The Best Unisex Names

  1. Ariel
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "lion of God"
    • Description:

      Despite its distinguished pedigree and popularity in Israel, Disney's Little Mermaid cartoonized Ariel in the US, at least in some people's minds. But it was used for a male character in Shakespeare's The Tempest centuries ago.
  2. Avery
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "ruler of the elves"
    • Description:

      Avery is a unisex name that is used four times as often today for girls as for boys. But while Avery's popularity is starting to soften for girls, it continues to get stronger for boys -- in keeping with our finding that gender neutral names are becoming more favored for boys than for girls.
  3. Ellery
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "descendant of Hilary"
    • Description:

      Ellery is a rhythmic three-syllable boy's name that is familiar and yet rarely used--and just waiting to be discovered. It's long been identified with Ellery Queen--which was both the pen name of two cousins, Frederic Dannay and Manfred B. Lee, and the detective they created.
  4. Embry
    • Origin:

      English surname
    • Meaning:

      "flat-topped hill"
    • Description:

      Though Embry became famous as the name of a boy werewolf in Twilight, we think its Em- beginning and -y ending make it perfectly appropriate for a girl. You might consider it as an alternative to Emma, Emily, or Aubrey. Embry or Embury is an established English surname.
  5. Emery
    • Origin:

      English from German
    • Meaning:

      "industrious"
    • Description:

      Emery is one of the newly popular Em- names that has great potential, though right now for girls more than boys: it received a boost in 2009, a year after Angie Harmon and Jason Sehorn used it for one of their daughters.
  6. Harper
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "harp player"
    • Description:

      Harper got its start as a celebrity baby name when Paul Simon chose it for his now-grown son. Since then, other famous parents have followed suit: musician Tim Finn and actor Cecilia Peck both have sons called Harper.
  7. Linden
    • Origin:

      Variation of Lyndon
    • Meaning:

      "linden tree hill"
    • Description:

      The graceful, natural image of the verdant shade tree transcends any connection with President Johnson.
  8. Lindsay
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "island of linden trees"
    • Description:

      Lindsay is one of the few truly unisex names (rather than being a name that has changed genders). Over time the ey ending was usually reserved for women and the ay ending reserved for men, although both spellings are overwhelmingly female these days.
  9. Sage
    • Origin:

      Herb name and also Latin
    • Meaning:

      "wise and knowing"
    • Description:

      A modern, multifaceted name, Sage is short, sweet, and strong. A unisex possibility, it is also a virtuous word name associated with wisdom, and a nature name linked to a fragrant herb.