Unisex Names for Boys

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

Holland, like most place names, is gender neutral. There's about one boy Holland born in the US these days for every girl Holland.

A name very much in the air, for both boys and girls, often seen in the casts and character lists of movies and TV shows. The Skylar spelling is used more for females.

This first name was once a surname derived from Old English. Used quietly a century ago, the current fashion for two-syllable boy names ending in n makes this one a new hit.

Peyton is the most-used spelling of this popular name, thanks to football star Peyton Manning, but it's playing increasingly for the girls' team. The Manning family excels in all-star names, with brothers Eli and Cooper and dad Archie.

While Kendall originally started as a boys’ name, and remained more or equally popular for boys until the early 1990s in the US, it now feels almost synonymous with Kendall Jenner, of Kardashian fame.

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.

Attractive North Carolina place-name and surname of explorer Sir Walter Raleigh. Distinctive, classy-but-approachable choice for either sex.

Oaklen is one of the mighty stand of Oak names, with Oakley, Oakland, and Oaklen among the most popular of the group for baby boys.

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.

One of the classic virtue names for girls, stretching back to Pilgrim times, Honor has actually become one of the unisex baby names with a near-even gender split. And honor is certainly a quality admirable for any gender.

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.

Dior has been among the fastest-rising names for both girls and boys the past few years. Its connection to French luxury designer and brand Christian Dior makes it an aspirational name, which are currently very hot.

Alaska's Denali National Park is the home of the highest mountain in the US, officially renamed Denali in 2014, endowing the name with a lofty feel. There were 20 boys and 55 girls given the name in 2014.

While Peyton and Payton have been used for both genders since the early 90s, inspired by football star Peyton manning, both spellings of the name have become more feminine over time.

There are now more boys than girls given the name Joan each year in the US, although the two are distinct names. The masculine version, pronounced with the emphasis on the second syllable, is among the top names in Spain.

This attractive surname name still projects that Kennedy family charisma. While it didn't come into widespread use until long after the deaths of martyred heroes President John F. or Senator Robert Kennedy, Kennedy is now one of the most popular unisex names, particularly for girls. This is one name that manages to sound trendy and traditional at the same time.

Though Genesis is a Top 100 girls' name in the US, it's by all rights a unisex choice.

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.

Santana was most recently heard on a female character on hit television show Glee. Nonetheless, this name ranks higher for boys, which can be credited to Grammy Award-winning musician Carlos Santana.