Rare, Unique, and Unusual Boy Names

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?

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…

Windham

Windham is a masculine name of English origin, derived from a place name meaning 'home by the windy hill' or 'windy homestead' in Old English. This distinctive surname-turned-first-name carries…

Wyn

Welsh

"fair, blessed"

Extremely popular in Wales, where it began as a nickname for someone with fair hair or a fair face, this bright and simple name is a winner by its very nature. Can also be spelled Wynn, Winn or the…

Ziv

Hebrew

"brilliance"

Also a synonym for the Hebrew month of Iyar, which usuually falls in May, would work and play well with others like Zev and Lev.

Caldwell

English

"cold stream"

English place name turned handsome surname name.

Eber

Diminutive of Eberhard, German

"brave boar"

Eber is far more approachable than its full forbidding form.

Finch

English word and nature name

"to swindle"

It feels like Finch should be a modern bird name that's as popular as Wren or Lark, but that's not the case - so it's one to consider if you're looking for a nature name that's familiar but rare.…

Tuck

Diminutive of Tucker, English

"fabric pleater"

Sharp and preppy. Parents of young children may recognize it as the name of the turtle from the television show Wonder Pets .

Windsor

English

"riverbank with a winch"

Windsor may have male references, such as Britain's royal House of Windsor and a tie's windsor knot, but this name also has a definite feminine feel, as in Windsor Rose. That seems appropriate, as…

Bastien

French and Spanish, diminutive of Sebastien

"person from ancient city of Sebastia"

In this form, or as Sebastian or as Bas, Bastien is a fashionable Euro name with a possible future in America. There is a one-act comic opera by Mozart titled Bastien and Bastienne . An alternate…

East

Word name

With West one of the hottest names for boys, and North the name of a high-profile celebrity baby, can East be far behind? While Easton seems to be the version of choice for this directional name --…

Hamish

Scottish variation of James

"supplanter"

Just as Seamus/Seumus is Irish for James, Hamish is the Scottish form — one that's not often used here, but still redolent of Olde Scotland. If you're ready to go further than Duncan and Malcolm, out…

Hastings

English

English place name derived from the Anglo-Norman personal name Hasten or Haesta, made famous by the battle of 1066.

Horace

Latin clan name

"timekeeper"

The ancient name Horace sounds fustily fuddy-duddy, and yet, with the resurrection of Homer, and the new interest in old Roman names...who knows. Its early popularity--it was in the Top 100 at the…

July

English word name

"month name"

Most things Jul-related – from the month of July to popular modern names Julia and Julian – originate with Roman emperor Julius Caesar, and the month name July is no exception. Fifteen girls and…

Kelechi

Igbo

"glorify God"

A common unisex name in Nigeria. Kerry Washington used it as the middle name for her son Caleb.

Luay

Arabic

"shield; protector"

A smooth and soulful Arabic name that travels well between languages and cultures. Lindsay Lohan chose a variation for her son Luai, born in 2023.

Oswin

Old English

"God's friend"

Ancient name, near obsolete now, but could make a good alternative to Owen for the adventurous baby namer. Doctor Who fans will recognize this as part of his companion's name, Clara Oswin Oswald.

Rafferty

Irish

"floodtide, abundance, prosperity"

Jaunty and dapper, Rafferty is one of the most engaging of the Irish surnames, used by Jude Law and Sadie Frost for their son in 1996. Derived from the Irish, O'Raighbheartaigh, it means "(spring)…