1000+ Unique, Rare, and Uncommon Boy Names (with Meanings and Origins) (2024)

  1. Crusoe
    • Origin:

      Literary surname
    • Description:

      Crusoe, as in castaway hero Robinson, is a literary invention by author Daniel Defoe. The character says his name is an Anglicization of the German Kreutznaer, which may be a place name or mean a crossing of the river Nahe. Short form Cru was given to nearly 50 boys in a recent year.

    Crusoe ContinuedChevron - Right

  2. Artemio
    • Origin:

      Spanish variation of Artemis
    • Description:

      Artemio gives energy to this august Greek mythological name.

    Artemio ContinuedChevron - Right

  3. Ephron
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "fawn-like"
    • Description:

      Ephron was the Old Testament son of Zohar who sold his field and cave to Abraham to use as a family burial ground. Ephron is also a Biblical place-name, a mountain range that formed the northern border of the land of Judah.

    Ephron ContinuedChevron - Right

  4. Ornette
    • Origin:

      Musical name
    • Description:

      Long associated with jazz great Ornette Coleman, this name's main problem is that almost all other ette-ending names -- from Annette to Paulette -- are unequivocally feminine.

    Ornette ContinuedChevron - Right

  5. Kaito
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "man, person"
    • Description:

      A Japanese name with a great meaning, a cool Kai sound, and lots of potential to become an international export.

    Kaito ContinuedChevron - Right

  6. Iggy
    • Origin:

      Latin, diminutive of Ignatius
    • Meaning:

      "fiery"
    • Description:

      Iggy is the quintessential pop star name, though it's the nickname Cate Blanchett uses for son Ignatius. Iggy does bring any grander-sounding name down to earth.

    Iggy ContinuedChevron - Right

  7. Ultan
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "man from Ulster"
    • Description:

      This name of eighteen Irish saints of the past is relatively popular in Ireland, though little known outside it.

    Ultan ContinuedChevron - Right

  8. Dodge
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Roger
    • Description:

      This old short form is more than a little dodgy now. In a recent film, Steve Carell's character is named Dodge, seen by one critic as symbolizing his risk-averse personality.

    Dodge ContinuedChevron - Right

  9. Jowan
    • Origin:

      Cornish form of John
    • Description:

      A rare but appealing and accessible member of the John family. It sees steady low-key use in England.

    Jowan ContinuedChevron - Right

  10. Quest
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "seek; mission"
    • Description:

      Cool new Q-starting possibility which suggests a sense of curiosity and purpose.

    Quest ContinuedChevron - Right

  11. Faulkner
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "falconer"
    • Description:

      Faulkner is an old occupational surname that was used for someone who kept and trained falcons when falconry was a popular sport in medieval Europe. Anyone using it in contemporary America would probably be honoring Southern novelist William Faulkner. While we love the author, Falconer would probably be a slightly easier name to carry on the playground.

    Faulkner ContinuedChevron - Right

  12. Vero
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "true"
    • Description:

      The o ending and the positive meaning in many languages makes this a winner, and with the feminine Vera making a surprise return, and the new love for the letter 'V', this becomes a name that has definite possibilities.

    Vero ContinuedChevron - Right

  13. Carver
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "wood carver"
    • Description:

      Carver is an occupational name with an artistic bent, as is the newly arrived Painter, which has a fresher feel than the 1990's Carter. It also has eminent last-name links to botanist and educator George Washington Carver and short story master Raymond Carver.

    Carver ContinuedChevron - Right

  14. Orsino
    • Origin:

      Italian variation of Orson
    • Meaning:

      "bearlike"
    • Description:

      Orson is being rediscovered and Orsino is every bit as attractive.

    Orsino ContinuedChevron - Right

  15. Fern
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "plant name"
    • Description:

      A fresh, green, rising nature name for girls that would make a cool possibility for a baby boy as well. It has ranked in the US Top 1000 for boys a handful of times since naming records began.

    Fern ContinuedChevron - Right

  16. Alakai
    • Origin:

      Hawaiian
    • Meaning:

      "leader"
    • Description:

      Alakai is an Anglicization of Alaka’i, a Hawaiian name meaning "leader". However, some parents are using it as more of an invented name, as a variation of Malakai.

    Alakai ContinuedChevron - Right

  17. Didier
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "desired, beloved"
    • Description:

      Didier is kind of a Desiree for boy--a lively, confident name that's widely used in France and has definite possibilities here. It's the name of an early French saint.

    Didier ContinuedChevron - Right

  18. Arledge
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "dweller at the rabbit lake"
    • Description:

      Stiff and formal surname. Try Roone instead.

    Arledge ContinuedChevron - Right

  19. Mauro
    • Origin:

      Spanish and Italian
    • Meaning:

      "moorish"
    • Description:

      Mauro, a Top 100 name in Spain and Puerto Rico, is etymologically unrelated to the girls' name Maura, but that won't stop many English speakers from drawing the comparison.

    Mauro ContinuedChevron - Right

  20. Zephaniah
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "God has hidden"
    • Description:

      A minor prophet who has his own Book, Zephaniah is another Old Testament gem waiting to be rediscovered now that Noah and Abraham are becoming too trendy. The vowel-sound ending of Zephaniah is currently band on trend, along with other Biblical boys' names with softer sounds – think Elijah, Asher and Isaiah. Zephaniah would make a perfect lesser-used alternative to Zachariah.

