Unisex Baby Names
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Boy Names for Girls
Some of the coolest baby girl names are not girls' names at all but boys' names -- many of which have officially become unisex names. We're seeing more and more fomerly 100% boy names being used for girls, from nicknames like Sam and Charlie (now 50-50 by gender!), to occupational or surnames such as Sawyer or McKinley to formerly masculine names such as Quincy and Jude that have become truly unisex. Here, some boy names that can work for girls.
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Celebrity Baby Word Names
Gwyneth Paltrow's Apple may still be the most famous case, but these days she's far from the only celebrity child with a word name. Today, there are enough celebrity baby names that are also words that we can fill a whole long list with them. In their ever-widening search for new and unique names, celebrities are turning to words that relate to nature, spirituality, animals, places, weather, colors, even numbers. Bonus: many of these, by virtue of being new and unconventional, count as truly unisex baby names. Here, word names that have been used in recent years for celebrity babies.
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Color Names for Babies
Using color names for babies started with Amber, then Rose drove the point home. While many of the original color names were female, today there are mostly-male color names as well as unisex baby names derived from colors. Today's name hues range from the obvious -- Violet and Scarlett -- to the most exotic, from Azure to Zinc. The full spectrum of color names for babies:
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Cool, Unique Unisex Names
Unisex baby names are both popular and stylish, true, but there are also hundreds of names that work equally well for boys and girls that are also cool and unusual. Here, some of our favorite cool, unique unisex baby names.
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Coolest Baby Names That Aren't Really Names
The coolest baby names sometimes aren't names at all, as the mostly unisex baby names on this list attest. There are an uncountable number of words turned cool baby names, beyond the scope of any one source. The only limits are your reference books, your imagination, and your taste. Here are some of the coolest and most evocative of the group.
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Creative Baby Names: Inspired by Artists
Creative baby names can be found by looking at the names of artists (and architects and designers). These baby names capture the artists' creative spirit, give your child an international role model, and are cool all at the same time. The following list encompasses both first (JASPER Johns) and last (Alexander CALDER) names, which have been drawn from all over the aesthetic map.
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Day Names
The ancient tradition of day-naming -- choosing a name from the day of the week, the month, the season or holiday, or even a time of day -- feels fresh again now. Here, examples of day names that could work as modern baby names,.
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French Word Names
The parent in search of truly distinctive baby names has to move farther than ever away from the established roster. One new direction -- or is it two? -- for the intrepid baby namer is toward international word names, which combine two of today's coolest trends. We combed our own diccionarios for French, Italian, and Spanish words that could make perfectly appropriate, attractive baby names, and here are some French choices. But no reason to stop here--consider words from the language of your own ethnic background, be it Czech or Chinese, and add them to the list of your personal possibilities.
Here, some French baby names fashioned from French words for your consideration:
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Gender-Neutral Baby Names
Gender neutral baby names and unisex baby names are similar, but not exactly the same. We think of gender-neutral names as names that are truly free of a specific gender identity, while unisex names are names that are used for both sexes but may nevertheless skew more masculine or feminine. Names that we consider gender-neutral include the following.
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If You Like Bailey, You Might Love...
Bailey has been well-used over the past two decades, mainly for girls but for boys too. Here, some Bailey alternatives that might feel fresher.
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Irish Surname Names
Many of the best Irish baby names are not first names at all but Irish surname names. Here's a whole group of rollicking names that work for both girls and boys....or you can use one from your own family background. Or click here for our full list of Irish baby names.
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Italian Word Names
One new direction -- or is it two? -- for the intrepid baby namer is toward foreign-word names, which combine two of today's coolest trends. We combed our own diccionarios for Italian words that could make perfectly appropriate, attractive Italian baby names. But no reason to stop here--consider words from the language of your own ethnic background, be it Czech or Chinese, and add them to the list of your personal possibilities.
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Jazz Baby Names
The list of jazz baby names, a special subset of musician baby names for both girls and boys, is full of old-school cool.
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Mac Names
Names that start with Mac or Mc are Irish or Scottish patronymics designating "son of." Of course, many of the most popular Mac names today, such as Mackenzie and McKenna, are usually given to girls. But there are a raft of lesser-used Mac names that work well for boys and lead to the adorable short form Mac. Here, a range of Mac names -- but one from your own family will work too.
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Musician Baby Names
Since musicians invented the concept of cool, where better to look for baby name inspiration than to their own names? The baby names here are drawn from both the first names and last names of well-known musicians.
