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Rare Boy Names

2847 rare boy names with meanings, U.S. popularity, and audio pronunciation on every page.

Looking for girl names instead? Rare Girl Names →

There is a small thrill in finding a boy name that has not been used up yet — one that has not appeared in a single baby announcement in your feed. Rare boy names deliver that, and the best of them do it without sounding made up. Cassian has a long, cinematic sweep to it; Iker is punchy and Basque and unmistakable; Boaz and Enoch come with centuries of history behind them and almost no competition on a modern roll call. Names like these give a boy something distinctive to grow into rather than something to share with two classmates.

A second cluster here is softer and more melodic, built on that flowing -iel and -ias ending that so many parents are drawn to right now. Jaziel, Eliel and Haziel all share that gentle three-beat rhythm, while Amias and Ozias feel warm and slightly old-world. For something short and unexpected, Ander is clean and easy anywhere in the world, and Kenai brings a wide-open, outdoorsy feel that very few names manage in two syllables.

Every name below opens to its full page — a sourced meaning, its U.S. popularity, and a clear audio pronunciation so you can hear it before you fall for it.

Rare Boy Names — Page 15

Waymond#14511 in the U.S.Waymond looks like a blend of Wayman, an English occupational surname for a wagon-driver, and R▶Yarnell#14542 in the U.S.Yarnell is a surname pressed into service as a first name. The surname is toponymic, drawn from▶AbusufyanAn Arabic name recalling Abu Sufyan, a prominent leader of Mecca in the Prophet Muhammad's time▶AdvaithramA Sanskrit compound of Advaita ('non-duality,' the Vedantic philosophy of oneness) and Ram (the▶AezraA modern respelling of Ezra, from the Hebrew ezra, 'help.' Ezra was a priest and scribe in the ▶AgnerA rare Scandinavian name, also known as a Danish surname; its exact roots are unsettled and it ▶AhdonisA modern respelling of Adonis, the beautiful youth loved by Aphrodite in Greek myth, whose name▶AimesA respelling of the surname Ames, from the Old French amis, 'friend.' A crisp one-beat surname-▶AktanFrom the Kyrgyz/Turkic, built on ak ('white; pure') and tan ('dawn') — read as 'white dawn' or ▶AlamirFrom the Arabic al-amir, 'the prince; the commander' (al-, 'the,' + amir, 'prince'). A regal na▶AlistorA respelling of Alastair/Alister, the Scottish/Gaelic form of Alexander, from the Greek 'defend▶AminuA Hausa/Arabic name from Amin, 'trustworthy; faithful; honest' — common in northern Nigeria. Ca▶AshbelA Hebrew biblical name, listed as a son of Benjamin in Genesis; its meaning is debated, various▶CamaziCamazi is a very rare modern coinage with no documented etymology. Its shape echoes the Cam- fa▶DecreeThe English word decree ('an official order; an authoritative decision'), used directly as a gi▶KaizoKaizo is a Japanese given name, historically used for boys, whose meaning depends on the kanji ▶KiyaleKiyale reads as a modern coinage, likely built for its melodic three-beat sound; no documented ▶KleonKleon (Cleon) is a Greek name from kleos, 'glory, renown.' It was borne by a well-known Athenia▶KnoxinKnoxin reads as a modern extension of Knox (an English/Scottish surname, 'round hill') with an ▶KoverKover reads as a modern coinage - a K-styled echo of the English word 'cover' or the surname Ko▶KromeKrome is a K-respelling of the word 'chrome' (from Greek chroma, 'color'), used as a sleek mode▶KyoriKyori reads as a modern coinage, melodic and vowel-rich; it may echo Japanese-sounding syllable▶KyyearKyyear reads as a modern coinage with a distinctive doubled-y spelling, echoing Zaire and the K▶KyzhirKyzhir reads as a modern coinage in the Ky- family, using a stylish zh spelling; it has no docu▶KyzireKyzire reads as a modern coinage in the Ky- family, echoing Zaire and Kyzir; it has no document▶KyzynKyzyn reads as a modern coinage in the Ky- family with an all-y spelling; it has no documented ▶LaiosLaios is the Greek form of Laius, the mythic king of Thebes and father of Oedipus - noted hones▶LenzoLenzo reads as a short, Italian-flavored form of Lorenzo (from the Latin Laurentius, 'from Laur▶LeonnLeonn reads as a modern respelling of Leon, from the Greek leon, 'lion' - noted honestly. The d▶LevijamesLevijames is a modern compound joining two names into one: Levi (Hebrew, 'joined, attached') an▶LioranLioran reads as a modern Hebrew-styled coinage, echoing Lior ('my light') and Liron ('my song')▶LowanLowan reads as a modern coinage, soft and open, perhaps echoing Rowan or Logan; it has no docum▶LucasjamesLucasjames is a modern compound joining two names into one: Lucas (from the Latin Lucius, 'ligh▶LucasmatthewLucasmatthew is a modern compound joining two names into one: Lucas (from the Latin Lucius, 'li▶LuciannoLucianno is a double-n spelling of the Italian Luciano, from the Latin Lucius, 'light' - noted ▶LurielLuriel reads as a modern coinage in the Hebrew '-el' (God) mold, echoing angelic names like Uri▶LuxtynLuxtyn reads as a modern coinage joining 'lux' (Latin, 'light') with a fashionable -tyn ending ▶MaceyonMaceyon reads as a modern coinage echoing Macey and Mason, with an -yon ending for flair; it ha▶MahbirMahbir reads as a Sikh/Punjabi name echoing Mahavir - from Sanskrit maha ('great') and vir ('wa▶MahedMahed reads as an Arabic-flavored name, echoing roots like mahd ('cradle; place') or Mahdi ('ri▶MahlilMahlil reads as a respelling echoing Khalil, the Arabic name for 'friend; close companion'; the▶MasiasMasias reads as a name echoing Matias (a form of Matthew, 'gift of God') and, in sound, Messiah▶MatheisMatheis reads as a German-styled form of Matthias, from the Hebrew Mattityahu, 'gift of God' - ▶MayzenMayzen has no documented etymology. It is a fresh coinage in the current wave of boys' names en▶MyhirMyhir is a rare modern spelling that stands very close to Mihir, a Sanskrit-derived Indian name▶ToxeyA rare Southern U.S. surname carried into given-name use; its deeper origin is not well documen▶ZohranZohran is a rare name whose sound sits close to Persian and Arabic-influenced names such as Zoh▶

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Frequently Asked

What are rare boy names?

Boy names given to only a handful of American babies a year, well outside the popular rankings — examples include Ozias, Asaiah and Truce.

Are rare boy names harder to spell?

Some are, but plenty are not. Boaz, Iker and Ander are all short and phonetic, so they stay rare without becoming a lifelong spelling lesson.

What is a rare boy name that still sounds classic?

Look at the older biblical and historic entries such as Enoch and Cassian. They feel established and familiar in tone while remaining genuinely uncommon today.