Unisex Baby Name Ideas: Popular to Rare

Looking for unisex baby name ideas?

This is your guide to the best of gender-neutral baby names.

WHAT IS A UNISEX NAME?

It sounds obvious, right? A unisex name can be used for anyone, regardless of gender.

Except it’s not that simple. 

In order for a name to feel truly genderless, it probably has to be rare. That’s because nearly any name brings to mind gender for us. Maybe you’ve met one Kelly, and he’s a rugby-playing guy who makes the name hyper-masculine. Or maybe you know three Harpers, all girls under ten.

Avery is a great surname-style name for a daughter or a son, with a quirky-cool meaning: elf warrior. If you chose it for your son, you might be surprised when someone else gives the name to their daughter. But Tauriel – and plenty of other Tolkien characters – wants you to know that elf warriors can be male or female, thanks.

It’s worth noting that celebrities (or an influencer or your next door neighbor) might choose a conventionally masculine name for a daughter. Kristen Bell has Lincoln; Jessica Simpson went with Maxwell. That alone won’t automatically transfer a name from the baby boys list to the girls – though sometimes it might signal a change. 

Even one high profile person can’t necessarily switch our perception of a name. Despite Cameron Diaz’s household name status, Cameron remains more popular for boys.

So it’s mind-bending but true. There are unisex names that are used mostly for girls, as well as gender-neutral names that trend boy, and everything in between.

WHY CHOOSE A GENDER-NEUTRAL NAME?

Some parents simply prefer the idea of choosing a name that conveys no expectations based on gender.

Or maybe you found this list seeking a nonbinary name for yourself.

But it’s complicated. Some parents find the concept of BNOG – Boy Names on Girls  – cute. Rather than defying gender norms, they’re adopting a new one. Laura Wattenberg used the term “andro-girly” to describe them. Think Madasyn or Everleigh. We hear them as unisex, but they’re the naming equivalent of Barbie’s pink sparkly cowgirl boots.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with any of these approaches, but it’s worth noting that the creative re-spelling of a baby boy name feels far less neutral than some of the other unisex baby name ideas discussed here.

CROSS-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES

Here’s a funny thing: in English, given names are heavily gendered. European languages sometimes dictate a name’s gender with specific spellings. Think Julien for boys; Julienne for girls, or Francesco and Francesca. But in English, especially American English, we lack clear rules, so things get fuzzy.

Despite the difficulties, we generally sense that names ought to belong to boys or girls – typically.

Or do we? In some families – particularly in New England and the South – passing down family surnames as given names is popular. Sometimes they’re middle names that end up used as firsts. (See: Nelle Harper Lee; Elizabeth Hadley Richardson Hemingway; Mary Flannery O’Connor; Bessie Wallis Warfield Simpson.)

In any cases, outside of American and European languages, names are often unisex by default. Hebrew and Japanese, for example, include many more names that aren’t exclusive to one sex.

Lately, English is catching up. For some of the most appealing unisex baby names ideas, read on!

POPULAR UNISEX BABY NAMES

NICKNAMES FOR CLASSIC FIRST NAMES

ALEX

Both Alexander and Alexandra naturally shorten to Alex. Alix is a  medieval French feminine form of Alice, now also used as a spelling for Alex. Given the long-standing popularity of Alexandra and Alexander, it’s no surprise that Alex is a gender-neutral favorite. Also worth considering: nicknames Sasha and Sandy are part of the same name family, and also have unisex potential.

BILLIE

Boys are often Billy, as in Idol, Joel, and Kid. Girls tend to be Billie – think Jean King, Piper, and Eilish. But that’s enough to put this name on the list.

BOBBIE

Echoes of Billie with this one. Though if Bobby is nearly always short for Robert, Bobbie is sometimes attached to Barbara, too.

