Unusual One Syllable Names

Name of Faulkner's great emotional villain in As I Lay Dying, Anse is not ordinarily used as a first name. It literally means cove in French, though the element ans means God in Old German and is found in names such as Ansel and Anselm.

This minimalist name is frequently heard in Norway, but has little chance of acceptance in the US.

Great Irish middle name choice for Shakespeare lovers.

When Kate Hudson named her second son Bingham and announced that she would be calling him Bing, it put this zingy nickname name out on the table. Before that, there was only one, further nicknamed Der Bingle -- and he was really Harry Lillis Crosby.

A name that's unusual in that changing the i to a y -- as in Byrd -- makes it more masculine.

Too tightly associated with the real-life villainous Captain Bligh of The Mutiny on the Bounty.

The famous Battle of the Boyne, in Ireland, vanquished the Catholic king.

Having only entered the US Top 1000 in 2012, Briggs is yet another ends-in-s surname name for boys currently on the rise, along the lines of Brooks and Hayes.

In keeping with other short names like PO/POE and BO, Coe is a surname that could easily move into first place. It has a sports hero factor as well, in Olympic runner Sebastian Coe--who later became a Member of Parliament.

Strictly for a Vegas baby.

Strong, straight, and leafy, one of the new tree names used mostly as middles.

Friendly, cheerful Irish name that originated as a nickname for a redhead. Potential problem: reminiscent of the Spanish custard.

Distinctive though somewhat abrupt, most prominently borne by country singer Hoyt Axton.

Decidedly offbeat name that combines jauntiness with that uber-cool X, and would certainly set your son up for life outside the mainstream.