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

A matronymic surname derived from Emonie and Emeny, which are of uncertain origins.

Oceanus was the Titan in ancient Greek mythology who rules what they thought was the body of water that surrounded the Earth. Oceanus was, appropriately enough, the name of the baby born on the Mayflower. Modern variations include Ocean, Oceana, and Oceane, a popular French name for girls.

Incredibly handsome and super smooth, Duarte sounds like it came straight out of a romance novel. You almost wouldn’t believe it’s derived from Edward.

Also spelt Rua, Ruadh is a strong and simple Irish name with a fiery meaning. Ruadhan is a popular related name.

Jasiri is the Swahili word for "brave," and a unisex name primarily used in eastern Africa. Despite all it has going for it — a resonant meaning, on-trend I ending, and gender-neutral style — Jasiri has never been given to more than 30 American babies in a single year.

In the US, Rashad is one of the most popular and best-known Arabic names, through several sports and entertainment celebrities.

Stiff and formal surname. Try Roone instead.

Equally strong, dramatic and romantic, this name of an old kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula and a modern Spanish community as well, would give a boy an instant pedigree.

Creative variation on Peter.

This British river name sounds sleek and strong but perhaps a bit too energetic.

Gardener is surely one of the most pleasant and evocative of the occupational options, calling up images of green grass and budding blooms. The name can also be spelled without the first 'e', as in Gardner (born George Cadogan Gardner) McCay, a hunky TV heartthrob of the 1950s and 60s. Gardner is a much more common surname spelling, associated with screen legend Ava, mystery writer Erle Stanley and art collector and patron Isabella Stewart, founder of Boston's Gardner Museum.

For die-hard Fleetwood Mac fans, though Fleet is definitely a cool short form.

Faulkner is an old occupational surname that was used for someone who kept and trained falcons when falconry was a popular sport in medieval Europe. Anyone using it in contemporary America would probably be honoring Southern novelist William Faulkner. While we love the author, Falconer would probably be a slightly easier name to carry on the playground.

Decidedly offbeat name that combines jauntiness with that uber-cool X, and would certainly set your son up for life outside the mainstream.

A mostly undiscovered alternative to the ultra-popular Colton; just 80 baby boys were named Coleson in 2016. It's also a surname name in its own right.

Has some creative credibility via abstract painter Barnett Newman, but we'd prefer his nickname, Barney.

Crusoe, as in castaway hero Robinson, is a literary invention by author Daniel Defoe. The character says his name is an Anglicization of the German Kreutznaer, which may be a place name or mean a crossing of the river Nahe. Short form Cru was given to nearly 50 boys in a recent year.

Lots of parents choose nature names, but only a few choose Nature as a name each year. It is equally used for boys and girls in the USA.

Ario was derived from the Roman family name Arrius, although it bears closer resemblance to Aria, the Italian name meaning "song."