540+ Rare Boy Names & Unique Monikers (Classic to Modern)

Overview

Lots of rare boy names are standalone monikers that have their own meanings, yet others are variants of the most popular names in other languages. Some parents also create unique versions by changing letters in the name they like to create different spelling.

For example, the biblical boy name “Elijah” ranks fourth among the most popular baby names (for boys) based on data from the SSA (Social Security Administration). You can use it as a unique baby boy name with the spellings or variants “Ilyas” (Arabic boy name), “Ilinka” (Macedonian), or “Élie” (French name). (1)

It’s easy to transform “Jacob” into a unique name by changing a letter (c to k) to create “Jakob.”

Another option is to take the phonetic spelling of a name, such as changing “William” to “Wilyam” or “Andrew” to “Andru.”

Below are 540+ rare but cool baby boy names, ranging from classic to modern names.

The Best Rare Boy Names By Category

What Are The Rarest Male Names?

Bayard (French boy name) – “Auburn-haired”
Hammett (German boy name) – “Home” or “village”
Macarius (Greek boy name) – “Fortunate” or “blessed”
Monty (French) – Nature name that means “mountain”
Rufus (Latin) – “Redhead”; also a name that means “red”
Salām (Arabic boy name) – Unique middle name meaning “peace”

Popular & Memorable But Unique Baby Names For Boys

Cash (Old English boy name) – “Money” or “case”; after legendary American country singer-songwriter Johnny Cash
Knight (English) – “Soldier” and “noble”
Roald (Norse) – “Famous ruler”; after bestselling children’s author Roald Dahl
Sherlock (English) – Classic boy name meaning “bright hair”; after the fictional detective character Sherlock Holmes

Unique & Unusual Boy Names With Beautiful Meanings

Edmar (English) – “Wealthy sea”
Florian (Latin) – “Flowering” or “flourishing”
Future (English) – “Time that is yet to come”
Hollis (British nonbinary name) – “Dweller at the holly trees”
Rainn (American gender-neutral name) – “Shower of blessings from above”

Rare Religious & Biblical Names For Little Boys

Asher (Hebrew) – “Blessed” and “happy”
Elias (Hebrew) – “The Lord is my God”; variant of “Elijah”
Ezra (Hebrew) – “Help”
Jonas (Hebrew) – “Dove”; variant of “Jonah”
Reuben (Hebrew) – “Behold, a son”
Silas (Latin) – “Woods” or “forest”

Rare Boy Names From Mythology

Abraxas (Greek name) – “Supreme deity”
Achelous (Greek) – “Shape-shifting river god” or the “Greek god and personification of the Achelous River”
Atlas (Greek) – Mythical Titan and the strongest Greek god who had to carry the world on his shoulders
Halcyon (Greek) – “Bird who calmed the seas” in Greek mythology
Heracles (Greek) – “Glory of Hera (queen of the gods)”
Mars (Latin) – Roman god of war
Zephyr (Greek) – Greek god of the west wind

Other Legendary & Fantasy Boy Names

Astor (Scandinavian) – “Thunder god” or “hawk”
Bertrand (German name) – “Magnificent crow”
Thurston (Norse and Old English) – “Thor’s stone”

Rare Yet Strong & Powerful Boy Names

Brandt (Old Norse) – Warrior name that means “fiery torch” or “sword”
Everett (English) – “Brave, strong boar”
Kimball (Welsh) – “Warrior chief”
Rogue (English unisex name) – “Unpredictable” or “mischievous”
Slate (American) – “Gray-green rock”
Viggo (Old Norse) – “War” or “battle”

Rare Royal & Prince Names

Amiri (Hebrew and Maori) – “Princely,” “treetop,” or “east wind”
Baron (Hebrew) – “Noble landowner,” “noble title,” or “son of strength”
Basil (Greek) – “Royal” or “kingly”; also a spice name
Caspian (Latin) – “White”; after Prince Caspian, the protagonist of “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”
Duke (Latin) – “The leader”
Errol (English) – “Nobleman” or “warrior”
Esteban (Spanish) – Hispanic boy name meaning “crown”
Khai (Arabic) – “Royalty”
Reggie (Latin and German) – “King”
Rex (Latin) – “King”
Taj (Sanskrit, Arabic, and Hindi) – “Crown”

