Unique Middle Names for Boys

  1. Shaquille
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "well developed, handsome"
    • Description:

      No longer a one-person name, as a number of parents have been inspired by basketball great Shaquille O'Neal to adopt it for their own future athletes.
  2. Landry
    • Origin:

      French and English
    • Meaning:

      "ruler"
    • Description:

      St. Landry was a seventh century bishop of Paris, founder of the city's first hospital. The name is more familiar in recent years thanks to legendary Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry, an association that makes this a sports hero name, as well as a thoroughly masculine one. Landry is also in use for girls in the US. Landry is one of the oldest surnames in France, dating back to the medieval period, and is particularly popular among Cajun-Americans. It has been on the Social Security list since 2010.
  3. Steel
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Hard and shiny, Steel projects an image that's smooth, macho...and cold to the touch.
  4. Obsidian
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Description:

      This rarely used boys name is one of the few gem names for a boy. Obsidian is actually a type of volcanic glass, formed when lava cools very quickly. This ultra-cool name might spark a love of volcanoes and geology in a little boy.
  5. Whistler
    • Origin:

      English occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "one who whistles"
    • Description:

      A new entry in the fashionable occupational name category -- and a jolly job it must be -- with the added attraction of relating to the great early 20th century American artist James Abbott McNeill Whistler, of "Whistler's Mother" fame.
  6. Jeter
    • Origin:

      French or German surname
    • Meaning:

      "throw away; foundling; jet"
    • Description:

      Jeter, which of course is used as a first name only because of Yankee star Derek, rhymes with Peter and may be derived from the French surname Jette, which was often bestowed on foundlings because it means "thrown out," or the German Jetter, an occupational name meaning "weeder".
  7. Rowdy
    • Origin:

      American word name
    • Meaning:

      "noisy, disorderly, riotous"
    • Description:

      Rowdy was first famously used as a given name in the television series Rawhide, with the young Clint Eastwood playing Rowdy Yates. More recently, competitive swimmer Rowdy Gaines has been featured in a series of TV commercials, and a new badass baby name is gaining notice.
  8. Future
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "that is to be"
    • Description:

      A forward-looking word name.
  9. Breaker
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Description:

      One of the aggressive new boys' names, ala Tracker and Heller, that have become fashionable among parents who are courting trouble.
  10. Win
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Winslow, Winthrop, or Winston, English
    • Meaning:

      "friend's hill or friend's village or wine town"
    • Description:

      Win is an upbeat, can-do name that can be a short form of one of the buttoned-up British choices above or can stand on its own. Welsh Wyn is another possibility.
  11. Ode
    • Origin:

      Word name or medieval English form of Otto, German
    • Meaning:

      "a lyric poem; wealthy"
    • Description:

      Ode could be part of the extended Otto/Otis family, or it might be a literary term, referring to an elaborate lyric poem, such as Keats's Ode to a Nightingale..
  12. Rembrandt
    • Origin:

      Dutch artist name
    • Description:

      The name of the most renowned of the Old Masters is a potential option for families who put an emphasis on the creative. Rembrandt Peale was a member of the Peale family of painters, all named for famous artists.
  13. Audio
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      When actress Shannyn Sossamon dubbed her newborn Audio Science, it sent out some definite shock waves. We don't recommend Audio or Video for even the most intrepid baby namer.
  14. Striker
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Description:

      Striker is one of the new gang of boys' names that have two syllables, end in -er, spring from words, and have a macho, even aggressive meaning and image. Other examples include Breaker, Heller, and Wilder. Do the world a favor and desist.
  15. Hemingway
    • Origin:

      English place name
    • Description:

      No matter how much you love the novels of Papa H., don't saddle your son with this unwieldy appellation.
  16. Poet
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Poet is a new entry in both the trendy word and occupational categories as well as a member of the growing group of gender neutral names. A handful of baby boys received the name in the US last year. A perfect choice, especially in the middle, for the child of writers or those with a poetic bent. And Po is an adorable nickname for either gender.
  17. Indiana
    • Origin:

      American place-name
    • Meaning:

      "land of the Indians"
    • Description:

      This state name emerged in the eighties along with westerners Dakota and Montana, and it's still used occasionally by high-profile parents such as Summer Phoenix and Casey Affleck. Action man Indiana Jones (played by Harrison Ford) makes Indiana "Indy" forever cool for a boy.
  18. Tree
    • Origin:

      Nature name
    • Description:

      Tree as a first name may have entered the lexicon via Taylor Swift's (female) publicist Tree Paine, but there's no reason Tree can't work for any gender. It's simple, it's nature-connected, it's modern.
  19. Bravo
    • Origin:

      Italian word name
    • Description:

      One way to encourage some cheers for your little one, but not recommended.
  20. Bliss
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "great happiness"
    • Description:

      Bliss might once have seemed a far-out choice, but it has been on the rise for girls in recent years, alongside similar options such as Dream, Heaven, Halo, and Blessing. Associated with a state of perfect happiness and with spiritual blessedness, it holds both religious and secular appeal.

The Nameberry App Is Live

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Find your perfect baby name together in our iPhone app, now available on the App Store.
  • Swipe through thousands of names with your partner
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