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Unique and unusual boy names for your special boy – and their meanings

Unique boy names
by Lorna White |
Updated on

If you're looking for unique boy names that will help your baby boy stand out from the crowd, then you should look no further than these awesome and truly unique baby names. More unusual sounding names have risen in popularity in recent years, with an increasing number of new parents keen to make their baby's name stand out on the register. After all, there's nothing worse than being one of five Olivers in the class.

While you might want something a little more out of the ordinary, you won't want to make your little boy feel embarrassed or self-conscious about their name, so you'll need to get the balance right with the right amount of unique and cool while still fitting in with his friends.

You may even want to pick a popular baby boy name and put your own spin on it to create something more unique sounding.

Whether you're looking for a cool and unique boy name like Axel, a strong and unusual name like Balthazar, or a cute option like Bubba, there are so many rare and unique name ideas for your baby boy to consider.

These are some of our favourite unique boys names, plus their meanings. These unusual names are sure to make your little one stand out from the crowd while still being easy enough to spell and sounding cool enough that they'll grow to love it.

  • Abel - Hebrew, meaning ‘breath’ or ‘breathing spirit’. Associated with the biblical son of Adam and Eve, who was killed by his brother Cain.

  • Axel - German and Scandinavian, a Germanised form of the Hebrew Absalom, meaning ‘father is peace’. Made famous by Guns ’n’ Roses frontman Axl Rose.

  • Colt/Colton - English, meaning ‘swarthy’. Evolved from the Old English name, Cola.

  • Hudson - English, meaning ‘adventurous’.

  • Maxwell - Latin, meaning ‘Maccus’ stream’.

  • Nolan - Gaelic, meaning ‘champion’.

  • Parker - English, meaning ‘park keeper’.

  • Phoenix - Greek, meaning ‘dark red’. In ancient Greek mythology, a phoenix is a bird that has the power to regenerate itself from its ashes.

  • Reid - Old English one syllable boy name, meaning ‘by the reeds’.

  • River - English, from ‘river’. Used as both a boys’ and a girls’ name, sometimes in the plural.

  • Wyatt - Teutonic, meaning ‘from wood’ or ‘from the wide water’. Famous Wyatts include wild-west sheriff Wyatt Earp and comedian Wyatt Cenac.

  • Thiago - a boy's name of Brazilian origin, meaning "supplanter."

Cool unique boy names

Here are a few more unique boy names that we think sound really cool - short and sweet, effortlessly unusual. We predict these names will be very popular in the coming years but you'll be well ahead of the trend.

  • Xander - Greek, meaning ‘defender of the people’. A short form for Alexander.

  • Zeke - A diminutive of Ezekiel, it can be used as a nickname or a given name on its own. Zeke means “God strengthens”.

  • Nate - Has Hebrew origin meaning God has given or gift of God.

  • Sonny - American English, meaning ‘son’. Singer Sonny Bono was half of the duo Sonny and Cher.

  • Lex - This Greek name comes from the longer, more traditional name, Alexander and means defender of men.

  • Dawson - Old English, meaning ‘son of David’. Associated with the main character in the TV show Dawson’s Creek.

  • Rafe - Meaning Counsel of the wolf, this name comes from Scandinavia.

  • Ryker - From Richard, meaning ‘powerful leader’. Possibly the coolest name on our list, Ryker not only sounds amazing but also means rich. It's a name your son will definitely be grateful for.

  • Silas - a boy's name of Latin origin, ideal for those with great love for the outdoors. The name derives from the Latin Silvanus, which means "wood" or "forest".

  • Vincent - abbrev. Vin, Vince, Vinnie English, meaning ‘victorious’. Famous Vincents include actor Vince Vaughn, artist Vincent van Gogh and footballer-turned-actor Vinnie Jones.

Unique retro baby boy names

Unusual names don't always have to be modern sounding. There are plenty of old, vintage style names that are rarely used these days that sound very unique and unusual.

  • Walter - abbrev. Walt, Wally German, meaning ‘ruler of the army’.

  • Ellery - Old English, meaning ‘elder tree’. Ellery Hanley is a former rugby league player and coach for Great Britain.

  • Gus - When it comes to wanting a simple name that can't be shortened, why not go for Gus? If the adorable character from Cinderella isn't enough to convince you on the name, it carries the Latin meaning "worthy of respect" and "majestic".

  • Harland - Old English, meaning ‘army land’. Fast food chain KFC was founded by Colonel Harland David Sanders. The Titanic was built at Belfast shipyard Harland and Wolff.

  • Humphrey - Old German, meaning ‘peaceful warrior’. Actor Humphrey Bogart is best known for his role in the film Casablanca.

  • Javier - Spanish, meaning ‘bright’. Actor Javier Bardem is known for his roles in No Country for Old Men and the James Bond movie Skyfall.

  • Luther - German, meaning ‘soldier of the people’. Famous Luthers include the German church reformer Martin Luther, US civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr and Luther Vandross, the multi-award-winning singer.

  • Neville - Old French, meaning ‘new village’. Famous Nevilles include former prime minister Neville Chamberlain and Harry Potter character Neville Longbottom.

  • Pierce - This charming name is popular for little boys, with Actor Pierce Brosnon giving it a cool charm.

  • Roland - Old German, meaning ‘renowned land’. Also puppet character Roland Rat.

Cute and unique baby boy names

It's understandable why you might want a cute sounding name for your baby boy, after all, they'll always be your baby! From shorter names to sweeter sounding monikers, here are some of the cutest yet unusual boy names.

  • Ace - Latin, meaning ‘unit’. Also used in English to mean ‘number one’ or ‘the best’.

  • Ziggy

  • Arlo - Spanish, meaning ‘barberry tree’. Can also be linked back to the Old English for ‘army of troops’. Unconventionally chosen by Leighton Meester and Adam Brody for their baby girl

  • Milo - This adorable name perfectly suits a tiny little baby. Even better, it has a meaning many little boys will be proud of: soldier.

  • Dex - This Latin name has a meaning of right-handed; fortunate and can be a short form of Dexter.

  • Jax - This English name is a shorter version of Jaxon and means God is gracious.

  • Luca - It has become somewhat of a celebrity favourite with stars such as Colin Firth, Hilary Duff, Rebecca Minkoff and Gabriel Macht naming their baby boys it.

  • Otis - German, meaning ‘wealth’. Singer Otis Redding was known for his song ‘Sittin’ on The Dock of the Bay’

  • Ronan - Gaelic, meaning ‘little seal’ and made famous by singer Ronan Keating from Boyzone.

  • Nico - Meaning Victory of the people, it's a name of Italian origin that can also be used for girls.

Unique and unusual celebrity baby boy names

Celebrities have been naming their children with unique and unusual names for years, so it's a good idea to look to famous babies for inspiration. We've listed just a few of our favourites to give you some ideas.

  • Mickey - Singer Sophie Ellis-Bexter and Richard Jones named their baby boy Mickey.

  • Leone Lucia - Italian blogger Chiara Ferragni and her husband rapper Fedez chose this name for their son.

  • Santiago Enrique - We love this unique name chosen by Eva Longoria and José Antonio “Pepe” Bastón

  • Hart - This is a very cute unusual name chosen by Miranda Kerr and Evan Spiegel for their son.

  • Ennio - Erin McNaught and Example chose this for their baby boy.

  • Lio - Footballer Steven Gerrard and Alex Curran named their baby boy this cute and unique name.

  • Ambrose - Ambrose is a boy’s name of Greek origin, meaning “immortal.” This lyrical moniker was well-known throughout Christendom and the medieval ages in Europe and is now making a come-back.

  • Orson - Orson is a unique male-given name of French and Latin origins, meaning "bear cub."

Unique Irish baby boy names

The category of Irish baby boy names is full of individual names straight out of Irish legends and folktales, with names derived and inspired by saints, warriors and kings of old.

  • Cael - Cael means 'slender', and in Irish mythology, Cael was a warrior and a member of Na Fianna.