Cool & Modern Rare Boy Names

Unique Boy Names From Video Games

Cyrax – Assassin in the “Mortal Kombat”
Ezio – Master assassin and protagonist in “Assassin’s Creed”
Jace – Character with telepathic powers in “Magic the Gathering”
Riku – Protagonist in the “Kingdom Hearts”

Rare Anime Boy Names

Benjiro (Japanese boy name) – “Peaceful”; after Benjiro Junsui, a character in “Naruto”
Daiki (Japanese name) – “Shining” or “child who shines brightly”; after Daiki Aomine, one of the main characters in “Kuroko no Basuke”
Denki (Japanese) – Anime name meaning “electricity” or “charge bolt”; after Denki Kaminari, one of the main characters who has electrokinesis as a quirk (power) in “My Hero Academia”
Haruto (Japanese) – Name that means “sun” (sunlight ) or “soar and fly”; after Haruto Amō, the main hero in “Shichisei no Subaru”
Jiraya (Japanese) – “Young thunder” or “magical character”; after one of the three powerful ninjas in the anime “Naruto: Shippuden”

Other Modern & Invented Boy Names

Anchor (English) – “Strength and stability”
Cypher (English) – “Code” or “secret writing”
Dashiell (Scottish) – “Young boy”
Deonte (American) – “Steadfast and enduring”
Helix (Greek and English) – “From the hare’s meadow” or “spiral form”; linked to the DNA and can be the perfect name for a science genius
Kulture (American) – “Manifestation of art, norms, practices, and customs in human societies”; a modern variant of “Culture”
Tad (American) – “Praise” or “gift of God”
Taft (Old French) – “Homestead” or “building site”
Tedmond (English) – “Protector of the land”
Zevon (Latin and American) – “Alive” and “vigorous”

Retro & Classic Boy Names That Are Rare

Amadeus (Greek) – “Loved by God”
Ashford (British and Old English) – “Ford by the ashes”
Ferdinand (German) – “Bold voyager”
Judd (Hebrew) – “Flowing down”
Langdon (British) – “Long hill slope” or simply “long hill”
Salinger (English) – “Man of peace”
Tucker (German and English) – “All heart,” “cloth-softener,” or “fabric pleater”

Adorable Rare Boy Names

Arrow (English androgynous name) – “Projectile filed from a bow”
Azure (French) – “Sky blue”
Dino (Italian boy name) – “Little sword”
Kai (Scandinavian and Welsh gender-neutral name) – “Keeper of the keys and earth”
Sylvan (Latin) – “Of the forest”; variant of “Silvanus,” the Roman god of the forest
Tak (Dutch) – “Tree branch”

Handsome & Rare Boy Names

Akshara (Sanskrit) – “Imperishable” or “strong”
Ambrose (Greek) – “Immortal”
Arden (English) – “Valley of the eagle”
Fitzgerald (Irish boy name) – “Son of the spear ruler” or “son of Gerald”

Creative & Artsy Rare Boy Names

Ace (Latin) – “Number one” or “leader”
Haskel (Hebrew) – “Wisdom” or “intellect”
Lang (German and Hungarian) – “Tall”; also a name that means “fire” (flame)
Teo (Spanish and Greek)- “Divine gift”; short for “Theodore”

Historic & Rare Old Man Names

Algernon (Old French) – “Mustached man”
Curtis (French) – “Polite” and “courteous”
Justus (Latin) – “Just” or “upright”
Kent (ancient Celtic) – “Edge” or “bordering of a circle”
Wiley (Scottish) – “Resolute protection”

Musical Boy Names For Your Little One

Allegro (Italian name) – “Quick, lively, and cheerful beat”
Anthem (Old English and Greek) – “Uplifting song” or “full of rhythm”
Coda (Italian unisex name) – “Concluding section of music”
Tempo (Italian) – “Time” or “pace”

Sophisticated & Elegant Boy Names

Callum (Latin) – “Dove”
Ellington (British) – “From Ellis’ town”
Jeremiah (Hebrew) – Biblical boy name that means “the Lord exalts”
Tiernan (Irish name) – “Lord”

What Are Edgy & Badass Boy Names?

Anish (Sanskrit) – “Supreme,” “paramount,” or “smart one”
Arnold (German and Old English boy name) – “Eagle power”
Bram (Hebrew) – “Father of multitudes”; short form of the biblical name “Abraham”
Ever (American) – “Always”
Falcon (British) – “Bird of prey “
Ranger (French name) – “Forest guardian”

Rare & Short Boy Names

What Are Rare 4-Letter Boy Names?

