Boy Names for Girls
Some of the coolest baby girl names are not originally girls' names at all, but boys' names -- many of which have officially become unisex names.
We're seeing more and more formerly 100% boy names being used for girls, from nicknames like Sam and Charlie (now 50-50 by gender!), to occupational names or surnames such as Sawyer or McKinley to formerly masculine names such as Quincy and Jude that have become truly unisex.
Celebrity parents Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds broke the gender barrier in a new way when they named their daughter James. Many parents followed suit, sometimes using James as a middle name.
The trendy Arlo is one boy name that's moving to the girls' side. Australian actress Asher Keddie is proof that Asher might be a good alternative to the dated Ashley. Ezra and Noah are Biblical names that are increasingly being used for girls as well as boys. And in Israel, Daniel is a Top 100 name...for girls.
While using male names for baby girls is a practice that's increasing, it's not brand new. Timothy, Michael, and Christopher are boy names that have occasionally been used for girls for decades.
Some people think it's wrong to use boy names for girls unless the practice also works in the opposite direction. While statistics show that more parents are giving their sons unisex names, we are not seeing boys given decidedly feminine names in the same way that baby girls are being given formerly masculine names.
In case anyone thinks this is just another wacky name theory, statistics prove that girls are being given all the names on this list in significant numbers. There were more than 50 baby girls in the US last year named Max and Maxwell, for instance, as well as Maverick, Landon, Chase, Auden, and Atlas.
Here, some boy names that can work for girls, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.
RELATED:
- Daniel
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"God is my judge"Description:
Daniel is one of only a handful of male names that sounds both classic and modern, strong yet approachable, and popular but not cliched. It also has a solid Old Testament pedigree. The only real downside: There are about 10,000 Daniels named each year, making it a less than distinctive choice.
- Collins
Origin:
Surname derived from Nicholas or ColinMeaning:
"people of victory or pup"Description:
Collins is a surname name that has made the girls' Top 1000 thanks to its use for the daughter of the real-life Blind Side heroine. As of 2019, Collins climbed into the US Top 500. This derivation of the Greek Nicholas—which means "people of victory"—or the Irish and Scottish Colin—which may itself be a Nicholas derivation or an Anglicization of the word for pup—has a stylish feel made more so by that final s.
- Ezra
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"help"Description:
Ezra is a biblical favorite for boys that's been making inroads into the girls' Top 1000 since 2018 and it's easy to see why. With its soft sounds and -a ending, it holds the same appeal as Noa, Sasha, Micah, and Luka do: short, sweet, and solid. 2024 saw Ezra climb 61 places up the US charts, placing it just outside the Top 700.
- Arlo
Origin:
Irish, EnglishMeaning:
"between two hills"Description:
Arlo, an unexpectedly popular name for boys these days, is also finding new life as a girls' name. The first name Arlo may be rooted in the surname Arlow or the place name Aherlow, meaning "between two highlands". As a surname, it also has roots in a place name meaning "rocky hill".
- Benjamin
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"son of the right hand"Description:
Yes, there are baby girls named Benjamin — typically between 10-20 recorded in a given year. These numbers are likely inflated due to data entry error, but you still could encounter a female Benjamin out there.
- Cody
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"helpful, pillow"Description:
In the early 1990s, Cody was in the Top 25 most popular boys' names in the USA; but it has been in decline since then. It retains a greater degree of popularity in the UK, however. Cody might be short for Dakota but despite its nickname feeling, it's a name of its own.
- Elliot
Origin:
Anglicization of Elijah or EliasMeaning:
"Jehovah is God"Description:
Elliot is another traditional boy name used for girls", a trend led by political commentator George Stephanopoulos and his actress wife Ali Wentworth.
- Archer
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"bowman"Description:
Archer is among the next wave of masculine-leaning occupational names rediscovered for girls.
- Leo
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"lion"Description:
Leo is of course a very popular name for boys and an equally rare one for girls. But 28 baby girls were named Leo in the US last year, and as feminine leonine names such as Leonora and Leonia find more widespread popularity, Leo is popping up as an adorable short form for girls as well as boys.
- Michael
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"who is like God?"Description:
Michael ranked in the Top 1000 for GIRLS' names for more than half a century, from 1938 until 1994. In the late 1970s and early 80s, during the heyday of The Waltons which starred actress Michael Learned, it reached as high as the 300s.
- Jude
Origin:
Latin diminutive of Judith or variation of Judah, Hebrew, ArabicMeaning:
"praised; to be generous and good to others"Description:
Jude may be a popular boys' name, thanks to Jude Law, but boyish nicknames for girls - like Frankie and Teddy - are on trend and Jude is also a new way to spin Judy or Judith. It's long been used quietly for girls as well as boys, and may start to pick up steam, though as of 2024, it was given to just shy of 90 girls in the US compared to over 2000 boys.
- Jasper
Origin:
PersianMeaning:
"bringer of treasure"Description:
The ancient boys' name Jasper is popular internationally in a range of forms, including Casper and Gaspard, and now Jasper is beginning to be used for girls in the US.
- Milo
Origin:
Latin and Old GermanMeaning:
"soldier or merciful"Description:
Milo is one of the top names for boys on Nameberry, and now it's used for an increasing number of baby girls too -- 34 last year, and about 100 times as many boys.
- Bennett
Origin:
English medieval form of Benedict, LatinMeaning:
"blessed"Description:
Bennett, with its 'ett' ending, has a softer, more feminine feel compared to other Ben- names, making it a choice for parents of baby girls. The trend of using traditionally boy names for girls continues to grow, with Bennett gaining popularity in recent years. Alternate spellings include Bennette and Bennet.
- Blake
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"fair-haired, dark"Description:
The unisex Blake, which indeed has two conflicting meanings, has a briskly efficient image when used for a girl.
- Logan
Origin:
Scottish surnameMeaning:
"little hollow"Description:
Logan, with its appealing Scottish burr, is a very hot boys' name—it's in the national Top 10 and heading for Number 1 in some states—and can also make a rich and resonant choice for a girl. Jason and Jordan Mewes have a daughter named Logan Lee.
- Ellis
Origin:
English surname derived from Elijah or Elias or WelshMeaning:
"benevolent"Description:
Ellis, a surname used sparingly as a first in the Wallace/Morris period, sounds new now for girls, as a gender-neutral alternative to Ella or Alice. It debuted in the US Top 1000 for girls in 2015.-- Ellis has always been in the Top 1000 for boys -- and seems to be headed straight up. One of the most popular gender-neutral names, currently there are two baby boys named Ellis for every girl.
- Julian
Origin:
English from LatinMeaning:
"youthful or sky father"Description:
Some may think that the girls have enough variations of the ancient Roman emperor's name Julius of their own – from Julia to Juliet to Julianne – without using the usually-male Julian too. But Julian actually has a long history of use as a unisex name, and was considerably more popular for girls than boys in Medieval England. A famous female bearer is Julian of Norwich, an important medieval mystic and theologian whose work Revelations of Divine Love is the first book in English known to have been written by a woman.
- Miles
Origin:
English form of Milo, Latin and Old GermanMeaning:
"soldier; merciful"Description:
Although usually seen as a masculine name, Miles is sometimes seen as a feminine name in Australia, due to its literary association with female author Stella "Miles" Franklin. The s ending makes it especially trendy.
- Harley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"the long field"Description:
Once a macho biker name, Harley is now showing its softer side. In the UK, Harley is predominantly masculine, but it's currently more popular for girls than boys in the US.