Unique Unisex Names

Seneca's distinguished heritage as the name of the ancient Roman philosopher-playwright who tutored Nero, and of an Iroquois tribe makes this an interesting choice for either sex.

The name Ripley reflects the powerful character played by Sigourney Weaver in the Alien films; it was chosen by actress Thandiwe Newton for her daughter.

This name projects a sense of well-being - hale and hearty - is unusual but accessible, with a clear simple sound, and a worthy namesake, Revolutionary War hero Nathan Hale, as an added bonus.

Heaven, Peace, Serenity: parents seem especially attracted to word names that signal paradise, but Halcyon sounds quite feminine, and might conjure up the sleeping pill Halcion.

Blessing is among the Top 1000 girls' names in the UK and recently joined the ranks in the US as well. As one of the spiritual names, a trendy category, it's likely to rise in popularity.

Quincy is a Presidential surname name that actually sounds both cute and strong when used for a girl. While it's still outside the Top 1000, over 200 baby girls were named Quincy in the US in 2021, up from about 100 a decade before. While there are two times as many boys named Quincy, it has now become a genuinely unisex name.

Popular with Muslim and African-American parents, this virtue name also fits in with the trendy i ending names being seen at the moment. It debuted on the US Top 1000 in 1996.

Indiana is one of those place-names (think Camden and Trenton) that sounds cooler than the place that inspired it. Its fashionable -ana ending certainly sounds eminently name-like, and Indie/Indy/Indi is one of the hottest nickname names for girls right now.

This unisex name, the seventh most popular surname in Scotland, can make a more unusual Cameron alternative. It is represented on the girls' side by TV news correspondent Campbell Brown, for whom it was a family name, Brown was born Alma Dale Campbell, Alma Dale being her grandmother's name,and Campbell her mother's maiden name.

Lovely entry into the tree name genre, joining Maple, Pine, Oak, and Willow.

Among the coolest of the cool color names, particularly popular with celebs as a unisex middle name.

Ollie is used less often as a nickname for the mega-popular Olivia or the stylish Olive than Ellie is for Eleanor or Allie for Allison. That may be because Ollie has a much longer use as a nickname for boys.

This is one of the ninety-nine attributes of Allah, deemed by Muhammad to be a recommended name for a male child. In this country, it's been primarily associated with boxing immortal Muhammad Ali, known as "the greatest." But Ali is also one of the most popular unisex names for both boys and girls.

Azari is a rising unisex name (although currently more popular among girls) invented as a variation of Azariah. With its I-ending and prominent Z, we see Azari going places — this is one to watch, especially with Azariah, Azaire, and Azair rising on the boys' side. The name Azari was given to 161 baby girls in 2022, compared to only 85 in 2021.

In Turkish mythology, Kayra is the deity of creation. The ancient Turks did not assign a gender to Kayra, who took the form of a goose. According to legend, Kayra planted the tree of life after creating the universe, from which emerged the nine clans.

Director Ridley Scott made this one known, but few parents would get beyond the negative first syllable.

A surprisingly modern word name, only recorded since the 20th century, Solaris is also the title of a 1961 science fiction novel by Polish author Stanisław Lem, which has been adapted for the big screen several times. An unexpected route to Sol or Solly as nicknames.

Abbott is a neglected masculine surname with religious overtones as the head of a monastery. Though the feminine nickname Abby could be a slight drawback, Abbott is still an attractive offbeat possibility.

Ellington is a swinging musical name, evoking the jazzy and elegant persona of the Duke (born Edward Kennedy Ellington). While that reference may seem to make Ellington a male name, it is also occasionally used for girls.

This undiscovered unisex name has lots of flair. It was first noticed as a girl's name, starting in the 1980's, on the long-running daytime drama Search for Tomorrow, with the character Adair McCleary, who had ahead-of-their-time brothers named brothers Hogan, Cagney and Quinn. But since Adair has yet to find many takers, it would make a fresh and appealing choice.