Baer (German) – “Bear”
Bard (Irish) – “Singer-poet”
Beto (Spanish) – “Blessed”
Byrd (British and Old English) – “Bird-like”
Dirk (German name) – “Gifted ruler”
Huck (English) – “Someone sweet”
Kirk (Old Norse and German) – “Church”
Rava (Esperanto and Italian) – “Father” or “ravishing”
Ravi (Sanskrit) – Name that means “sun”

Rare One-Syllable Boy Names

Ash (Hebrew) – “Happy”; also a short form of “Asher”
Che (Spanish) – “God will increase”
Glenn (Irish and Scottish) – “Valley”
Lad (British) – “Young man”
Oz (Hebrew) – “Courage” or “strength”

Rare Two-Syllable Boy Names

Alfie (Old English) – Elf boy name meaning “wise elf” or “wise counselor”
Escher (German) – “Person from Esche (community in Germany)”
Ole (Old Norse, Danish, and Norwegian name) – “Ancestor’s descendant”
Rumi (Japanese unisex name) – “Flow” or “beauty”
Taran (Gaelic) – “Thunder”

Unique & Long Boy Names

Augustine (Latin unisex name) – “To increase,” “magnificent,” or “great”
Bartholomew (Aramaic) – “Son of Talmai (a farmer)”
Casimir (Slavic and Polish name) – “Bringer of peace”; some versions also put the meaning as “destroyer of peace”
Denarius (Latin and Roman) – “Silver coin used in ancient Rome”
Lysander (Greek) – “Liberator”
Morrison (English) – Black boy name meaning “dark-skinned”

Nature-Inspired Rare & Unique Boy Names

Space Boy Names

Apollo (Greek name) – NASA missions to the moon; after the Greek god of the sun
Ariel (Hebrew unisex name) – “Lion of God”; a major moon of Uranus
Comet (Greek and English) – “Cosmic snowballs made of rock, dust, and frozen gasses”
Cosmo (Greek) – “Order,” “beauty,” or “universe”
Jupiter (Latin) – Largest planet in the solar system named after the Roman god
Orion (Greek) – “Great hunter,” “dawning,” or “rising in the sky”; giant huntsman that Zeus placed among the stars in Greek mythology
Rocket (English androgynous name) – “Jet-propelled vehicle used for space missions”

Unique Boy Names That Mean Fire

Adar (Hebrew) – “Fire”
Adish (Persian) – “Fire”
Edan (Hebrew and Irish) – “Little fire”
Hurik (Armenian) – “Small fire”
Keahi (Hawaiian name) – “Flames”
Pyro (Greek) – “Fire”

Rare Names That Mean Moon

Alqamar (Arabic) – “Moon”
Ehann (Arabic) – “Full, bright moon”
Mayar (Turkish and Arabic) – “Moon glow”

Rare Plant Names For Boys

Aloe
Branch
Cedar
Indigo
Lotus

Rare Boy Names That Mean Light

Anwar (Arabic) – “Brighter,” “clearer,” or “shafts of light”
Elon (Greek) – “Shining light”
Luca (Italian) – “Light” or “sacred wood”
Lucius (Latin) – “Light”; also a witchy name after Lucius Malfoy, a wizard in “Harry Potter”
Neriah (Hebrew) – “Light of God”

Other Rare Boy Names From The Natural World

Beck (Old Norse) – Name that means “water” (brook)
Birch (Old English unisex name) – “Birch tree,” “bright,” or “shining”
Bronco (Spanish) – “Wild horse”
Cliff (Old English) – “Cliff-side slope”
Conan (Irish name) – “Wolf” or “hound”
Crane (English) – “Long-necked bird”
Finch (English) – “Songbird”
Loch (Scottish) – “Lake”
Lowell (English) – “Young wolf”
Timber (American) – “Wood” or “strong”

Rare Travel-Inspired Place Names For Boys

Cyprus (English) – “Fair” or “fairness”; a country in the Middle East
Indiana (American) – “Land of the Indians (Native Americans)”; a US state
Jersey (English) – “Grassy island”; after New Jersey, a US state also known as the “garden state”
Louden (Scottish) – “From Loudoun, Scotland”
Montana (Latin) – “Mountain”