CHARLIE

The king of this category in the 2020s, Charlie stands on its own. Or its short for powerfully popular Charlotte and Charles. It’s had a long history as a unisex name – way back in the 1970s, Revlon introduced a fragrance called Charlie. The ads showed young, working women in stylish pantsuits having a wonderful, oh-so-liberated time. The fragrance became a bestseller. As as the original generation of Charlie girls are becoming grandmothers, Charlie is a popular pick for their grandchildren – boys and girls alike.

FRANKIE

Another name in the key of Charlie, boosted by our love of Francesca for girls.

KIT

Sometimes short for Christopher, and sometimes associated with Katherine, Kit feels sporty on a daughter or a son.

MAX

Max feels very masculine right about now, thanks to the popularity of Maxwell and Maximus and just plain Max. But Netflix hit Stranger Things gave us Max Mayfield, short for Maxine. From 2000 to 2002, Jessica Alba played a female Max on Dark Angel, which might’ve opened the door for Max as a potential unisex choice.

SAM

Samantha and Alexandra were sisters, rising in the 1980s. Sam and Alex, too, became popular nicknames at around the same time.

STEVIE

Singer Stevie Nicks – born Stephanie – didn’t convince too many parents to borrow her boyish nickname for their girls. Years later, Schitt’s Creek gave us Stevie Budd – and a whole new generation added up the two women plus the popularity of Charlie and embraced this name at last.

SURNAMES POPULAR ON BOY AND GIRL LISTS

ADDISON

Strictly speaking, Addison means “son of Adam.” But traditional girls’ names like Adele and  Adelaide share the same sound. And then there’s wildly successful Madison. That makes Addison an obvious choice for a unisex name.

BELLAMY

We first met Bellamy on sci fi television series The 100. Don’t remember it? That’s okay. But know that it influenced a handful of names, including Octavia, Clarke, Wells, and yes, Bellamy. Because the character was male, this surname name quickly trended for boys and girls alike.

BLAKE

It’s a polished, successful kind of name for a boy. But then along came actress Blake Lively and this name felt every bit as acceptable for a daughter. It fit right in with so many single-syllable surnames on this list.

BLAIR

If it took a famous actress to make Blake trend for girls as well as boys, Blair needed no such push. After all, it rhymes with classic Claire. It’s been a popular choice for privileged girls on television series from The Facts of Life to the original Gossip Girl. 

BOWIE

David Bowie makes this a legendary rock star surname, but Bow makes it seem potentially unisex.

CAMERON

Credit Cameron Diaz – yes, that’s her real name – with raising this surname import from Scotland as a potential choice for our daughters.

CAMPBELL

The -bell ending makes it an obvious pick. Journalist Campbell Brown – born Alma Dale Campbell Brown – raised this name’s profile in the early 2000s.

CLARK, CLARKE

It’s a surname originally given to a scholar or a clerk, but it became a unisex possibility thanks to sci fi series The 100.

CARSON

So often a name feels potentially unisex thanks to a potential nickname. Carson’s built-in short form Carrie puts in on this list. (Though Cary is also unisex!)

CARTER

Far more popular for boys, but potentially feminine, too.

CARY, CAREY

We tend to think of Cary as feminine, but it’s a surname, originally from the Gaelic name Ciardha, meaning dark.

CASEY

Another Irish surname with an appealing meaning: vigilant.

CHANDLER

Friends put Chandler on our list of names to consider, and while it’s more popular for boys, it’s found steady use for our daughters, too.

ELLIS, ELLISON

Any name that can shorten to Ellie could fit on this list.

EMERSON

Just like Ellison/Ellie seems like an obvious candidate, so do all the Emerson/Emmie names.

EMERY

It’s just a little different from Emily, now far more popular for girls.

HALSTON

Hal is reliably masculine, but H surnames have been a hot category for our daughters over the last decade.

HARLEY

As in the legendary motorcycle company and DC Comics’ villain Harley Quinn.

HARPER

Popularity gives this one to the girls. It’s made it as high as the Top Ten in the US in recent years. Credit to author Harper Lee, born Nelle Harper Lee. But strictly speaking, Harper is a surname with plenty of history as a male choice.

