Boy Names Lists · Unusual, Rare, and Unique Baby Names
Rare, Unique, and Unusual Boy Names
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About this list
Cool boys' names can have deep roots or be modern inventions but the coolest names are also often rare, unique, and unusual. And the very best cool boy names hit the trifecta of being rare, rooted in history, and on trend in terms of current styles.
To make this list, these cool names for boys had to be used for 25 or fewer baby boys, which definitely makes them rare and uncommon.
Many of the surname-names for boys on this list won't stay unique for long. Choices such as Fielding, Halston, Langdon, and Maguire are one celebrity baby or TV character away from becoming smash hits.
This list of cool unique boys' names features some of our favorite possibilities.
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The names
Kiefer
German
"barrel maker; pine"
Kiefer is a strong occupational surname associated with "24" star Kiefer Sutherland, but one that could well join the other 'er' surnames currently in favor. Keifer is a German surname transferred to…
Hobson
English
"son of Robert"
An original way to honor an ancestral Robert. Hobson is outside the Top 1000 but is among the fastest-rising names for boys.
Fielding
English topographical surname
"dweller in the open country"
Fielding is a surname style name, originally given to someone who lived in the country or worked in the fields, however it might also be considered a word name relating to sports (cricket and…
Horatio
English variation of Latin Horatius
"hour, time"
Like Horace, Horatio is a variation on the Latin Horatius, but its Shakespearean and optimistic Horatio Alger pedigree makes it an attractive up-and-comer, especially with its cool final o. A modern…
Humphrey
German
"peaceful warrior"
Humphrey is an old name that might have faded completely were it not for that Bogie flair. A royal name in Britain, where it's used somewhat more frequently, Humphrey might just have some life beyond…
Silver
English word name
This shimmery Age of Aquarius unisex flower child name is making a comeback, along with metal and gem names like Steel, Jade, and Ruby.
Hadley
English
"heathery field"
Hemingway readers will recognize this as the name of Papa's first wife (and, eventually, actress Mariel's grandmother). But in Victorian times, Hadley and Hedley were actually more popular for boys.
York
English
"from the yew estate"
Brisk, preppy York is an underused classic with the potential to really shine in the 21st century. It's most familiar as a place name — York is a city in England — and surname. New York City and…
Webb
English occupational name
"weaver"
This pleasant single-syllable surname might be especially appealing to someone involved with the internet (and who isn't?)--even if some others might see it as a drawback. Webb is one of those names…
Hughes
English, Scottish, Irish surname
"mind, intellect; son of Aodh"
Part of the next generation of preppy H-beginning surnames. Once Harrison, Hudson, and Holden are no longer fresh, expect to hear more little boys being called Hughes, Hutch, and Henderson on the…
Casimiro
Spanish form of Casimir, Polish and Slavic
"destroyer of peace"
All names Cas are cool right night, from Cassius to Cassian to Caspian to, yes, Casimir and its Latin form Casimiro. An attractive possibility in this appealing group.
Urban
Latin
"of the city"
Urban was not an uncommon name through the 1930s (rising as high as Number 435), having been attached to several saints and early popes, but it has completely disappeared from the landscape--both…
Lorne
Variation of Lawrence
Alive thanks to Ponderosa papa Greene and SNL creator Michaels, both from Canada, where the name is much more popular.
Park
Word name
A grassy place with trees is a nice image to attach to a name.
Wally
English, diminutive of Walter or Wallace
A Leave It to Beaver/old comic-strip name, vacationing for years with the Griswolds in WallyWorld, but now back as WALL-E?
Sumner
English occupational name
"summoner"
Billionaire Sumner Redstone, the nonagenarian owner of CBS and Viacom, practically has a monopoly on his first name — for now. But Hunter, Asher, and Ryder have ushered in a major vogue "-er" names,…
Errol
Scottish, spelling variation of Earl
Errol was a swashbuckling name in the Errol Flynn era, which still has a trace of jazz cool.m thanks to jazz pianist Erroll Garner.
Taurus
Sign of the Zodiac, Latin
"bull"
The Zodiac name hasn't caught on like Leo or Aries, though it did appear in the US Top 1000 for five consecutive years back in the '70s.
Ashby
English
"ash tree farm"
This Ashley-like surname name actually made the US Top 1000 around the turn of the 20th century. Used very quietly today in equal numbers -- about a dozen each -- for boys and girls. Ashby is a major…
Rollo
Latin form of Rolf
"wolf"
Rollo is a livelier, roly-poly, o-ending version of Roland. Although it sounds modern, Rollo actually was seen regularly on Latin documents in the Middle Ages, though not heard in everyday speech.…
