gender neutral names I personally like

Baldwin

German

"brave friend"

Writer James Baldwin could make this an inspirational choice for a child of either sex.

Barrett

German

"bear strength"

There are a surprising number of baby boys named Barrett each year in the US -- nearly 1800 -- along with 30 baby girls. Which is more than many people might guess. Barrett does have an appealing…

Basil

Greek

"royal"

This ancient Greek male name, well-used in Britain, also has an herbal quality that may explain its increasing use for girls. While as a name it rhymes with dazzle, the herb has a long a, making the…

Bay

English word, Old English

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

One of the most usable of the pleasant, newly adopted nature/water names (like Lake and Ocean), especially in middle position. It's gentle, slightly whimsical, but grounded by its similarity to May…

Bayou

Native American nature name

A slow and sultry southern choice that's definitely cool for babies of either gender. While the word feels French and has its roots in 18th century French Louisiana, it derives from the Choctaw word…

Beau

Beau, when used as a feminine name, represents an interesting gender crossover from its traditional masculine usage. Derived from the French word meaning 'handsome' or 'beautiful,' Beau originated as…

Billy

Billy is an unexpectedly feminine usage of what is traditionally a masculine nickname for William. When used for girls, Billy typically represents a diminutive of feminine names like Wilhelmina,…

Birch

English, German, Danish, and Swedish surname and tree name

"dweller in the birch wood"

One of the rarer tree names, Birch evokes imagery of the beautiful paper-white bark tree. Although a unisex name, the most notable people named Birch are men, such as Indiana senator Birch Evans Bayh…

Blaine

Irish

"yellow"

She's the bff of Blair, Blake, and Brooke who shop at Bergdorf's, Bonwits and Bendel's.

Blaise

Latin

"one who stutters"

Despite its modern sound, Blaise has plenty of history as a given name (for boys), from a Christian martyr to Arthurian legends. Today Blaise feels like the cool and edgy Blaze with a French accent.

Blaze

English word name

"fire"

A hot name, though perhaps not in the sense you want for your baby. About 20 times as many boys as girls were named Blaze in one recent year, perhaps because it can be seen as a spelling variation of…