Obscure Male Names

Pax

Latin

"peaceful"

Pax, one of the variations of names meaning peace that are newly popular in these less-than-peaceful times, got a lot of publicity when chosen by Brad & Angelina for their Vietnamese-born son.…

Elior

Hebrew

"My God is my light"

This appealing Hebrew name is heard in Israel, and would fit in well with all the popular El-starting names for boys , such as Elliot and Ellery. It was given to just five American boys in 2015. Also…

Odell

English

"of the valley"

Bland compared to the Irish-sounding O-starting names, but fans of football star Odell Beckham Jr. may like the name for other reasons.

Nero

Latin

"stern"

The association with the infamous Nero, the fiddling Roman emperor, would be unavoidable. But there was also the detective Nero Wolfe, hero of many mystery stories. Nero was born Lucius Domitius…

Elwin

Elwin is a masculine name with Anglo-Saxon origins, combining the elements 'elf' and 'friend,' thus meaning 'elf friend' or 'friend of elves.' This charming meaning connects the name to folklore and…

Lauro

Diminutive of Laurence

A heck of a lot cooler than Larry.

Riordan

Irish

"bard, royal poet"

Has a legitimate first name history in its native land and an appealing meaning, but pronunciation is far from obvious.

Grantley

Grantley is a distinguished masculine name originating from English surname traditions. Derived from Old English elements meaning 'grant's clearing' or 'grant's meadow,' it refers to a woodland area…

Keldon

Keldon is a modern masculine name with a strong, distinctive sound. It appears to be a contemporary creation, possibly inspired by similar sounding names like Kelton or Kelden, or by combining…

Cleon

Greek

"glorious, renowned"

Rare and distinctive name with intimations of antiquity, also a Shakespearean character.

Ramsay

English

"low-lying land"

A surname occasionally used as a first, as in former attorney general Ramsey Clark. This spelling is now closely associated with the psychopathic Game of Thrones villain Ramsay Snow (later Ramsay…

Gawain

Welsh

"May hawk"

With a noble air and a distinctive yet familiar sound, Gawain is drawn from Arthurian legend, in which he is one of King Arthur's loyal knights and his nephew. Also appearing as the hero of the 14th…

Bronn

Literary name

In HBO's Game of Thrones , Bronn is an amoral mercenary raised to the knighthood through his connection to the regnant Lannister family. The homophony with "brawn" probably isn't an accident -- he's…

Cordovan

Spanish

"native of Cordoba; Cordovan leather"

This strong sounding choice is associated with a type of tanned leather that takes its name from the city of Cordoba in Spain, the region in which it was originally made. Cordoba itself is sometimes…

Deveraux

French

"of Evreux; riverbank"

Swashbuckling name worthy of a hero in a romance novel. Deveraux or Devereaux is drawn from the town of Evreux in France and combined with the prefix de- denoting it likely referred to a noble of…