8 standout rare Greek boy names
These names mix modern Greek usage and older Greek-rooted forms while staying outside the current U.S. mainstream.
Andreas
A long-established Greek form related to Andrew, recognizable but still outside the 2025 U.S. Top 1,000.
2025 U.S.: 154 births · #1,276Peak: 2006 · 221 births
Aris
A compact modern Greek name and short form used for longer Greek names, with low current U.S. use.
2025 U.S.: 144 births · #1,333Peak: 2025 · 144 births
Basil
A historic Greek-rooted classic with saintly and royal associations, now rare in U.S. births.
2025 U.S.: 74 births · #2,022Peak: 1924 · 281 births
Isidore
An ancient Greek-rooted name with a long religious and scholarly history, currently rare in the U.S.
2025 U.S.: 31 births · #3,607Peak: 1919 · 183 births
Petros
The Greek form of Peter, straightforward once introduced and extremely rare in current U.S. births.
2025 U.S.: 9 births · #8,746Peak: 2007 · 20 births
Stavros
A strongly Greek modern name with a clear cultural identity and very low U.S. use.
2025 U.S.: 17 births · #5,578Peak: 2007 · 35 births
Zeno
An ancient Greek name associated with several philosophers, short and exceptionally uncommon in modern U.S. use.
2025 U.S.: 53 births · #2,537Peak: 2024 · 58 births
Theodoros
The Greek form behind Theodore, strikingly rare in the U.S. compared with the extremely popular English form.
2025 U.S.: 29 births · #3,839Peak: 2024 · 29 births
24 rare Greek boy names
Modern Greek forms
Names used in modern Greek naming tradition that remain uncommon in current U.S. data.
Andreas
A long-established Greek form related to Andrew, recognizable but still outside the 2025 U.S. Top 1,000.
2025 U.S.: 154 births · #1,276Peak: 2006 · 221 births
Aris
A compact modern Greek name and short form used for longer Greek names, with low current U.S. use.
2025 U.S.: 144 births · #1,333Peak: 2025 · 144 births
Petros
The Greek form of Peter, straightforward once introduced and extremely rare in current U.S. births.
2025 U.S.: 9 births · #8,746Peak: 2007 · 20 births
Stavros
A strongly Greek modern name with a clear cultural identity and very low U.S. use.
2025 U.S.: 17 births · #5,578Peak: 2007 · 35 births
Alexios
A Greek form related to Alexius, familiar in structure but very rare in current U.S. data.
2025 U.S.: 22 births · #4,546Peak: 2019 · 37 births
Dimitrios
A modern Greek form related to Demetrius, with only a few dozen current U.S. births.
2025 U.S.: 33 births · #3,464Peak: 1976 · 76 births
Kostas
A Greek short form of Konstantinos, strongly cultural in feel and very rare in the U.S.
2025 U.S.: 7 births · #10,247Peak: 1974 · 17 births
Nikos
A Greek short form of Nikolaos, easy to say and still uncommon under the exact spelling shown.
2025 U.S.: 12 births · #7,076Peak: 2009 · 28 births
Theodoros
The Greek form behind Theodore, strikingly rare in the U.S. compared with the extremely popular English form.
2025 U.S.: 29 births · #3,839Peak: 2024 · 29 births
Yannis
A Greek form related to John, widely recognizable internationally but still rare in current U.S. birth data.
2025 U.S.: 27 births · #4,043Peak: 2022 · 43 births
Christos
A familiar Greek given name with clear cultural identity and low current U.S. use.
2025 U.S.: 33 births · #3,459Peak: 1979 · 67 births
Panagiotis
A distinctly Greek given name with long modern use in Greece and only a few dozen current U.S. births.
2025 U.S.: 22 births · #4,665Peak: 1983 · 41 births
Ancient Greek-rooted classics
Names with ancient linguistic or historical roots that still function as modern given names.
Basil
A historic Greek-rooted classic with saintly and royal associations, now rare in U.S. births.