  • Conlaoch - Means 'chief' or 'hero'. One of the earliest holders of the name was the son of Cuchulainn and Aoife. In Irish mythology 'Conlaoch’s Well' was the source of great inspiration and knowledge, as 'The Salmon of Knowledge' swam in its waters.

  • Cuan - Cuan means 'little wolf' or 'little hound'.

  • Feidhelm - From 'feidhil' which means 'beauty 'or 'ever good. Three kings of Munster bore the name, so it's certainly a name that can command respect.

  • Muiris - The name Muiris comes from 'muir', meaning 'sea', so the name is said to mean 'sea-warrior', or 'mariner'. It may also be related to the name Maurice.

  • Luan - Luan is an old Irish name meaning 'warrior', 'strong' and 'warlike'.

  • Lugh - Lugh was a Celtic Sun God, and father of Cú Chulainn. A variation of this name, is 'Lughaidh', pronounced like the French name 'Louis'.

  • Odhran - Seventeen saints have used the name Odhran, and 'Odhran, Abbot of Meath' was one of the 12 devotees who accompanied St. Columba to Iona. Another Odhran was the charioteer of St. Patrick.

  • Ruadhán - From 'Ruadh', meaning 'red' or 'red-haired'. Ruadhán is the name of an Irish saint, which can also be spelled Rowan. From an Irish name meaning 'one who aids or assists.'

  • Turlough - This name is related to Terence and Terry. Turlough O’Carolan was a 17th century blind harpist and composer who wrote one of the most haunting pieces of Irish music 'O’Carolan’s Concerto.'

Unusual nature boy names

As we all try our best to make more eco-friendly decisions, some parents are looking for names inspired by nature and the environment for their new arrival, and it's unsurprising after reading some of these names.

  • Ash - Inspired by the Ash tree.

  • Clay - This translates to 'the Earth'

  • Cosmo - This space themed name is very cool sounding

  • Forest - A lovely sounding name inspired by trees and woodland

  • Ocean - Ideal if you love the beach or live by the water

  • Moss - A stylish name inspired by the green plant that grows in most of our gardens

  • Reed - This name is from the tall grassy reeds you might find in ponds

  • Sage - A lovely short name inspired by the herb

  • Wolf - Inspired by the beautiful animal, you could even add an 'ie' to the end for a cuter sounding name

  • Rue - Meaning herb, this is a lovely short name and easy for them to spell

Unique Arabic boy names

  • Adnan

  • Abeer

  • Aadil

  • Amir

  • Camil

  • Dalil

  • Daler

  • Ejaz

  • Feroz

  • Galib

  • Haafiz

  • habib

  • Haider

  • Kaliph

  • Mahdi

More unique and rare boy names

Choosing the perfect name for your baby is an exciting yet challenging task for any parent. In a world where individuality and uniqueness are cherished, and just like the names below, many parents are seeking names that stand out from the crowd.

