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Boy Names Lists · Unusual, Rare, and Unique Baby Names

Rare, Unique, and Unusual Boy Names

Pamela Redmond

By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026

Names270

Pages14

Total Names270

Across 14 pages

Page3

of 14

Showing 41–60 of 270

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…
Zevi
Hebrew
"gazelle, roebuck"
Zevi is an alternative transcription of the Hebrew name Zvi or Tzvi, the latter of which is a Top 100 pick in Israel. It's a cool, sharp-sounding name which would make for a great distinctive…
Crispin
Latin
"curly-haired"
Crispin, which was introduced into the mainstream by actor Crispin Glover and which means "curly-haired" in Latin, has an image very much like its first syllable: crisp, autumnal, and colorful. St.…
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.
Franz
German variation of Francis, Latin
"Frenchman or free man"
Franz is the German equivalent to Francis, and you'll be hard-pressed to find a Franz outside of countries with Germanic origins. In America the name is often associated with celebrated author Franz…
Helio
Spanish
"the sun"
More familiar to English speakers in the Italian Elio form.
Odie
Diminutive of Odell, Otis; English, German
"of the valley; wealthy"
This old-timey nickname for Otis and Odell is strongly tied to Garfield’s canine companion in the Garfield comic, movie, and TV franchise. Actress Ashley Williams gave it signs of life when she used…
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,…
Xerxes
Persian
"hero among heroes"
The two X's may be a challenge for even the most intrepid baby namer. Xerxes was the name of two early kings of Persia and the Handel opera Serse or Xerxes is loosely based on Xerxes I.
Yves
French
"yew wood"
On paper, with its stylish ties to fashion legend Yves Saint-Laurent (born Henri), Yves looks great, but the pronunciation--EVE-- could lead to gender confusion. German variation Ivo might be cooler…
Brando
Italian variation of Brand
"firebrand, sword"
Screen legend Marlon's surname has loads more swagger than his first. A little Brando might have to endure references to his famous namesake, though his peers may just assume its linked to popular…
Cosimo
Italian variation of Cosmo
"order, beauty, universe"
Dramatic and worldly, Cosimo was chosen by singer Beck and his wife, Marissa Ribisi, for their son. Now that Cosima has emerged as a starbaby favorite, twin brother Cosimo could join her. Cosimo de…
Fraser
Scottish from French
"strawberry"
Though TV's "Frasier" made the name famous, and Frazier is a well-used variation, Fraser is the original, used mostly in Scotland.
Frasier
Variation of Fraser, Scottish
"strawberry"
Although Fraser is the more common (and original) form of this surname, Frasier is perhaps more familiar in the US thanks to the eponymous sitcom. Kelsey Grammer portrayed psychiatrist Frasier Crane…
Georgie
Diminutive of George, Greek
"farmer"
A warm and cuddly nickname name, although he famously "kissed the girls and made them cry" in the old nursery rhyme.
Helix
English word name
"a curve in three-dimensional space"
A scientific word name that would work wonderfully as a given name, given its similarity to Felix.
Heron
Nature name or Greek
"hero"
Heron may feel like a very usable nature name -- the heron is a long-legged wading bird -- but it was also the name of a 1st century Greek inventor and of an Egyptian saint. Highly unusual yet easy…
Llewellyn
Welsh, variation of Llywelyn
"leader's image"
Llewellyn/Llywelyn is a common patriotic first name in Wales, with its distinctive Welsh double LL's; in the U.S. Llewellyn would make a daring choice, though with the chance that some might find the…
Tao
Spiritual word name, Chinese
"large wave; the path; harmony of the universe"
Tao is the Chinese word for the underlying harmony of the universe, combining both yin and yang. Extreme kayaker Tao Berman made this one of the spiritual names prime for adoption, and more recently,…
Vale
Geographical name
Vale is part place name, part nature name -- a poetic term for a type of valley. Today Show coanchor Savannah Guthrie put Vale on the baby name map when she chose it for her daughter, but there's no…