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

Commonly heard in its native country, and might get a boost here too, now that Alanis Morrissette has used it for her son Ever's middle name.

Kenyon is a very engaging British surname name, the middle y giving it a kind of southwestern canyonesque undertone.

An interesting and attractive bicultural choice--the Hebrew version is used for babies born in spring, when turtledoves arrive--especially as a middle.

What with Mason scooting up the charts, this attractive place-name, with its thick Georgia accent, could make a more distinctive alternative.

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?

Brewer is a surname turned first name that comes from the occupational name for someone who brews beer. Definitely a cool guy name.

Guthrie, one of the most attractive Scottish names that's also a surname, has a particularly romantic, windswept aura, with a touch of the buckaroo thrown in.

Old World Jewish name that could travel to the New.

A variant of Caelan, from a Gaelic name meaning "slender".

Takes Monroe out of the Dead Presidents category and gives it new life.

Western place-name that feels equally appropriate for both genders. Note: Natives say rhyme that second syllable with had, so it's not nehv-AH-da.

Loose, lean, and lanky cowboy-sounding names have become a recent trend, but how about the name of a real one--the Singing Cowboy Gene. Autry might be thought of as a masculine spin on the fashionable Audrey or a fresher version of Austin or Auden.

Some other cowboy surnames from the Golden Age of movie and TV westerns: Boone, Boyd, Cody, Corrigan, Gibson, Hart, Holt, Houston, McCoy and Renaldo.

Names of classy places -- Aspen, Paris, and yes, Hampton -- are in favor with aspiring parents, though they don't always have the intended effect.

An easily assimilated African name, a novel twist on Johnny.

Strongly associated with the city of Tel Aviv. For girls, may be lengthened to Aviva; for boys, might be better abbreviated to Avi.

An undiscovered option among occupational names, Banner has never been used for more than 100 baby boys in a single year. But Banner has undeniable charm, much due to its associations with fêtes and phrases like "a banner year".

An up-and-comer for girls, but still under-the-radar for boys. Alba feels like a possible crossover candidate, on the heels of Nova and Alva, and with the potential for rising nickname Albie.

A Portuguese classic, typically spelled with a tilde over the A. Many members of the Portuguese royal family were named João, and today it’s associated with a number of Portuguese and Brazilian footballers.

The Greek form of the Hebrew Jair, Jairus appears in the Bible as the father of a girl resurrected by Jesus. Though it is the original, its Spanish variation Jairo is more popular.

Patton is an attractive name in the fashionable Haden-Peyton mold, though there is that association with the severe wartime general.