User-created list
Uncommon Names for Baby Boys!
Across 5 pages
of 5
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…
Orpheus
Greek mythology name
"the darkness of the night"
Name of the legendary ancient Greek poet and musician — whose music was so beautiful it made trees dance and rivers stop to listen — would provide a child with a challenging but indelible identity.
Orso
Italian form of Urs, Latin
"bear"
Familiar in France where it ranked in the Top 400 in a recent year, Orso is related to the English Orson, Swiss Urs, and astronomy-inspired Ursa. Derived from the Latin ursus , it is the Italian word…
Orson
Latin and English
"bear cub"
In the past, Orson has felt like a one-person moniker, tied to film director Orson Welles, who dropped his given name of George in favor of his more distinctive middle. While the Citizen Kane creator…
Oxford
English place-name
"from the oxen crossing"
High-collared and straightlaced, with the deadly "Ox" nickname.
Paine
Latin
"villager, country-dweller"
While patriot Thomas Paine is a worthy honoree, the mere association with the word 'pain' knocks this name out of bounds.
Pluto
Greek
"rich"
The Roman god of the underworld, the former ninth planet, a cartoon dog...but not a baby.
Poet
Word name
Poet is a new entry in both the trendy word and occupational categories as well as a member of the growing group of gender neutral names . A handful of baby boys received the name in the US last…
Poseidon
Greek mythology
"lord of the earth, husband of the earth"
In Greek mythology, Poseidon is the wild God of seas, storms, earthquakes and horses — which he could tame with a strike of his trident. He is notable for helping the Greeks against the Trojans…
Racer
Word name
New, fast, cool, and chosen by director Robert Rodriguez, whose other sons are Rebel, Rocket, and Rogue, all somewhat risky options. Lara Bingle and Sam Worthington are also parents to sons named…
Ranger
French
"forest guardian"
The list of occupational boys' names continues to expand, and this is one of the latest to ride onto the range. With a hint of cowboy and Western, a sprinkle of preppy surname, an outdoorsy,…
Robb
The version of Rob used in George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire books and HBO's Game of Thrones .
Rocket
Word name
Starbaby name that might prove too supercharged for real life, but if like director Robert Rodriguez you're interested only in boys' names starting with R , you may need to add Rocket (and Rebel and…
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.
Rune
German and Swedish
"secret"
Name with connotations both mystical and tragic, newly popular in Europe. For English speakers, though, this name might be ruined by its homonym ruin.
Runo
Finnish
"poem"
An appealing Finnish name, with a touch of literary magic and whimsy, Runo means "poem" in its native language. Traditionally said with a slightly rolled R and a softer 'oh' sound at the end (more…
Shale
Word name
Slate, Stone and Steel are on the rise, so why not Shale?
Slate
Word name
One of the more unusual of the current crop of strong, single-syllable boys' names, evoking the images of both old-fashioned blackboards and modern stepping-stones and countertops.
Sorley
Irish from Old Norse
"a summer sailor"
Sorley is an anglicization of the Irish name Somhairle, itself derived from the Old Norse Sumarliði , a nickname for a summer traveler (perhaps meaning a viking raider!). It is sometimes used as a…
Steele
English
"steel"
This steely surname has a macho image that might feel more appropriate for a romance novel than a baby. But on the upside, it's also sleek and modern, familiar yet unusual, given to only around 100…