Boys names- Beyond unique

Atlas

Greek

"bearer of the heavens"

Atlas is one of those names that was previously thought too powerful for a baby boy, who would have to be strong enough to carry the world on his shoulders. Now Atlas has joined the pantheon of Greek…

Axel

Scandinavian variation of Absalom

"father of peace"

A classic in its native Scandinavia, Axel has a cool rock 'n' roll flavor in the US, thanks to Guns N' Roses' Axl Rose (born William). With its distinctive letter 'x', it has an effortlessly cool…

Legend

English

"hero or fable"

Legend joins cousins Story, Saga and Fable in the baby name pantheon of narrative words. Unlike Story and Fable, however, Legend comes with additional weight, being used for fame ("living legend")…

Abel

Hebrew

"breath"

Abel, the name of Adam and Eve's unfortunate younger son, compensates with positive connotations: capable, competent, ready and willing. Abel has literary connections to the novels of Dickens and…

Remington

English

"place on a riverbank"

Remington Steele was the perfect name for an upper-crust action hero on 1980s television. Now, Remington is catching fire along with a new generation of predatory baby boy names such as Hunter,…

King

English

"monarch"

King is a name that sends a mixed message. While some might think of it as more fitting for a canine, others see it as a strong name with offbeat style and a full court of rich associations, from Dr.…

Remy

French from Latin

"oarsman"

Remy is one of the hottest names today for both boys and girls, sometimes spelled Remi. . It entered the popularity list in 2009 and has quickly become one of the fastest-rising names on the list.…

Blaze

English word name

"fire"

Originally a form of the saint's name Blaise, though now more likely to be a hot word name used for both sexes, though heavily weighted toward the boys. It has been in the boys' Top 1000 since the…

Cain

Hebrew

"spear; possessed"

Biblical name Cain was, until recently, seldom heard outside of the Old Testament and soap operas. Although Cain's murderous actions will always make this name difficult for some, Cain, Eve and…

Draven

Modern invented name

Inspired by Brandon Lee's character in The Crow and Cuba Gooding Jr.'s in In the Shadows , this name, with its Wiccan feel, was used by a member of Linkin Park. It has ranked in the US Top 1000 since…

Fox

Animal name

Fox is one animal name backed by a longish tradition, and then popularized via the lead character Fox Mulder on X Files . Fox is simple, sleek, and a little bit wild, and could make an interesting…

Ransom

English

"shield's son"

Ransom may be rakish and handsome, but it carries an unavoidable association with holding someone for ransom. But that kind of bad boy image might be exactly what attracts you to Ransom in the first…

Blade

Word name

One of the new crop of boys' names that manage to be unconventional and macho at the same time — though Blade verges on the threatening.

Rogue

English word name

"independent, uncontrolled"

Now that names like Cannon and Gunner, fit for comic book heroes, are rising up, Rogue may fit right in.

Malo

Breton

"shining hostage"

Malo, the name of an important sixth century Breton saint who founded St. Malo, the charming port town in Brittany -- is considered quite au courant in France right now, ranking firmly in the Top…

Crow

Bird name

From Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the Shore , the story of a boy named Kafka -- crow in Czech.

Ax

Word name or short form of Axel

Ax makes a somewhat threatening short form of the popular Axel, given to more than 3000 baby boys last year. It can also be used on its own, though it usually isn't. There were, however, seven baby…

Yosemite

Native American tribal name

"those who kill"

The evocative name of one of our most beautiful national parks -- yes, but also the bombastic cartoon character, Yosemite Sam.

Thoreau

French

"strength of a bull"

A dashing French surname name most famously borne by Henry David Thoreau, an American naturalist, writer and philosopher who influenced such notable figures as Leo Tolstoy, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin…