Cool Unique Unisex Names

Cool Unique Unisex Names

Unique unisex names are on many parents' wish lists these days, and you might be here looking for one for yourself. As more people find appeal in both unique names and gender neutral names, the ideal solution may be to combine the two categories.

Many 'truly' gender neutral names - those free of any intrinsic gender identity and used roughly equally for girls and boys - are unique by any definition. But there are plenty of unique unisex names worth considering that tilt a bit more male or female, in terms of usage.

We usually define unisex names as those given to at least 10 percent of the minority gender. And unique names might be rare or uncommon names below the Top 1000 or names that are not traditionally names: nature names and place names for babies, for instance.

This list of unique unisex names includes only those names that fit the definitions give above, but it is worth remembering that people's perception of which names are unusual and which are gender neutral may vary, depending on their associations and experiences.

There are literally thousands of unique unisex names to choose from, but these are among the best, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.

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Unique Names

Unisex Names

  1. Royal
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "royal"
    • Description:

      Even less subtle than Duke or Earl, this name shot up the popularity charts in 2013, the same year young Prince George was born and the craze for all things royal (and Royal) began. Today, it's a leading boys' name on Nameberry's own popularity charts.
  2. Kit
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Christopher
    • Meaning:

      "bearer of Christ"
    • Description:

      Actor Kit Harington, aka the dreamy Jon Snow on Game of Thrones, has given this nickname-name new style and appeal for boys. Actress Jodie Foster used it for her son back in the 2000s, while actor Kit Connor of Heartstopper fame may have introduced it to a wider audience.
  3. Asa
    • Origin:

      Hebrew; Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "healer; born in the morning"
    • Description:

      A short but strong biblical name with multicultural appeal, Asa is enjoying new visibility thanks to hot young actor Asa Butterfield of Hugo fame.
  4. Florian
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "flowering"
    • Description:

      If Flora and Florence have returned full force, Florian, with its trendy Latinate ending, could also have a chance. Popular in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, and France, St Florian was the venerated patron saint of those in danger from water and the patron saint of firefighters.
  5. Lior
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "I have a light"
    • Description:

      Lior is a unisex name frequently heard in Israel, capturing the popular light theme through its meaning. For English speakers, the one down side is possible pronunciation confusion with "liar," though it's really lee-OR, with a long e sound and emphasis on the second syllable.
  6. Jules
    • Origin:

      French form of Latin Julius
    • Meaning:

      "youthful; soft, downy"
    • Description:

      Though Jules hasn't been on the US popularity list in fifty years, it is a current hit in its native France—where it's currently in the Top 10—and we can definitely see it making a comeback here, being far more romantic than, say, Jim.
  7. Koda
    • Origin:

      Japanese, Sioux
    • Meaning:

      "friend"
    • Description:

      A word in the Yankton-Yanktonai and Santee dialects of the Lakota Sioux language, meaning "friend" or "ally", used for one of the main characters in the movie Brother Bear. Also a common Japanese surname or a respelling of the musical name Coda.
  8. Scout
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Meaning:

      "one who gathers information covertly"
    • Description:

      Scout, a character nickname from To Kill a Mockingbird (her real name was Jean Louise), became a real-life possibility when Bruce Willis and Demi Moore used it for their now-grown middle daughter, followed by Tom Berenger a few years later.
  9. Billie
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Wilhelmina, Wilma
    • Meaning:

      "resolute protection"
    • Description:

      Billie is a tomboy nickname name, part of the growing trend for using boyish nicknames for girls and now destined for stardom along with its most famous contemporary bearer, music sensation Billie Eilish.
  10. Rome
    • Origin:

      Place name, Latin, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "to hurry or flow; strength"
    • Description:

      Given that Rome is arguably the most important city in European history, it has been used as a first name remarkably little. However, with Roman in the Top 100 and one-syllable choices in vogue, it was only a matter of time before parents started looking toward the city's name as a potential baby name.
  11. Amari
    • Origin:

      Hebrew, Sanskrit, Latin, Yoruba
    • Meaning:

      "eternal, goddess, loved, strength"
    • Description:

      Amari is a name that's rising in popularity for both boys and girls in the US, used last year for about 2000 baby boys and 1000 baby girls. It's among the Top 20 gender neutral names.
  12. Lowen
    • Origin:

      Cornish
    • Meaning:

      "joy"
    • Description:

      Could Lowen be the next Owen? This Cornish name certainly has the right sounds to be an American hit, and is rising dramatically for both boys and girls.
  13. Aspen
    • Origin:

      Nature and place-name
    • Meaning:

      "a poplar tree that quakes in the breeze"
    • Description:

      As trendy as the chic Colorado ski resort, with a hint of whimsy from the shimmering trees, Aspen has been climbing the charts for boys since the early 90s. While it has always been more popular for girls, it could work for a boy too.
  14. Indigo
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "Indian dye"
    • Description:

      Indigo is one of the most appealing and evocative of the new generation of color names. Color names have joined flower and jewel names -- in a big way -- and Indigo, a deep blue-purple dye from plants native to India, is particularly striking for both girls and boys. Although most people don't think of it like this, Indigo might also be considered among the most stylish Greek baby names in use today. Some cultural references: The Indigo Girls are a folk duo, 'Mood Indigo' is a classic Duke Ellington jazz composition, and there is a 1970's New Age theory that Indigo children possess special, sometimes supernatural abilities. Indigo is the name of a character in the Ntozake Shange novel Sassafrass, Cypress & Indigo, and was used for his daughter by Lou Diamond Phillips.
  15. Milan
    • Origin:

      Italian place name, Slavic, Sanskrit
    • Meaning:

      "middle of the plain; gracious, dear; union"
    • Description:

      Effortlessly stylish with an international feel, Milan re-entered the US charts back in 2013 after a 55 year hiatus. It has been powering up the charts ever since, following in the footsteps of sweet sound-alike Mila, and spotlighted by singer Shakira, who chose it for her son.
  16. Rumi
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "beauty, flow, lapis lazuli"
    • Description:

      While Rumi has received attention in the contemporary US as the name of Beyonce and Jay-Z's young daughter, it's most famously the name of a (male)13th century Muslim mystic and poet. The most famous Rumi poem,"The Diver's Clothes Lying Empty", has inspired many modern literary works, including a novel with a similar title by Vendela Vida.
  17. Neo
    • Origin:

      Latin or Tswana
    • Meaning:

      "new or gift"
    • Description:

      This nouveau name of Keanu Reeves's character in The Matrix has not enjoyed the same burst of popularity as its female counterpart, Trinity, but it definitely sounds, well, newer. Neo Rauch is an interesting contemporary German artist.
  18. Ever
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "always, constantly, eternally"
    • Description:

      Similar in sound to Evan and Everett, Ever is an evocative word name that's currently on the rise. Used by Alanis Morissette and Souleye back in 2010, Ever was given to more than 200 boys in 2023, compared to 125 girls.
  19. Perry
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "dweller near a pear tree"
    • Description:

      It's a long time now since this casual but suave name was linked to velvet-throated, cardigan-sweatered singer Perry (born Pierino, son of Pietro) Como's day... and this could be the moment for a reassessment. Other Perry associations are designer Ellis and the fictional Perry Mason and Perry White. There is also the option of taking the long way round to Perry via the more substantial Peregrine or Percival.
  20. Pax
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "peaceful"
    • Description:

      Pax, one of the variations of names meaning peace that are newly popular in these less-than-peaceful times, got a lot of publicity when chosen by Brad & Angelina for their Vietnamese-born son. Parents attracted to Pax may also want to consider Paz, the unisex Spanish version, or Paxton, a growing-in-popularity surname choice that shares that magical X-factor.