HAYDEN

Despite being part of the Aiden craze earlier in this century, Hayden still feels like a traditional surname name with plenty of polish and charm. Most of the Aidens saw occasional unisex use; actress Hayden Panettiere makes this name feel appropriate for our daughters, even if it remains more popular for our sons.

HOLLIS 

Wintry nature name Holly had a good run in the twentieth century; now polished surname Hollis has potential in the twenty-first.

HUNTER

A name that feels strong, even aggressive … but also as appealing as the popular shade of green.

KENNEDY

Another name imported from Ireland, by way of the famous American family.

LANE

Lainey is all-girl, while Lane tends to be masculine. But it still straddles the line.

LARKIN

We tend to give bird names to the girls, and Larkin looks like it relates to Lark. Except it’s actually a medieval form of Lawrence. Lawrence and Laurence have a Latin origin; they refer to the city of Laurentum and the laurel tree, which makes Larkin a double nature name.

LEIGHTON

Popularized by actress Leighton Meester, but originally an Old English name for towns with a leek garden. (Really.) If Payton and Peyton are solidly unisex, then Leighton can be, too.

MACKENZIE

Actress Mackenzie Phillips became a star in the 1970s, while still a teenager. She helped propel this name to the top of the popularity charts.

MARLOW, MARLOWE

Marlo feels like a retro name for a daughter. But Marlowe – with or without the E – shifts it into the surname category, with a lovely meaning from the natural world: driftwood.

MONROE

As in a Founding Father and former president, but more significantly, Marilyn. Singer Mariah Carey gave this name to her daughter because of her love for the screen legend.

MORGAN

Sometimes it’s a last name. Other times it’s a sorceress from Arthurian legend, Morgan le Fay. And other times it’s all actor Morgan Freeman. The name has become a staple of the 1990s and early 2000s.

MURPHY

The quintessential Irish name, written above the doors to countless pubs, Murphy means “sea battle,” making this a coastal cool choice, perfect for a future surfer. It’s been seen as unisex at least since Murphy Brown debuted in the 1980s.

PALMER

Richly meaningful, Palmer was a surname once given to those who made a pilgrimage to the Holy Lands, bringing back palm fronds from their journey. Today it fits with popular P surname names, like Parker and Payton.

PARKER

Once a surname given to a groundskeeper, Parker now evokes figures like (female) indie film star Parker Posey and (male) 1990s television title character Parker Lewis Can’t Lose. Over the years, it’s become a favorite for boys and a rising choice for girls, too.

PAYTON, PEYTON

Quarterback Peyton Manning spent 18 seasons in the NFL, nicknamed “the Sheriff” for his abilities. That keeps the name solidly masculine, even as plenty of girls answer to this name, too.

REECE, REESE

Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon helped put her stage name on the list of possibilities for a daughter. The original Welsh spelling, Rhys, is less common. The name’s meaning is equally appealing: ardent.

REGAN

A gender-neutral name with a longest history, Regan belonged to King Lear’s daughter in Shakespeare’s tragedy, and later the little girl at the center of classic horror movie The Exorcist. But it’s equal opportunity for boys, including fans of Ronald – though the former president spelled his name Reagan.

RILEY

Spell it Rileigh or Rylie and it’s more likely to be feminine, but Riley has had a good run as a lively, Irish surname name for both genders. The main character in both Inside Out and Inside Out 2 is a girl Riley.

ROWAN

A nature name thanks to the tree, as well as a vibrant Irish surname choice, Rowan has been unisex at least since Anne Rice gave the name to the central figure in her Mayflower Witches series.

SPENCER, SPENSER

It’s a little bit Lady Diana Spencer and kind of Spencer Tracy or even Spenser: For Hire. The C spelling has become a polished, put-together choice, especially for boys but still used across gender lines.

SUTTON

Broadway-turned-television actress Sutton Foster helped boost her appealing last-as-first name.

