Best Unique Boy Names: Under 50 Births
- Aurelian
Origin:
English form of Aurelius, LatinMeaning:
"golden one"Description:
Aurelian is an ancient name gaining contemporary visibility along with many other forms of the Ancient Roman Aurelius, including Aurelia and Aurelio.
- Pascal
Origin:
French; EnglishMeaning:
"of the Passover; Easter"Description:
The French-accented Pascal was historically used for sons born at Easter, and can make an interesting choice for a boy with Gallic roots arriving around that holiday.
- Galen
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"calm, healer"Description:
Many will associate this name with Galen of Pergamon, the second-century physician considered to be the founding father of medicine. A more recent reference is Star Wars character Galen Erso. The name still projects a gentle, scholarly image, while sharing sounds with more popular names like Aiden and Nathan. Bonus: it's also an anagram of Angel.
- Poe
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"peacock"Description:
An evocative unisex one-syllable name, Poe is most distinguished by its literary reference. Edgar Allan Poe was an influential American author and poet, credited with inventing the genres of detective and science fiction, which might provide inspiration for parents who are fans. And now its choice as the name of the hero played by Oscar Isaac in the new Star Wars movie is sure to catapult it from literary choice to major favorite.
- Tully
Origin:
Irish, ScottishMeaning:
"flood, peaceful; hill"Description:
Tully is a relaxed, rarely used Irish surname possibility which might provide an alternative to Tommy, Eli, or Troy. It has a long history of usage and a number of meanings, depending on which root you follow.
- Cato
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"all-knowing"Description:
Cato conjures up images of ancient Roman statesmen and southern antebellum retainers; it could have revival potential, with its 'O' ending and the current interest in the names of Greek and Roman antiquity.
- Clancy
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"red-haired warrior"Description:
Clancy, one of the original crossover Irish surname names, is as energetic and appealing as ever — full of moxie, more distinctive than Casey, and also one of the less obvious of the red-headed names.
- Huckleberry
Origin:
Word name and literary nameDescription:
Everybody knows Huckleberry Finn, the Mark Twain character named, Twain said, for the 19th century slang term for "humble." A few modern parents have put it on a birth certificate, including "Man Vs. Wild" star Bear Grylls, who, like many parents, will call the boy the much more manageable Huck. It was also the name of a child on TV's West Wing,
- Aster
Origin:
English from GreekMeaning:
"star"Description:
The name of the Aster flower, named by the English, was derived from the Greek word for star. Like many floral names, Aster is much more popular among baby girls.
- Balthazar
Origin:
PhoenicianMeaning:
"Baal protects the King"Description:
This evocative name of one of the Three Wise Men of the Orient, also spelled Balthasar, may finally be ready for prime time. Balthazar, Melchior and Caspar were the Magi who brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus, though their names were not mentioned in the Bible.
- Hart
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"stag"Description:
Hart could be the hero of a romantic novel, but on the other hand, it's short, straightforward, and strong sounding. The most famous bearer of the name was tragic poet Hart (born Harold) Crane, but it also has musical cred via Lorenz Hart, of the classic Rodgers & Hart songwriting duo and a literary tie to playwright Moss Hart.
- Penn
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"enclosure"Description:
This simple, elegant name offers something for many kinds of parents, from writers and history buffs to photographers to Pennsylvania dwellers. Most famous bearers are comedian Penn Jillette and Gossip Girl hottie Penn Badgley, both of whom were given this distinctive name at birth. Long obscure, Penn seems destined for greater usage.
- Jago
Origin:
Spanish and Cornish variation of JacobMeaning:
"supplanter"Description:
Jago is a dashing alternative to overused favorite Jacob.
- Willoughby
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"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.
- Willow
Origin:
English tree nameMeaning:
"willow tree"Description:
Fresh and surprising on a boy – and how can you not love the cool classic nickname Will?
- Lark
Origin:
Bird nameDescription:
In one recent year there were 60 baby girls in the US named Lark....and only eight baby boys. But there's no reason this bird name can't also be masculine, especially given that Robin is making a comeback for boys and Sparrow is a notable starbaby boy (he's Nicole Richie and Joel Madden's son).
- Baxter
Origin:
English occupational nameMeaning:
"baker"Description:
An x makes any name cooler, so that Baxter has a bit more pizzazz than the original Baker. Baxter had some currency as a first name a century ago--it was on the popularity lists sporadically from 1880 till the 1920s, peaking at Number 515 in 1886-- which means it's just about due for a comeback. And we can see Bax as a worthy follow-up to Max and Jax.
- Hubert
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"bright, shining intellect"Description:
A name that sounds so old-fashioned some parents out there might conceivably find it quirky enough for a comeback, along with other one-time fuddie-duddies like Oscar and Homer.
- Oisin
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"little deer"Description:
Oisin is one of the most popular Irish baby names in its native land, though largely unknown in the US. The original Oisin was the mythological son of Finn McCool and Sadb, the goddess who was changed into a deer. A legendary war hero and poet, Oisin had a name that is also reminiscent in sound of the ocean. Pronounced correctly, this name has an attractive sheen.
- Piers
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"rock"Description:
Piers was the first version of Peter to reach the English-speaking world, via the Normans, but it's never made it in the US, despite its large measure of understated panache. This might change due to the high visibility of TV personality and former news editor Piers Morgan.
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