    Zephaniah ContinuedChevron - Right

Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts

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Regarding the concepts mentioned in this article, here is some information related to each one:

Crusoe

  • Origin: Crusoe is a literary surname invented by author Daniel Defoe for his castaway hero Robinson Crusoe.
  • Description: In the novel, the character Robinson Crusoe claims that his name is an Anglicization of the German surname "Kreutznaer," which may be a place name or mean a crossing of the river Nahe. The short form "Cru" was given to nearly 50 boys in a recent year.

Artemio

  • Origin: Artemio is a Spanish variation of the Greek mythological name Artemis.
  • Description: The name Artemio gives energy to the august Greek mythological name Artemis.

Ephron

  • Origin: Ephron is a Hebrew name.
  • Meaning: The name Ephron means "fawn-like" in Hebrew.
  • Description: In the Old Testament, Ephron was the son of Zohar who sold his field and cave to Abraham for use as a family burial ground. Ephron is also a Biblical place-name, referring to a mountain range that formed the northern border of the land of Judah.

Ornette

  • Origin: Ornette is a musical name.
  • Description: Ornette is long associated with jazz great Ornette Coleman. However, one challenge with the name is that almost all other names ending in "ette" are unequivocally feminine.

Kaito

  • Origin: Kaito is a Japanese name.
  • Meaning: The name Kaito means "man" or "person" in Japanese.
  • Description: Kaito is a Japanese name with a great meaning, a cool sound, and the potential to become an international export.

Iggy

  • Origin: Iggy is a Latin diminutive of the name Ignatius.
  • Meaning: The name Iggy means "fiery" in Latin.
  • Description: Iggy is often associated with pop star names and is the nickname that Cate Blanchett uses for her son Ignatius. It has a down-to-earth quality that can bring any grander-sounding name down to earth.

Ultan

  • Origin: Ultan is an Irish name.
  • Meaning: The name Ultan means "man from Ulster" in Irish.
  • Description: Ultan is a name that has been relatively popular in Ireland but is little known outside of it. It has been used by eighteen Irish saints in the past.

Dodge

  • Origin: Dodge is an English diminutive of the name Roger.
  • Meaning: The name Dodge is a diminutive form of the name Roger.
  • Description: Dodge is an old short form that has become less popular over time. In a recent film, Steve Carell's character is named Dodge, which was seen by one critic as symbolizing his risk-averse personality.

Jowan

  • Origin: Jowan is a Cornish form of the name John.
  • Description: Jowan is a rare but appealing member of the John family. It sees steady low-key use in England.

Quest

  • Origin: Quest is derived from Latin.
  • Meaning: The name Quest means "seek" or "mission" in Latin.
  • Description: Quest is a cool name that starts with the letter Q and suggests a sense of curiosity and purpose.

Faulkner

  • Origin: Faulkner is an English name.
  • Meaning: The name Faulkner means "falconer" in English.
  • Description: Faulkner is an old occupational surname that was used for someone who kept and trained falcons during the time when falconry was a popular sport in medieval Europe. It is also associated with the Southern novelist William Faulkner. While honoring the author, the name Falconer might be slightly easier to carry on the playground.

Vero

  • Origin: Vero is derived from Latin.
  • Meaning: The name Vero means "true" in Latin.
  • Description: Vero has a positive meaning in many languages and has become popular due to the resurgence of the feminine name Vera and the increasing love for names starting with the letter 'V'.

Carver

  • Origin: Carver is an English name.
  • Meaning: The name Carver means "wood carver" in English.
  • Description: Carver is an occupational name with an artistic bent. It is also associated with notable individuals such as botanist and educator George Washington Carver and short story master Raymond Carver.

Orsino

  • Origin: Orsino is an Italian variation of the name Orson.
  • Meaning: The name Orsino means "bearlike" in Italian.
  • Description: Orsino is an attractive name that is being rediscovered. It is similar in appeal to the name Orson.

Fern

  • Origin: Fern is an English name.
  • Meaning: The name Fern is a plant name.
  • Description: Fern is a fresh and rising nature name for girls, but it could also be a cool possibility for a baby boy. It has ranked in the US Top 1000 for boys a few times since naming records began.

Alakai

  • Origin: Alakai is a Hawaiian name.
  • Meaning: The name Alakai means "leader" in Hawaiian.
  • Description: Alakai is an Anglicization of Alaka'i, a Hawaiian name with the meaning "leader." Some parents also use it as an invented name or as a variation of Malakai.

Didier

  • Origin: Didier is a French name.
  • Meaning: The name Didier means "desired" or "beloved" in French.
  • Description: Didier is a lively and confident name that is widely used in France and has potential in other English-speaking countries as well. It is also the name of an early French saint.

Arledge

  • Origin: Arledge is an English name.
  • Meaning: The name Arledge means "dweller at the rabbit lake" in English.
  • Description: Arledge is a stiff and formal surname. An alternative suggestion is the name Roone.

Mauro

  • Origin: Mauro is a Spanish and Italian name.
  • Meaning: The name Mauro means "Moorish" in Spanish and Italian.
  • Description: Mauro is a popular name in Spain and Puerto Rico. Although etymologically unrelated, some English speakers may draw a comparison to the girls' name Maura.

Zephaniah

  • Origin: Zephaniah is a Hebrew name.
  • Meaning: The name Zephaniah means "God has hidden" in Hebrew.
  • Description: Zephaniah is a minor prophet in the Old Testament who has his own book. The name has the trendy vowel-sound ending and can be a lesser-used alternative to the more popular name Zachariah.

I hope this information helps! Let me know if you have any further questions.

1000+ Unique, Rare, and Uncommon Boy Names (with Meanings and Origins) (2024)

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