The Best Rare Names of WWII - Boys

Theron

Greek

"hunter"

Theron is best known these days as the surname of actress Charlize, but it does have a long history as a first name, ranking in the Top 500 in the early part of the 20th century and only dropping out…

Tilden

English place-name

"fertile valley"

Though it has some distinguished political and tennis world associations, most modern parents would go for the more contemporary sounding Holden. Tilden Park is a beautiful hillside wilderness in the…

Timoteo

Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese form of Timothy, Greek

"honoring God"

Timoteo put some bounce in the step of the somewhat wispy Timothy. And it can be a more original way than Mateo to the cool short form Teo. Italians emphasize the second syllable -- tee-MO-tay-oh --…

Toivo

Finnish, Estonian

"hope"

This name was on the U.S. Top 1000 in the early 20th century, when recent immigrants frequently chose native names that have since died out for American babies. But if you're of Finnish or Estonian…

Ulysses

Latin variation of Odysseus, Greek

"wrathful"

Ulysses is one of the few U boys' names anyone knows -- with heavy links to the Homeric hero of The Odyssey , the eighteenth US president Ulysses Grant, and the James Joyce novel -- all of which…

Urban

Latin

"of the city"

Urban was not an uncommon name through the 1930s (rising as high as Number 435), having been attached to several saints and early popes, but it has completely disappeared from the landscape--both…

Utah

American place name, Ute

"people of the mountains"

This would make a startling but likable choice; poet Dylan Thomas used it for a character in his play "Under Milk Wood."

Vasco

Spanish

"someone from the Basque region"

Schoolchildren will recognize this name via Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama.

Verner

Verner is a masculine name with Germanic and Scandinavian origins, derived from the elements 'war' and 'army,' meaning 'defending warrior' or 'protecting army.' This ancient name was brought to…

Vito

Latin

"alive, life"

Old World Italian name that might become fashionable in a so-far-out-it's-in way, like Enzo and Rocco. Main recommendation: It's among the rare boy names that mean life .

Voitto

Finnish

"victory"

The Finnish word for "victory" is a rare name even throughout the Nordic country, but with its on-trend V sound it could make a striking choice.

Waverly

Locational English surname

"from the quivering meadow"

Waverly, with its literary resonance and lilting three-syllable sound, could well become the next generation's successor to Kimberly. Although, like Kimberly, it's overwhelmingly catching on for…

Whitaker

Whitaker is a masculine name originating as an English surname meaning 'white field' or 'wheat field.' Derived from Old English elements 'hwit' (white) and 'aecer' (field), it was traditionally a…