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

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

Actress Jaime King gave her son Leo the middle name Thames, for the famous London river where she and her husband Kyle Newman were married. Thames is pronounced tehms, not necessarily common knowledge in the US. The etymology of the word Thames is uncertain, and may mean dark but more likely stems from an ancient word for river.

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.

If you like Dylan but find it too popular, Quillan could be a distinctive alternative.

The surname Bennington denoted someone from one of three towns name Ben(n)ington in England, all meaning "town by the Beane river." The river name Beane was derived from Beonna, an Old English given name.

Synthesized name in the Justin/Dustin mold, but has an unpleasant similarity to the diaper rash ointment called Desitin.

While Corrigan is a widely-used Irish surname, a Corrigan or Korrigan is a fairy or sprite-like creature in Breton folklore. The Cornish word korrik means gnome. These creatures can be good or evil, male or female, but the important thing in Nameberry terms is that we love their name!

Shortening Francisco somehow makes it sound even cooler. Cisco is also the name of a digital security company.

Loyal is one of the few virtue names suitable for boys, an honorable and principled Boy Scout-esque appellation with a surprisingly long and distinguished history.

With cool, on-trend sounds and a hint of Star Wars about it, Rylo is an up-and-coming name that has only seen notable use since 2016. It can be considered a Scottish diminutive of Ryland and an Irish surname, but also a compound name made up of Ryan and Milo. Given to nearly 130 babies in 2023, it has been rising in use every year since the mid 2010s.

Common Arabic version of Elijah. The Ilyes spelling is a Top 100 name in France.

The capital of Kenya makes a melodic and worldly name.

A modern name likely inspired by the Latin phrase carpe diem meaning "seize the day".

With Levi in vogue and country names on trend, Denim could fit in among the Waylons, Walkers, Coltons, and Rhetts. As a boys name, it brings to mind the qualities of the fabric: hardworking, cool and versatile. Singer Toni Braxton chose this name for her son in 2001, and parents have been using it for boys and girls ever since.

An uncommon surname name with that energetic -er ending. Might appeal especially to baseball fans.

The Russian variation of Alex or Alec.

Although Maguire is such a prominent Irish surname —it ranks in the Top 40 in the Emerald Isle —this lively and cheerful family name has rarely been used as a first, unlike more familiar examples like Ryan, Riley and Reagan. The powerful and distinguished Maguire clan was known for their courage, leadership and resilience. The name's many notable associations include the unionizing Pennsylvania coal miners known as the Molly Maguires, actor Tobey Maguire and Dixie Chick Martie Maguire. Other spellings are McGuire and McGwire; two other handsome Irish surnames to consider are Malone and Magee.

Fielding isn't an occupational name, exactly, though it does relate to someone who works in or lives in a Field. Although there have been a handful of people, real and fictional, with the first name Fielding, the most famous Fielding is eighteenth century writer Henry Fielding, author of Tom Jones.

Commonly heard in Hungary and some Slavic countries, Tibor has a large measure of continental dash. The name derives from the Roman town of Tibur, now called Tivoli. It is a Top 100 pick for baby boys in its native Hungary.