Unisex

Simcha

Hebrew

"gladness, joy"

A celebratory choice with a bright sound, Simcha is also used as a word to describe Jewish festivities and joyful occasions such as a wedding or a Bar Mitzvah.

Artemis

Greek, diminutive of Artemios

"safe; butcher"

Best known as the the Greek Goddess of the hunt and the moon, Artemis could now be considered one of the few traditionally feminine names that are currently being used for boys. Alternatively…

Calix

Male variation of Calixta or Latin

"chalice"

Calix is once-obscure name that is starting to see some use in the US, where 62 baby boys were named Calix in 2024. An indirect influence is the actress Calista Flockhart, who introduced Americans…

Pax

Latin

"peaceful"

Pax, one of the variations of names meaning peace that are newly popular in these less-than-peaceful times, got a lot of publicity when chosen by Brad & Angelina for their Vietnamese-born son.…

Hero

Greek

"demi-god; admired, courageous"

A bold, brave choice, that some may worry is a little heavy to bestow on a child, Hero wouldn't seem too out of place alongside Chosen, Merritt, or Noble. Though the mythological Hero was female, as…

Lex

Diminutive of Alexander

"defending men"

Cool short form of Alexander, fresher than Alex and less trendy than Xander... for now.

Cato

Latin

"all-knowing"

Cato conjures up images of ancient Roman statesmen and southern antebellum retainers; it could have revival potential, with its 'O' ending and the current interest in the names of Greek and Roman…

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.

Claude

French from Latin

"lame; enclosure"

Claude is a soft-spoken French name that conjures up the pastel colors of Monet and harmonies of Debussy. In France, it is used for girls as well, in fact in the Tracy Chevalier novel Lady and the…

Carlisle

English

"from the walled city"

This stuffy English surname and hotel name took on Twilight cool when attached to vampire Carlisle Cullen. Inspired by the character, it's more popular in this spelling than as Carlyle and more…

Braeden

Spelling variation of Braydon

Braeden was one of the many -aiden names that we heard everywhere just a few years ago. Now it's fading, along with Aiden, Jayden, and company.

Quill

Irish, English

"lion; scribe, writer with a quill pen"

First appearing in the US stats back in 2013, this wordy choice fits in with the likes of Sonnet, Poetry, Fable, and Story as a literary option for writers, fans of classic literature, and those who…

Nori

Japanese, Norse

"doctrine or seaweed; north or small person"

Attractive, simple Japanese choice that, while not strictly unisex, could work even better for a girl, especially now that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West use it as the nickname for their daughter…

Nero

Latin

"stern"

The association with the infamous Nero, the fiddling Roman emperor, would be unavoidable. But there was also the detective Nero Wolfe, hero of many mystery stories. Nero was born Lucius Domitius…

Pasha

Russian, diminutive of Pavel

"small, humble"

Similar in sound to Sasha, Pasha is a Russian diminutive of the name Pavel, itself a form of Paul. Also used as a title for a high ranking officer in the (now historical) Ottoman military, and as…

Mercury

Latin

"Roman messenger god"

Adventurous parents are starting to look back to names of ancient gods like Mercury, Zeus, and Apollo. This one is also a planet and a metallic element, and has a friendly nickname, Merc. The Roman…

Conlan

Irish

"hero"

An undiscovered Irish surname with a cool meaning. It could work as an alternative to Connor and Lachlan.

Autry

French surname

"noble strength"

Loose, lean, and lanky cowboy-sounding names have become a recent trend, but how about the name of a real one--the Singing Cowboy Gene. Autry might be thought of as a masculine spin on the…