2025 U.S.: 74 births · #2,022Peak: 1924 · 281 births
Cosmas
An ancient Greek and saintly name with only a handful of current U.S. births.
2025 U.S.: 7 births · #9,907Peak: 2022 · 11 births
Isidore
An ancient Greek-rooted name with a long religious and scholarly history, currently rare in the U.S.
2025 U.S.: 31 births · #3,607Peak: 1919 · 183 births
Leander
A Greek mythological name with an easy modern rhythm, outside the current U.S. Top 1,000.
2025 U.S.: 122 births · #1,463Peak: 2025 · 122 births
Lysander
An ancient Greek name known from history and literature, still uncommon despite growing familiarity.
2025 U.S.: 95 births · #1,719Peak: 2025 · 95 births
Theron
An ancient Greek-rooted name with a compact modern sound and only a small number of current U.S. births.
2025 U.S.: 55 births · #2,474Peak: 1966 · 180 births
Timon
An ancient Greek name known from literature and history, appearing only a handful of times in the 2025 U.S. file.
2025 U.S.: 5 births · #13,699Peak: 1995 · 19 births
Zeno
An ancient Greek name associated with several philosophers, short and exceptionally uncommon in modern U.S. use.
2025 U.S.: 53 births · #2,537Peak: 2024 · 58 births
Distinctive Greek choices
Especially uncommon forms for families who want a stronger Greek-language signal.
Zephyr
A Greek-rooted word-name associated with the west wind, stylistically modern but still outside the Top 1,000.
2025 U.S.: 169 births · #1,203Peak: 2022 · 195 births
Demetrios
A Greek form related to Demetrius, substantial in sound and extremely uncommon in current U.S. data.
2025 U.S.: 16 births · #5,669Peak: 1974 · 77 births
Athanasios
A traditional Greek form with strong historical and religious roots and very low U.S. usage.
2025 U.S.: 22 births · #4,557Peak: 1973 · 39 births
Kyriakos
A traditional Greek name with only a handful of published U.S. births in 2025.
2025 U.S.: 5 births · #13,102Peak: 1976 · 12 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.
Greek names are more than mythology
Apollo, Orion and Hector are familiar on mythological lists, but modern Greek naming also includes forms such as Andreas, Petros, Stavros, Nikos and Panagiotis. This page gives those living language forms their own space.
Modern Greek forms deserve to be named accurately
Theodoros is not a creative spelling of Theodore, and Petros is not a variant invented to look unusual. They are established Greek forms whose U.S. counts are tracked separately by exact spelling.
Greek-rooted does not always mean currently Greek
Some names traveled through Latin, English and other languages over centuries. We use “Greek” most confidently when a form is used in Greek or when the Greek origin is well established, and we avoid forcing a modern Greek label onto every classical name.
Popular mythological names are not automatically rare
Apollo, Orion, Hector and Leonidas all fit a Greek or ancient theme, but their current U.S. use is much higher than the rare choices on this page.
Sources for this guide
We use these references for popularity, language, origin or historical context. External sources open in a new tab.
Roscoe's pick
Zeno
Zeno is short, historic and unmistakably rooted in ancient Greek naming, while remaining genuinely rare in current U.S. use.
More names to explore
Questions parents ask
What are some rare Greek boy names?
Andreas, Aris, Basil, Isidore, Petros, Stavros, Zeno and Theodoros are established Greek or Greek-rooted choices that remain uncommon in current U.S. use.
How is this different from the mythological boy names page?
This page focuses on Greek language, modern Greek forms and Greek-rooted naming history. The mythological page is organized around figures and stories from myth and legend.
Are Apollo, Orion and Hector rare Greek boy names?
Not by the standard used here. They fit Greek or ancient themes but rank much higher in current U.S. data than the rare names on this page.
Does rare in the U.S. mean rare in Greece?
No. The numerical counts describe U.S. births only. A name can be familiar or traditional in Greece while remaining rare in the United States.