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"Soft" Boy Names

Lots of people and celebrities have been using androgynous and unisex names for girls, so why doesn't it happen more often for boys. Boys names are a flower garden waiting to be explored. Here is a list I've compiled for your sweet boy who can definitely be more in touch with his feminine side.
  1. AshleyHeart
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "dweller near the ash tree meadow"
    • Description:

      It may have peaked at #1 for girls in 1991 and 1992 in the US, but Ashley actually has a long history as a male given name, as evidenced by the sensitive Ashley Wilkes in Gone With the Wind. It's always been more popular for boys in England and Wales, where it currently ranks at #414.
  2. AtlasHeart
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "bearer of the heavens"
    • Description:

      Atlas is one of those names that was previously thought too powerful for a baby boy, who would have to be strong enough to carry the world on his shoulders. Now Atlas has joined the pantheon of Greek and Roman god and goddess names in the realm of possibility, along with Mars, Zeus and Apollo.
  3. AugustHeart
    • Origin:

      German form of Latin Augustus
    • Meaning:

      "great, magnificent"
    • Description:

      The name August is at its highest point since the 1890s, when it ranked among the Top 100 boy names in the US. And deservedly so, given its great meaning, historic roots, and cool nicknames.
  4. BellHeart
    • Origin:

      English and Scottish occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "ringer of the bell"
    • Description:

      Simplicity and pleasant associations give the word Bell real possibility as a first name -- but somehow it seems better for a girl, a la Belle.
  5. BirdHeart
    • Origin:

      Nature name
    • Description:

      A name that's unusual in that changing the i to a y -- as in Byrd -- makes it more masculine.
  6. CasperHeart
    • Origin:

      Dutch form of Jasper, Persian
    • Meaning:

      "bringer of treasure"
    • Description:

      This ancient name, also spelled Caspar, is finally shedding its ghostly image and moving into the 21st century. Popular in the Netherlands and Scandinavia, where it's sometimes shortened to Cas, Casper could ride the style coattails of cousin Jasper. Casper was one of the Three Magi who brought gifts to the infant Jesus along with Melchior and Balthasar.
  7. CassidyHeart
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "curly-headed"
    • Description:

      A lean and lanky Irish cowboy name with great nickname potential to boot (Cass or Sid are both options). This is one of the great under-rated American names!
  8. CedarHeart
    • Origin:

      English and French from Latin tree name
    • Meaning:

      "cedar tree"
    • Description:

      Cedar is, like Ash, Oak, Pine and Ebony, one of the new tree/wood names that parents are starting to consider; this one is particularly aromatic.
  9. ChristianHeart
    • Origin:

      Greek or English from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "anointed one or follower of Christ"
    • Description:

      The name Christian has fallen a bit from its 90's and 00's heights, but it's still quite popular. Once considered overly pious, Christian is now seen as making a bold statement of faith by some, while also having secular appeal for others, perhaps influenced by such celebrities as Christian Slater and Christian Bale, not to mention the fashion world's Dior, Lacroix, Louboutin and Audigier.
  10. CoralHeart
    • DallasHeart
      • Origin:

        Place-name in Scotland and Texas, and Irish
      • Meaning:

        "skilled"
      • Description:

        Relaxed, laid-back cowboy name with broad appeal and more staying power than you might guess: Dallas has ranked among the Top 1000 boy names in the US since records began in 1880.
    • ElliotHeart
      • Origin:

        Anglicization of Elijah or Elias
      • Meaning:

        "Jehovah is God"
      • Description:

        Elliot (which boasts several spellings depending upon how many 'l's or 't's you want to use) is a winner -- it has the ideal quality of being neither too common nor weirdly unique. Elliot had a style boost back in the early 1980s via the young hero of the movie E.T. , who was named Elliot. Since then there have been Elliots on Law & Order: SVU and Mad Men.
    • EverettHeart
      • Origin:

        English variation of the German Eberhard
      • Meaning:

        "brave as a wild boar"
      • Description:

        Everett is a statesmanlike, wintry New England name whose recent leap in popularity can be credited to its similarity to trendy girls’ names such as Eva and Ava. Its high point was about a century ago, when Everett was a Top 100 name.
    • ForestHeart
      • Origin:

        French occupational name
      • Meaning:

        "woodsman or woods"
      • Description:

        The Forest variation of Forrest, used by actor Whitaker, nudges the meaning more toward the woods and away from the woodsman.
    • FrancisHeart
      • Origin:

        Latin
      • Meaning:

        "Frenchman or free man"
      • Description:

        Since this was the name chosen by the current Roman Catholic pope, Francis has come into the spotlight.
    • FreddieHeart
      • Origin:

        Dininutive of Frederick, German
      • Meaning:

        "peaceful ruler"
      • Description:

        Just the kind of casual, flippant nickname that upscale Brits are putting on their sons' birth certificates, but few U.S. parents are.
    • HarperHeart
      • 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.
    • HeathcliffHeart
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "cliff near a heath"
      • Description:

        Heathcliff is the name of the original passionate macho hero of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, and also of the cartoon cat. It was chosen by fashionista Lucy Sykes for her son, and inspired the late Heath Ledger's name. But otherwise it's barely used, and perhaps a bit much of a namesake. For a modern boy we'd recommend Heath....or Cliff.
    • HoldenHeart
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "hollow valley"
      • Description:

        Holden is a classic case of a name that jumped out of a book and onto birth certificates--though it took quite a while. Parents who loved J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye are flocking to the name of its hero, Holden Caulfield -- not coincidentally in tune with the Hudson-Hayden-Colton field of names. (Trivia note: Salinger supposedly came up with the name while looking at a movie poster promoting a film starring William Holden and Joan Caulfield, though other sources say he was named after Salinger's friend Holden Bowler.) Another impetus was provided by a soap opera character introduced in 1985.
    • HuckleberryHeart
      • Origin:

        Word name and literary name
      • Description:

        Everybody knows Huckleberry Finn, the Mark Twain character named, Twain said, for the 19th century slang term for "humble." A few modern parents have put it on a birth certificate, including "Man Vs. Wild" star Bear Grylls, who, like many parents, will call the boy the much more manageable Huck. It was also the name of a child on TV's West Wing,