Rare Boy Names
A rare name is one your son probably won’t share with anyone at school, but that still sounds like a real name rather than a spelling experiment. Every pick below has genuine history — a saint, a king, a poet, a river or a legend behind it — and none sits anywhere near the top of US baby-name charts. That leaves you with more than 100 uncommon boy names, each with its meaning and origin.
Want something a little less out there? Our unique boy names sit between rare and familiar. For sisters, see rare girl names, and for flexible options try rare unisex names.
Rare vintage boy names due a comeback
Great-grandfather names that dropped off the charts decades ago. For better-known revivals, see old-fashioned boy names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Thaddeus | Heart; courageous | Aramaic |
| Ignatius | Fiery | Latin |
| Leopold | Brave people | Germanic |
| Ambrose | Immortal | Greek |
| Cornelius | Horn | Latin |
| Mortimer | Still water | Old French |
| Percival | Pierce the valley | Old French |
| Barnaby | Son of consolation | Aramaic |
| Horace | Timekeeper (Roman family name) | Latin |
| Cyril | Lordly | Greek |
| Clement | Merciful | Latin |
| Rupert | Bright fame | Germanic |
| Lionel | Little lion | French |
| Ephraim | Fruitful | Hebrew |
| Alphonse | Noble and ready | Germanic (via French) |
| Octavius | Eighth | Latin |
| Crispin | Curly-haired | Latin |
Rare boy names from myth and legend
Heroes and gods who haven’t been overused yet. Browse mythology boy names and Norse god names for more.
| Name | Who he was | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Evander | Arcadian hero who founded a city on the site of Rome | Greek / Roman |
| Cormac | Legendary High King Cormac mac Airt | Irish |
| Galahad | The purest Knight of the Round Table | Arthurian |
| Perseus | Slayer of Medusa | Greek |
| Lugh | Many-skilled god of light and craft | Irish |
| Balder | Norse god of light and beauty | Old Norse |
| Bran | Welsh giant king Bran the Blessed | Welsh |
| Aeneas | Trojan hero of Virgil’s Aeneid | Greek / Roman |
| Castor | One of the Dioscuri twins | Greek |
| Gawain | Knight of the Round Table | Welsh / Arthurian |
| Oisín | OSH-een; poet-warrior who went to Tír na nÓg | Irish |
| Vidar | Silent Norse god of vengeance | Old Norse |
| Ptolemy | Warlike; Egyptian royal dynasty | Greek |
| Pryderi | Hero of the Welsh Mabinogion | Welsh |
Rare nature names for boys
Trees, stones and landscapes that are still uncommon as boy names. See nature boy names for the more familiar ones.
| Name | Inspired by | Vibe |
|---|---|---|
| Caspian | The Caspian Sea | Adventurous, literary |
| Thorne | A thorny plant | Sharp and moody |
| Birch | The birch tree | Nordic and clean |
| Onyx | The black gemstone | Sleek and bold |
| Heath | Open shrubland | Brooding, Brontë-like |
| Alder | The alder tree | Soft woodland feel |
| Flint | The hard stone | Rugged |
| Tarn | A mountain lake | Short and rare |
| Bramble | The blackberry bush | Playful and wild |
| Cypress | The evergreen tree | Tall and calm |
| Rook | The black corvid bird | Cool and chess-like |
| Ridge | A mountain crest | Outdoorsy |
| Hawthorn | The hawthorn tree | Folk-lore heavy |
Rare literary and artistic boy names
Names from novels, poetry and art history — a great fit if you love books.
| Name | Literary / artistic link | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Fitzwilliam | Mr. Darcy’s first name, Pride and Prejudice | Son of William |
| Heathcliff | Hero of Wuthering Heights | Cliff near a heath |
| Ishmael | Narrator of Moby-Dick | God hears |
| Dashiell | Novelist Dashiell Hammett | Possibly from French de Chiel |
| Thelonious | Jazz pianist Thelonious Monk | Latinized form of Tillman |
| Auden | Poet W. H. Auden | Old friend |
| Laurie | Laurie in Little Women | Laurel |
| Rimbaud | Poet Arthur Rimbaud | French surname, possibly “bold” |
| Byron | Poet Lord Byron | At the cattle sheds |
| Soren | Philosopher Søren Kierkegaard | Stern |
| Linus | Poet-musician of Greek myth; Peanuts | Flax |
| Marius | Hero of Les Misérables | Of Mars |
| Basil | Painter Basil Hallward in Dorian Gray | Royal, kingly |
Rare boy names from around the world
Names that are common somewhere, but rare in the US. Try Welsh boy names or Finnish boy names for more.
