Unique Boy Names: Unusual and Rare
Unique boy names are more widely used now than ever before. Fifty years ago, the Top 20 boys' names represented 41% of all male children; by contrast now, the Top 20 boys' names represented less than 15% of all baby boys, meaning there are many more rare and unusual boy names in general use. The greater variety of names being used today means that unique boy names are more likely to be accepted at school or in the workplace. There are lots of ways for boys' names to be unique, from spelling to new creations, but here at Nameberry we're often most inspired by those names which are at once unusual and yet filled with history and meaning. Some of the coolest unique names for boys today come from Ancient Greek and Rome, often from mythology. The Bible is a rich source of unique boys' names, as are nature, word, and surname names. Here is a selection of our current favorite rare and unique names for boys, from A to Z. For even more choices and connections to all of Nameberry's resources on choosing unique names, go to our master page on Unique Names.
Unique Boy Names
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Abner
This neglected Biblical name--it was the name of the commander of Saul's army and appears twice in the New Testament--is ready to flee Dogpatch. It was regularly used in the nineteenth century,... Read More
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Adlai
Adlai is an Old Testament name long associated with 1950's liberal presidential candidate Stevenson, who was named after his grandfather, who was Grover Cleveland's vice president in the... Read More
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Alistair
With many British names invading the Yankee name pool, the sophisticated Alistair could and should be part of the next wave. It debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2016. You have a triple choice with... Read More
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Ambrose
A favorite of British novelists including Evelyn Waugh and P. G. Wodehouse, Ambrose has an air of blooming well-being and upper-class erudition. It comes from the same Greek root as 'ambrosia',... Read More
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Amias
Amias or Amyas is a unique name with an attractive sound and feel and a lovely meaning. Though it might sound like a Biblical name,... Read More
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Anatole
Anatole is one of the unique boys' names with an exotic-ish feel but an uncertain provenance, with a meaning related to sunrise and thus to fire. While it's Greek in origin, it is associated more... Read More
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Angus
Angus is rapidly moving from fuddy-duddy, kilt-wearing old Scotsman to hip young American; it's definitely a plausible choice, particularly for parents whose roots go back to Glasgow. The ancient... Read More
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Ansel
Ansel, primarily associated with the great western photographer Ansel Adams, famed for his magnificent photographs of the Yosemite Valley, could make a creative artist-hero choice. For Adams it... Read More
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Arden
Arden is a gender-neutral name that's sleek and stylish but always seems to bob just below the surface of popularity, despite ticking all the boxes with its fashionable two-syllable, N-ending... Read More
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Atlas
Previously thought too powerful for a baby boy--who would have to be strong enough to carry the world on his shoulders--Atlas has joined the pantheon of Greek and Roman god and goddess names now... Read More