Rare, Unique, and Unusual Boy Names

Dark horse Irish surname.

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.

Haskell has two separate forms of origin, the first being from the Ancient Norse given name Ásketill. The Normans converted Ásketill to Aschetil, then the English transformed Aschetil into Haskell, which was originally only used as a surname. Haskell is also considered a variant of Haskel, a Yiddish given name derived from Ezekiel.

Shades of Thurston Howell, the effete millionaire castaway on Gilligan's Island.

Italian variation of Aurelius.

High-collared and straightlaced, with the deadly "Ox" nickname.

Kiefer is a strong occupational surname associated with "24" star Kiefer Sutherland, but one that could well join the other 'er' surnames currently in favor. Keifer is a German surname transferred to first name use, derived from two old Germanic words, kien and forhe, both of which mean "pine tree."

With the fashion for adding an S to the end of any surname-name, Reeve becomes Reeves, love child of Reese and Jeeves. It's cool, simple, distinctive.

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

The iconic Gone With the Wind star Clark's surname was brought into the first-name mix when Weeds' Kevin Nealon picked it for his son. Gable makes a strong and unusual possibility, a rhyming cousin to Abel and Mabel.

An attractive surname, but also the name of a popular cookie.

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

English place name turned handsome surname name.

Silvanus was the Roman god of the forests and is also an alternate name in the New Testament for Silas. Relatives include Silvio, Silvius, and Sylvia.

This variation of Idris brings Edward into the mix.

This Italian form of Benedict sidesteps the Benedict Arnold association that still clouds the English version.

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 is a surname style name, originally given to someone who lived in the country or worked in the fields, however it might also be considered a word name relating to sports (cricket and baseball specifically) or with the term for dealing with something difficult by evading it.

Occasionally used in the African-American community to honor Jamaican activist Marcus Garvey, known as "Emperor of the Kingdom of Africa," though his first name is more frequently chosen. Another possible namesake is baseball player Steve Garvey. Garvey sounds more modern than Harvey.