  • Axel

  • Grey

  • Jayden

  • Nakul

  • Dax

  • Lennon

  • Grayson

  • Yadid

  • Yosef

  • Xander

  • Wolfgang

  • Winfield

  • Wolter

  • Wassily

  • Werner

  • Thabo

  • Taras

  • Volker

  • Vaughan

  • Vito

  • Valia

  • Stamos

  • Sipho

  • Sire

  • Von

  • Walden

  • Warner

  • Virgil

  • Usher

  • Upton

  • Ulysses

  • Zaide

  • Zador

  • Yanis

  • Trevelyan

  • Tudor

  • Theophile

  • Ovid

  • Orange

  • Spike

  • Seymour

  • Severus

  • Ryu

  • Nimrod

  • Ptolemy

  • Rodrigo

  • Qabil

  • Pierson

  • Maverick

  • Macsen

  • Lathyn

  • Lasse

  • Knightley

  • Justin

  • Joweese

  • Jeriah

  • Jethro

  • Jarrell

  • Horace

  • Heathcliff

  • Geronimo

  • Faron

  • Exton

  • Enzo

  • Ephron

  • Emlyn

  • Edsel

  • Donato

  • Divakar

  • Deepak

  • Dashiell

  • Denham

  • Dante

  • Merlin

  • Beck

  • Barker

  • Ayers

  • Botolf

  • Birch

  • Nairn

  • Najee

  • Mordecai

  • Montana

  • Monte

  • Cappy

  • Canon

  • Aric

  • Ashok

  • Ari

  • Airyck

  • Aeneas

  • Adriel

  • Adolph

  • Admon

  • Kyree

  • Melchior

  • Laban

  • Ianto

  • Ichiro

  • Hezekiah

  • Ichabod

  • Caerwyn

  • Barzillai

  • Arnaldo

  • Arvind

  • Amias

  • Alessio

  • Wistan

  • Wardell

  • Wilber

  • Wiley

  • Wittan

  • Elgin

  • Alok

  • Alberic

  • Gaston

  • Fergus

  • Enoch

  • Cosimo

  • Xenon

  • Waverley

  • Rudolph

  • Thane

  • Harmon

  • Huxley

  • Orpheus

  • Kyllion

  • Bryden

  • Beckett

  • Art

  • Calhoun

  • Cagney

  • Zakhar

  • Philo

  • Jeremy

  • Kylo

  • Cleo

  • Thelonious

  • Tibor

  • Taurean

  • Ulrich

  • Udo

  • Ulf

  • Tyrell

  • Uri

  • Wilmot

  • Wheeler

  • Wendell

  • Waylon

  • Wallace

  • Walker

  • Waldemar

  • Vangelis

  • Uttam

  • Urho

  • Vidal

  • Uriel

  • Yair

  • Yerik

  • Xerxes

  • York

  • Yona

  • Yobachi

  • Zada

  • Ynyr

  • Wolfrom

  • Ville

  • Webster

  • Thor

  • Oswald

  • Orrick

  • Oleg

  • Prospero

  • Placido

  • Santino

  • Uberto

  • Stanford

  • Stellan

  • Stoney

  • Simba

  • Silvanus

  • Santiago

  • Roald

  • Salvador

  • Quinn

  • Quillan

  • Remington

  • Ringo

  • Primus

  • Phineas

  • Pax

  • Kenton

  • Keiji

  • Kemenes

  • Nephi

  • Nemo

  • Neo

  • Napoleon

  • Myron

  • Kenzo

  • Kafka

  • Merrill

  • Melbourne

  • Marek

  • Nova

  • Nolan

  • Norval

  • Moritz

  • Hubbell

  • Hobart

  • Hideo

  • Arlo

  • Destin

  • Dirk

  • Denzil

  • Caelan

  • Caillou

  • Burke

  • Brock

  • Brewster

  • Colden

  • Duke

  • Dryden

  • Boaz

  • Bowen

  • Dason

  • Corban

  • Baruch

  • Adelbert

  • Alcaeus

  • Adelard

  • Adonis

  • Ioannis

  • Adley

  • Eldred

  • Alford

  • Alden

  • Ares

  • Anderson

  • Demetrius

  • Enrico

  • Cadby

  • Crispin

  • Braulio

  • Bogumil

  • Cimarron

  • Bubba

  • Belarius

  • Baker

  • Asriel

  • Aslan

  • Aris

  • Arliss

  • Arlie

  • Balthazar

  • Arvel

  • Arcadio

  • Anatole

  • Androcles

  • Modesto

  • Japheth

  • Jarlath

  • Adlai

  • Adetokunbo

  • Windsor

  • Winton

  • Worcester

  • Vadim

  • Wilton

  • Antipas

  • Othello

  • Presley

  • Hart

  • Garfield

