One-of-a-Kind Names for Boys

The only boy in the Brontë family; the name has a lonely Wuthering Heights/Jane Eyre feel.

A definite improvement over the English Humbert, Umberto has nevertheless been rarely heard outside the Italian community.

If you find Grover too fusty and furry, this is a much cooler-sounding alternative.

The bell-shaped flower Aletris is also known as Colic Root, Blazing Star, Unicorn Root, and Stargrass. Its roots have medicinal properties and are used to aid digestive and muscle problems. Its name derives from Greek aletris — an enslaved woman who ground corn — because of the mealy texture of the flowers.

The name of an ancient Irish saint is in the contemporary Irish Top 50. While it's one of the rare Irish names for boys that hasn't immigrated to the U.S., it may follow brothers Aidan and Declan to our shores. The t is not pronounced.

Puck was Shakespeare's mischievous pixie who'a had a few television incarnations in more recent years. A popular name in The Netherlands but nowhere else, from what we can tell.

Originally a surname deriving from the Roman twin Romulus, this attractive name was introduced to the English-speaking world by painter Augustus John who used it for his son. Romilly John became Admiral of the Fleet in England. Now used for both sexes but highly unusual for either, Romilly was given to a dozen girls in the US last year and no boys.

Laid-back and humble, with a distinctive down-home charm.

Equally strong, dramatic and romantic, this name of an old kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula and a modern Spanish community as well, would give a boy an instant pedigree.

Stiff and formal surname. Try Roone instead.

An everyday name in France, a charismatic possibility here.

Ugo is very common in Italy, but here it might call to mind that little Yugoslavian car.

Great Irish middle name choice for Shakespeare lovers.

Well used in Russia, this is a distinctive and undiscovered choice here. Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov is the fictional protagonist of Crime and Punishment by Feodor Dostoyevsky.

Animal names are booming, but this is one that's never been used — although Boaz, which means "ox" in Hebrew, is starting to see more use. With its connotations of strength, teamwork and perseverance, and cool X sound, well, why not? It would work especially well for a child born in the Chinese Year of the Ox (February 2021-January 2022). If you need a longer version an obvious option is Oxford, but there's also Oxley, Oxton, or a slightly different sound like Oakley or Oswald.

This may be a bit quirky to make it as a name, especially in first place. If you love it, you might try it in the middle.

A handsome, spruced-up post-Bruce tree name.

It may be a longshot – especially since it was given to less than 5 boys in the US in 2021 – but Piran could conceivably be a future Kieran, which is shaping up to being the next Kevin. Piran is the patron saint of miners and of Cornwall.

Though it looks, to the untrained American eye, like a yoonek spelling of Jordy, Geordie actually refers to people from Tyneside in Northeast England and the local dialect there. To give you a sense of what it implies to Brits, Geordie Shore is British MTV's long-running answer to Jersey Shore.

Drummer entered the baby name lexicon thanks to blogger No Big Dill, who chose it for her newborn son, who joins five older sisters. Drummer is right in step with other occupational names in vogue now, from Archer to Gardener. Let's just hope Drummer doesn't prefer to play the piano.