Unisex Names from Boys List
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- Rowan
Origin:
Scottish and IrishMeaning:
"rowan tree; little redhead"Description:
With its gentle sounds and earthy vibes, the name Rowan feels like a fusion of different styles. A word name, a surname, and a gender-neutral name, Rowan is rustic but trendy, blending the vibes of both Owen and Oakley.
- Arlo
Origin:
Irish or EnglishMeaning:
"between two hills"Description:
Quirky cool Arlo is now well and truly back. Last year it broke into the US Top 200 boy names and consistently ranks among the most popular boy names on Nameberry.
- Tate
Origin:
English from NorseMeaning:
"cheerful"Description:
A strong single-syllable surname with a joyful meaning, Tate is finding a place on more and more birth certificates.
- Wren
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"small bird"Description:
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.
- River
Origin:
Nature nameDescription:
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 his son with actress Rooney Mara after his brother River.
- Quinn
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"descendant of Conn, chief leader, intelligence"Description:
Quinn is an engaging Celtic surname, zippy, concise and strong. While it may now lean feminine in the US, given to girls about 80% of the time, it is still given to a substantial number of boys: 615 in a recent count.
- Dylan
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"son of the sea"Description:
Dylan still feels poetic and romantic after years of popularity. It still ranks highly on the charts, among the top boy names starting with D, so if you choose it, be aware that yours may not be the only Dylan in his class.
- Remy
Origin:
French from LatinMeaning:
"oarsman"Description:
Remy is one of the hottest names today for both boys and girls, sometimes spelled Remi. . It entered the popularity list in 2009 and has quickly become one of the fastest-rising names on the list.
- Lane
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"a small roadway or path"Description:
Lane is a recent hit name, that could be used for either gender, but is much more popular for boys. It's a surname that projects the pleasant picture of narrow, tree-lined country roads.
- Ren
Origin:
Japanese, LatinMeaning:
"water lily, lotus, romantic love, move forward; reborn"Description:
A very popular unisex name in Japan, Ren is a concise and versatile choice that could work across multiple languages. A rising star in England and Wales where it ranks in the Top 1000, it is also on the rise in the US where it was give to nearly 90 girls and 200 boys in a recent year.
- Riley
Origin:
English, IrishMeaning:
"rye clearing; courageous"Description:
Riley -- one of the most popular unisex names -- is trendier now for girls though for boys it's a classic, ALWAYS ranking in the US Top 1000.
- Briar
Origin:
Nature name, English word nameMeaning:
"a thorny patch"Description:
This word name entered the US Top 1000 for both genders in 2015, though it premiered a little higher for girls. There are still more baby girls named Briar than baby boys -- 594 vs. 361 in 2021 -- but it's rising in popularity for both. Briar fits the trend for nature names, and it also offers a fresh option for honoring a Brian.
- Drew
Origin:
Diminutive of AndrewMeaning:
"strong and manly"Description:
Drew, which projects a polished, somewhat intellectual impression, is rapidly becoming the Andrew nickname of choice, replacing the past favorite, Andy. It is fully capable of standing on its own, which it has for many decades, non-stop since 1942.
- Shiloh
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"tranquil"Description:
Haunting biblical and Civil War place-name; now unisex—especially after the mega-high-profile Brangelina couple picked it for their daughter. It debuted in the Top 1000 for boys in 2015.
- Linden
Origin:
Variation of LyndonMeaning:
"linden tree hill"Description:
The graceful, natural image of the verdant shade tree transcends any connection with President Johnson.
- Taylor
Origin:
English occupational nameMeaning:
"tailor"Description:
Taylor was much more popular throughout the 1990s for both genders than it is today. Close to the Top 50 boys' names in the mid-1990s, Taylor recently fell out of the Top 500 for boys and out of the Top 100 for girls, and is predicted to continue on a downward trajectory for both genders. Similar but more stylish baby names today include Sawyer, Sayer and Thayer.
- Rumi
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"beauty, flow, lapis lazuli"Description:
While Rumi has received attention in the contemporary US as the name of Beyonce and Jay-Z's young daughter, it's most famously the name of a (male)13th century Muslim mystic and poet. The most famous Rumi poem,"The Diver's Clothes Lying Empty", has inspired many modern literary works, including a novel with a similar title by Vendela Vida.
- Harper
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"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.
- Grey
Origin:
Color nameDescription:
The girls have Violet and Scarlet and Ruby and Rose, but for the boys there's a much more limited palette of color names. Grey/Gray is one exception, which could make for a soft and evocative—if slightly somber—choice, especially in the middle. Kaitlin Olson and Rob McElhenney named their son Leo Grey.
- Lee
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"pasture, meadow"Description:
A name that has a bit of a shouldn't-I-be-a-middle-name sound, though still in use as a first for both genders. Lee might be a good choice if you want something that sounds at once traditional yet modern, unisex but not newly-minted.
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