Non-English Versions Of Traditional & Popular Boy Names

Aleksey (ancient Greek name) – “Defender of man”; variant of “Alexander”
Andreas (Greek) – “Man,” “manly,” or “brave”; variant of “Andrew”
Davit (Armenian) – Pet name for men meaning “beloved”; variant of “David”
Evron (Hebrew) – “Productive” or “fruitful”
Mattias (Swedish and Hebrew) – “Gift from God”; variant of “Matthew”
Moishe (Yiddish) – “Delivered from the water”; variant of “Moses”
Niko (Finnish) – “Victory of the people”; variant of “Nike” or “Nicky”

Rare Names From Around The World

Rare Arabic Boy Names

Kamal (Arabic) – “Perfection”
Ramy (Arabic) – “Loving”
Saed (Arabic) – “Blessed,” “happy,” or “lucky”

Rare Greek Boy Names

Agamemnon (Greek) – “To endure” or “very steadfast”
Cadmus (Greek) – “He who excels”
Ilya (Greek and Russian boy name) – “The Lord is my God”; also an ancient Greek variant of “Elijah”
Theseus (Greek) – “To place”; the legendary Greek hero who defeated many monsters and villains, including the fearsome Minotaur (half-man, half-bull)

Rare African Boy Names

Kamau (Kenyan – African name) – “Quiet warrior”
Kehinde (Yoruba – African name) – Twin boy name meaning “second-born of twins”

Rare German Boy Names

Alwin (German) – “Friend of the elves” or “noble friend”
Amo (German) – “Power of an eagle”
Berengar (German) – “Bear spear”
Egon (German) – “Strong with a sword”
Erwin (German) – “Respected friend”

Rare Hebrew Names For Boys

Boaz (Hebrew) – “Swiftness”
Myer (Hebrew) – “Bringer of light”
Yael (Hebrew) – “To ascend”

Rare Italian Boy Names

Aderamo (German, Nigerian, and Italian name) – “Fortune,” “wealth,” or “fame”
Angelo (Latin and Italian) – Angel name meaning “messenger from God” or “an angel”
Enzo (Italian) – “Home ruler”
Giotto (Italian) – “Immortal”
Salvatore (Italian and Latin) – “Savior”

Rare Indian (Hindu) Boy Names

Agnivo (Indian) – “Blaze of fire”
Dhaval (Indian) – “Pure” and “white”
Rajesh (Indian and Sanskrit) – “Lord of kings”
Valin (Indian) – “Monkey king”

Rare Scottish & Irish Boy Names

Carey (Irish) – “Dark” or “black”
Dacey (Irish) – “From the south”
Ferris (Irish) – “Strong man” or “ironworker”
Kelly (Irish) – “War”
Kenyon (Irish) – “Blond”
Niall (Irish) – “Champion”

Rare British Boy Names

Booker (British) – “Binder,” “scribe,” or “someone concerned with books”
Covington (British) – “Settlement near the cave” or “settle down”
Erving (British) – “Beautiful” or “sea friend”; variant of “Irving”
Rhodes (British) – Boy name that means “Rose” or “where roses grow”

Rare Japanese Boy Names

Asuma (Japanese) – “Tomorrow truth”
Kazumi (Japanese) – “Beautiful place”
Kenji (Japanese) – “Strong”
Kitai (Japanese) – “Anticipation,” “expectation,” or “hope”
Niobe (Japanese) – “Fern”

Rare Roman & Latin Names for Boys

Cerulean (Latin) – “Dark blue”
Horatio (Latin) – “Timekeeper”
Nero (Latin) – “Stern”; also a powerful name after the Roman emperor Nero

Rare Spanish & Hispanic Boy Names

Fermin (Spanish) – “Strong”
Hernan (Spanish) – “Brave journey”
Margarito (Spanish and Greek) – “A man with pearls”
Próspero (Latin and Spanish) – “Fortunate” or “prosperous”

