User-created list
Typically female names for boys
Across 12 pages
of 12
Sydney
Variation of Sidney, English from French
"Saint Denis"
The Sydney spelling most popular for girls: it's in the Top 50 on the female side. Cool for a girl, still nerdy for a guy.
Hadley
English
"heathery field"
Hemingway readers will recognize this as the name of Papa's first wife (and, eventually, actress Mariel's grandmother). But in Victorian times, Hadley and Hedley were actually more popular for boys.
Sandy
Scottish and English diminutive of Alexander
"defending men"
A sweet Scottish short form of Alexander which is feeling newly appealing now the era of Sandra is far behind us. Sandy would also work well as a nickname for a child with pale red or dark blond hair.
Larkin
Irish
"rough, fierce"
The additional syllable makes Lark a masculine surname name, borne by poet Philip Larkin.
Zia
Arabic, Hebrew
"splendour, light, glow; shaking, trembling"
A succinct variation of Ziya, Zia is an Arabic boy name, with a glowing meaning, also used as the Urdu and Bengali transcription. Notable bearers of the name include Bangaledeshi politician Ziaur…
Leighton
English
"meadow town"
More popular in its Layton spelling, Leighton is rising in popularity in the US for both sexes simultaneously, although this spelling remains more popular for girls for now – no doubt helped by…
Blythe
English
"cheerful"
Blythe originated as a nickname for an upbeat person, coming from the Old English word bliðe, meaning "merry" or "cheerful." It was later adapted into a surname, and while it did see some use as a…
Zoe
Zoe as a masculine name represents an interesting crossover from its more common feminine usage. Traditionally, Zoe is a Greek name meaning 'life,' derived from 'zoē.' While predominantly used for…
Jody
Variation or diminutive of Joseph
"Jehovah increases"
Quintessentially sweet and innocent unisex name of the 1960s and 70s, now gone the way of hot pants and disco balls.
Love
English word name or Swedish variation of Louis
"renowned warrior"
In the Anglophone world, Love is more likely to be perceived and pronounced as an English word name than the Swedish form of Louis, which is pronounced LOO-veh.
Leigh
Variation of Lee, English
"pasture, meadow"
Leigh as a masculine name has Anglo-Saxon origins, derived from the Old English 'leah' meaning 'clearing' or 'meadow.' While Leigh has become increasingly popular as a feminine name in recent…
Presley
English
"priest's meadow"
More universal than Elvis...and more conventionally attractive, too. Cindy Crawford used it for her son, though it's on the rise mainly for girls. The last time Presley ranked in the Top 1000 for…
Madison
English
"son of Matthew"
Madison was at one time a strictly boys' presidential name, reaching as high as Number 311 at the end of the nineteenth century. That all changed in 1985 when it entered the girls' list, zooming up…
Pip
English, diminutive of Philip
"lover of horses"
The original Pip was the main character in Great Expectations (full name Philip Pirrip). Cute for a tike, maybe too cute for an adult.
Abby
As a masculine name, Abby represents an uncommon usage of what is traditionally a feminine nickname. Most frequently, Abby serves as a diminutive for Abigail (Hebrew: 'father's joy'), but for boys,…
Cadence
English word name
"rhythm, beat"
A once trendy name for girls but that's now in decline, this musical option has actually been slowly and quietly on the rise as a masculine option. Given to 115 boys in 2023, compared to 75 in 2017,…
Laine
Variation of Lane
"a small roadway or path"
Unisex Lane is a hit for boys in the last few decades, remaining around the 200s in popularity. Laine may lean a bit more feminine, but still has that unisex feel.
Dove
Color and nature name
"dove, a bird"
Subtle but clear unisex way to signal peace, especially in middle place.
Beverly
English
"beaver stream"
An English surname name which was originally used as a masculine first name in the 19th century, before becoming more popular for girls from the early 20th century onwards.
Raven
Word name
Make that bird name, and while it does work for both genders, it's far more popular for girls, via Raven Symone.