1. Home
  2. Topics

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

Bastian

Meaning: man of Sebastia

Origin:Diminutive of Sebastian, Latin from Greek
356
Clement

Meaning: mild, merciful

Origin:Latin
397
Shepherd

Meaning: sheep hearder

Origin:Occupational name
230
Anton The name Anton is of Latin origin. Anton com...
Origin:German, Russian, and Scandinavian variation of Anthony
658
Manu

Meaning: greatest; bird; man

Origin:Finnish, Maori, Hawaiian, Sanskrit
906
Aki

Meaning: born in the autumn, ancestor

Origin:Japanese, Finnish; "born in the autumn, ancestor"
1961
Casimir

Meaning: destroyer of peace

Origin:Polish, Slavic
108
Hector

Meaning: holding fast

Origin:Greek
351
Eros

Meaning: desire

Origin:Greek
445
Leander

Meaning: lion-man

Origin:Greek
520
Zeus The meaning of Zeus is ‘to shine’. It is a n...
Origin:Greek mythology name
820
Percival

Meaning: one who pierces the valley

Origin:French
222
Atreyu

Meaning: son of all

Origin:Literary invention
777
Zade Zade is primarily a name given to boys. It c...
Origin:Modern invented name
883
Phineas

Meaning: the Nubian

Origin:English, Egyptian
196
Edmund

Meaning: fortunate protector

Origin:English
280
Idris

Meaning: lord; studious

Origin:Welsh; Arabic
710
Rafi The meaning of Rafi is ‘exalted ’or ‘God hea...
Origin:Arabic, diminutive of Rafiq; Spanish, diminutive of Rafael
973
Origin:Diminutive of Augustus, Angus, Gustave, Augustin, Augusten, Augustine, August
478
Mack

Meaning: son of

Origin:Scottish or Irish
661