NB andor unisex names

River

Nature name

River shares the tranquil feeling of all the water names, and seems to have pretty much escaped its past strong association with River Phoenix and his unfortunate fate. Actor Joaquin Phoenix named…

Jasper

Persian

"bringer of treasure"

Jasper originated as a variation of the Latin Gaspar, which ultimately derived from the Persian word ganzabara , meaning "bringer of treasure." As a given name, Jasper’s etymology is unrelated to…

Hunter

English

"one who hunts"

Hunter has been dropping a bit for the past few years but is still one of the leaders of a distinctive band of boys' names that combines macho imagery (Hunter, Austin, Harley) with a softened…

Milan

Italian place name, Slavic, Sanskrit

"middle of the plain; gracious, dear; union"

Effortlessly stylish with an international feel, Milan re-entered the US charts back in 2013 after a 55 year hiatus. It has been powering up the charts ever since, following in the footsteps of sweet…

Avery

English

"ruler of the elves"

Avery is a unisex name that is used four times as often today for girls as for boys. But while Avery's popularity is starting to soften for girls, it continues to get stronger for boys -- in keeping…

Dakota

Place-name; Sioux

"friendly one"

An early and still one of the most popular unisex names , also a place name and name of a Native American people in the northern Mississippi valley, which makes it a controversial baby name choice.…

Onyx

Word name

"gem stone; claw, nail"

Unlike Pearl and Ruby and more like Jasper, this gem name works well as a boys name. With its strong final X, it feels similar to Alex, Phoenix, Jax, and Rex, while the shiny black quality of the…

Jay

Latin

"jaybird"

Though this feels like a modern invention, Jay has been in use for centuries. Early Jays often were named in honor of founding father John Jay, whose surname derived from the jaybird. A popular…

Ari

Diminutive of Ariel, Hebrew

"lion of God"

Ari, the short form of Ariel (or any other Ari- beginning name, such as Aristotle) stands up better as a boys’ name than its progenitor does. It is also short for Aristotle, as in Onassis, and is a…

Ozzy

Pet form of Oswald, Osborn, Osmond or Oscar, English

"divine; deer"

Cute but cool, fresh but familiar, Ozzy was one of the fastest-rising boy names of 2021 and has continued to rise in the US and the UK ever since. While hard-core rocker Ozzy Osbourne might not be…

Morgan

Welsh

"sea-born, sea-song or sea-circle"

Morgan, once split evenly between the sexes, is a strong and attractive Welsh favorite, still a common boys’ name in Wales. Morgan is now more often a girls' name in the U.S. – about 2000 girls were…

Memphis

Greek and Coptic place-name

"Enduring and beautiful"

A place name with plenty of history, Memphis is associated with the place in Ancient Egypt where many of the pyramids were built, and with the bluesy US city that was named after it. With its lovely…

Salem

Biblical place-name or Arabic

"safe"

Salem is a Biblical place name in Canaan, believed to be the same as Jerusalem, as well as the Massachusetts town famous for its late 17th century witch trials. Salem is also a popular first name in…

Forest

French occupational name

"woodsman or woods"

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

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…

Kit

English, diminutive of Christopher

"bearer of Christ"

Actor Kit Harington, aka the dreamy Jon Snow on Game of Thrones , has given this nickname-name new style and appeal for boys. Actress Jodie Foster used it for her son back in the 2000s, while actor…

Justice

English word name

"the quality of being just, impartial, or fair"

Justice, one of the rare virtue names for boys, entered the popularity ranks in 1992, and remained in the charts until the 2020s. While it has fallen out of favor in more recent years, it remains a…

Ash

Diminutive of Asher, English

"ash tree"

Ash has Southern charm plus the arboreal-nature appeal. Plus your little boy will prize Ash as the name of the hero of the Pokemon cartoons. Ash can also be a dashing short form of Asher, Ashton, or…

Roan

Spelling variation of Rowan, Irish, Frisian, English word name

"little redhead; rowan tree; raven; animal with a coat of two interspersed colors"

This sleek, warm-hued spelling spin on Rowan was chosen by Sharon Stone for one of her three sons back in the 2000s and it has since risen in popularity in the US. While it remains a long way behind…

Fox

Animal name

Fox is one animal name backed by a longish tradition, and then popularized via the lead character Fox Mulder on X Files . Fox is simple, sleek, and a little bit wild, and could make an interesting…