Not gender neutral... Yet

One of the least known of the Ken names, though could make an intriguing namesake for an outdated Kenneth.

Kerris is a much easier if less authentic phonetic spelling of the popular and pretty Welsh name Cerys.

This diminutive of Kimberley is gaining momentum as a standalone name. For our part, we're stumped by its rise.

Kinsey enjoyed popularity blip thanks to similarity to Lindsay, and because of Sue Grafton's alphabet mysteries heroine, Kinsey Millhone. Now, Kinsley has become more popular than Kinsey.

Light and glittery, but with plenty of spirit, Kinsley has risen quickly into the US Top 100. Balanced between preppy and cutesy, it feels like a fresh alternative to Kelly, Kaitlyn, or Kimberly.

Although this is an ancient Old Testament name, it has a pleasant contemporary feel that might appeal to today's parents, who might just as easily use it for a girl.

Laurel takes Laura back to its meaning in nature, resulting in a gentle, botanical option. Even more directly than Laura, Laurel relates back to the laurel wreath signifying success and peace in ancient Rome.

Lavender lags far behind sweet-smelling purple-hued sister names Violet and Lila, but is starting to get some enthusiastic attention from cutting-edge namers along with other adventurous nature names like Clementine and Marigold.

Lillias is a spin on Lilias, two international members of the popular Lily family. Whatever the spelling, the name is so rare that it was given to no baby girls in the US in 2015.

Loretto is an old school spelling of the more common Loretta, which comes from the Italian Laura diminutive Lauretta. Antiquated to the point of extinction -- no baby girls have received the name in the US for more than half a century -- Loretto nevertheless ranked among the Top 1000 names until the early 20th centiury.