Names to add to your shortlist
Aloysius
Far from today’s mainstream, it gives the shortlist a different sound from today’s most common choices.
2025 U.S.: 20 births · #4,864Peak: 1916 · 199 births
Barnaby
Barnaby had just 5 published U.S. births in 2025 at #12,273, putting this exact spelling deep into rare-name territory.
2025 U.S.: 5 births · #12,273Peak: 1974 · 19 births
Basil
Basil has a much stronger historical footprint than its current use: 281 births at its 1924 peak versus 74 in 2025.
2025 U.S.: 74 births · #2,022Peak: 1924 · 281 births
Bertram
Bertram has a much stronger historical footprint than its current use: 228 births at its 1923 peak versus 9 in 2025.
2025 U.S.: 9 births · #8,353Peak: 1923 · 228 births
Cecil
Cecil has a much stronger historical footprint than its current use: 2,459 births at its 1920 peak versus 119 in 2025.
2025 U.S.: 119 births · #1,486Peak: 1920 · 2,459 births
Clive
Clive recorded 57 U.S. births in 2025 at #2,398, keeping this exact spelling well beyond the most-used 1,000 boy names.
2025 U.S.: 57 births · #2,398Peak: 2016 · 85 births
Cornelius
Cornelius recorded 82 U.S. births in 2025 at #1,908, keeping this exact spelling well beyond the most-used 1,000 boy names.
2025 U.S.: 82 births · #1,908Peak: 1974 · 486 births
Crispin
Crispin had just 17 published U.S. births in 2025 at #5,432, putting this exact spelling deep into rare-name territory.
2025 U.S.: 17 births · #5,432Peak: 2007 · 39 births
Ephraim
Ephraim recorded 231 U.S. births in 2025 at #988; it is distinctive, although not among the statistically rarest choices on the site.
2025 U.S.: 231 births · #988Peak: 2017 · 260 births
Ernest
Ernest has a much stronger historical footprint than its current use: 5,697 births at its 1921 peak versus 213 in 2025.
2025 U.S.: 213 births · #1,040Peak: 1921 · 5,697 births
Eugene
Eugene has a much stronger historical footprint than its current use: 9,742 births at its 1927 peak versus 249 in 2025.
2025 U.S.: 249 births · #943Peak: 1927 · 9,742 births
Fergus
An overlooked choice with history, it stands apart without asking for a creative spelling.
2025 U.S.: 19 births · #5,092Peak: 2024 · 24 births
Gilbert
Gilbert has a much stronger historical footprint than its current use: 2,119 births at its 1930 peak versus 145 in 2025.
2025 U.S.: 145 births · #1,330Peak: 1930 · 2,119 births
Horace
Old-fashioned in an interesting way, it gives the shortlist a different sound from today’s most common choices.
2025 U.S.: 14 births · #6,245Peak: 1921 · 1,313 births
Irving
Recognizable but rarely heard on babies, it gives the shortlist a different sound from today’s most common choices.
2025 U.S.: 90 births · #1,783Peak: 1918 · 1,533 births
Isidore
Isidore has a much stronger historical footprint than its current use: 183 births at its 1919 peak versus 31 in 2025.
2025 U.S.: 31 births · #3,607Peak: 1919 · 183 births
Luther
Luther has a much stronger historical footprint than its current use: 1,477 births at its 1922 peak versus 122 in 2025.
2025 U.S.: 122 births · #1,464Peak: 1922 · 1,477 births
Merritt
Old-fashioned in an interesting way, it has a clear rhythm that is easy to remember.
2025 U.S.: 117 births · #1,505Peak: 1924 · 121 births
Montgomery
Montgomery reached its highest published U.S. count in 2025 with 241 births, so this uncommon spelling is currently at a historical high.
2025 U.S.: 241 births · #962Peak: 2025 · 241 births
Nigel
Nigel recorded 71 U.S. births in 2025 at #2,088, keeping this exact spelling well beyond the most-used 1,000 boy names.
2025 U.S.: 71 births · #2,088Peak: 1994 · 448 births
Oswald
Oswald recorded 67 U.S. births in 2025 at #2,161, keeping this exact spelling well beyond the most-used 1,000 boy names.
2025 U.S.: 67 births · #2,161Peak: 1916 · 107 births
Percival
Percival reached its highest published U.S. count in 2025 with 113 births, so this uncommon spelling is currently at a historical high.
2025 U.S.: 113 births · #1,536Peak: 2025 · 113 births
Phineas
Phineas recorded 105 U.S. births in 2025 at #1,616, keeping this exact spelling well beyond the most-used 1,000 boy names.
2025 U.S.: 105 births · #1,616Peak: 2016 · 142 births
Rafferty
An overlooked choice with history, it feels intentional rather than unusual for the sake of being unusual.
2025 U.S.: 14 births · #6,360Peak: 2024 · 19 births
Reginald
Reginald recorded 153 U.S. births in 2025 at #1,284, keeping this exact spelling well beyond the most-used 1,000 boy names.
2025 U.S.: 153 births · #1,284Peak: 1962 · 2,647 births
Roderick
Roderick recorded 93 U.S. births in 2025 at #1,752, keeping this exact spelling well beyond the most-used 1,000 boy names.
2025 U.S.: 93 births · #1,752Peak: 1971 · 1,057 births
Rupert
Rupert has a much stronger historical footprint than its current use: 156 births at its 1920 peak versus 29 in 2025.
2025 U.S.: 29 births · #3,831Peak: 1920 · 156 births
Thaddeus
Thaddeus recorded 314 U.S. births in 2025 at #798; it is distinctive, although not among the statistically rarest choices on the site.
2025 U.S.: 314 births · #798Peak: 2016 · 416 births
Wilfred
Wilfred has a much stronger historical footprint than its current use: 802 births at its 1920 peak versus 29 in 2025.
2025 U.S.: 29 births · #3,844Peak: 1920 · 802 births
Winston
Winston recorded 830 U.S. births in 2025 at #382; it is distinctive, although not among the statistically rarest choices on the site.
2025 U.S.: 830 births · #382Peak: 2019 · 860 births
The data line uses the exact spelling shown. “No published 2025 count” can mean the spelling had zero births or fewer than five, because SSA does not publish counts below five.
Unpopular does not mean bad
Searchers often use “unpopular” when they really mean “not widely used.” Many names on this page were much more familiar in earlier generations and simply fell out of fashion.
Old familiarity can make rarity easier
A name such as Ernest or Eugene may be uncommon for babies while still being instantly recognizable to most adults. That can offer a different kind of rarity from a brand-new word name.
Look at family history
An overlooked name can become much more appealing when it belongs to a grandparent, relative or cultural tradition. Personal meaning can outweigh the current chart position.
Roscoe's pick
Rufus
Rufus has deep historical use and a friendly sound, yet it is far from common among babies today.
More names to explore
Questions parents ask
Are less-popular boy names always statistically rare?
Not necessarily. Style and measurable popularity are different. Each name card shows the exact-spelling 2025 U.S. count when the Social Security Administration published one.
Does a missing 2025 count mean nobody used the name?
No. The national public file omits names recorded fewer than five times for a sex in a year, so a missing count can mean zero or one to four births.
Should I avoid a name if it is rising?
Not necessarily. Popularity is only one part of choosing a name. Sound, family meaning, cultural fit and how the full name works matter more than chasing the lowest possible rank.
Will the same name be equally rare outside the United States?
No. Popularity varies by country, region, language and community. The figures on this site describe U.S. national data unless a page says otherwise.