Girl Names Lists · Cool Baby Names · Unisex Baby Names
Boy Names for Girls
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About this list
Some of the coolest baby girl names are not originally girls' names at all, but boys' names -- many of which have officially become unisex names.
We're seeing more and more formerly 100% boy names being used for girls, from nicknames like Sam and Charlie (now 50-50 by gender!), to occupational names or surnames such as Sawyer or McKinley to formerly masculine names such as Quincy and Jude that have become truly unisex.
Celebrity parents Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds broke the gender barrier in a new way when they named their daughter James. Many parents followed suit, sometimes using James as a middle name.
The trendy Arlo is one boy name that's moving to the girls' side. Australian actress Asher Keddie is proof that Asher might be a good alternative to the dated Ashley. Ezra and Noah are Biblical names that are increasingly being used for girls as well as boys. And in Israel, Daniel is a Top 100 name...for girls.
While using male names for baby girls is a practice that's increasing, it's not brand new. Timothy, Michael, and Christopher are boy names that have occasionally been used for girls for decades.
Some people think it's wrong to use boy names for girls unless the practice also works in the opposite direction. While statistics show that more parents are giving their sons unisex names, we are not seeing boys given decidedly feminine names in the same way that baby girls are being given formerly masculine names.
In case anyone thinks this is just another wacky name theory, statistics prove that girls are being given all the names on this list in significant numbers. There were more than 50 baby girls in the US last year named Max and Maxwell, for instance, as well as Maverick, Landon, Chase, Auden, and Atlas.
Here, some boy names that can work for girls.
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The names
Daniel
Hebrew
"God is my judge"
Daniel is one of only a handful of male names that sounds both classic and modern, strong yet approachable, and popular but not cliched. It also has a solid Old Testament pedigree. The only real…
Collins
Surname derived from Nicholas or Colin, Greek or Irish and Scottish
"people of victory or pup"
Collins is a surname name that has made the girls' Top 1000 thanks to its use for the daughter of the real-life Blind Side heroine. As of 2022, Collins climbed into the US Top 300. This derivation of…
Sawyer
English occupational name
"woodcutter"
Sawyer is one of the top unisex names , used for their daughters by such parents as Sara Gilbert, co-host of The Talk and former actress on Roseanne , currently on The Conners . Sawyer is is one of…
Blake
English
"fair-haired, dark"
The unisex Blake, which indeed has two conflicting meanings, has a briskly efficient image when used for a girl. Though in the eighties it was seen very much as a boys’ name , epitomized by the…
Cody
English
"helpful, pillow"
In the early 1990s, Cody was in the Top 25 most popular boys' names in the USA; but it has been in decline since then. It retains a greater degree of popularity in the UK, however. Cody might be…
Logan
Scottish surname
"little hollow"
Logan, with its appealing Scottish burr, is a very hot boys' name—it's in the national Top 10 and heading for Number 1 in some states—and can also make a rich and resonant choice for a girl. Jason…
Harley
English
"the long field"
Once a macho biker name, Harley is now showing its softer side. In the UK, Harley is predominantly masculine, but it's currently more popular for girls than boys in the US. Along with Harper and…
Noah
Hebrew
"motion"
There is a female figure in the Old Testament named Noa or Noah, whose name derives from the Hebrew No'ah, meaning "motion". The popular Biblical male name Noah (sometimes spelled as the streamlined…
Ellis
English surname derived from Elijah or Elias or Welsh
"benevolent"
Ellis, a surname used sparingly as a first in the Wallace/Morris period, sounds new now for girls, as a gender-neutral alternative to Ella or Alice. It debuted in the US Top 1000 for girls in 2015.--…
Ryan
Irish
"little king"
This ultrapopular boys' name is rapidly becoming a hot name for girls ; admired for its buoyant Irish spirit. Ryan returned to the Top 500 for girls in 2015 and will no doubt continue to climb…
Sol
Spanish, Portuguese, Norse
"sun"
A short and sweet Spanish and Portuguese name, meaning "sun". Sol has been used on its own for centuries (it belongs to one of the daughters in the 10th-11th century Spanish epic poem "El Cantar de…
Claude
Latin
"lame; enclosure"
Yes, we tend to think of Claude as a male name and Claudia and Claudette as the female, but this ancient clan name is used in France for girls as well as boys, and could make a distinctively chic boy…
Quincy
French from Latin
"estate of the fifth son"
Quincy is a Presidential surname name that actually sounds both cute and strong when used for a girl. For the first time ever, Quincy joined the Top 1000 roster for girls in 2023, given to over 250…
Kyle
Scottish
"narrow spit of land"
Not as popular for girls as Kylie or Kyla, but we prefer its simplicity.
Ezra
Hebrew
"help"
Ezra is a biblical favorite for boys that's been making inroads into the girls' Top 1000 since 2018 and it's easy to see why. With its soft sounds and -a ending, it holds the same appeal as Noa,…
Shane
Irish variation of Sean or Shannon
As a boy's name, Shane is related more directly to the 50s movie cowboy and the Irish name Sean; for a girl, it might be a variation on Shannon, Shana, or Shawn. Parenthood star Erika Christensen…
Hunter
English
"one who hunts"
This surname gained momentum in the 1990s, when it was particularly in vogue for males. However, it seems to be experiencing a surge for females—it was one of the fastest-rising names of 2013,…
Toby
Female diminutive of Tobias, Greek from Hebrew
"God is good"
Toby is an early unisex name with a Shakespearean pedigree; when used for a girl it retains its tomboyish quality. Fits well with the growing trend of boyish nicknames for girls -- alongside rising…
Robbie
Diminutive of Roberta, English from German
"bright fame"
Roberta and Robert may be so far out they're...still out, but Robbie might make one of the trendy new boyish nicknames for girls a la Scottie and Charlie. Actress Margot Robbie gave it a surname…
Tristan
Celtic
"noise or sorrowful"
Though Tristan was the male figure in the romantic legend and his name has become trendy for boys, it's used now for girls, too: About 15 percent of the baby Tristans are female. And about three…

