User-created list
By edenwallace · Updated February 2023
Across 13 pages
of 13
Welsh
"lake"
Traditionally used for boys before the 20th-century, Lynn was solidly used as a masculine name in the US, right up until the 70s when it fell out of favor. Prior to that, however, it had already…
English word name
"month name"
Parents are beginning to turn away from springtime months like April and June and are moving toward the cooler and crisper three-syllable September, October, November, and December.
Scottish
"from the town of St. Clair"
Could be a novel way for a boy's name to honor an ancestral Claire.
Greek
"gift of Artemis"
Variant of Artemas
English, diminutive of Salvador or Salvatore, Latin
"savior"
The sidekick in almost every movie or TV show with an Italo-American setting, this once common name has now fallen onto the endangered list, given to fewer than 50 baby boys each year.
Japanese
"snow; happiness"
Short yet impactful, this Japanese name with has two appealing meanings, depending on which kanji are used. It may be associated with joy, or with a wintery scene.
Irish
"dark river"
Cheerful but laidback, surname-style Delaney is derived from the Old Irish name Dubhshláine and has become a familiar choice for girls in recent decades. Nevertheless, it has also been used for boys…
Diminutive of Zebediah or Zebulon, Hebrew
"gift of God, exaltation, or little dwelling"
Short and to-the-point, it turns an ancient biblical name into a friendly cowboy.
English, diminutive of Melvin
"council protector"
Though most Mels are playing pinochle with Murray and Morris, there was a notable Saint Mel. He is one of the earliest Irish saints, a nephew of St. Patrick. He became a priest, then built a great…
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…
Matty functions as both a standalone masculine name and a familiar diminutive of Matthew, which derives from the Hebrew name Mattathia meaning 'gift of God.' While traditionally used as a nickname,…
Nature name
"herb; regret"
Botanical choice that can work for either gender. Simple and straightforward. Caveats: rue means "regret" in English, and "street" in French. Now in the Top 1000 in England and Wales for girls and…
Armenian place-name
The name of Armenia's largest lake is popular for boys in France -- Sevan is in the boys' Top 500 -- but can also be used for girls.
"solitary meadow"
This name will tick a lot of boxes for many parents: unisex; trendy sound; pretty instinctive to pronounce; and some great namesakes including British chef Ainsley Harriott and American footballer…
"from the island"
An appealing Irish placename with a unisex feel, Ennis would be a fresh alternative to Dennis and Ellis. It's little-used for boys and even rarer for girls, but since Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons…
English
"desired; or water, island"
Renowned English author Evelyn Waugh pronounced his name "EEV-lin" (fun fact: his first wife, also named Evelyn, was referred to as "She-velyn"). But "EV-uh-lin" also works, and is probably the most…
Diminutive of Nicholas or Nicole
Nicky is a forever-cute short form of Nicholas once used as a full name but now relegated to nickname (no pun intended) status.
Polish
"serene"
Seren, meaning "star", is one of the top girls' names in Wales, but as a boys' name it has a different derivation. It's a rare Polish form of the Latin Serenus, mostly used to refer to the Saint and…
Thayne is a distinctive masculine name with multiple possible origins. It may derive from an English surname meaning 'thane's land' (referring to a medieval Scottish or Anglo-Saxon nobleman), or it…
Latin
"evening star"
While this is usually thought of as a girls' name because of the Bond Girl connection, its sound is masculine and there's no reason it couldn't work for boys.
