Unusual Boy Names

  1. Willoughby
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "farm near the willows"
    • Description:

      Willoughby is an energetic last-name-first route to the popular short form Will, livelier than any of the two-syllable options. It could be picked up by parents attracted to the Willow sound for girls.
  2. Lonan
    • Origin:

      Manx, Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little blackbird"
    • Description:

      Typically spelled as Lonán in Ireland, Lonan is its Manx form, though it could also be considered the anglicized form too. The name comes from the Irish lon meaning "blackbird", paired with a diminutive suffix, making this a charming nature-related choice that could make a nice Logan/Conan alternative.
  3. Halloran
    • Origin:

      Gaelic
    • Meaning:

      "male descendant of a pirate or stranger from overseas"
    • Description:

      Halloran could be your solution if you love the nickname Hal, but not Harold or Henry.
  4. Tiago
    • Origin:

      Portuguese diminutive of Santiago, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "Saint James"
    • Description:

      Tiago, also spelled Thiago, is a popular Portuguese boys' name. Derived from the more formal Santiago, these days it is often used on its own. Relaxed and charming while still maintaining the sophistication of its long form, Tiago is popular in its native Portugal, but also in France, Belgium, Brazil, and the UK.
  5. Lazarus
    • Origin:

      Latinized Greek variation of Hebrew Eleazar
    • Meaning:

      "God is my helper"
    • Description:

      Lazarus is a name that looks as if it could possibly be raised from the dead, just like its biblical bearer. Look for it in the next wave of Old Testament revivals that transcend their long-bearded images, the way Noah, Moses, and Abraham have for this generation.
  6. Axton
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "sword stone"
    • Description:

      Macho to the max. But with the rise of x as a fashionable letter anywhere it appears in a name, ala Jaxson or Maxon, we may be hearing more of Axton.
  7. Floyd
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "gray-haired"
    • Description:

      Floyd was a Top 100 name from the 1880s to the 1940s that somehow developed an almost comical hayseed persona along with a touch of retro jazz cool; it's beginning to appeal to parents with a strong taste for the quirky.
  8. Flint
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "born near outcrop of flint"
    • Description:

      Flint is one of the new macho names on the rise today, part old-school tough guy, part rebel. You won't find a tougher, steelier-sounding name; it's part of a genre on the rise along with cousins Slate, Stone and Steel.
  9. Castor
    • Origin:

      Greek; Latin
    • Meaning:

      "beaver; pious one"
    • Description:

      Forget the oil. It's one of the twins that make up the constellation Gemini, and a mythological name on the cutting-edge of fashion; used by Metallica's James Hetfield.
  10. Conan
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little wolf"
    • Description:

      The fierce image of the Barbarian made a complete turnaround thanks to amiable talk show host O'Brien, making Conan one of the newly desirable Irish choices, a perfect alternative to Conor/Connor.
  11. Toulouse
    • Origin:

      French place-name and surname
    • Description:

      Creative choice, evoking the high-kicking can-can girls and other colorful figures in the works of Toulouse-Lautrec.
  12. Dudley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "Dudda's meadow"
    • Description:

      It's easy to love a name that rhymes with "cuddly" and is also attached to the surname Do-Right -- once you ignore the "dud" connection.
  13. Neo
    • Origin:

      Latin or Tswana
    • Meaning:

      "new or gift"
    • Description:

      This nouveau name of Keanu Reeves's character in The Matrix has not enjoyed the same burst of popularity as its female counterpart, Trinity, but it definitely sounds, well, newer. Neo Rauch is an interesting contemporary German artist.
  14. Mingus
    • Origin:

      Scottish, variation of Menzies
    • Meaning:

      "tenants of a manor"
    • Description:

      Supermodel Helena Christensen named her son in honor of jazz great Charles Mingus, opening up a whole category of jazzy possibilities: Kenton, Calloway, Ellington, Gillespie, Mulligan, Tatum, and Thelonius.
  15. Tolliver
    • Origin:

      English and Scottish occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "metalworker"
    • Description:

      If you're tired of Oliver, you might consider this energetic three-syllable surname instead, so you could have a little Tolly instead of an Ollie.
  16. Elmer
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "noble and renowned"
    • Description:

      Thanks to Elmer Fudd, Elmer the Cow, Elmer the elephant, Elmer's glue and the similar Elmo, this name might, to some feel like a jokey choice: the quintessential so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out name. And yet, the US statistics don't quite support that perception.
  17. Tyr
    • Origin:

      Norse, God of law and heroic victory
    • Description:

      Tyr is a very early embodiment of a Norse god, typically thought to guide the law, justice, war and victory.
  18. Digby
    • Origin:

      English, Norse
    • Meaning:

      "town by the ditch"
    • Description:

      Digby is a place-name in Lincolnshire turned surname turned quirky first name that is starting to get some attention. In fact, it ranked in the UK Top 1000 in a recent year where it fits in with the likes of Barnaby, Rupert, and Wilbur.
  19. Icarus
    • Origin:

      Greek mythology name
    • Description:

      Icarus, the mythological figure famous for flying too close to the sun, has a couple of negatives: his rash reputation, and those "icky" nicknames.
  20. Ichabod
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "the glory is gone"
    • Description:

      Ichabod, an eccentric Old Testament name, is forever tied to the character of Ichabod Crane -- and worse, the teasing possibilities of "icky bod." Even its original meaning is a negative. Skip Ichabod, as if you were ever tempted.

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