Other Exotic Boy Names

Arturek (Old Norse and Polish name) – “Courageous,” “noble,” “bear man,” or “a follower of Thor”; a variant of “Arthur”
Carel (Polish and Old German) – “Free man”; a variant of “Carl”
Chi (Chinese and Vietnamese name) – “Younger energy,” “twig,” or “branch”
Ender (Turkish) – “Extremely rare”
Filip (Slavic, Scandinavian, Greek, and Norwegian name) – “Friend of horses”; variant of the prince name “Philip” or “Phillip”
Niran (Thai) – “Eternal”
Salomon (Norwegian, Hebrew, Finnish, Danish, and French boy name) – “Peace”; variant of “Solomon”
Tao (Chinese boy name) – “Long life,” “way,” or “large waves”
Xihuitl (Aztec name for boys) – “Comet” or “shooting star”; pronounced as “schee-weet”
Yakov (Russian name) – “Supplanter”; a version of “Jacob”

Sweet & Poetic Rare Boy Names

Adi (Hebrew) – “Jewel” or “first”; can also be spelled as “Ady” or “Addy”
Dante (Latin) – “Everlasting,” “steadfast,” or “enduring”
Kipling (British) – “Curer of salmon or herring”
Pascal (Latin and Hebrew) – “Easter child” or “of the Passover (a Jewish holiday)”

Rare Country & Southern Boy Names

Crawford (British) – “Ford of the crows”
Corbett (French) – “Raven”
Irving (Scottish and Irish) – “Sea friend” or a name that means “water” (green river)
Warrick (English) – Old man name meaning “leader who defends”

Sports-Inspired Rare Baby Boy Names

Evander (Greek and Scottish) – “Strong man”; after American former professional boxer Evander Holyfield
Lebron (French) – “Brown-haired one”; after American professional basketball player LeBron James

Rare Celebrity Boy Names

Chadwick (British) – “Town of Chad”; after the late American actor and “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman
Elton (English) – “From the old town”; after British singer Elton John
Harrison (English) – “Son of Harry”; after American actor Harrison Ford
Idris (Arabic) – “Smart” or “studious”; after English actor Idris Elba
Kiefer (Old German) – “Barrel maker” or “pine”; after British-Canadian musician and actor Kiefer Sutherland
Rock (English and German) – “Stone” or “rest”; after American actors Rock Hudson and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
Rupert (German) – “Bright fame”; after English actor and “Harry Potter” star Rupert Grint
Russell (French) – “Red-haired” or “little red”; after Hollywood star Russell Crowe
Shia (Hebrew) – “Gift from God”; after American actor and “Transformers” star Shia LaBeouf
Spike (American) – “Long, heavy nail”; after American musician Spike Jones and American filmmaker Spike Lee

What Are Different Or Unpopular Boy Monikers?

Dudley (English) – “People’s field”; Harry Potter’s cousin
Sly (English) – “Cunning”; short form of “Sylvester”
Sweeney (Irish and Gaelic) – “Pleasant” or “the little hero”

Unique Nonbinary & Gender-Neutral Names

Briar (British) – “A thorny patch”
Carmine (Italian) – “Song” or “vivid red”
Micah (Hebrew) – “Who is like God?”; unisex variant of “Michael”
Misha (Russian name) – Angel name that means “who resembles God?”

More Unique & Rare Boy Names From A To Z

Rare Boy Names Starting With A

Abishek (Sanskrit) – “Cleansing”
Aimilios (Greek) – “Strength”
Ajani (Swahili – African) – “Victor”
Akin (Nigerian – African) – “Warrior”
Alden (British) – “Old friend”
Alton (British) – “Old town”
Amell (German) – “Strength of an eagle”
Angus (Celtic) – “One strength”
Ansaldo (German) – “Divine power”
Ansel (Old French and German) – “Divine protection”
Archer (Anglo-Saxon) – “Bowman”
Arlo (Old English) – “Fortified hill”
Arno (Armenian and German) – “Eagle”
Arsenio (Greek and Spanish) – “Virile” or “strong”
Artemas (Greek) – “Gift of Artemis (Greek goddess of the hunt)”
Ashish (Indian) – “Blessing from God”
Atticus (Latin) – “Belonging to Attica (a historical region in Greece)”

