Unusual Short Boys Names

Formerly in style limbo, Edric has recently started to see more use by parents. It could be because it sounds medieval yet accessible - which George R. R. Martin took advantage of for several characters - or because it's an offbeat alternative to the more popular Ed-names.

Frey is the handsome Norse fertility god, a worthy namesake. Frey remains rare in the US even as the similar Freya picks up in popularity.

Poetic and easier to pronounce (it's keets) than Yeats (which is yates). This one of many poets' names to consider, such as Auden, Eliot, Frost, Byron, Lorca, Marlowe, Blake, Emerson and Tennyson, which was used by Russell Crowe.

When actress Deborah Kerr entered the scene, there was a great debate over her name's pronunciation. Car or Ker. Your choice.

Maes is the third most common surname in Belgium, but a few Nameberries have chosen to use this as a first name for their little boys. We think it is a great name and put it to you for consideration!

Maro is an ancient saints' name -- he was an Italian follower of St. Flavia and was martyred -- rarely used in modern life. The name Maro may stem from the Roman Marcellus, related to Mars, the god of war, or it may be a feminine form of Maria, connected with Mario. Maro is also a Japanese name meaning "myself."

The original form of the Hebrew Meyer.

This can make an unusual yet simple middle name choice, especially for anyone with family ties to Wales.

Soft and sensitive name often heard in Israel.

Idiosyncratic Hebrew choice.

Clad in armor.

The name of several ancient kings and princes of Ireland, Tadhg became so common at one point that it was used to represent a kind of Irish Gaelic everyman, or man in the street, as Paddy and Mick would later. Tadhg has seen a major resurgence in recent years and is also now ranked in England. It is sometimes used as the Irish equivalent of Timothy and is also anglicized as Teague and Thaddeus. Tadleigh and Thad are pet forms. Pronunciation is like tide ending with a g.

Taran mac Ainftech was King of the Picts, a people who lived mainly in Scotland, in the 7th century. His name is a relative of the Celtic god of thunder Taranis, a counterpart to Thor. Taran and its spelling variation Taron are both used occasionally for boys today. Though they may feel like invented cousins of Darren and Aaron, they do have genuine history coupled with a sleek modern feel.