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Names from Harry Potter
The names from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling are among the most inventive and inspired in literature since Charles Dickens created Pip and Oliver Twist. From Draco Malfoy to Severus Snape, from Hermione to Harry himself, Harry Potter names often hail from history and might inspire names for your modern baby.
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Nature Names for Babies
Nature names for babies come from several categories: flower names, tree names, water, weather, and animal names. The popularity of nature names has risen along with the green movement, which has made us more appreciative of all things connected with nature. We have also seen a rise in nature baby names as parents look for names beyond the usual first name boundaries. Nature names can also connect your baby girl or boy to something inspiring and uplifting about the world around us. Many of the best nature names can work for either gender and also carry the advantage of being easily recognized and spelled and pronounced while at the same time moving beyond the tradition lexicon of names. For more nature names, you can consult our lists of flower names, tree names, water names, sky names, and so on. Here is where you can browse some of the coolest nature names today.
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Occupational Baby Names
Occupational baby names, most of them originally surnames to describe the person's job, have taken on significant style value over the past years and are destined to rise even further. Think of them as the surname-names or place-names of the future. Most of these baby names work best for boys, but can cross over to the girls' side.
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Place Names for Babies
Place names for babies come from all over the globe and can include city names, state names, country names, even mountain and ocean names. Here, the most popular place names from around the world used for both girls and boys. For more exotic choices, see our list of Place Names Off The Map.
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Place Names Off The Map
The coolest place names are those that are undiscovered. Some place names can be used for boys, but most of the cool place names work best for baby girls. Here are some choices on (and off) the map, including unique city names, country names, island names, and the names of mythical lands, all of which can be used for babies.
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Poet Baby Names
The great poets can provide naming inspiration for both girl and boy babies. Here, some poet baby names to consider.
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Popular Unisex Baby Names
Popular unisex baby names are rising up the lists these days for both girls and boys. The most popular unisex names for girls include Avery, Riley, and Harper. For boys, the top unisex names are Carter, Dylan, and Lincoln. Most unisex names lean at least slightly towards one gender or the other, though there are some names that feel unisex but are really used nearly exclusively for girls or boys: Addison and Madison are examples of popular names for girls that may have started out as boys' names and moved into the unisex category, but are now squarely on the girls' side. The names on this list are given to at least 10 percent of the minority sex and rank among the most popular gender neutral names today.
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Son Baby Names
Baby names that end in son originated just the way you think: They designated that the person -- Jackson, say, or Jefferson -- was the son of Jack or Jeffery. Son makes a stylish first name ending today, mostly for boys but since the era of Allison, also for girls. Son baby names can make for an original way to honor an ancestor while slightly varying the name. Some prime examples:
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Spanish Word Names
The parent in search of truly distinctiveSpanish baby names has to move farther than ever away from the established roster. One new direction -- or is it two? -- for the intrepid baby namer is toward foreign-word names, which combine two of today's coolest trends. We combed our own diccionarios for French, Italian, and Spanish words that could make perfectly appropriate, attractive baby names, and here are some Spanish ideas. But no reason to stop here--consider words from the language of your own ethnic background, be it Czech or Chinese, and add them to the list of your personal possibilities.
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Surname Baby Names
Surname baby names have been growing in popularity for boys and girls too over the past few decades, making them one of the prime classes of gender neutral names. Now, anything goes, so look for a long-lost surname in your family or even search the phone book for something you love. Or look through this list for more unusual surname baby names.
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Surname Favorites
Surname names have been on the rise as baby names for a couple of decades now. Here are some of the most popular, for girls as well as boys.
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Unisex Names for Girls
Unisex names for girls encompass those that originated as male names but migrated to the girls' side, names that feel gender-neutral but in fact are used mostly for girls, and truly unisex names that work as well for girls as for boys. On this list we have not included boys' names that are now used occasionally for girls, such as James or Owen, or once-unisex names that have become predominantly male, such as Kyrie. The unisex names here are among the most popular for baby girls.
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Unisex Names for Girls
Unisex names for girls encompass those that originated as male names but migrated to the girls' side, names that feel gender-neutral but in fact are used mostly for girls, and truly unisex names that work as well for girls as for boys. On this list we have not included boys' names that are now used occasionally for girls, such as James or Owen, or once-unisex names that have become predominantly male, such as Kyrie. The unisex names here are among the most popular for baby girls.
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Weather Baby Names
Weather baby names are a branch of nature names that reference the -- well, the weather! Some have direct weather meanings while others have a more subtle connection to the weather -- Eira, for instance, is a Welsh name that means snow, and Makani is Hawaiian for wind. Here are some weather baby names for you to consider.
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