gender neutral names I personally like

Baldwin

German

"brave friend"

One "bald" name we can get behind, thanks to pioneering African-American author James Baldwin – though the name is now also associated with the Baldwin brothers, particularly Alec.

Basil

Greek

"royal"

Although Greek in origin--in the fourth century, a bishop by that name established the principles of the Greek Orthodox Church--Basil for years took on the aura of aquiline-nosed upper-class…

Bay

English word, Old English

"an inlet of the sea where the land curves inward; berry"

Like River and Lake, a cool, refreshing modern water-related choice. This name is also associated with bay leaves, the bay laurel, the contemporary term of endearment, "bae", and the Old English word…

Bayou

Nature name

A slow and sultry southern choice that's definitely cool for babies of either gender.

Billie

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…

Billy

English, diminutive of William

"resolute protection"

Cute kid with freckles, bouncing a Spalding ball. Cool couple Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton put the name Billy Burton on their son's birth certificate. While the classic William, name of the…

Birch

Tree name

Birch is a rarely used nature name that calls to mind the lovely image of the tall, strong but graceful white-barked tree. The best known bearer of the name is former high-ranking Democratic Senator…

Blaise

French

"to lisp, stammer"

As modern as it sounds, Blaise is an ancient Christian martyr name. In Arthurian legend, Blaise is the name of Merlin the Magician's secretary. Its relation to the word and name Blaze gives it a…

Blue

Color name

Among the coolest of the cool color names, particularly popular with celebs as a unisex middle name. While most famous as the name of Beyonce and Jay-Z's daughter Blue Ivy, more than 60 percent of…

Bow

Bow is an uncommon masculine name with multiple potential origins. As an English word name, it connects to several meanings: the weapon for shooting arrows, symbolizing precision and skill; the…

Brave

English word name

Not for the faint of the baby-naming heart, Brave has begun to gather more attention in the 2020s, fitting in with a tendency towards wilder word names. Given to 37 boys in a recent year, it would…

Bridges

English, word name and surname

"bridges"

Bridges is one of the new last names as first names ending in S that are so fashionable right now, joining Brooks, Wells, and Banks.

Brighton

English, place name meaning "bright town"

"bright town"

Brighton has long been known as a holiday resort town on the south coast of England. A cheery unisex name, it was used for his daughter by Jon Favreau, but was a boy on the TV show The Nanny .

Bronx

Place name

Rockers Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz put a new baby name on the map when they chose this downscale New York borough name for their son. The Bronx, the place, was named for early Dutch settler Jonas…

Brook

English nature name

"small stream"

Now that the popularity of Brooke is waning, and surname style variant Brooks is on the rise, Brook seems live a newly fresh nature-inspired option.