We can always tell when a baby name is going to be hot — sometimes it's because it follows a trend in pop culture, while other times it just seems to be everywhere. Take for instance the name Brayson — we can't walk past a kindergarten classroom without hearing that name being called! Of course, there's nothing wrong with popular baby names. Sometimes it's nice to know that our kids will always have a personalized keychain at the theme park or sometimes we just like the name that happens to be popular that year. It happens. But we definitely understand that there are many parents out there who aren't looking for the typical baby names — some parents want to stand out from the pack. Which is why we decided to put together a list of 20 rare baby boy names just in case some of our readers were willing to be more adventurous.
There is, of course, no shame in picking a popular baby name, but we like a little variety in the play group. To find the most rare and uncommon baby names we looked far and wide — from baby names that have disappeared off the baby name charts, bohemian names that we don't often see, and had a little help from Nameberry to find names that nobody else is going to have. Sometimes a name becomes rare because it falls out of fashion, but other times a name can be a diamond in the rough. We took it upon ourselves to find all of the gems that most people wouldn't know, dust them off, and compile them into a handy list for any moms and dads out there who are searching for the perfect baby name for the future little guy. Take a look at our list and see how many of these names are unfamiliar and see if we hit the mark!
CRISPIN
A fresh name for a fall baby, we love the name Crispin. The name is of Latin origin and means "curly-haired." Harry Potter fans will probably know the name from book character Crispin Cronk but we know the name from actor Crispin Glover.
LIEV
We can't hear the nameĀ Liev without thinking about the actor Liev Schreiber, but someone else might know the Russian name because it means "lion" and "lion hearted." It also is the shortened name for the Russian name Lyova.
MERCURY
Of course, Mercury is a planet in our solar system and might be a great pick for parents who are obsessed with the planets and sky. It's also a chemical element, sometimes known as quicksilver, which is neat for parents who a science-minded.
LAWTON
Taken from an English surname, Lawton is another name that we think deserves to be more popular. Meaning "farm on a low hill," Lawton has a natural essence to it that we think only adds to its charm.
HARDY
This name probably brings to mind the children's' book series, The Hardy BoysĀ or baseball legend JJ Hardy — but to us, that's a good thing. Originally an English surname, Hardy means "brave" or "hard."
CASSIAN
An old Roman name of uncertain meaning, we can see many moms and dad choosing Cassian for their babies. The name is thought to have been derived from the Latin cassus and means "hollow" or "empty."
BISHOP
A name with religious connections, we have to admit the name Bishop is pretty cute. The name was transferred from a surname derived from bishop — which is a high-ranking member of the clergy.
BOYD
We don't know why Boyd isn't a more popular name — it's both masculine, but also youthful. The name is derived from a combination of the Gaelic surname buidhe, which means "yellow" and from the surname Mac Giolla Buidhe, which means "son of the one with yellow hair."
PERRIN
Most parents probably have never heard of the name Perrin, but we think it has the potential to be a hit. The name can be used for girls as well, is derived from French, and means "traveler." Bon voyage!
MARO
While most people might be more familiar with the similar sounding name Mario (like the Mario Brothers) Maro doesn't have the same Italian origins. In fact, it's thought to be Croatian or is sometime the shortened form of the Spanish name Bulmaro.
LAZER
It's Lazer, not laser (although that would probably be a pretty fun name too) that is the next name on our rare baby names list. Lazer is the shortened form from the biblical nameĀ Eliezer or Lazarus.
EMRYS
Pronounced EM-riss, today this Greek name is not often seen on the front of a lunchbox. Although its meaning might change a few hearts. Emrys was taken from the nameĀ Ambrosios, which in turn was derived from the Greek word for immortal — ambrosios.
FINLO
Looking for an atypical Irish baby name? Then look no further than Finlo. Technically, it's a Manx nameĀ derived from the elements finn, meaning 'bright' and Lugh, which was the name of a Celtic god.
AMIAS
Names that start with "A" have been trendy in 2020, but we rarely see Amias on the baby name charts. We think that's pretty much a huge waste of cool name potential, plus think of all the adorable nicknames like Ami, Aim, or Mias.
ELIHU
Names with religious connections are always meaningful, including Elihu which is a Hebrew name that meansĀ "my God is Yahweh." In fact several characters in the Old Testament were name Elihu, including a friend of Job's.
KOFI
Taken from the West African languageĀ Akan, Kofi means "born on a Friday." There has also been several Kofis of note, include GhanaianĀ Secretary-General of the UN Kofi Annan and WWE starĀ Kofi Kingston, who is also from Ghana.
WYNN
Wynn sounds both old-fashioned (and it is — in its native Wales) but here in the US it's a bit more of an undiscovered gem. The name Wynn works for boys or girls and comes from gwyn, which means "fair" or "white."
CLEMENT
At the height of its popularity in the early 1900s Clement was in the top 300 baby names in the country. Today the name is practically unheard of. A name is for a sensitive boy, seeing as how the name Clement comes from the Latin word clemens which means "mild" and "gentle."
JOLYON
Taken from the LatinĀ Julianus — which is derived from Julius — and an old Roman family name thought to beĀ derived from Iulus, which means "the first down on the chin" or "downy-bearded." Jolyon is a new take on a classic name.
LOYAL
A name for a tried and true friend, Loyal is a great boy's name. It actually was a popular baby name throughout the 1880s and early 1900s, and has recently started to make a comeback.
