Rare, Unique, and Unusual Boy Names

Freyr

Old Norse

"lord"

Freyr is the Norse god of fertility, sunlight, and peace. He features prominently in the Icelandic mythology collections the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda , and is considered an ancestor of the…

Hiroshi

Japanese

"generous"

Several artistic Hiroshis make this one of the more plausible Japanese imports.

Orlan

Diminutive of Orlando, Italian form of Roland, German

"famous throughout the land"

Orlando is such a romantically attractive name, why stunt it with this relatively flat-footed short form?

Poe

English

"peacock"

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…

Sid

Short form of Sidney, French

"Saint-Denis"

Sid originated as a nickname for Sidney, but we like it on its own, a la Sara Quin's and Jason Biggs and Jenny Mollen's sons. Sid Vicious, member of the band the Sex Pistols, gives this name a punk…

Torres

Vern

Diminutive of Vernon, English

"place of alders"

Until recently, Vernon and its short form Vern seemed like grandpa names not ready for revival, but now we can see it happening. Never the popular, Vern works particularly well as a middle name.

Calvert

English word name

"calf herder"

More common as a surname, a handful of boys get this bovine equivalent of Shepherd each year in the US. It may gain more exposure as one of the occupational names that are one of the most popular…

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.

Celio

Latin

"belonging to heaven"

A welcoming name that seems to say "hello". Celio can be thought of as a much rarer male variation of Celia. With heavenly names in the ascendant, we may be hearing lots more of Celio.

Dell

Diminutive of Odell, English

"of the valley"

Originally a short form of Odell, a place name turned surname that hails from England.

Garnet

Jewel name, for the French

"pomegranate"

One of the jewel names in use a hundred years ago, for both boys and girls, due for revival along with sisters Ruby and Pearl. But interestingly, Garnet means pomegranate, the fruit who shares a deep…

Guthrie

Scottish

"windy place"

Guthrie, one of the most attractive Scottish names that's also a surname, has a particularly romantic, windswept aura, with a touch of the buckaroo thrown in. Guthrie's folkie quality is tied to the…

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…

Idrissa

West African, Arabic

"interpreter, studious"

A West African form of popular Arabic Idris, Idrissa more literally means "studious" or "learner", though it is also linked to the act of interpretation, via its connection to a Quranic prophet…

Iskander

Indonesian variation of Alexander.

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…

Kimball

Welsh

"warrior chief"

Now that Kimberly is no longer one of the top girl names, Kim or long form Kimball feel more gender neutral.

Lark

Bird name

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…

Lumen

Latin

"light"

Lumen is a Latin word meaning "light", and the term used for the measurement of light output (making it an attractive choice for science-buffs). The name was used for a female character in the TV…