17. Carey
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: dweller in a castle
18. Carl
- Origin: German
- Meaning: strong, noble; a German form of Charles (below)
- Also: Karl
19. Carlo
- Origin: Italian
- Meaning: strong, noble; the Italian form of Charles (below)
20. Carlos
- Origin: Spanish
- Meaning: strong, noble; the Spanish form of Charles (below)
21. Carlton
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: the peasant’s farm
- Also: Charlton
22. Carmichael
- Origin: Celtic
- Meaning: Michael’s fort
23. Carol
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: strong, noble; derived from the Latinised form of Charles (see below)
- Also: Karol, Karel
24. Carr
- Origin: Old Norse
- Meaning: overgrown marsh
25. Carrick
- Origin: Gaelic
- Meaning: a rock
26. Carter
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: driver or maker of carts
27. Carvel
- Origin: Manx
- Meaning: song
28. Carver
- Origin: Cornish
- Meaning: great rock
29. Carwyn
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: blessed love
30. Cary
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: dark brown
31. Casey
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: vigilant in war
- Also: Casimir
32. Cash
- Origin: English
- Meaning: maker of chests
33. Cashel
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: a stone fort
34. Caspar
- Origin: Perisan
- Meaning: keeper of the treasure; said to be the name of one of the wise men in the Christmas story
- Also: Jasper, Gasper, Gaspard
35. Cassidy
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: clever
- Also: Cass
36. Cassius
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: hollow
- Also: Cassian, Cass
37. Cathal
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: war leader
38. Cato
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: wise one
39. Cavan
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: grassy hill
40. Cayden
- Origin: American
- Meaning: fighter
41. Cecil
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: blind
42. Cedric
- Origin: Celtic
- Meaning: kindly and loved; a character in Sir Walter Scott’s novel Ivanhoe; probably derived from the name Cerdic, a king of Wessex
43. Ceinwen
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: blessed or beautiful
44. Cephas
- Origin: Aramaic
- Meaning: stone
45. Chad
- Origin: Anglo Saxon
- Meaning: battle warrior
- Also: Chadd, Chadrick, Chadwick
46. Chaim
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: a man full of life
- Also: Hyam
46. Chandan
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: sandalwood; this is a divine name in Hindu texts
47. Chander
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: the moon
48. Chandler
- Origin: Old French
- Meaning: seller of candles
49. Chandrakant
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: loved by the moon
50. Chapman
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: merchant
51. Charles
- Origin: Old German
- Meaning: manly, strong
- Also: Charlie, Chas, Chuck, Chae, Chay
52. Charlton
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: the peasant’s farm
- Also: Carlton
53. Charvik
- Origin: Indian
- Meaning: intelligent
54. Chase
- Origin: Old French
- Meaning: hunter
55. Chauncey
- Origin: Old French
- Meaning: chancellor
- Also: Chaunce, Chance, Chancey
55. Chester
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: fortified camp
56. Chetan
- Origin: Indian
- Meaning: awareness
57. Chevy
- Origin: Middle English
- Meaning: horseman, knight; derived from The Ballad of Chevy Chase, recounting the story of the battle of Otterburn in 1388
58. Chiazam
- Origin: Nigerian
- Meaning: answer from God
59. Chike
- Origin: Egyptian
- Meaning: God’s strength
60. Chilton
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: a farm for children
61. Chomass
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: rain
62. Chris
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: short form of Christopher (below); bearing Christ; St Christopher is the patron saint of travellers
63. Christian
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: follower of Christ
- Also: Christie and Christy
64. Christmas
- Origin: Old French
- Meaning: the celebration of the birth of Christ; often used for children born around Christmas time
65. Christopher
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: bearing Christ; St Christopher is the patron saint of travellers
- Also: Chris, Christie, Kit, Christoph, Kester
66. Chuck
- Origin: Old German
- Meaning: variant of Charles (above); manly, strong
- Also: Charlie, Chas, Chuck, Chae, Chay
67. Cian
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: ancient
- Also: Kean, Keane
68. Ciaran
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: little and black
- Also: Kieran
69. Cillian
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: little church
- Also: Killian
70. Clarence
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: bright, clear; derived from the Duke of Clarence, son of Edward III of England
71. Clark
- Origin: Old French
- Meaning: clerk
- Also: Clarke
72. Claud
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: lame; derived from the Roman name Claudius
- Also: Claude, Claudio
73. Claus
