Traditionally Feminine Names for Boys

Angel

Spanish and English

"angel, messenger"

As a boys' name, Angel has two distinct name personalities. One is as a perennial favorite Hispanic boys’ name , popular in the US along with Spain, Mexico, and South America. Then Buffy the Vampire…

Quinn

Irish

"descendant of Conn, chief leader, intelligence"

Quinn is an engaging Celtic surname, zippy, concise and strong. While it may now lean feminine in the US, given to girls about 80% of the time, it is still given to a substantial number of boys: 615…

Ariel

Hebrew

"lion of God"

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…

Wren

English

"small bird"

Wren may not be as time-honored a bird name choice as Robin or even Lark, but it's more fashionable and fresh, with a gentle and earthy vibe. Given to just a handful of children a decade ago, in 2024…

Harper

English

"harp player"

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…

Sasha

Russian diminutive of Alexander

"defending men"

The energetic Russian nickname name Sasha is being used increasingly on its own, though since the prominence of the First Daughter, more than 90% of the American babies named Sasha are girls. Sacha…

Darcy

English, French, Irish

"from Arcy; dark one"

The ultimate Jane Austen hero name, Darcy makes a handsome, surname style choice. Predominantly used for girls in England and Wales, across the pond in Australia, it is a stylish Top 100 name for…

Lynn

Welsh

"lake"

Traditionally used for boys before the 20th-century, Lynn was solidly used as a masculine name in the US, right up until the 70s when it fell out of favor. Prior to that, however, it had already…

Evelyn

English

"desired; or water, island"

Renowned English author Evelyn Waugh pronounced his name "EEV-lin" (fun fact: his first wife, also named Evelyn, was referred to as "She-velyn"). But "EV-uh-lin" also works, and is probably the most…

Rae

Rae as a masculine name has Scottish and Hebrew origins. It derives from the Scottish surname Rae, meaning "grace" or "deer," or it may be a shortened form of Raymond, meaning "wise protector." In…

Vivian

Latin

"life"

Deriving from the Roman cognomen Vivianus , Vivian was originally a masculine name, with Vivien being a feminine soundalike coined by Alfred Lord Tennyson for the Lady of the Lake in his famous…

Clare

Diminutive of Clarence

Nowadays, Clare tends to be viewed as a feminine name, but this is a short and sweet Irish-flavored name that could work just as well on a boy. Noted male bearers of the name Clare include Canadian…

Sorrel

Botanical name and French

"reddish brown"

Sorrel is a gentle, amber-hued herbal and autumnal name that's used most often to describe the color of a horse. Sorrell is a variant spelling. Both make excellent names for autumn babies and can be…