Rare Boy Names Starting With B

Baldwin (German) – “Bold, brave friend”
Barnes (Old English and Old Norse) – “Barn”
Barney (Slavic) – “Son of comfort”
Bartlett (Aramaic) – “Son of the earth”
Bear (German) – Animal name
Bernie (German) – “Strong and brave bear”
Bingham (English) – “Homestead at a hollow”
Boden (Scandinavian) – “Shelter”
Bodhi (Sanskrit) – “Enlightenment”
Bond (English and Anglo-Saxon) – “Farmer”
Brett (Middle English) – “Briton (people who inhabited Great Britain)”
Brick (English) – “Dweller from a hilly place”
Bridger (British) – “Lives near a bridge”
Brody (Irish) – “Muddy place”
Bruce (British) – “The willowlands”
Buggi (Old Norse) – “Powerful man”
Burke (Old German and Old English) – “From the fortress”
Busby (Scottish) – “Shrub farm”

Rare Boy Names Starting With C

Cael (Irish) – “Slender”
Callaway (French) – “Place of stones or pebbles”
Camilo (Latin and Spanish) – “Priest-helper”
Castor (Greek) – “Beaver”
Chasin (Hebrew) – “Strong”
Chevy (French) – “Horseman”
Chip (Old English) – “Man”
Cillian (Irish) – “Bright-headed”
Clifton (Old English) – “Place on a cliff”
Clive (British) – “Slope” or “cliff”
Colter (Old English) – “One who looks after horses”
Connor (Irish) – “Lover of wolves”
Conroy (Irish and Gaelic) – “Hound of the plain”
Copland (Scottish) – “Bought land”
Cornel (Latin) – “Horn”
Crispin (Latin) – “Curly-haired”
Cyan (American) – “Greenish-blue”
Cyprian (Greek) – “Man of Cyprus”
Cyril (Greek) – “Lordly” or “master”

Rare Boy Names Starting With D

Dax (French) – “Leader”
Deckard (German) – “Roofer”
Dennison (Scottish) – “Son of Dennis”
Devin (Old French) – “Fawn,” “poet,” or “divine”
Dewey (American) – “Beloved”
Dodger (English) – “One who dodges”
Dove (British) – “A bird symbolizing peace”
Drystan (Welsh) – “Melancholy”
Duncan (Scottish) – “Dark warrior”

Rare Boy Names Starting With E

Eames (Irish) – “Wealthy protector”
Easton (English) – “East town”
Eaton (Old English) – “Island settlement”
Edwyn (Old English) – “Wealth”
Efron (Hebrew) – “Singing bird”
Eliam (Hebrew) – “People of God”
Elio (Spanish) – “Sun”
Emilio (Latin and Spanish) – “Rival”
Ennis (Irish) – “From the island”
Eon (Scottish) – “God is gracious”
Ernst (German) – “Serious business”
Ethan (Hebrew) – “Strong and firm”
Ezri (Hebrew) – “Helper”

Rare Boy Names Starting With F

Fable (English) – “Folk tale”
Farrell (Irish) – “Man of valor”
Faulkner (English) – “Falcon trainer”
Fenway (English) – “Through the marsh”
Frazier (Scottish) – “Of the forest men”
Futura (Latin) – “Future”

Rare Boy Names Starting With G

Gable (French) – “Triangular feature in architecture”
Gerard (German) – “Brave spear”
Gian (Italian) – “God is gracious”
Gibbs (Old English) – “Bright promise”
Grayson (British) – “Son of the gray one”
Griffin (Welsh) – “Strong lord” or “mythical creature”
Griffith (Welsh) – “Chief” or “strong lord”
Gulliver (Irish) – “Glutton”
Gus (Latin) – “Majestic” or “exalted”
Gustavo (Spanish) – “Staff of the gods”
Guthrie (Irish) – “Windy place”
Guy (French) – “Guide” or “leader”

Rare Boy Names Starting With H

Hale (English) – “Someone living in a hollow”
Hans (Scandinavian) – “God is gracious”; variant of “John”
Hari (Sanskrit) – “Lion” or “dark and tawny”
Hariric (German) – “Powerful army”
Hawthorne (British) – “Where Hawthorn hedges grow”
Hero (Greek) – “Brave one”
Herschel (Hebrew) – “Deer”
Hewitt (Old French) – “Intellect”
Homer (Greek) – “Pledge” or “security”
Honor (English) – “Reputation” or “dignity”
Honovi (Hopi – Native American) – “Strong deer”
Hopper (American) – “Hop grower”
Hoss (English and German) – Western boy name that means “big like a horse”
Hughes (Old German) – “Mind”
Humphrey (Old German) – “Peaceful warrior”
Hutton (Old English) – “Ridge enclosure”

