Rex

This “kingly” name has existed on the American male naming charts for as long as the U.S. government has been tracking name data (1880). Back at the turn of the 20th century Rex was moderately popular on the Top 300 list of most commonly used boy names. Its peak popularity came mostly during the 1950s probably owing to the successful career of actor Rex Harrison. The name declined in usage during the ensuing decades and even fell off the charts completely at the turn of the 21st century. Rex is making a little bit of a comeback in recent years; although interestingly American parents are more likely to name their sons plain old King today than the Latin Rex. For those parents who prefer subtlety Rex is probably the better choice. Like Max, Rex is a strong one-syllable masculine name that ends in an “x”. The one caveat (and the same could be said for Max) is that Rex is a common name bestowed upon pet dogs. Rex is also the name given to the loveable but insecure dinosaur in “Toy Story 2” (get it? Because he’s a Tyrannosaurus “rex”). Also be advised on the potential for “Sexy Rexy” nicknames.