Unique Unisex Middle Names
Updated Fri Feb 02 2024
Share
Copy link
Unique unisex middle names are red-hot right now, with middle names the perfect way to venture beyond popular gender neutral names like Aubrey and Avery to more unique names such as Echo and March.
This trend is all about thinking outside the box! Word names are some of the coolest middle names today, from Fable and Hero to Jubilee and Silver. Novel nature names also work wonderfully in the middle slot, such as Auburn, Zephyr, Sparrow, and Grove.
Intriguing international gems like Adair and Zennor, Allegro and Lior make beautiful middle names as well.
Here are 50 of the freshest gender-neutral middle names right now, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.
RELATED:
- Arden
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"valley of the eagle; high"Description:
Arden, the name of the magical forest in Shakespeare's As You Like It, is a stylish A name with a strong, straightforward image. Another reason to love Arden: its similarity to "ardent." Arden is solidly unisex, with the current gender distribution running about 49 percent girls and 51 percent boys.
- Zephyr
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"west wind"Description:
If you're looking for a name that's light and breezy, this could be it. A name from mythology: Zephyrus/Zephyr was the Greek god of the west wind, and with its similarity in sound to the likes of Stefan or Seth, its zippy Z initial and cool Y, it is primed to rise up the US charts.
- Blaise
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"to lisp, stammer"Description:
As modern as it sounds, Blaise is an ancient Christian martyr name. In Arthurian legend, Blaise is the name of Merlin the Magician's secretary. Its relation to the word and name Blaze gives it a fiery feel. Amanda Beard named her baby boy Blaise Ray.
- Evren
Origin:
TurkishMeaning:
"universe"Description:
A modern-sounding unisex name which belongs to a dragon in Turkish mythology, Evren has huge potential to rise more globally, thanks to its accessible sound and its wide-reaching meaning "universe". It may appear to those who are looking to a choice that works internationally, or for alternatives to the likes of Atlas and Cosmo.
- Dove
Origin:
Nature nameMeaning:
"dove, a bird"Description:
One of the new bird names, like Lark and Wren, this one's associated with the billing and cooing sounds of love. Soft and gentle, Dove also has the admirable association with peace.
- Valentine
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"strength, health"Description:
Valentine is an attractive Shakespearean name with romantic associations, but those very ties to the saint and the sentimental holiday have sent it into a decline, one which we think may be about to turn around.
- Rumi
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"beauty, flow, lapis lazuli"Description:
Rumi is a Japanese girl name, with a sweet yet substantial sound. Reminiscent of other popular choices in the West — think Ruby, Remy, and Romy — it is currently achieving more notice thanks to Beyonce and Jay-Z, who chose it for one of their daughters.
- Fable
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"a legendary story of supernatural happenings"Description:
Fable, like Story, is a word name with real potential, combining enchanted tale-telling with a moral edge. And soundwise, it would fit right in with the likes of Abel and Mabel.
- Indigo
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"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. 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.
- Avalon
Origin:
CelticMeaning:
"island of apples"Description:
Avalon, an island paradise of Celtic myth and Arthurian legend--it was where King Arthur was taken to recover from his wounds-- and also the colorful capital of the California island of Catalina-- makes a heavenly first name. Actress Rena Sofer and British musician Julian Cope used it for their daughters.
- Jericho
Origin:
Biblical place-nameDescription:
A biblical place name with trumpeting verve and strength.
- Cedar
Origin:
English and French from Latin tree nameMeaning:
"cedar tree"Description:
Cedar is, like Ash, Oak, Pine and Ebony, one of the new tree/wood names that parents are starting to consider; this one is particularly aromatic with a similar feel to more classic options like Cedric, Edgar, Reed, and Sawyer.
- Sable
Origin:
English animal nameDescription:
Sable is often associated with the Dynsaty soap opera, but it is actually a type of animal historically hunted for its fur. Sable is also used as a word for a warm, rich black color. Both associations carry hints of luxury.
- Story
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"an account of incidents or events"Description:
An imaginative choice with an uptempo Cory/Rory/Tori sound, perfect for the child of a writer — or anyone with a good story to tell. Story has been finding some appreciation among celebs like Minnie Driver and others as a middle name. This is just one of the literary word names that have recently entered the realm of possibility, such as Fable, Sonnet and Poem.
- Winter
Origin:
Word nameDescription:
Fresher, brisker and, yes, cooler than Summer or Autumn or Spring, Winter is now a full-fledged female choice, especially since Nicole Richie and Joel Madden used it for daughter Harlow's middle name, and Gretchen Mol picked it as her daughter's first, as did media mogul Sean Parker. Winter continues to be the preferred spelling and has risen in popularity significantly over the past few years.
- Cairo
Origin:
Egyptian place-name, ArabicMeaning:
"the conqueror, the victorious"Description:
Cairo is an exciting place name possibility with upbeat o ending and an on-trend first syllable. Debuting in the US Top 1000 in 2015, it has been climbing ever since, and, as of 2023, it is given to more than 1000 babies each year.
- Rome
Origin:
Place name, Latin, GreekMeaning:
"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.
- Akira
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"bright, intelligent"Description:
Akira is a popular Japanese name for both sexes that's migrated to the West because of its appearance in manga and video games. Akiro is a related name popular for boys.
- Rio
Origin:
Spanish, Portuguese, JapaneseMeaning:
"river or place of the cherry blossoms"Description:
Rio is one of Japan's most popular girls' names, constantly sitting in that country's Top 10. Of course, Rio may also stem from the Portuguese and Spanish word for river, and the Brazilian city Rio de Janeiro. A truly international name for a cosmopolitan baby!
- Solace
Origin:
English word nameDescription:
A rare unisex word/virtue name that is currently given to around 10 babies of each gender per year in the US. It could make for an unexpected route to bright, easygoing nickname Sol (or trendy nickname Ace).
The Nameberry App Is Live
Find your perfect baby name together in our iPhone app, now available on the App Store.
- Swipe through thousands of names with your partner
- Names you match on are saved to your shared list
- Get personalized recommendations that learn based on your and your partner's preferences
- Partner with friends and family to find names you all love
- Backed by Nameberry's 20 years of data around name preferences.
