330+ Nonbinary Names

  1. Phoenix
    • Origin:

      Arizona place-name and Greek
    • Meaning:

      "dark red"
    • Description:

      Effortlessly cool with a hint of the mystical, Phoenix rolls a lot of trends into one: it's a place-name and a bird name, it ends in the stylish letter x, it's got in-built nicknames, and it's unisex too. Familiar but not over-popular, Phoenix ranks in the US and UK Top 1000s.
  2. Jett
    • Origin:

      Mineral or word name
    • Description:

      Short, sharp, and cool, Jett is a contemporary choice that connotes both gemstones and jet engines. Rarely used before the 90s, John Travolta, and then George Lucas, helped to put the name on the map by choosing it for their sons.
  3. Riley
    • Origin:

      English, Irish
    • Meaning:

      "rye clearing; courageous"
    • Description:

      Riley -- one of the most popular unisex names -- is trendier now for girls though for boys it's a classic, ALWAYS ranking in the US Top 1000.
  4. Rumi
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "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.
  5. Emerson
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "son of Emery"
    • Description:

      Emerson is a dignified, somewhat serious name associated with transcendental thinker Ralph Waldo Emerson. Much more popular now for girls since Desperate Housewife Teri Hatcher used it for her daughter, it is definitely still a viable boys name.
  6. Oakley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "oak wood or clearing"
    • Description:

      As sturdy as Oak, but with stronger roots as a first name, Oakley ticks lots of boxes for modern trends. With its unisex vibe, its nature-based meaning, its surname-y feel, and its popular -lee ending, it's not wonder Oakley is on the rise.
  7. Murphy
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "sea warrior"
    • Description:

      This jaunty Celtic surname -- the most common family name in both Ireland and the US -- is totally viable as a first. The arguably most famous Murphy is TV's Murphy Brown, and indeed the name is twice as common for baby girls as for baby boys today. But still, it's solidly gender neutral and works equally well for all sexes.
  8. Koda
    • Origin:

      Japanese, Sioux
    • Meaning:

      "friend"
    • Description:

      A word in the Yankton-Yanktonai and Santee dialects of the Lakota Sioux language, meaning "friend" or "ally", used for one of the main characters in the movie Brother Bear. Also a common Japanese surname or a respelling of the musical name Coda.
  9. Taylor
    • Origin:

      English occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "tailor"
    • Description:

      Taylor was much more popular throughout the 1990s for both genders than it is today. Close to the Top 50 boys' names in the mid-1990s, Taylor recently fell out of the Top 500 for boys and out of the Top 100 for girls, and is predicted to continue on a downward trajectory for both genders. Similar but more stylish baby names today include Sawyer, Sayer and Thayer.
  10. Cal
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of names including Cal
    • Meaning:

      "dog; the whole of; dove; bald; war-strife; beautiful"
    • Description:

      Cal is a nickname style name that feels as friendly and calm as it does cool and breezy. While its longer forms have proved more popular over the years, Cal as a stand alone has dropped on and off of the US Top 1000 since the 1880s.
  11. Shiloh
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "tranquil"
    • Description:

      Haunting biblical and Civil War place-name; now unisex—especially after the mega-high-profile Brangelina couple picked it for their daughter. It debuted in the Top 1000 for boys in 2015.
  12. Vesper
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "evening star"
    • Description:

      This Latin word used for evening spiritual services was introduced to baby namers by the Eva Greene character Vesper Lynd in the modern James Bond film Casino Royale in 2006, based on the Ian Fleming novel, and is just now beginning to provoke interest among namers, with its spiritual reference and soft, whispery sound.
  13. Drew
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Andrew
    • Meaning:

      "strong and manly"
    • Description:

      Drew, which projects a polished, somewhat intellectual impression, is rapidly becoming the Andrew nickname of choice, replacing the past favorite, Andy. It is fully capable of standing on its own, which it has for many decades, non-stop since 1942.
  14. Nova
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "new"
    • Description:

      Nova might be a much more commonly used a girls' name, but enough parents saw unisex appeal in it for it to debut on the US Top 1000 for boys in 2017. Nova is an astronomical term for a star that suddenly increases in brightness, then fades.
  15. River
    • Origin:

      Nature name
    • Description:

      Most of the notable Rivers have been male, but this nature name certainly flows as well for a girl. The name River is still rising for both genders, with about 3500 baby boys receiving the name last year vs. 1900 baby girls.
  16. Aster
    • Origin:

      English; Amharic
    • Meaning:

      "star"
    • Description:

      This is a fresh new addition to the botanical list; comedian Gilbert Gottfried made it a real bouquet when he named his daughter Lily Aster. And the name of the little girl on television's Dexter sounds like Aster, but is actually spelled Astor, which brings it more high society name. Aster relates to the Greek word for star. In Ethiopia, Aster is pronounced "ah-STAIR", and is the Amharic variation of Biblical Esther.
  17. Merritt
    • Origin:

      English surname name
    • Meaning:

      "boundary gate"
    • Description:

      Merritt has a long and distinguished history as a surname; the Merritt Parkway in Connecticut and the Merritt Building testify to that. But it wasn't until Emmy-winning actress Merritt Wever came along that we gave it much thought as a girls' name. And we aren't alone. It's grown tremendously in popularity since the premiere of Nurse Jackie, in which Wever played a key role. More than 100 baby girls a year are now named Merritt in the U.S.
  18. Jamie
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of James
    • Meaning:

      "supplanter"
    • Description:

      The cool form of James in the 1970s and '80s for both sexes. Still a more stylish short form than Jimmy, though many parents will want to call James by his entire, not-very-long name.
  19. Sutton
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "from the southern homestead"
    • Description:

      Sutton is a habitational surname propelled to popularity by Tony-winning Broadway actress Sutton Foster, who's also the star of Hulu's Younger -- based on a novel written by Nameberry co-creator Pamela Redmond.
  20. Bellamy
    • Origin:

      English and Irish from French
    • Meaning:

      "fine friend"
    • Description:

      Bellamy is a surname name with an admirable meaning and upbeat rhythm, similar to jovial choices like Rafferty, Barnaby and Willoughby.