Boy Names Lists · Unusual, Rare, and Unique Baby Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 19 pages
of 19
Invented literary name
Hamish spinoff created by author Suzanne Collins for her trilogy The Hunger Games .
Invented name
Samuel Beckett, inspired by the French surname Godeau, created the name Godot for his play, Waiting for Godot . Americans tend to pronounce Godot with the emphasis on the second syllable, but Beckett…
American invented name
As in the iconic film brand. Kody is a nickname possibility. The brand got its name from founder George Eastman, who needed something that could easily be trademarked and loved the letter K. He was…
Polish from Latin, literary name
"of the heart"
Created by the Polish playwright Juliusz Słowacki in 1833 for his eponymous romantic hero, Kordian has been in rare use in Poland since. Słowacki based the name on the Latin cor or cordis, meaning…
Literary name
Most of the names George R.R. Martin created for his A Song of Ice and Fire series of books are close variants of existing English names, but this is an exception. Gendry was a minor character in the…
Greek
"milk; gift"
A seldom used name invented by J.R.R. Tolkien for Lord of the Rings, this boys' name makes good use of the 'Gal' prefix and 'Dor' suffix to craft an appealing and unique alternative to Theodore.
Shakespearean invented name, Latin
"flower"
Shakespeare seems to have coined this name for the Prince of Bohemia in his late tragicomedy The Winter's Tale by drawing inspiration from the Latin floris meaning "flower". It's rarely been used as…
Character from the Mortal Kombat video games. Could be an interesting way to get to the nickname Mac.
Modern invented name
If you're not finding Nemo unusual enough, consider the even more eccentric Emo, which may have been invented by comedian Emo Philips.
Variation of Edward
Eddard is a spin on Edward created by author George R.R. Martin for the Game of Thrones series. Eddard, usually known as Ned, Stark was the wise and good King of the North whose shocking murder at…
One of the oft-mocked Zappa kid names; it supposedly was a nickname his father had for his wife's pinkie toe.
Draymond Green, the defensive superstar for the Golden State Warriors basketball team, introduced his name to the lexicon. This of it as Raymond plus. Twelve baby boys were given this name in one…
Dox may sound like a modern invention but it actually has a notable historical bearer. Malagasy poet Jean Verdi Salomon Razakandrainy was known mononymously as Dox, inspired by a nickname he received…
Kyza debuted for boys in 2021, when it was given to nine baby boys. It has two likely influencers: Artist and social media influencer Khyzal Saleem, who uses the handle @the_kyza on Instagram, and…
Invented Name based on Rafael
A modern invention, put on the map by tattoo artist and entrepreneur, Kat Von D, who chose the name for her son in 2018. He is named for his father, musician and writer Rafael Reyes (also known as…
Shakespearean name, form of Leonnatos, Spanish, Portuguese, Greek
"lion's jaw"
Leonato is one of the main characters in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing , the noble governor of Messina on whose property most of the play takes place. His daughter Hero and his niece Beatrice…
The etymology of Leontel is unclear, though it could be seen as a variation of Lionel. It has rarely been used anywhere, though it does have more French connections than anything. While the nickname…
Could be an interesting alternative to London, now that that one is firmly on the girl's side. Londo Mollari is a character from the TV show Babylon 5 .
Italian
"light"
The origins of Lucentio are a bit hazy — it's possible Shakespeare invented the name for his play The Taming of the Shrew , where Lucentio ends up marrying Bianca. However, it may have been an…
"magnetic"
Magnethia was created as a feminine name for the TV show Winx Club . As far as we know, it's never been used as a name for a child of any sex.