  • Ernest

  • Elton

  • Ultan

  • Wynn

  • Lalit

  • Garland

  • Eoghan

  • Devyn

  • Bannon

  • Zakiya

  • Galileo

  • Cedar

  • Bo

  • Penn

  • Winter

  • Felix

  • Harlan

  • Cain

  • Atticus

  • Ryder

  • Tieman

  • Tavares

  • Tarun

  • Tad

  • Taj

  • Tacitus

  • Taine

  • Stavros

  • Tyson

  • Valerio

  • Wyclef

  • Yitzak

  • Wyatt

  • Xadrian

  • Worth

  • Yaholo

  • Woodward

  • Yerodin

  • Verner

  • Wade

  • Varro

  • Varun

  • Valente

  • Zachariah

  • Yered

  • Yervant

  • Ward

  • Windell

  • Vittorio

  • Vitus

  • Watson

  • Vaclav

  • Yuuta

  • Quinlan

  • Sirius

  • Skipper

  • Soren

  • Solomon

  • Sherlock

  • Salil

  • Rye

  • Primo

  • Rockwell

  • Oz

  • Otten

  • Orion

  • Osaka

  • Mali

  • Laron

  • Kennison

  • Kent

  • Jurgen

  • Jarom

  • Janus

  • Hilario

  • Hodge

  • Gustave

  • Gunther

  • Granville

  • Gower

  • Gaspar

  • Fyfe

  • Forbes

  • Elam

  • Dayal

  • Dayton

  • Mortimer

  • Morpheus

  • Montgomery

  • Chauncey

  • Carmine

  • Canton

  • Cairo

  • Cade

  • Caedmon

  • Burl

  • Cullen

  • Covey

  • Croix

  • Corbett

  • Norwood

  • Newland

  • Michelangelo

  • Melton

  • Bradyn

  • Boden

  • Bishop

  • Bronwyn

  • Basil

  • Bond

  • Cicero

  • Berry

  • Benoit

  • Cabot

  • Benicio

  • Balwinder

  • Azuko

  • Atílio

  • Arkady

  • Arjun

  • Aramis

  • Amadeus

  • Amado

  • Alphaeus

  • Altair

  • Asante

  • Aurelien

  • Ace

  • Amo

  • Amir

  • Alaric

  • Aziel

  • Anders

  • Groves

  • Hideki

  • Herschel

  • Kit

  • Giacomo

  • Ebenezer

  • Gilbert

  • Damarion

  • Canute

  • Albus

  • Lazarus

  • Kobe

  • Laertes

  • Lachlan

  • Alois

  • Baron

  • Audie

  • Atlee

  • Agustin

  • Adin

  • Abel

  • Amasa

  • Broderick

  • Alwyn

  • Aleron

  • Achilles

  • Sakari

  • Wright

  • Sigmund

  • William

  • Wilkes

  • Norbert

  • Morton

  • Peyton

  • Javier

  • Jarrett

  • Case

  • Callahan

  • Elijah

  • Zeus

  • Zuma

  • Asher

  • Zarek

  • Zander

  • Yoloti

  • Reggie

  • Wolf

  • Jett

  • Zad

  • Yehuda

  • Yarden

  • Xannon

  • Tito

  • Tave

  • Storm

  • Steno

  • Vance

  • Valentine

  • Toshi

  • Yogi

  • Xavier

  • Woodrow

  • Ye

  • Yakiya

  • Weston

  • Vivek

  • Vladimir

  • Wirrin

  • Vester

  • Vernon

  • Vernell

  • Warwick

  • Vincent

  • Vibol

  • Tex

  • Udath

  • Ridley

  • Raz

  • Quinton

  • Pryor

  • Oran

  • Prince

  • Philemon

  • Petros

  • Pavel

  • Saber

  • Ruslan

  • Lars

  • Larkin

  • Mabon

  • Morrison

  • Moroccan

  • Montague

  • Monserrate

  • Morris

  • Kaleo

  • Proctor

  • Patten

  • Norton

  • Major

  • Nyoka

  • Nelson

  • Naphtali

  • Merrick

  • Merritt

  • Maximino

  • Fitzroy

  • Erasmo

  • Emanuel

  • Hamid

  • Eladio

  • Jamel

  • Gulliver

  • Kahekili

  • Calix

  • Calder

  • Caetano

  • Cadogan

  • Candido

  • Burgess

  • Cainan

  • Carson

  • Bosten

  • Bram

  • Arlan

  • Aram

  • Ardell

  • Ambrose

  • Anastasius

  • Alon

  • Deon

  • Ewald

  • Ellery

  • Wren

  • Elmer

  • Auberon

  • Astrophel

  • Atlas

  • Apostolos

  • Athanasios

  • Anacletus

