When choosing a unique name for your special bundle, it’s important to think outside the box! These exotic boy names often conjure images of mystery, beauty, and rarity. So why not delve into a multicultural world of incredible exotic male names to get inspiration? After all, they are precious, so why wouldn’t you want the best exotic names?
We left no stone unturned in our quest to bring you the most comprehensive list of exotic names for boys so that you can give your little guy the best start in life.
125 Badass Exotic Names for Boys
Why give your kid a middle-of-the-road title when you can pick something from our comprehensive list of exotic names for boys.
- Adeben – from Ghana, meaning “twelfth son,” so if you have 12 kids, you know what to do!
- Adomas – meaning “earth,” Adomas is an excellent alternative to Adam that will get people talking.
- Adonis – only the most attractive boys can have this name, meaning “handsome” in Greek.
- Akio – many exotic-sounding names come from different cultures; Akio means “bright man” in Japanese.
- Altair – means “bird” in Arabic and is the twelfth brightest star.
- Alvis – from Old Norse, meaning “all wise” and a dwarf turned to stone by Thor.
- Anders – a badass Scandinavian name meaning “manly or warrior.”
- Antonio – the Spanish version of Anthony, meaning “worthy of praise” – one of the more exotic names for boys.
- Arjun – an Indian word meaning “bright and light,” Arjun was a legendary warrior in Hindu mythology.
- Asher – ranked in the top 50 boys’ names in 2019, meaning “happy and blessed.”
- Atticus – a remarkable character in the classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, meaning “from Atticus.”
- Axil – means “father of peace” in Hebrew and is the Guns ‘N’ Roses frontman, Axl Rose.
- Azaire – of French origin, meaning “God has helped,” Azaire is popular in French-speaking quarters like Quebec.
- Azrael – a dark name, Azrael is seen as good and evil in equal measure as the “angel of death.”
- Bacchus – the Roman god of theatre and grape harvest, Bacchus is an unusual name for your child.
- Beauden – a modern name from New Zealand meaning “beautiful,” popularized by rugby star Beauden Barrett.
- Belvedere – means “beautiful view” in Italian and is part of a building’s design to enhance the vista.
- Boden – a Scandinavian name meaning “sheltered,” Boden can be shortebed to Bodie.
- Booker – “a maker of books” and quietly exotic in a nerdy way.
- Bran – short, snappy, and ultra-trendy; Bran means “raven.”
- Brien – an alternative spelling of Brian meaning “noble,” and can be pronounced “bri-en” for added flair.
- Calisto – of Spanish origin, meaning “most beautiful,” Calisto is extremely rare.
- Cathal – means “ruler of the battle” in Irish, one of the most exotic boy names.
- Chi – is the “spiritual core” inside us all, an ethereal foreign name.
- Cowel – from the Manx language of the Channel Islands, meaning “joint pledge.”
- Dante – a fancy Italian boy’s name meaning “enduring,” and a celebrated writer from 13th-century Florence.
- D’Artagnan – the most famous of the Three Musketeers, D’Artagnan means “from Artagnan.”
- Dechen – from Tibetan meaning “great happiness,” Dechen is also a cool unisex name.
- Deshal – means “nation” in Hindi and can be used as a girl’s name.
- Devon – from the pretty county in England, it has a soft sound for your gentle child.
- Ebrima – from Gambia, meaning “father of many,” and is a derivative of Abraham.
- Elias – popular in Europe, meaning “the Lord is my God,” from the Hebrew male name Elijah.
- Elijah – from the Hebrew word meaning “Jehovah is my God” and a movie star, Elijah Wood.
- Ellis – is part of the same name group as Elias and Elijah, with the same Hebrew meaning.
- Emile – from the French meaning “rival,” Emile can also mean “excellent” in different cultures.
- Ephraim – pronounced “Eff-ram,” this ancient name means “fruitful” in Hebrew.
- Ethan – with religious undertones, Ethan is a biblical boy’s name meaning “gift of the island.”
- Evander – in Greek, it means “good of man,” and in Old Norse/Scottish, it means “bow warrior.”
