Originally a unisex nickname for a redhead -- red hair is called "ginger" in Britain -- or for the name Virginia, Ginger perennially wears pink gingham and spike heels.

The sweetest and most sensitive of the pet names for Elizabeth, now also one of the most dated.

Among the coolest of the cool color names, particularly popular with celebs as a unisex middle name. While most famous as the name of Beyonce and Jay-Z's daughter Blue Ivy, more than 60 percent of the babies named Blue are boys.

Blue suddenly came into the spotlight, as the unusual color name chosen by Beyonce and Jay-Z for their baby girl Blue Ivy. Blue is also a starbaby middle name du jour, used for both sexes in different spellings and forms, from John Travolta and Kelly Preston's Ella Bleu to Alicia Silverstone's Bear Blu. Dave 'The Edge' Evans named his daughter Blue Angel back in 1989.

Fig was the unlikely name of a beautiful character in Curtis Sittenfeld's Man of My Dreams. It could make a playful middle name or a sparky nickname for the likes of Philippa, Fiona, Felicity, and Francis.

Justine is a French name that's never reached the popularity we think it deserves. Like its far-more-common brother Justin, Justine is sleek, and sophisticated, but still user-friendly.

The girls have Violet and Scarlet and Ruby and Rose, but for the boys there's a much more limited palette of color names. Grey/Gray is one exception, which could make for a soft and evocative—if slightly somber—choice, especially in the middle. Kaitlin Olson and Rob McElhenney named their son Leo Grey.

Updates Allison—which everyone will misunderstand it as. But it's definitely a fresh spin on the Ellie names, and a rising surname name choice for girls.

Finnigan is another way to spell Finnegan, one of the energetic Irish surname-names in vogue now. One note: While Finnigan, Finnian, Finley and so on are appealing names on their own, you don't need to use a longer form to get to Finn, which is a perfectly proper name all on its own.

Updates Ellis -- but also has a lot of feminine potential thanks to Allison/Ellie similarity.

This variation is actually more popular in the United States than the original Spanish Reina.

Makes the jaunty Remy a little more nicknamey and feminine. Remi is on the rise for both girls and boys, having entered the Top 1000 for boys in 2019.

One of the most enduring French names, this form of John has been borne by philosophers (Rousseau and Sartre), artists (Millet, Arp) and fashion designers (Gaultier) alike. Often used in a double name with the likes of Pierre, Paul, and Luc, it is a classic in its native country,

A sweet, modern descriptive name, with a wholesome and winning feel, Winsome means "appealing, fresh, simple, innocent" or "cheerful and lighthearted." Some may find it a little too cutesy, but with Dolly, Birdie, Sunny, and Blessing on the rise, it could fit right in. Nicknames Winnie and Winn are an added bonus.

Midcentury Irish-American favorite, never used in Ireland itself, being the generic word for "girl"; rarely given today.

Glimmer is shimmery but a little too showy, as is Glitter, a character on a TV sitcom-- while Glimmer appears in The Hunger Games.

An undiscovered surname possibility with upscale overtones, could be enlivened with nickname Ingo.

The familiar Irish city and bay is one place-name that seems distinctly masculine.