Pretty "Masculine" Girl Names

A list of names normally used for boys but have a nice strong confident sound when used as a girl's name.
  1. Brynn
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Bryn, Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "hill"
    • Description:

      Brynn outshines the original Welsh Bryn in the popularity stakes. This simple, brisk name might be seen as a combination of Bree and Lynn, an androgynous-sounding choice that especially in this spelling is not truly unisex: Brynn, for boys, is not even in the Top 1000.
  2. Devyn
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Devin
    • Description:

      A more feminine version of Devin.
  3. Emerson
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "son of Emery"
    • Description:

      The combination of Emily and Emma's popularity -- and the fact that Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher's daughter is named Emerson -- have put this formerly strictly boys’ name, embodying the gravitas of Ralph Waldo Emerson, in the limelight for girls.
  4. Finley
    • Origin:

      Irish and Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "fair-haired hero"
    • Description:

      This was Irish name was once used exclusively for boys, and remains so in England and Wales where it's a Top 50 choice. In the US, however, celebs Jason Sehorn, Angie Harmon, and Lisa Marie Presley inspired many parents to consider this name for girls instead, after they chose it for their daughters. In fact, up until 2024, it ranked considerably higher for girls than it did for boys.
  5. Gracen
    • Origin:

      Elaboration of Grace, virtue name
    • Description:

      Grace, meet Grayson. The stylish classic girls' name Grace -- it's in the Top 20 -- and the trendy boys' name Grayson or Greyson, a member of the Jason-Mason-Cason club, combine to create the girls' name Gracen. For a little girl, we'd stop at Grace.
    • Greer
      • Origin:

        Scottish, contraction of surname Gregor; Latin
      • Meaning:

        "alert, watchful"
      • Description:

        This attractive Scottish surname choice, has a certain amount of glamour thanks to feisty British-born red-haired forties Academy Award winner Greer Garson, who was born Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson--Greer was her Irish mother's maiden name). Greer was chosen much more recently by Kelsey Grammer for his daughter and by Brooke Shields in the Grier form. As a surname, it's associated with feminist writer/activist Germaine Greer.
    • Harper
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "harp player"
      • Description:

        You might think of Harper as the hottest name of the last decade, jumping from obscurity to the Top 10, where it remained until last year.
    • Jordyn
      • Origin:

        Spelling variation of Jordan
      • Meaning:

        "flowing down"
      • Description:

        This variation of Jordan entered the Top 1000 in 1989. Jordyn as well as Jordan trended throughout the 90s and early 2000s, but are beginning to fall slightly on the girls' side. While the Jordan spelling reached the highest point in popularity out of the 2, making it into the Top 50 in the late 90s and early 2000s, today Jordyn has taken the lead.
    • LARKYN
      • Quinn
        • Origin:

          Irish
        • Meaning:

          "descendant of Conn, chief leader, intelligence"
        • Description:

          Quinn is one of the first popular Irish unisex surnames, a strong and attractive choice on the rise for girls but still popular for boys. Quinn was used for about 2600 baby girls and 600 boys in the US last year.
      • Raine
        • Origin:

          French
        • Meaning:

          "queen"
        • Description:

          Attracted attention as the stepmother of Princess Diana.
      • Sawyer
        • Origin:

          English occupational name
        • Meaning:

          "woodcutter"
        • Description:

          Sawyer is one of the top unisex names, used for their daughters by such parents as Sara Gilbert, co-host of The Talk and former actress on Roseanne, currently on The Conners.