Nature Inspired Gender-Neutral Names

Men may be from Mars as the saying goes, and the name may derive from the Latin maris meaning male, but soul singer Erykah Badu and Workaholics star Blake Anderson have given it potential as a unisex name after they both used it for their daughters.

With other bird names such as Lark and Phoenix on the rise, why not chirpy Sparrow? Nicole Richie and Joel Madden named their son, born in 2009, Sparrow James Midnight.

Sleek, unisex surname rarely heard for girls -- which could be seen as an asset.

Intriguing, when seen as a water name a la River and Ocean, but too close to cultural appropriate if used as a reference to the Creek tribe of Native Americans. Another downside is its resemblance to creak, as in creaky bones or floorboards, and to unappealing words like creep and creak.

With related choices such as Lark and Phoenix gaining popularity, why not Sparrow? Though it's usually thought of as a female name, Nicole Richie and Joel Madden chose it for their son.

Ash is a gender-neutral choice that calls to mind the '80s favorite: Ashley. But view it as a nature name -- as in the tree, not the charred bit of soot in the fireplace -- and it makes a cool choice that fits with today's trends.

Most things Jul-related – from the month of July to popular modern names Julia and Julian – originate with Roman emperor Julius Caesar, and the month name July is no exception. Fifteen girls and seven boys were named July in 2013, putting this month name into the class of gender neutral names.

Everest has an attractive enough sound and lofty enough meaning to come into style, à la Sierra. George Lucas bestowed this aspirational name on his baby daughter in 2013 and it has been climbing up the charts ever since. Currently in the US Top 1000 for boys, it was also given to around 100 girls in a recent year.

Oak, a symbol of solidity, strength, and longevity, is joining Cedar and Pine as a viable name, one that would work especially well in the middle.

Gale for boys is more a storm name than a short form of Abigail. Since Gale has resurfaced as the name of Liam Hemsworth's daring character in The Hunger Games, it has new force for boys.

Stormy is on the rise following the birth of Kylie Jenner's daughter Stormi, although the starbaby's spelling has taken over the lead.

The nature boy version of the Scandinavian Leif, which actually means "heir". In the creative-naming Phoenix family, Leaf is the former name of the actor we know as Joaquin.

Soaring astral name has a great gender-free feel. It also has a pleasing christmas connotation, courtesy of the reindeer listed in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

When Gail was popular, half a century ago, Gale was a plausible choice. Gale does put a slightly more masculine spin on the name, but it's dated in any version.

A fresh and fragrant nature name, Cedar is one of the new tree/wood names that parents are starting to consider. While it is currently more popular for boys, it sounds similar enough to Selah, Celia, Freda, Sailor, and Ida, it doesn't feel out of place for any gender.

While actress Glenn Close didn't inspire many parents to give their daughters her name in particular, she did help launch a general trend toward boy names for girls.

Bird name possibility, rarer than Lark and Wren but with the same short, punchy feel.

A word name with a touch of mystery surrounding it, Shadow is a bold, edgy choice for a baby which some may find a bit ominous. While it is predominatly used for cats, dogs, and other furry friends, it can be considered a wild word name that parents are actually using, having debuted in the US stats for girls in 1974 and for boys in 1987.

Brooke variation – or is the other way around? – that makes it more a nature name, less an eighties-style androgynous name.

Ten times as many boys are named Oak as girls: about 50 boys last year to five girls. Of course, nature names don't have any traditional gender identification the way names like John and Mary do, so Oak works well for all babies. Oakley is the most popular Oak name for babies of all genders.