Cool Unique Unisex Names

The name of a river and several places in Northern Ireland, Clady comes from the Irish cladaigh meaning "rocky shore; muddy river banks." Also used as a surname, it feels reminiscent of Brady, Grady, and Clay.

Americans use Asani for their sons and daughters, but it originated as a Swahili masculine given name. With its bold meaning and popular -i ending, it appeals as a gender neutral name, given to 40 girls and 50 boys in a recent year.

Is there a more fitting choice for your unique and well, special little girl? For six sets of parents one recent year, the answer was no.

The capital of Kenya makes a melodic and worldly name.

Mako is a name used for both genders in Japan, most notably for the granddaughter of the emperor who chose to leave the Royal Family to marry a commoner. It's a simple name that translates easily to English-speaking cultures, though many will try to pronounce the first syllable with a long a. Mako also means "shark" in Maori, and is the name of two shark species.

One of the new literalist religious names, like Blessing, Heavenly and Neveah. More male than female, but essentially unisex.

Woody Allen named his second adopted daughter with Soon-Yi Previn Manzie Tio, after two jazz musicians he idolized: Manzie Johnson and Lorenzo Tio. Cute but not destined for widespread consumption, which undoubtedly pleases the iconoclastic Woody.

Painter is among the most creative choices in this very fashionable category of names, with a particularly pleasant sound. Whereas most occupational names conjure up physical labor, this one feels like a gateway to the arts.

Strong meaning, sweet but strong sound, fresh and earthy: a winner.

A truly gender-neutral surname name used equally between the sexes.

A unisex name with an appealing and nature inspired meaning, Kamari is currently more popular for boys in the US, though it is climbing the charts for girls too, after in entered the Top 1000 in 2019. Derived from the Arabic Qamar meaning "moon", it also appears as Kamaria is Swahili and Comorian.

Kazumi can be used both as a masculine and feminine name. It is related to names like Kazuko, Kazuo and Kazuki.

There were fewer than five babies of either sex named Pony in the US last year, but we do know there were two babies named Pony born to celebrities, both of them male. But there's nothing intrinsically male about the name Pony and it makes an adorable choice for any baby.

There are two lovely Portlands, in Maine and Oregon, but not many babies with their name.

Traditionally a West African boys' name, Khari is used quite often for girls in the U.S. as well, thanks to its similarity to the more familiar Carrie. Khari is one of the African names that easily bridges cultures.

A modern Hebrew name with a stellar meaning, Kochav is taken from the Hebrew word for star. In Jewish tradition, stars are symbolic of light that guides people through their lives and of the might of God. A familiar name in Israel but rare elsewhere, Kochav is a unisex name but more commonly given to boys.

Peace may be an admirable sentiment to convey in a child's name, but the translated and thus more subtle versions, like Pax or Placido, might work better as first names.

A zippy name of Sanskrit origin, Cahya is a unisex name used in Indonesia, particularly on the Island of Java. Derived from the element chāyā meaning "light, reflection, shadow", in Indonesian, it usually interpreted as meaning "light". Alternative forms include Cahaya, Cahyo, Cahyani, and Cahyono.

This somewhat snobby-sounding surname popped onto the name map when Mariel Hemingway used it for one of her daughters.

Iphis is a unisex ancient Greek name that appears a number of times throughout Greek mythology, as a King of Argos, one of the Argonauts, and a Thespian princess. Most notably, however, it features in Ovid's Metamorphoses, in the tale of Iphis and Ianthe.