My male quirks

Rarely used, and for good reason. Alonzo is a preferable choice.

Amias or Amyas is a unique name with an attractive sound and feel and a lovely meaning. Though it might sound like a Biblical name, it is not, but is a surname that may be related to Amadeus or even be a male version of Amy--which would make it one of the few boys' names to be derived from a girls'.

Since the first production of Camille this has been considered one of the world's most romantic names, though it's one of those French names for boys rarely heard in this country.

Best known as the the Greek Goddess of the hunt and the moon, Artemis could now be considered one of the few traditionally feminine names that are currently being used for boys. Alternatively though, when pronounced ahr-TEH-mis, it is a valid Greek masculine name – a diminutive of Artemios.

Who knew there were so many soccer fans in the U.S.? Beckham -- as in British sensation David -- has exploded onto the baby name scene in the past decade.

Booker would make for a very cool name, for writers, reformers, R & B fans and those wanting to pay tribute to Booker T. Washington.

Baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn put this name in play as a first name, but David Bowie (born with the considerably less marketable moniker of David Robert Jones) gave it charisma. He changed his surname in 1965 to avoid confusion with the then popular Davy Jones of The Monkees, borrowing it from the American hero of Alamo, Jim Bowie.

Bram has an unusual measure of character and charm for a one-syllable name; it started as a hipper-than-Abe diminutive of the biblical Abraham, but is also an independent Irish and Dutch name, made famous by Irish-born Dracula creator Bram (nee Abraham) Stoker. Bram is currently Number 16 in the Netherlands; Bram Howard was a character on The West Wing.

While the variation Carmine is more familiar for boys, Carmen has also been used as a masculine name; consider the very macho Carmen Basilio — the American boxer famous for defeating the great Sugar Ray Robinson — or composer Carmen Dragon.

Spanish and Italian forms Carmelo and Carmello are also quite popular in the US, with Carmelo ranking in the Top 1000.

Whether it's an Asian surname-name or short for Channing, has a sound and feel that's both simple and stand-out.

The jazziest nickname for Charles.

A variation of Greek Dionysius, itself derived from the name of the god of wine, revelry, and dance, Dion gives a nod to mythology while also having historical ties to a student of Plato, to a Greek mathematician and to 1st century writer and historian.

As a contemporary name, it came into popular use in the late 1950s and remained in the Top 1000 until 2006. It has dipped in and out of the charts since then, and is still given to a not insignificant 200 boys each year.

Scottish actor Dougray (born Stephen) Scott made us aware of this name when he took on his French grandmother's surname as his stage name.

Edgar is an Old English name historically associated with the tenth century English king known as Edgar the Peaceful. There was also a King Edgar of Scotland.

Ellis is a former Old Man Name turned gender-neutral choice for the 21st century. It's one of the less used names in the currently popular El-family.

The name of a mythically handsome youth – loved by Selene, the moon, who bore him fifty daughters. If you're looking for a mythological name for your son, this might make an excellent choice both rare and appealing.