Girls

Briar

Nature name, English word name

"a thorny patch"

This word name entered the US Top 1000 for both genders in 2015, though it premiered a little higher for girls. There are still more baby girls named Briar than baby boys -- 594 vs. 361 in 2021 --…

Cadence

English word name

"rhythm, beat"

A once trendy name for girls but that's now in decline, this musical option has actually been slowly and quietly on the rise as a masculine option. Given to 115 boys in 2023, compared to 75 in 2017,…

Asta

Norwegian

"divine strength"

Asta as a boy's name is inspired by the Wizard King character in the anime series Black Clover. He is a human who triumphs in a world of superheroes --an inspirational figure.

Hazel

English

"the hazelnut tree"

The charming vintage nature and color name Hazel has become popular for girls, but more than 30 baby boys were named Hazel in the US in a recent year. In fact, it's not a new thing for boys to be…

Joni

Diminutive of Jon, English from Hebrew

"God is gracious; gift of Jehovah"

As a male name, Joni is a nickname for Jon or Jonathan, akin to Johnny or Jonny. It's more commonly used as a girl name, where it originated as a nickname for Joan.

Ivy

Botanical name

Ivy is in the Top 50 for girls, but actually had some usage for boys for several decades. As more parents consider botanical choices for boys as well, Ivy could get some more love on both sides. In…

Dagny

Dagny is traditionally a feminine name with Norse origins, though listed here as masculine. The name combines 'dagr' meaning 'day' and 'ny' meaning 'new,' essentially translating to 'new day' or 'new…