User-created list
Rarely used Names
Single page list
The names
Damian
Greek
"to tame, subdue"
Damian has sidestepped its demonic horror movie overtones, leaving a basically friendly and charming Irish image. A well-used upper-class name in England, it is growing in popularity here. There are…
Donovan
Irish
"dark"
One of the first of the appealing Irish surnames to take off in this country, this boys’ name has long outgrown its "Mellow Yellow" association, which came via the single from a sixties…
Nova
Latin
"new"
Nova might be a much more commonly used a girls' name, but enough parents saw unisex appeal in it for it to debut on the US Top 1000 for boys in 2017. Nova is an astronomical term for a star that…
Roderick
German
"famous ruler"
The aristocratic--if not haughty--Roderick was nevertheless consistently in the Top 1000, reaching as high as Number 221 in 1967, when it was not uncommon to run into a Rod or a Roddy. It's at a low…
Dashielle
Draedon
Neville
French
"new town"
More often used in Britain than here, where most names ending in ville fall into the unthinkable class, this might make an exception via fans of the musical Neville Brothers. Charles Dickens used the…
Fergal
Irish
"brave, manly"
Very common in early Ireland and still in use there today, it was the name of an eighth century high king and also a saint. Not as well known in this country as Fergus, Fergal is currently appearing…
Armery
