Strong Yet Unusual Names for Boys

Isabel and Isadora are back: could it now be time for a more widespread revival of Isidore? In 2014, both Isidore and Isadore were on the list of fastest-rising names in the US.

Islwyn is the name of a mountain in Wales which has a pleasant fluid sound. Islwyn has recently been made more familiar through Runescape.

Part of a small group of similar names with similar roots — Ivor, Iver, Ivo, Ives — which are all worth looking at. Used throughout Scandinavia, Ivar is currently a Top 100 name in Sweden. In the Willa Cather novel O Pioneers!, there is a character known as —oops —Crazy Ivar.

Ivo is an unusual, catchy name with the energetic impact of all names ending in 'o'. Hardly heard in the U.S., it is used a bit more frequently in England, as is the related Ivor, a favorite of such novelists as Evelyn Waugh and P.G. Wodehouse. Ivo is currently most popular in the Netherlands.

Ivor, a favorite choice for upscale characters in Brit Lit novels by authors like P.G. Wodehouse and Evelyn Waugh, is an interesting and unusual name just waiting to be discovered by parents in this country.

Izan, pronounced with the same vowel sounds and emphasis as Ethan, ranks among the Top 20 boys' names in Spain, where it's been popular for two decades.

Jago is a dashing alternative to overused favorite Jacob.

This name of a saint from Galway whose monastery became a center of learning, is an undiscovered Gaelic gem.

A biblical place name with trumpeting verve and strength.

Galsworthy used this for "The Forsyte Saga," but in modern real life Julian would work better.

Jovan, the name of the supreme Roman deity, seems more extraterrestrial now -- and it's also firmly attached to a perfume label. Some parents may see it as a variation of Giovanni, the Italian for John. It is in fact the Slavic variation of John and may be an original way to honor an ancestral John.

Keir is a single-syllable name that packs a lot of punch, might suggest -- thanks to its similarity to the word care -- a caring person. Sir Keir Rodney Starmer is a British politician and head of the Labour Party since 2020. Keir Dullea is an American actor who starred in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Kellen is German in origin and Irish in spirit. Kellen has fallen a bit in popularity for boys since its peak in 2012, but it has possibilities for girls too. In fact, Kellen's similarity to such feminine names as Helen, Ellen, and Kelly makes it feel more unisex or even female, though Twilight actor Kellan Lutz has done much to popularize this name for boys.

This name of a town in Scotland, one of the earliest recorded surnames in the whole British Isles, has more vitality than Kelsey.

How often do you see a name from Madagascar that is so wearable in English? Kendry has a great meaning to boot and is possibly a great name for a Christmas baby. What's not to love?

Kip Thorne, nobel laureate and long-time colleague of Stephen Hawking, is just one of several Kips who don't have a longer name.

Knight (as opposed to Night) is a name clad in shiny armor. This high-ranking word name was introduced by singers Kelis and Nas. Knight might join brothers King, Royal, and Noble in a new definition of royal baby names.