Unique Unisex Names

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. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. Lowen
    • Origin:

      Cornish
    • Meaning:

      "joy"
    • Description:

      Could Lowen be the next Owen, Rowen, and Cohen? This Cornish name certainly has the right sounds to be an American hit, and is rising dramatically for both boys and girls.
  8. 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.
  9. Lowen
    • Origin:

      Cornish
    • Meaning:

      "joy"
    • Description:

      Though it still swims out of sight below the Top 1000, Lowen jumped more than a thousand places in rank for girls between 2022 and 2023, a mark of a name destined for far greater popularity. Nearly a hundred baby girls were named Lowen in the US last year.
  10. Maple
    • Origin:

      English tree name from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "maple tree; tree of the Acer genus"
    • Description:

      Maple is one of those sweet-spot word names that sounds so almost name-like that it doesn't feel outlandish or strange, despite its relative newness as a given name. Just as Juniper is adjacent to June or Pippa, Clover like Chloe or Clara and Ember like Emma or Ebba, Maple is enough like Mabel, Maisie and Mae that it blends in well and has a touch of borrowed vintage charm.
  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. Wynn
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "fair, blessed"
    • Description:

      Wynn or Wyn is a Welsh male name deriving from the very productive gwyn element, which forms part of all Welsh names ending -wyn or -wen, as well as the Gwen names and the Irish Fin- names. Wynn is a soft and gentle yet sturdy choice which feels quietly timeless and charming.
  13. 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.
  14. Fallon
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "leader"
    • Description:

      Fallon is one of several boyish surname names introduced in the over-the-top 1980s nighttime soap Dynasty. Despite being a "mom" name, Fallon is making a surprise comeback. It returned to the US Top 1000 in 2019 and has been rising since then, as a new generation of parents fall in love with the sound. It is especially popular in the Southern states.
  15. 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.
  16. Shea
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "the stately, dauntless one"
    • Description:

      The short but solid Irish surname Shea works well for both genders thanks to its soft, succinct sound. The traditional Irish form is Séaghdha, though it could also be used as a short form of Séamus, connected to James.
  17. 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.
  18. 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.
  19. Lux
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "light"
    • Description:

      This name of a character played by Kirsten Dunst in the movie Virgin Suicides, originally a novel by Jeffrey Eugenides, is gaining attention, also thanks to the heroine Lux, Lady of Luminosity in the League of Legends games. Luz is the Spanish version.
  20. Grey
    • Origin:

      Color name
    • Description:

      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.

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