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Unique Boy Names: Unusual and Rare

Unique boy names are more widely used now than ever before. Fifty years ago, the Top 20 boys' names represented 41% of all male children; by contrast now, the Top 20 boys' names represented less than 15% of all baby boys, meaning there are many more rare and unusual boy names in general use.

The greater variety of names being used today means that unique boy names are more likely to be accepted at school or in the workplace. There are lots of ways for boys' names to be unique, from spelling to new creations, but here at our website we're often most inspired by those names which are at once unusual and yet filled with history and meaning.

Some of the coolest unique names for boys today come from Ancient Greek and Rome, often from mythology. The Bible is a rich source of unique boys' names, as are nature, word, and surname names.

Here is a selection of our current favorite rare and unique names for boys, from A to Z. For even more choices and connections to all of our website's resources on choosing unique names, go to our master page on unique names.

Unique Boy Names

Alva

Meaning: his highness

Origin:Hebrew
6111
Salem

Meaning: safe

Origin:Biblical place-name or Arabic
739
Indiana

Meaning: land of the Indians

Origin:American place-name
2385
Rivers

Meaning: rivers

Origin:Nature name and surname, English
5577
Keats

Meaning: kite

Origin:English literary name
3748
Spence According to its English origin, the meaning...
Origin:Short form of Spencer
10306
Bergen

Meaning: lives on a hill

Origin:Scandinavian
7117
Hero

Meaning: demi-god

Origin:Greek
3282
Sorrel

Meaning: reddish brown

Origin:Botanical name and French
1798
Bennington

Meaning: town by the Beane river

Origin:English surname
11613
Dabney

Meaning: from Aubigny

Origin:French
4006
Origin:Word name
7928
Origin:Word name
3762
Painter Painter is a name of English origin, and the...
Origin:Occupational name
12843
Psalm

Meaning: a sacred song or hymn

Origin:English word name
1335
Lake Lake is a name of Anglo-Saxon origin. It is ...
Origin:Nature name
2707
Rae A name with English origins, the meaning of ...
Origin:English
7263
Dune Dune is a beautiful baby name that is gender...
Origin:Nature name
3565
Dale

Meaning: valley

Origin:English
1570
Roan

Meaning: little redhead

Origin:Spelling variation of Rowan
1041