Strong Unusual Boy Names

Fleet is one of the uncountable number of new word name possibilities, and a particularly cool choice at that. Connoting speed, Fleet beats Rush any day. Might be short for Fleetwood, but we prefer it on its own.

This British river name sounds sleek and strong but perhaps a bit too energetic.

Not for the faint of the baby-naming heart. We also like Brave as a middle name.

With the plethora of Alexes around, Xan (and Xander) have emerged as hot new nicknames for Alexander. Xan also stands well on its own. It can be found--not surprisingly--in several computer games.

Rogan makes a great, roguish alternative for the more popular Logan, Ronan and Rowan. 

An Asian name that would be easily understood in this country.

Also a synonym for the Hebrew month of Iyar, which usuually falls in May, would work and play well with others like Zev and Lev.

Brawny name chosen for his son by rocker Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue.

This Old Welsh name associated with blacksmiths has never caught on, but it has the right two-syllable occupational feel to qualify for revival. Gower Champion was a successful midcentury dancer, choreographer and director on the Broadway stage, in films and on TV.

A mostly undiscovered alternative to the ultra-popular Colton; just 80 baby boys were named Coleson in 2016. It's also a surname name in its own right.

Rugged and straightforward brand-new name, though you might not like the idea of branding your son.

Last name occasionally used as a first, can be seen as a Lance Armstrong athlete-hero name.

Alaska is a state name that's gaining a following, along with Montana and Dakota. While it was used exclusively for girls in the 2020 US name statistics, there's no reason it can't work just as well for boys.

Bheem, the name of the second of the five sons of Pandu in the Hindu epic the Mahabharata, was renowned as a strong warrior. Bheem is the name of one of the two heroes of the Bollywood film RRR.

Feeney is an Irish surname most popular in Counties Sligo and Mayo in northwest Ireland. It may rise in the US as a first name as other Irish surnames from Riley to Kennedy become increasingly popular for both genders.

Variant of Gruffudd and Griffith, currently in the UK Top 1000, though predominantly used in Wales only.

Decidedly offbeat name that combines jauntiness with that uber-cool X, and would certainly set your son up for life outside the mainstream.

Geraud, as with many French variations of familiar names, makes the somewhat old-fashioned Gerard sound fresh and dashing. It's pronounced as if it ended with o, another trendy factor, though many English speakers may not get that.

Drummer entered the baby name lexicon thanks to blogger No Big Dill, who chose it for her newborn son, who joins five older sisters. Drummer is right in step with other occupational names in vogue now, from Archer to Gardener. Let's just hope Drummer doesn't prefer to play the piano.

Lazer has some biblical cred as a form of Eliezer, Eleazar, or Lazarus, all relatives, and it's also a modern bad boy name a la Ranger and Breaker. Our recommendation would be to use one of the biblical forms as the proper name and Lazer as a nickname.