Boy Names for Girls
Updated Wed Oct 09 2024
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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, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.
RELATED:
- Daniel
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"God is my judge"Description:
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 downside: There are about 10,000 Daniels named each year, making it a less than distinctive choice.
- James
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"supplanter"Description:
James for a girl? Believe it or not, this is one of the boy names for girls" gaining a lot of attention these days, since Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds shocked the world by choosing it for their eldest daughter in 2014 (after his late father).
- Collins
Origin:
Surname derived from Nicholas or Colin, Greek or Irish and ScottishMeaning:
"people of victory or pup"Description:
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 the Greek Nicholas—which means "people of victory"—or the Irish and Scottish Colin—which may itself be a Nicholas derivation or an Anglicization of the word for pup—has a stylish feel made more so by that final s.
- Arlo
Origin:
Irish, EnglishMeaning:
"between two hills"Description:
Arlo, an unexpectedly popular name for boys these days, is also finding new life as a girls' name. Its roots are primarily as an Irish or English surname, but it might also be a short form of the Spanish Carlos or Italian Carlo, forms of Charles.
- Bennett
Origin:
English medieval form of Benedict, LatinMeaning:
"blessed"Description:
Bennett, with its 'ett' ending, has a softer feel compared to some other Ben- names, and with celebrity style Benny and Beni catching attention, this variation of Benedict with its gentle meaning has seen more use for girls in recent years. Alternate spellings include Bennette and Bennet — the latter which may appeal to any Jane Austen fans.
- Sol
Origin:
Spanish, Portuguese, NorseMeaning:
"sun"Description:
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 mio Cid"), and it is also found as a short form of the Marian names María del Sol and María de la Soledad, and of the related names Marisol and Soledad. A famous bearer is Argentine TV presenter (María) Sol Perez.
- Cody
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"helpful, pillow"Description:
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 short for Dakota but despite its nickname feeling, it's a name of its own.
- Jude
Origin:
Latin diminutive of Judith or variation of Judah, Hebrew, ArabicMeaning:
"praised; to be generous and good to others"Description:
Jude may be a popular boys' name, thanks to Jude Law, but boyish nicknames for girls - like Frankie and Teddy - are on trend and Jude is also a new way to spin Judy or Judith. It's long been used quietly for girls as well as boys, and may start to pick up steam, though as of 2024, it was given to just shy of 90 girls in the US compared to over 2000 boys.
- Logan
Origin:
Scottish surnameMeaning:
"little hollow"Description:
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 and Jordan Mewes have a daughter named Logan Lee.
- Noah
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"motion"Description:
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 Noa) is derived from a different Hebrew name: Noach, which means "rest, repose" – although confusingly they are often written the same in English.
- Blake
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"fair-haired, dark"Description:
The unisex Blake, which indeed has two conflicting meanings, has a briskly efficient image when used for a girl.
- Ezra
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"help"Description:
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, Sasha, Micah, and Luka do: short, sweet, and solid. 2024 saw Ezra climb 61 places up the US charts, placing it just outside the Top 700.
- Micah
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"who is like the Lord"Description:
While Micah is traditionally a boy name, it is now increasingly used for girls too, likely because it works as an alternative to Michaela, Maia, and McKenna. Still, Micaiah, the name from which Micah is derived, is a unisex name in the Bible, so it seems plausible that its contracted form might be used as such too.
- Elliot
Origin:
English diminutive of Elias, GreekMeaning:
"Yahweh is God"Description:
Elliot is another traditional boy name used for girls", a trend led by political commentator George Stephanopoulos and his actress wife Ali Wentworth.
- Winslow
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"friend's hill"Description:
Cool and contemporary, yet gentle and easy-going, Winslow blends the elements of other stylish choices, including Willow, Marlow, Winnie, Winter, Sloane, and Elowyn. Its most famous namesake is landscape painter Winslow Homer, which lends it a touch of creativity and fair.
- Ellis
Origin:
English surname derived from Elijah or Elias or WelshMeaning:
"benevolent"Description:
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.-- Ellis has always been in the Top 1000 for boys -- and seems to be headed straight up. One of the most popular gender-neutral names, currently there are two baby boys named Ellis for every girl.
- Harley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"the long field"Description:
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.
- Quincy
Origin:
French from LatinMeaning:
"estate of the fifth son"Description:
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 baby girls that year.
- Sawyer
Origin:
English occupational nameMeaning:
"woodcutter"Description:
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.
- Spencer
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"keeper of provisions"Description:
Yes, Spencer makes a plausible and powerful female choice these days, though it's still used four times as often for boys as for girls. But Spencer does not swim that far beneath the Top 1000, used for nearly 250 baby girls last year.
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