Best Unique Boy Names: Under 50 Births

Nicolo is a more lively variation of Nicholas and one of the most attractive Italian names for boys. A name with a long, distinguished Italian history of its own, it also boasts the charming nickname Nico.

Aleph came into the spotlight when chosen by Israel-born Natalie Portman for her son. Alef is a more common spelling of these related Hebrew baby names.

Rafa is an adorable short form introduced to the world by actors Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale, who used the name for their second son. Rafael is the Latin cognate of the Hebrew boys' name Raphael, but you don't need to be a Rafael to be a Rafa.

A family of lawyers might be interested in this surname as a tribute to famed defense attorney Clarence Darrow.

In France, pronounced PRO-spare, Prosper is a fairly common name; here it presents a worthy aspirational message for a child.

Like River and Lake, a cool, refreshing modern water-related choice.

Poetic and easier to pronounce (it's keets) than Yeats (which is yates). This one of many poets' names to consider, such as Auden, Eliot, Frost, Byron, Lorca, Marlowe, Blake, Emerson and Tennyson, which was used by Russell Crowe.

A common surname often used as a first among the Amish.

Loose, lean, and lanky cowboy-sounding names have become a recent trend, but how about the name of a real one--the Singing Cowboy Gene. Autry might be thought of as a masculine spin on the fashionable Audrey or a fresher version of Austin or Auden.

Some other cowboy surnames from the Golden Age of movie and TV westerns: Boone, Boyd, Cody, Corrigan, Gibson, Hart, Holt, Houston, McCoy and Renaldo.

Has a sharp investigative quality that's not a bad thing to impart to a child.

An alternative transcription of Tzvi, the latter of which is a Top 100 pick in Israel. It's a cool, sharp-sounding micro name which would make for a great distinctive alternative to Levi.

If you discount the connection to the controversial Whittaker Chambers in the days of the Red Scare, Whittaker is a pleasant enough British surname with the preppyish nickname Whit.

Tycho and Tychon are Greek names with modern variations such as the Danish Tyge, the Swedish Tyko, and the Dutch Tygo that are popular throughout modern Europe. Tycho was the name of a Greek saint and a Danish astronomer.

A welcoming name that seems to say "hello".

Popular Japanese name that also belongs to one of the most prestigious literary awards in Japan, the Naoki Prize.

A dashing French surname name most famously borne by Henry David Thoreau, an American naturalist, writer and philosopher who influenced such notable figures as Leo Tolstoy, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr. The most common modern American pronunciation is "thor-OH", with emphasis on the final syllable, although Thoreau himself pronounced it "THOR-oh".

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

There is a whole new species of bird names open to the baby namer, from the light and feminine Lark to the sleek and powerful Falcon.

Commonly used Japanese name -- and not only for a second son.

A straightforward, down-to-earth nickname many Walters, from Whitman to Disney, have chosen to go by.