- Ezekiel – has a powerful biblical ring; Ezekiel is striking as exotic male names go meaning “God strengthens.”
- Fabien/Fabian – of French or Germanic origin, meaning “bean.”
- Faustus – from the play Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe in 1602, it translates as “good luck.”
- Felipe/Felippe – meaning “friends of horses,” Felipe is also a favorite of Spanish nobility.
- Firdaus – of Arabic origin, Firdaus means “paradise” and is an excellent unisex ethnic name.
- Florian – meaning “flower” in Germanic, very few names have the same bohemian feel.
- Francesco – one of Italy’s most popular exotic boy names, meaning “free man.”
- Fujin – “wind spirit” is a cool meaning for this name and conjures images of a free spirit.
- Gallus – sounds grand, but it means “rooster” in Roman.
- Garnet – another gem in an eclectic mix of names and the birthstone of January.
- Girish – which kid wouldn’t want to be “lord of the mountain” and a Hindu god?
- Gracian – originates from an ancient language spoken in France, Spain, and Italy, meaning “grace.”
- Guillermo – means “determined protector” and is the name of celebrated writer and director Guillermo Del Torro.
- Harrolin – a great alternative to Harry, this exciting name means “army leader.”
- Hugh – meaning “mind, spirit, and heart,” Hugh sounds rather dull but has a deeper meaning.
- Idris – meaning “helper,” Idris is one of the most unique exotic boy names on the list.
- Ignatius – often shortened to Iggy, Ignatius derives from the Latin “ignis,” meaning “fire.”
- Indigo – a unisex name from the color and popular with celebrities like Lou Diamond Phillips.
- Innes – a popular name in Scotland, meaning “one strength.”
- Isander – features in Homer’s Greek poem The Iliad and translates as “equal of the man.”
- Ivan – offering strong eastern European influences; Ivan is derived from John and is popular in Belarus.
- Ives – Old English is so descriptive, like this exotic word meaning “yew.”
- Jabari – if your little lion has heart, consider the Swahili name Jabari, meaning “brave.”
- Joaquin – means “God will judge” in Hebrew, and the most famous bearer is Joaquin Phoenix.
- Jothi – if your boy is a ray of light, consider Jothi, meaning “light.”
- Kai – is of Chinese origin, meaning “triumphant music” and means “sea” in Hawaiian.
- Kaleb – from the Hebrew meaning “wholehearted,” Kaleb has a distinctly religious feel.
- Kalei – is a unisex Hawaiian name meaning “the flowers,” which sounds similar to Keighley, Callie, and Kaylei.
- Killian/Cillian – an Irish male name meaning “bright-minded;” famous actor Cillian Murphy stars in Peaky Blinders.
- Kofi – a Ghanaian name, perfect if your boy was “born on a Friday.”
- Lars – very popular in Sweden, meaning “crowned with laurel,” but largely unused in the U.S.
- Lazar – is an eastern European variant of Lazarus, meaning “my God has helped.”
- Leon – meaning “lion,” Leon is a favorite among Europeans, and it may gain popularity in the U.S..
- Lokua – a Hawaiian boy’s name meaning “God is salvation,” Lokua is a derivative of Joshua.
- Luca – of Italian descent, meaning “bringer of light,” Luca sounds more exotic than Luke and Lucas.
- Malachi – similar to Malik, Malachi means “my messenger” and oozes exotic appeal.
- Malik – means “wave” and is sometimes spelled Malick.
- Marco – from “Mars,” Marc/Mark seems more exotic by sticking an “o” on the end.
- Matthias – meaning “God’s gift,” February 24th is the official Matthias Day.
- Mikel – the Basque version of Michael, meaning “God-like,” Mikel sounds a lot more exotic.
- Mo – a shortened version of Mohammed meaning “praiseworthy,” a popular name for a Saudi Prince.
- Mohan – a modern Indian name meaning “infatuating and charming,” and can be shortened to Mo.
- Nevan – means “little saint” in Irish and is a badass name beginning with N for a guy.