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: a form of Klaus, derived from Nicholas; victory of the people
74. Clayton
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: a dwelling in clay
- Also: Clay
75. Clement
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: mild and merciful
- Also: Clem and Clemmie
76. Clerebold
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: clear and bold
77. Cleveland
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: hilly
78. Clifford
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: ford by the cliff
- Also: Cliff
79. Clifton
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: on a cliff
80. Clinton
- Origin: Middle English
- Meaning: a settlement on a cliff or bank
- Also: Clint
81. Clive
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: one who lives by the cliff
82. Clovis
- Origin: Old German
- Meaning: warrior
83. Clyde
- Origin: Scottish
- Meaning: caring, friendly; an ancient name for a Scottish river
84. Cody
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: a helpful person
85. Colby
- Origin: Hebrew/Norse
- Meaning: faithful, dark-haired
86. Coleman
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: burner of charcoal
- Also: Col, Cole
87. Colin
- Origin: French
- Meaning: cub; a short form of Nicholas; the English form of Cuilen and Cailean
- Also: Collin
88. Collier
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: a charcoal burner
- Also: Colyer, Collyer
89. Colm
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: a dove
90. Colman
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: keeper of doves
- Also: Col, Cole
91. Colton
- Origin: English
- Meaning: from the coal or dark town
92. Conan
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: hound, wolf
- Also: Con
93. Conn
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: wisdom
94. Connall
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: brave man
95. Conor
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: lover of dogs
- Also: Connor, Con
96. Conrad
- Origin: Old German
- Meaning: bold counsellor
- Also: Con, Curt, Kurt, Konrad
97. Conroy
- Origin: Gaelic
- Meaning: wise
98. Constant
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: faithful
99. Constantine
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: constant, firm; the name of the 1st Christian Emperor of Rome
100. Conway
- Origin: Irish/Welsh
- Meaning: hound of the plain; anglicised version of Conwy, a fortified town on the coast of North Wales
101. Cooper
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: barrel maker
102. Corbett
- Origin: Old French
- Meaning: black-haired
- Also: Corbet
103. Corbin
- Origin: Old French
- Meaning: raven
104. Corcoran
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: red-faced
105. Corey
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: hollow
- Also: Cory
106. Cormac
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: driver of chariots
- Also: Cormack, Cormick
107. Cornelius
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: a horn; a Roman family name
- Also: Cornell
108. Corwin
- Origin: Old French
- Meaning: dear friend
109. Cosmo
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: order
- Also: Cosimo
110. Courtney
- Origin: Old French
- Meaning: probably from 'court nez', meaning short nose
111. Cowan
- Origin: Middle English
- Meaning: hooded robe, priest
112. Coy
- Origin: English
- Meaning: quiet
113. Craig
- Origin: Gaelic
- Meaning: crag
114. Cranley
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: spring or meadow
115. Crawford
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: ford of the crows
116. Creed
- Origin: English
- Meaning: belief, guiding principle
117. Creighton
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: a rock
118. Crew
- Origin: English
- Meaning: chariot; a reference to rowing
119. Crispin
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: curled hair
- Also: Crispian
120. Croft
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: small field or pasture
121. Cromwell
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: bent or crooked spring or well
122. Crosby
- Origin: Old Norse
- Meaning: village or farm
123. Cullen
- Origin: Gaelic
- Meaning: beyond the river
124. Culley
- Origin: Gaelic
- Meaning: woodland
125. Curran
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: dagger or spear
126. Curtis
- Origin: Old French
- Meaning: courteous
127. Cuthbert
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: bright, famous
128. Cynan
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: outstanding
- Also: Cynin, Cynon
129. Cyril
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: lord
- Also: Cy
130. Cyrus
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: the sun
- Also: Cy, Cyro
About our author Catherine Ball
Catherine Ball is a freelance journalist who specialises in writing about parenting and health. She has been a journalist for 20 years, writing for a wide range of regional and national publications. She is also mum to 4 children between the ages 3 and 12, so has drawn up many, many lists of baby names over the past few years.
Illustration: Emma Winchester
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