Unisex Names for Boys
- Ellison
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of Ellis"Description:
Updates Ellis -- but also has a lot of feminine potential thanks to Allison/Ellie similarity.
- Bentley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"meadow with coarse grass"Description:
Bentley, a somewhat stuffy British surname, previously associated primarily with an incredibly expensive English car, has had a recent surge in popularity, thanks largely to the reality TV shows 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom, with Bentley being the name of the son of breakout star Maci (another new favorite) Bookout.
- Montana
Origin:
Spanish place-name; "mountainous"Meaning:
"mountainous"Description:
Relaxed western place-name that still has some masculine punch, but be warned: this whole posse of similarly trendy names, like Sierra and Dakota, will soon ride toward the sunset.
- Presley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"priest's meadow"Description:
More universal than Elvis...and more conventionally attractive, too. Cindy Crawford used it for her son, though it's on the rise mainly for girls. The last time Presley ranked in the Top 1000 for boys was 1903, 120 years ago. Today, it's used for girls 14 times as often as for boys, mainly because of the -ley ending.
- Dior
Origin:
French surnameMeaning:
"golden"Description:
Dior was among the fastest-rising names for both girls and boys in the US in the early 2020s, but was the fastest-falling name for boys in the 2023 statistics.
- Oakland
Origin:
American nature name or place nameMeaning:
"oak land"Description:
Oakland is a place name associated mainly with the city near San Francisco, pretty obviously meaning "oak land". Theoretically unisex but used mainly for boys, Oakland is one of a trending group of oak-related names, led by Oakley for both genders, with Oakland and Oaklen trending for boys while baby girls are more often given spellings Oaklynn and Oaklyn.
- Kyrie
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"Lord"Description:
Kyrie may be a name of God used widely in the ancient church refrain Kyrie Elieson, or Lord, have mercy, but it's rising in popularity for boys in the US on the strength of basketball star Kyrie Irving. Irving pronounces the first syllable of Kyrie to rhyme with my, whereas with the religious word it rhymes with fear.
- Rey
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"king"Description:
Sounds exactly like Ray—but with an on-trend royal vibe. The central protagonist in the newest Star Wars trilogy is a woman named Rey.
- Cleo
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"glory"Description:
As a male name, Cleo was well used during the 19th and the first half of the 20th centuries, deriving from the Greek name Cleon or the Biblical Cleopas.
- Rene
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"reborn"Description:
Though it's used for boys, most non-French people would hear it as a girls’ name. Most would be surprised to learn that Rene has always charted in the US Top 1000 for boys.
- Yael
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"ibex"Description:
A common unisex name in Israel, more properly written as Ya'el, Yael rose more than 200 places in 2023 to become one of the fastest-rising boys' names of the year in the US.
- Baylor
Origin:
English occupational surnameMeaning:
"one who delivers goods"Description:
Baylor's 2014 ascension to the US Top 1000 for boys is probably thanks to its fashionable two-syllable, r-ending, occupational surname feel. Think of it as Taylor with a twist.
- Ali
Origin:
ArabicMeaning:
"supreme, exalted"Description:
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.
- Finnley
Origin:
Spelling variation of Finley, Irish and ScottishMeaning:
"fair-haired hero"Description:
This variation adds a second n to the more popular Finley, presumably to provide a more direct link to nickname Finn. Both spellings create a distinctly unisex name. The Finnley version, however, entered the US Top 1000 for boys in 2014, and it remains unranked for girls.
- Khari
Origin:
West AfricanMeaning:
"kingly"Description:
Though used quite often for babies of both sexes, Khari, meaning "kingly," was traditionally a boys' name. Musical couple Fetty Wop and Masika Kalysha, however, named their daughter Khari.
- Jaylen
Origin:
Modern invented nameDescription:
More popular than the Jalen spelling. Like other names with many variants, when you count up all the alternatives, the name is much more popular than it first appears.
- Armani
Origin:
Italian surname derived from Herman or Arman, German or PersianMeaning:
"son of Ermanno; soldier; wish,hope"Description:
Armani is catching on along with other brand names, and this one is among the most gender-neutral — sitting in the Top 500 for both boys and girls. Its similarity to the likes of rising stars Amari, Arlo, and Amias, along with the more classic Arthur and Giovanni helps it feel more "name-y" than "brand-y".
- Payton
Origin:
Variation of Patton or Peyton, EnglishMeaning:
"fighting man's estate"Description:
Once an obscure, surname-inspired option, Payton (and Peyton) hiked up the charts back in the 90s, likely inspired by the football star Peyton Manning.
- Karter
Origin:
Spelling variation of CarterMeaning:
"transporter of goods by cart"Description:
Lovers of the name Carter and the Kardashians method of baby naming have popularized this choice, one of many boys' names starting with K that began life as boys' names starting with C. Karter has been in the charts since 2005, riding on the success of the original Carter. Since 2014, Karter has been just inside the Top 200.
- Boston
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
Unseen in the USA since 1901, Boston rocketed back into the Top 1000 in 2004 and, like other place-names such as Brooklyn, London and Paris, is now a reliable presence on the list.
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