Rare Boy Names Starting With I

Iggy (British) – “Fiery”
Ike (Hebrew) – “Laughter”
Imre (Hungarian) – “Strength”
Ion (Russian boy name) – “God is good”
Iver (Scandinavian) – “Archer”

Rare Boy Names Starting With J

Jameson (British) – “Son of James”
Jaren (Hebrew) – “Cry of rejoicing”
Jarrell (German) – “Spear ruler”
Jarvis (French) – “Servant spear”
Jennings (British) – “Little John”
Jett (British) – “Jet black”
Jiraiya (Japanese) – “Young thunder”
Joss (German) – “Merry one”

Rare Boy Names Starting With K

Kaax (Mayan) – “God of wild animals”
Karl (German) – “Freeman”
Kauffman (German) – “Merchant”
Keats (English) – “Kite”
Keen (English) – “King”
Kel (Irish) – “Warrior”
Kenan (Hebrew) – “Acquire”
Kendrix (Welsh) – “Greatest champion”
Kendry (Malagasy – Austronesian) – “Wise man”
Kian (Irish) – “Ancient”
Kiley (Irish) – “Graceful”
Kilian (German and Irish) – “Church”
Kit (English) – “Christian”
Knowles (British) – “Little hill”
Koen (Dutch) – “Bold” and “brave”

Rare Boy Names Starting With L

Laird (Scottish) – “Lord”
Laker (English) – “Living by a stream”
Lance (Old French) – “Land” or “servant”
Lando (Portuguese) – “Famous throughout the land”
Landon (British) – “Long hill”
Laramie (French) – “Canopy of leafy boughs”
Lennox (Scottish and Gaelic) – “With many elm trees”
Leo (Latin) – “Lion”
LeVar (English) – “The pool”
Lex (Greek) – “Defender of men”
Liev (Yiddish) – “Heart”
Linus (Greek) – “Flax”
Lloyd (Welsh) – “Gray”
Lord (British) – “Loaf-keeper” or “noble title”
Lorne (English) – “Fox”
Loyal (British) – “Faithful‘
Lynx (Greek) – “Wild cat”

Rare Boy Names Starting With M

Macallister (Scottish) – “Son of Alasdair”
Macon (French) – “Marsh dweller”
Maddox (Welsh) – “Fortunate”
Maguire (Irish) – “Son of the beige one”
Malone (Irish) – “Disciple of Saint John”
Malthe (Danish) – “Rule”
Mariner (English) – “Sailor” or “lives by the sea”
Marlon (American) – “Warlike little one”
Marty (Latin) – “Of Mars, the god of war”
Maverick (American) – “Nonconformist”
Mcewen (Scottish and Irish) – “Son of Ewan”
McKay (American) – “Fiery”
Meinrad (German) – “Strong advisor”
Mercer (French) – “Merchant”
Miles (Latin) – “Soldier”
Morris (Latin) – “Dark-skinned”
Mort (English) – “Dead sea”
Munro (Gaelic) – “Mouth of River Ro”
Murray (Scottish) – “From the sea”

Rare Boy Names Starting with N

Neal (Irish) – “Champion” or “cloud”
Neville (English) – “New village”
Niander (Greek) – “New man”
Noble (Latin) – “Aristocratic”
Norris (French) – “Northerner”
Nowell (French) – “Christmas”

Rare Boy Names Starting With O

Onyx (English) – “Black gemstone”
Orson (French) – “Bear cub”
Osiris (Egyptian) – “Powerful”
Owen (Welsh) – “Noble”

Rare Boy Names Starting With P

Palmer (Old English) – “Pilgrim”
Pax (Latin) – “Peace”
Percy (French) – “One who pierces the valley”
Phoenix (Greek) – “Dark red” or “mythical bird”
Pip (British) – “Lover of horses”
Poe (Norse) – “Peacock”
Powell (Welsh) – “Eminent”
Pratt (English) – “Clever trickster”
Price (Welsh) – “Son of Rhys”
Pruitt (English) – “Brave one”
Puck (Irish) – “Goblin”; a Shakespearean character

Rare Boy Names Starting With Q

Qadir (Arabic) – “Powerful” or “mighty”
Quentin (French and Roman) – “Fifth”
Quinn (Irish) – “Counsel”
Quirijn (Dutch and Roman) – “Spear”

