Most categories of unusual names seem better suited to boys than girls – nature names and muscial terms, for example.  But lately we’ve been thinking about a few possibilities from architecture and building terminology – and they’re all best suited for sons.

Don’t fret. We’re not about to suggest Gargoyle or Gingerbread. But you might want to consider a handful of terms that could make for interesting, masculine choices. First up? Arch. We’re a fan of Archer, and rather like the wayback vibe of the nickname Archie, too. But for parents seeking something simple and stripped down, Arch has serious appeal. In architecture, an arch is one of the earliest means to bear weight in large-scale structures, and they come in more than a dozen types. Of course, there’s also archbishop, arch-enemy and the arch of one’s foot. Nonetheless, the once common name Archibald (circa 1890, a Top 300 choice in the US, and Cary Grant’s birth name) keeps Arch squarely in the safe-for-given-names category. In fact, Arch ranked as high as #199 in 1880; it has not appeared in the Top 1000 since 1928.

We’re less confident in this next selection, but with two-syllable names remaining all the rage for boys, Dormer might appeal to some. The resemblance to dormitory and the French word for sleeping – think Frere Jacques, where we ask Dormez-vous? – are strikes against it. Still, Carter stands at #75 and Tanner at #142. A dormer, of course, is placed in a sloping roof to add headroom and, usually, a window. Dormer has never appeared in the Top 1000.

Our personal favorite in this category – the name that sparked the Google searches, actually – is Gable. Yes, there’s Clark Gable – the inspiration for Kevin Nealon and his wife choosing Gable for their son, Gable Ness. But in architecure, a gable is the triangular portion of the wall between the sloped edges of a roof. It’s a rather neutral reference, which makes it an easy noun to transition to a child’s name. Plus it shortens to the user-friendly Gabe. For us, Gable has it all: it’s a noun, it’s a surname, it’s the rare Hollywood choice that works for boys, plus it has never been in the Top 1000 in the US.

It must be said, the charming Pierce Brosnan aside, we at ApMtn find Pierce a rather pretentious choice for a child. But Pier – a walkway over water, the Dutch form of Peter and, in architecture, an upright support for a bridge or arch – has a simple, fresh charm that we think works well for a child.  Pier has never been in the Top 1000 in the US.

So whether you build houses for a living or just live in one, we submit these four interesting names for your consideration.