- Osten – meaning “island of stone,” consider this apt Swedish boy’s name for your bundle of joy.
- Pavel – for something with an eastern European flavor, try Pavel, meaning “humble.”
- Peregrine – once a common name in British upper-class circles that meant “foreign,” but is old-fashioned now.
- Phileas – is ideal for a nomadic child meaning “friend” and a fictional Victorian adventurer Phileas Fogg.
- Phineas – from Hebrew, with an unknown meaning, but can be shortened to Phin (pronounced Finn).
- Phoenix – as exotic boy names go, Phoenix is notable on the list and represents “rebirth.”
- Rafael/Raphael – means “God heals,” belonging to Rafael Nadal, the extraordinary tennis player.
- Ramzan – from the Chechen language meaning “parched,” this biracial translation comes from Ramadan.
- Rasul – if you think your boy is a “messenger,” Rasul fits the bill perfectly.
- Raul – the coolest meaning of “wolf’s counsel,” Raul has been popular since the early 19th-century.
- Razmus – such a cool name; this non-American title means “beloved,” with Raz as the short version.
- Roark – is from Old English, meaning “rainstorm,” and of Irish origin.
- Rocco – a short and catchy name meaning “sleepy.”
- Rocky – a punchy derivative of Rocco and the legendary Rocky Balboa “The Italian Stallion.”
- Romeo – means “pilgrim of Rome,” from Shakespeare’s classic tale, and one of the Beckham kids.
- Roux – positively drips French chic and is apt if your baby boy has a mop of “red” hair.
- Reuben – sometimes spelled without the “e” and a popular name in Europe, meaning “behold, a son.”
- Rusty – from the Latin Russus, meaning “red.”
- Santiago – referring to Saint James, Santiago is popular in Spain and Spanish-speaking regions.
- Sergio – of Italian and Spanish origin, Sergio means “servant.”
- Sloane – possibly unisex, an upper-class name associated with London’s Sloane Square.
- Solomon – if your child is calm, Solomon is a unique choice, meaning “peace.”
- Somerled – of Scottish origin, pronounced “so-mer-lee,” meaning “summer traveler.”
- Tafari – if your child “inspires awe,” Tafari is a unique name of Amharic (Ethiopian) origin.
- Tane – fancy something slightly more uncommon, then try this Maori name meaning “man.”
- Tao – meaning “lion,” the popularity of this name is mixed outside of Southern Africa.
- Taranis – from Teran, the Celtic word for “thunder,” sends a powerful message as a boy’s name.
- Taro – from the Japanese tropical plant, meaning “big son.”
- Teagan – a derivative of Teague and the Welsh, Tegan, meaning “pretty and fair.”
- Teague – of Irish descent, Teague means “poet,” although it’s uncommon in Ireland.
- Titian – is exotic to the extreme; Titian was an Italian painter who loved the “color red.”
- Tomi – another Old Norse word for “thunder,” regularly used as a nickname.
- Ulrik – a little-used name meaning “power of the wolf;” the female version Ulrika is more common.
- Umberto – an Italian word meaning “color of earth,” Umberto can be shortened to Bert and Bertie.
- Varda – while it is a unisex name, Varda, meaning “rose,” is more likely to suit girls.
- Wayan – means “firstborn,” Wayan is from Bali, where kids are named in birth order.
- Wynfor – means “fair, white, or blessed” in Welsh and is the perfect name for kids with light skin.
- Xavier – a cool name because the “x” is pronounced as “z,” meaning “new house” in Spanish.
- Yakob – a unique variation of Jacob and James, meaning “supplanter” in Hebrew.
- Zack/Zac/Zachary – means “the Lord has remembered” in Hebrew and is popular in the States.
- Zane – a fantastic alternative to John, Zane has a modern ring, meaning “God is gracious.”
- Zavier – from the Basque region of Spain, meaning “new house,” Zavier is pronounced, “sha-byer.”
- Zenon – derived from the Greek god Zeus, meaning “great thinker.”
- Zephyr – in Greek, Zephyr means “west wind” and is one of the most unusual exotic male names.