Rare Boy Names Starting With R

Rainier (Old Norse) – “Judgment warrior”
Raleigh (English) – “Deer’s meadow”
Ralph (English) – “Wolf-counsel”
Ram (Sanskrit and Hebrew) – “Pleasing” or “supreme”
Redford (British) – “Red ford (river crossing)
Reece (Welsh) – “Enthusiasm”
Reed (British) – “Red-haired”
Reef (English) – “Underwater ledge”
Reeve (English) – “Bailiff”
Ripley (Old English) – “Strip of clearing in the woods”
Roarke (Irish) – “Illustrious and mighty”
Rohr (German and Swiss) – “From a place thickly grown with reeds”
Romulus (Latin) – “Man of Rome”
Roscoe (Norse) – “Deer forest”
Ross (Scottish) – “Horse”
Rye (Gaelic) – “King”

Rare Boy Names Starting With S

Saber (French) – “Sword”
Sailor (German) – “Boatman”
Saunders (Greek) – “Warrior”
Seneca (Native American) – “People of the standing rock”
Seymour (English) – “Marshy land near the sea”
Sheldon (English) – “Steep-sided valley”
Sidney (Old English) – “Wide riverside meadow”
Sinclair (French and Latin) – “From the town of St. Clair”
Skip (American) – “Skipper”
Smith (English) – “Metal worker”
Stark (Scottish and English) – “Firm and unyielding”
Stryker (German) – “Tester”
Stuart (Scottish) – “Steward”
Sullivan (Gaelic and Irish) – “Dark eyes”

Rare Boy Names Starting With T

Tamari (Hebrew) – “Date palm tree”
Tashi (Tibetan) – “Good fortune”
Tennyson (British) – “Son of Dennis”
Terrance (French) – “Smooth”
Thoreau (American) – “Strength of a bull”
Timon (Greek) – “Honor” or “respect”
Titian (Roman) – “Red-gold”
Toheeb (Nigeria – African) – “Holiness”
Topher (Greek) – “Christian”
Torin (Irish) – “Chief”
Trevor (Welsh) – “Homestead”
Trip (English) – “Traveler”
Tristan (Celtic) – “Bold” or “riot”
True (English) – “Real”
Truman (Old English) – “Loyal one”
Tuck (English) – “Fabric pleater”
Tyrion (Latin) – “From Tyre (ancient city in Lebanon)”

Rare Boy Names Starting With U

Ulysses (Greek) – “Wrathful”
Umar (Arabic) – “Flourishing”
Urban (Latin) – “From the city”

Rare Boy Names Starting With V

Valko (Bulgarian) – “Wolf”
Vibes (English) – “Distinctive feeling”
Vincenzo (Italian) – “To conquer”

Rare Boy Names Starting With W

Walter (German) – “Ruler of the army”
Webster (Old English) – “Weaver”
Wellesley (Old English) – “Farm among the willows”
West (Old English) – “West direction” or “western stream”
Whit (British) – “White”
Wolf (English) – “Animal name”
Woodrow (English) – “Row of houses by the woods”
Wright (Old English) – “Craftsman”
Wrigley (English) – “Clearing by the river bend”
Wyatt (British) – “Brave at war”
Wylder (British) – “Untamed”
Wynn (Old English) – “Friend”

Rare Boy Names Starting With X

Xander (Greek) – “Defender of humankind”
Xanthippos (Greek) – “Yellow” and “horse”
Xenon (Greek) – “Stranger”; chemical element
Xhafer (Albanian and Arabic) – “Stream”
Ximun (Basque) – “Son”; variant of “Simon”

Rare Boy Names Starting With Y

Yale (Welsh and Old English) – “Fertile upland”
York (Old English) – “From the yew estate”
Yuri (Russian) – “Farmer”

Rare Boy Names Starting With Z

Zahn (German) – “Tooth”
Zaire (African) – “River that swallows all rivers”
Zale (Greek) – “Sea-strength”
Zane (Hebrew) – “God is gracious”
Zebulon (Hebrew) – “Exaltation”
Zeno (Greek) – “Gift of Zeus”
Zubin (Persian) – “Mighty sword”

FAQs

What Are Some Reasons For Choosing A Rare Baby Name?

You want your baby to have a unique name
You’re fascinated by the name’s spelling, pronunciation, and meaning
You’re honoring someone with this uncommon name
You want to create a unique spin on a popular or classic name by slightly changing its spelling