| Name | Pronunciation / meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Lachlan | LOCK-lan; from the land of lakes | Scottish |
| Emrys | EM-riss; immortal | Welsh |
| Tadhg | TIEG; poet | Irish |
| Anselm | AN-selm; god helmet | Germanic |
| Ilari | EE-la-ree; cheerful | Finnish |
| Mattias | ma-TEE-as; gift of God | Swedish |
| Kenji | KEN-jee; intelligent second son (varies by kanji) | Japanese |
| Anatole | a-na-TOLE; sunrise, east | Greek / French |
| Casimir | KAZ-i-meer; proclaims peace | Polish |
| Idris | ID-riss; fiery lord (Welsh); a prophet (Arabic) | Welsh / Arabic |
| Ciaran | KEER-an; little dark one | Irish |
| Lorcan | LOR-kan; little fierce one | Irish |
| Dmitri | DMEE-tree; of Demeter | Russian |
| Kofi | KO-fee; born on Friday | Akan (Ghana) |
| Ravi | RAH-vee; sun | Sanskrit |
| Stellan | STEL-an; calm | Swedish |
| Teodor | TEH-o-dor; gift of God | Scandinavian / Slavic |
Rare medieval and Anglo-Saxon boy names
Early English and Germanic names with a knightly feel. Viking boy names offer a similar mood.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Alaric | Ruler of all | Gothic |
| Osric | Divine ruler | Old English |
| Edric | Rich ruler | Old English |
| Godric | God’s ruler | Old English |
| Aldous | Old, wise | Germanic |
| Leofric | Beloved ruler | Old English |
| Wystan | Battle stone | Old English |
| Cuthbert | Famous and bright | Old English |
| Baldwin | Bold friend | Germanic |
| Everard | Brave as a boar | Germanic |
| Tancred | Thoughtful counsel | Germanic |
| Hereward | Army guard | Old English |
| Fulk | People | Germanic |
Short rare boy names
Compact choices that stay uncommon. Browse short boy names for more.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Bram | Short for Abraham; also “bramble” | Dutch / English |
| Cai | Rejoice (Welsh form of Caius) | Welsh |
| Ivo | Yew | Germanic |
| Lars | Crowned with laurel | Scandinavian |
| Rafe | Wolf counsel (from Ralph) | English |
| Zeb | Gift (from Zebedee) | Hebrew |
| Nils | Victory of the people | Scandinavian |
| Ansel | Follower of a nobleman | French / Germanic |
| Oswin | God’s friend | Old English |
| Cato | Wise, shrewd | Latin |
| Ivor | Bow warrior (from Norse Ívarr) | Norse / Welsh |
| Cassius | Hollow; empty | Latin |
| Tobiah | God is good | Hebrew |
| Pax | Peace | Latin |
How to choose a rare name that still works
- Make sure it’s rare, not confusing. A name people can read and say on the first try (Leopold, Anselm) will serve your son better than an unfamiliar spelling.
- Check the popularity data. The Social Security Administration publishes name counts each year; anything with fewer than a few hundred births is genuinely rare.
- Consider a familiar nickname. Thaddeus becomes Tad, Barnaby becomes Barney, Octavius becomes Tavi — handy if he wants a low-key option.
- Look at your family tree. Rare names are often hiding in census records and grandparents’ names, with a built-in story.
- Say the whole name out loud. A rare first name plus a common last name (Evander Smith) often sounds better than two unusual ones.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a rare boy name?
Generally a name given to fewer than a few hundred babies a year in the US, outside the top 1,000. Every name on this page fits that description while having a real history and meaning.
What is a rare but cool boy name?
Alaric, Caspian, Lachlan, Thorne, Rook and Evander are rare boy names that sound confident and modern.
What are rare old-fashioned boy names?
Thaddeus, Ignatius, Cornelius, Mortimer, Cuthbert, Horace and Percival are vintage names that have almost disappeared — perfect for a quirky revival.
What is a rare boy name with a strong meaning?
Leopold (“brave people”), Alaric (“ruler of all”), Everard (“brave as a boar”) and Ignatius (“fiery”) all combine rarity with a bold meaning.
Is it a good idea to give a boy a rare name?
It can be, as long as the name is easy to say and spell. Rare names are memorable and rarely shared with classmates.