Rare, Unique, and Unusual Boy Names

  1. Aureliano
    • Origin:

      Italian
    • Meaning:

      "gold"
    • Description:

      Italian variation of Aurelius.
  2. Fielding
    • Origin:

      English topographical surname
    • Meaning:

      "dweller in the open country"
    • Description:

      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 baseball specifically) or with the term for dealing with something difficult by evading it.
  3. Ennis
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "from the island"
    • Description:

      An appealing Irish placename with a unisex feel, Ennis would be a fresh alternative to Dennis and Ellis. It's little-used for boys and even rarer for girls, but since Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons used it for their son, it could be one to watch.
  4. Flavio
    • Origin:

      Italian, Spanish variation of Flavius, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "yellow, blond"
    • Description:

      Flavio is derived from Flavius, a surname used in Ancient Rome. These family names, or cognomens, were given to distinguish branches of the clan and were chosen based on a characteristic of an important bearer. In this case, the Flavius family patriarch was likely blond-haired.
  5. Drexel
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "to turn"
    • Description:

      Drexel is an occupational surname but the original meaning of what a person who "turned" for a living actually did is unclear: It may mean turning the soil or making hay or spinning cloth or creating decorative objects. With the rise of the similar-sounding Dexter, Drexel might catch on.
  6. Bastien
    • Origin:

      French and Spanish, diminutive of Sebastien
    • Meaning:

      "person from ancient city of Sebastia"
    • Description:

      In this form, or as Sebastian or as Bas, Bastien is a fashionable Euro name with a possible future in America.
  7. Caldwell
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "cold stream"
    • Description:

      English place name turned handsome surname name.
  8. Psalm
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "a sacred song or hymn"
    • Description:

      Kanye West and Kim Kardashian added this new word name to the lexicon when they chose it for their second son and fourth child in 2019. It is now 7 times more popular than it was then, given to 120 boys and 40 girls in a recent year.
  9. Garth
    • Origin:

      Norse
    • Meaning:

      "groundskeeper, enclosure"
    • Description:

      A name that took on a pronounced country twang via Nashville megastar Garth (born Troyal) Brooks.
  10. Bates
    • Origin:

      English diminutive of Bartholomew
    • Description:

      Bates is a fresh version of Bartholomew, and feels more wearable than Bart. Bates could be considered a patriotic choice for American parents - Katharine Lee Bates was an author and professor best known for penning the words to "America the Beautiful".
  11. Ivor
    • Origin:

      Scottish variation of Welsh Ifor
    • Meaning:

      "yew"
    • Description:

      Ivor, a favorite choice for upscale characters in Brit Lit novels by authors like P.G. Wodehouse and Evelyn Waugh, is an interesting and unusual name just waiting to be discovered by parents in this country.
  12. Ziv
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "brilliance"
    • Description:

      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.
  13. Beacon
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "signal light"
    • Description:

      A word name with an appealing and illuminating meaning.
  14. Garnet
    • Origin:

      Jewel name, for the French
    • Meaning:

      "pomegranate"
    • Description:

      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 red color with the jewel.
  15. Friedrich
    • Origin:

      German variation of Frederick
    • Meaning:

      "peaceful ruler"
    • Description:

      One of the most familiar German names, with an upright Prussian image. Friedrich might just have been out for long enough to start coming back in.
  16. Odie
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Odell, Otis; English, German
    • Meaning:

      "of the valley; wealthy"
    • Description:

      This old-timey nickname for Otis and Odell is strongly tied to Garfield’s canine companion in the Garfield comic, movie, and TV franchise.
  17. Macallister
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "son of Alasdair"
    • Description:

      Macallister as a first name is attracting new attention as the name chosen by Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer and venture capitalist Zack Bogue for their young son. Macallister is usually heard as a patronymic surname, meaning son of Alasdair or Alistair or any one of the spellings of the Scottish form of Alexander. Like all other names of this type, Macallister leads to the cute short form Mac.
  18. Haskell
    • Origin:

      English from Norse, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "God's helmet; God strengthens"
    • Description:

      Haskell has two separate forms of origin, the first being from the Ancient Norse given name Ásketill. The Normans converted Ásketill to Aschetil, then the English transformed Aschetil into Haskell, which was originally only used as a surname. Haskell is also considered a variant of Haskel, a Yiddish given name derived from Ezekiel.
  19. Zed
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Zedekiah
    • Description:

      Newer than Zac, cooler than Ed, Ned, or Ted.
  20. 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.

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