  • Anakin

  • Ammon

  • Aldo

  • Aidric

  • Agathon

  • Algernon

  • Rigby

  • Elmo

  • Cyprian

  • Cassius

  • Champion

  • Bolívar

  • Whitman

  • Tonneau

  • Waldo

  • Werther

  • Kyros

  • Ignacio

  • Miro

  • Hyrum

  • Kofi

  • Honorius

  • Gideon

  • Iago

  • Reid

  • Aksel

  • Lorcan

  • Oleander

  • Memphis

  • Adyn

  • Bayre

  • Santo

  • Ryker

  • Alain

  • Versilius

  • Vijay

  • Uzi

  • Van

  • Zaid

  • Torin

  • Valdemar

  • Torquil

  • Ugo

  • Yuri

  • Zaire

  • Zain

  • Zafar

  • Zadok

  • Yahir

  • Yadon

  • Xeven

  • Xylander

  • Wasim

  • Washington

  • Wilson

  • Vikram

  • Wildon

  • Dash

  • Willis

  • Wilhelm

  • Yaal

  • Weldon

  • Rasmus

  • Quillon

  • Raven

  • Sagar

  • Rhodes

  • Shmuel

  • Saar

  • Tatanka

  • Tarian

  • Tavor

  • Talbot

  • Unwyn

  • Takashi

  • Tennessee

  • Syon

  • Tarek

  • Takoda

  • Melville

  • Kolby

  • Maddox

  • Normand

  • Jolyon

  • Jericho

  • Jefferson

  • Eneco

  • Errol

  • Elroy

  • Efrain

  • Hamlet

  • Hades

  • Emrys

  • Buck

  • Brice

  • Blas

  • Dabeel

  • Cowan

  • Coulter

  • Cordell

  • Columbus

  • Arrow

  • Aragorn

  • Bayo

  • Balin

  • Bayard

  • Baden

  • Baird

  • Chilton

  • Cato

  • Caesar

  • Amos

  • Americo

  • Amarion

  • Amachi

  • Norris

  • Merton

  • Jagger

  • Aldric

  • Faustino

  • Dedric

  • Dilbert

  • Cornelius

  • Diggory

  • Ciprian

  • Coty

  • Aleph

  • Aladdin

  • Yves

  • Acacio

  • Agamemnon

  • Abelard

  • Lonnie

  • Ajax

  • Afonso

  • Aeson

  • Aditya

  • Ace

  • Abner

  • Laszlo

  • Kojo

  • Ignatz

  • Adler

  • Igor

  • Iovianno

  • Arvo

  • Anselm

  • Arvid

  • Arild

  • Aristotle

  • Aloysius

  • Amador

  • Byron

  • Xanthus

  • Aberforth

  • Woodburn

  • Winthrop

  • Wilford

  • Willoughby

  • Nunzio

  • Elmore

  • Keeler

  • Gannon

  • Brogan

  • Kohana

Creating your own unique boy name

It's so much fun to get creative when it comes to choosing a unique and unusual name for your baby boy, so if there's a name you love, why not try adding your own unusual spin on it to create a truly unique name for your tot. For example, you could take a popular boys name like Jacob and really make it your own by changing letters to make it Jakob or even adding to it to create Jacobus.

Don’t worry if your due date is fast approaching and you still haven’t found a name that feels like the one. Head to our baby name generator where you’ll find thousands of names to fall in love with, from more traditional sounding names, to unique baby names from all around the world.

Lorna White is the Senior Digital Writer for Mother&Baby. After running the Yours magazine website, specialising in content about caring for kids and grandchildren, Lorna brought her expertise to Mother&Baby in 2020. She has a keen interest in a range of topics from potty training and nutrition to baby names and early development and has a wide range of experienced medical experts and professionals at her fingertips. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her two young sisters, dog walking and enjoying the outdoors with her family.

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