Somewhat Gender Neutral
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- Alex
Origin:
Diminutive of Alexander, AlexisMeaning:
"defending men"Description:
The independent Alex has become a classic in its own right. One of the truest unisex names, Alex is used almost equally for both sexes. Alex is used both on its own and as a short form of formal names of both genders, such as Alexander, Alexandra, and Alexis.
- Ashley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"dweller near the ash tree meadow"Description:
Ashley was a sensation in the 1980s and 1990s; it hit Number 1 in 1991. Ashley is still pretty but more and more parents are turning to newer names like Ashlyn and Aubrey, and spellings such as Ashleigh and Ashlea. If you hear the name Ashley in a playground today, it's more likely to be the mom than the little girl.
- Ashton
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"ash tree place"Description:
Hot star Ashton Kutcher is pushing this unisex choice toward the boys' camp, but its variation Ashtyn is on the rise.
- August
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"majestic, venerable"Description:
Though associated traditionally (and fashionably) with boys, it has been used occasionally for girls as well – by Garth Brooks, Nicolas Cage, and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, for example. But August is used significantly more often for girls these days than traditional feminine variations Augusta and Augustina, and makes for a fresh twist on traditional month names like April and May, as well as an updated spin on season name Autumn.
- Austen
Origin:
Literary surname and shortened form of Augustine, LatinMeaning:
"great, magnificent"Description:
Parents who love the great English novelist Jane Austen may choose this spelling of the popular name Austin to honor the author of Emma and Pride and Prejudice.
- Billie
Description:
Billie as a masculine name originated as a diminutive form of William, derived from Germanic elements meaning "will" or "determination" and "helmet" or "protection." While more commonly recognized as a feminine name today, Billie has historical precedence as a male name, particularly in the early to mid-20th century. Notable male bearers include jazz musician Billie Holiday (born Eleanora but adopted the masculine spelling) and various athletes and musicians. The name conveys a friendly, approachable quality with vintage charm. Though its popularity for boys has declined significantly since the 1960s, it maintains appeal for parents drawn to gender-neutral naming options with traditional roots and a casual, unpretentious character.
- Blake
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"fair-haired, dark"Description:
The unisex Blake, which indeed has two conflicting meanings, has a briskly efficient image when used for a girl.
- Callahan
Origin:
Irish surnameMeaning:
"bright-headed"Description:
This friendly Irish surname is catching on with girls, perhaps due to the easy Callie nickname.
- Callisto
Origin:
Greek mythologyMeaning:
"most beautiful"Description:
Best known as one of the moons of Jupiter, Callisto was a nymph coveted by Zeus who was turned into a bear by Hera, becoming the Great Bear (Ursa Major) constellation.
- Cameron
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"crooked nose"Description:
With its friendly, sensitive, and approachable feel, Cameron is a 90’s favorite that remains popular today. It has a pleasing balance of soft and strong sounds, and holds unisex appeal, thanks to Cameron Diaz. Still, eight times more boys than girls are named Cameron in the US.
- Cassidy
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"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!
- Charlie
Origin:
English diminutive of Charles or Charlotte, French from GermanMeaning:
"free man"Description:
Charlie is a friendly, boyish nickname name now used slightly more frequently for girls than boys, with over 2200 baby girls named Charlie last year versus about 2100 boys. That makes Charlie one of the most evenly-balanced and most popular unisex names around today.
- Dove
Origin:
Nature nameMeaning:
"dove, a bird"Description:
One of the new bird names, like Lark and Wren, this one's associated with the billing and cooing sounds of love. Soft and gentle, Dove also has the admirable association with peace.
- Finley
Origin:
Irish and ScottishMeaning:
"fair-haired hero"Description:
This was Irish name was once used exclusively for boys, and remains so in England and Wales where it's a Top 50 choice. In the US, however, celebs Jason Sehorn, Angie Harmon, and Lisa Marie Presley inspired many parents to consider this name for girls instead, after they chose it for their daughters. In fact, up until 2024, it ranked considerably higher for girls than it did for boys.
- Frankie
Origin:
Diminutive of Frank, Francis, or Franklin, LatinMeaning:
"from France or free man"Description:
Frankie used to be a name used for near-equal numbers of girls and boys. In 2015, it ranked Number 992 for both genders in the US.
- Halley
Origin:
Scottish and EnglishMeaning:
"hall or woodland clearing"Description:
While this has a distinguished male namesake -- astronomer Edmund Halley and his comet -- it still strays too close to the superpopular feminine Hailey family to work for some parents for a boy. Fewer than five baby boys were given the name last year, but that could change as formerly-female names become more acceptable for boys.
- Harley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"hare clearing"Description:
You can ride one, you can use it as a baby name – or, as is often the case, both! Harley is currently trending up for girls and down for boys in the US, although it remains predominantly masculine in the UK. A lesser-used -ley ending choice for boys, Harley has a current sound but an old-school biker appeal.
- Joey
Origin:
Diminutive of JosephMeaning:
"Jehovah increases"Description:
This nickname for popular and traditional Joseph has a long history of being used as a given name all on its own. Nonetheless, everyone will always assume that Joey is short for the longer form. It might be nice for a potential son to have the option of a more professional and classic name to fall back on.
- Juno
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"queen of the heavens; young"Description:
Juno is an ancient name that feels as fresh as if it had been minted, well, not yesterday, but in 2007. Since the release of the popular indie film Juno, this lively but strong Roman goddess name has held new potential as a baby name. Currently in the UK Top 500 and used in The Netherlands too, Juno is on the rise in the US - and is 15 times more popular than it was before the release of the film.
- Kimi
Origin:
Finnish, Hawaiian, JapaneseMeaning:
"Yahweh will establish; supplanter; righteous + lord"Description:
Kimi is a name of various origins with a zippy sound. It can be a Finnish variation of Joachim, via short form Kim, the Hawaiian variation of Jamie, via Kimo, and a unisex Japanese name, meaning "lord", "prince", "righteous" or "valuable and beautiful".