Typically female names for boys

  1. Kim
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Kimball
    • Description:

      Kim is forever feminized, despite memories of the Rudyard Kipling character.
  2. Kimberly
    • Origin:

      English surname and place name
    • Meaning:

      "Cyneburga's meadow"
    • Description:

      Kimberly is a variation of the South African (and Australian) place name Kimberley, named after John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley. The name comes from a Norfolk earldom (first spelled Chineburlai) and references the meadow or woodland clearing of a medieval Lady called Cyneburga.
  3. Kit
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Christopher
    • Meaning:

      "bearer of Christ"
    • Description:

      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.
  4. Lacy
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "from Lassey"
    • Description:

      Back in the day, Lacy used to be available to boys as well.
  5. Laine
    • Origin:

      Variation of Lane
    • Meaning:

      "a small roadway or path"
    • Description:

      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.
  6. Lark
    • Origin:

      Bird name
    • Description:

      In one recent year there were 60 baby girls in the US named Lark....and only eight baby boys. But there's no reason this bird name can't also be masculine, especially given that Robin is making a comeback for boys and Sparrow is a notable starbaby boy (he's Nicole Richie and Joel Madden's son).
  7. Larkin
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "rough, fierce"
    • Description:

      The additional syllable makes Lark a masculine surname name.
  8. Lauren
    • Origin:

      English from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "from Laurentum or bay laurel"
    • Description:

      A Top 1000 boy name throughout the first half of the 20th century in the US, Lauren was popularized for girls by the actress Lauren Bacall. Today, while the Lauren spelling is still 99 percent feminine, Loren is truly gender-neutral, used last year for 75 baby girls and 60 baby boys.
  9. Lee
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "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.
  10. Leigh
    • Leighton
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "meadow town"
      • Description:

        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 actress Leighton Meester. Lleyton – as in Australian tennis star Lleyton Hewitt – is another, even more complicated, variant spelling.
    • Lennon
      • Origin:

        Irish
      • Meaning:

        "lover"
      • Description:

        A growing number of high-profile (and other) parents are choosing to honor their musical idols, such as Hendrix, Presley, Jagger, and now Lennon. Lennon first came to notice when Liam Gallagher and Patsy Kensit used it for their son in 1999, and singer-musician Adam Pascal followed their lead in two years later. Thanks in part to female singer and actress Lennon Stella, it's now more popular for girls than for boys.
    • Lesley
      • Leslie
        • Origin:

          Scottish
        • Meaning:

          "garden of holly"
        • Description:

          This Scottish place name and surname was more popular for boys in the US until the mid-1940s; in the UK, the Leslie spelling is predominantly masculine, with Lesley widely used as the feminine variant. Now ranking in the mid-400s for girls and not at all for boys in the US, it could be time to bring this smart, subtle nature name back, especially considering the current popularity of -ley names for both sexes.
      • Lindsay
        • Origin:

          English
        • Meaning:

          "island of linden trees"
        • Description:

          Lindsay is one of the few truly unisex names (rather than being a name that has changed genders). Over time the ey ending was usually reserved for women and the ay ending reserved for men, although both spellings are overwhelmingly female these days.
      • London
        • Origin:

          Place-name
        • Description:

          In the US, London is popular for both sexes, though as the name rises for girls, it's levelled off for boys. Of course, London is far less popular in the UK and other English-speaking countries.
      • Loris
        • Lotus
          • Origin:

            Greek
          • Meaning:

            "lotus flower"
          • Description:

            The lotus is a meaningful symbol in many East Asian cultures, where it symbolizes purity, enlightenment, and rebirth. As a name, it's much more common among baby girls, but a small number of boys are named Lotus each year.
        • Love
          • Origin:

            English word name or Swedish variation of Louis
          • Meaning:

            "renowned warrior"
          • Description:

            In the Anglophone world, Love is more likely to be perceived as an English word name than the Swedish form of Louis.
        • Mackenzie
          • Origin:

            Scottish
          • Meaning:

            "son of Kenneth"
          • Description:

            This lively Scottish name caught on for girls in a big way starting from the 1970s in the US, although it has remained much more gender-neutral in its native Britain, where it peaked at #109 for boys in 2005 (#303 for girls the name year). Mac would be a cool short form.