A distinctive surname that, despite its meaning, has a cowboy swagger, a la Autry.

Acre feels at home with other modern, fresh word names like Rumor, Snow and Ace. But with the feeling of wide open spaces and nature, Acre also offers a softer, earthier tone that will appeal to those seeking a unique name with a distinctly Americana feel.

In the garden of herb names, Rosemary and Basil are perennials and Sage is a new upshoot, but Fennel is a real rarity. The aniseed-tasting plant, used to add flavor to dishes around the world, gets its name from the Latin word feniculum, meaning "little hay".

Plausible word name, denoting strength and stability, currently given to a small handful of boys in the US each year.

Evocative word name that's refreshingly straightforward. Overtones of Christianity and penalty. More subtle option: Cruz.

Crash is a particularly calamitous entry in the badass boys' name category, taking Wilder and Maverick one -- or maybe a dozen -- steps further. But we can think of at least a dozen reasons you shouldn't name your baby Crash: crash test dummies, car crashes, economic crash, crashing out, just to name a few

When playwright Thomas Lanier Williams adopted the pen name of Tennessee, he created a new possibility among American place-names, although it's admittedly a bit bulky in size.

This early Scottish title -- known to us via Shakespeare's Macbeth -- has recently surfaced as a baby name possibility, familiar sounding through its similarity to names like Zane and Wayne.

Passé pasha image.

Solar is a new gender-neutral word name used nearly evenly for boys and girls. With both a weather and a heavenly bent, it's a name that's just warming up.

Kaiser, Rex, Kingsley, and Prince have become increasingly popular in recent years and Pharaoh is one of the more unexpected members of this regal family of names. Used as the title of ancient Egyptian rulers, it was also given to more than 200 babies in 2019.

Dune is a name of several layers. It's a modern nature name, like Ocean, Bay and Reef, although rarer, conjuring up images of breezy sand dunes on summer beach days.

Pacific is an adventurous kind of place-name, with the added bonus of the association with peace.

Woody Allen used this name for his daughter to honor jazz hero Sidney Bechet -- and it could work for a boy as well.

Acer is the Latin botanical name for the Maple tree. Where Maple feels quite feminine, Acer is a more masculine way to reference this tree.

Up-and-coming surname name that may evoke thoughts of ballet dancer Misty Copeland or one of the many towns called Copeland.

Lir is the Irish god of the sea, the equivalent of the Welsh Llyr which some equate with Shakespeare's King Lear. This is one of those rare names that is simple and has a deep history with an appealing meeting and yet is completely unused in the modern world -- no baby boys were recorded as receiving the name Lir in the US last year. Maybe because it sounds like the unappealing leer?

Rawlings was a surname brought to England with the Norman invasion and has ties to the name Raul, which means "wolf counsel."

Demeter, while historically a feminine name from Greek mythology, has occasionally been used as a masculine name in some contexts. In Greek mythology, Demeter was the powerful goddess of agriculture, grain, and fertility who controlled the seasons and harvest. The name derives from the Greek elements 'de' (possibly meaning earth) and 'meter' (mother). As a masculine name, Demeter is extremely rare and represents a bold, unconventional choice. It carries strong associations with nature, abundance, and life-giving power. The name has a distinguished, classical quality with its mythological heritage. For parents drawn to Greek naming traditions who appreciate its unique sound and powerful connotations, Demeter offers a distinctive option that bridges ancient tradition with contemporary uniqueness.

As cool as it is frightening.