TATUM

Way back in 1963, major Hollywood couple Joanna Moore and Ryan O’Neal named their daughter Tatum. By the time she was ten, Tatum was an actress herself, and the winning of an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Nonetheless, it took years for Tatum to go from rare sometimes-heard choice to fast-rising favorite for boys and girls alike.

YARDLEY

One more -ley ending name, rich with potential.

TRADITIONAL BOY NAMES TRENDING FOR GIRLS

BEAU, BO

Ever since actress Bo Derek – born Mary Cathleen Collins – became a celebrity in the late 1970s, Bo has felt like a potential name for a daughter. After all, what’s more feminine than a bow? Spell it Beau and it’s masculine in French, the equivalent of belle. That hasn’t stopped parents from considering Beau for their daughters. Model-turned-actress Beau Garrett is one notable figure.

DEVIN

Likely a surname name with unclear origins, Devin followed Kevin into wider use, but has been more consistently used for girls as well as boys.

DREW

Sometimes a surname, but most often short for Andrew, Drew makes this list thanks to actress Drew Barrymore – for whom it is a family surname.

DYLAN

A Welsh name  meaning “son of the sea,” Dylan has ranked in the girls’ Top 1000 since early in the twenty-first century, though it remains a Top 100 favorite for boys.

ELLIOT, ELLIOTT

Take Elijah and Elias and turn it into a surname, and it’s Elliot – with one T or two. It’s been a given name for ages, though. And Eliette is a feminine given name in French, related to Elijah. Any name that shortens to Ellie feels like a logical choice for a daughter.

JAMES

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds gave this traditionally masculine name to their firstborn. It honored Ryan’s late father. While it caused a stir, it’s worth noting that James – along with Jamie – has a long history of use as a name for boys and girls alike.

JORDAN

As in basketball hero Michael, of course. Though Jordan was given for generations as a reference to the River Jordan, a significant place in the Holy Land and the Bible.

REMY

A traditionally male name with saintly, French roots, Remy is familiar to all thanks to Pixar’s Ratatouille. If an animated rat seems like odd inspiration for a child’s name, well, Remy really succeeds on sound. It’s sometimes short for Remington, or possibly a successor to Riley.

ROBIN

Once a masculine name, short for Robert, Robin gravitated to the girl’s side thanks to our love of nature names for our daughters. If anything, Robin was used as a feminine form of Robert, eclipsing traditional, if a little old school, Roberta. Now it’s back for boys, too.

RORY

Long before Gilmore Girls, Rory sometimes appeared on lists of baby girl names. Actor and Hollywood legend Errol Flynn gave this Irish name to a daughter way back in 1957.

RYAN

Ryan means “little king,” a masculine meaning. But it sounds potentially feminine, in the same way that Lauren and Robin are girls’ names. Despite a long history of use as unisex, Ryan remains more popular for boys.

NATURE NAMES THAT WORK FOR ANY GENDER

ASH, ASHE

Names like Ashley and Asher are clearly gendered by 2020s standards, but straight-up nature name Ash or Ashe is impossible to define.

ASPEN

A tree name and place name with unisex potential.

BAY

As in the body of water, a choice in the same category as unisex favorites like River and Ocean.

BRIAR

A logical successor to Brian and Bryce, but also Briana.

GARNET

Gemstone name with a strong, but pretty sound.

GLEN, GLENN

A poet might refer to a valley as a glen; it’s the Scottish word. It remains solidly masculine: Glenn Ford, John Glenn, Glenn Miller, Glen Powell, and yet somehow potentially feminine, too. Credit to celebrated actress Glenn Close.

LAKE

If Bay, River, and Ocean make the list …

OAKLEY

On paper, Oakley means “oak meadow.” In practice, Oakley might mean sunglasses. But it’s a nature-adjacent surname name that’s effortlessly unisex – and perhaps among the most stylish of our moment, too.

OCEAN

Another water-inspired choice.

RIVER

The late actor River Phoenix made his unusual name familiar to all. Science fiction gave the name to female characters, in both Doctor Who and Firefly. The result? River is more popular for boys, but not by much.

SKY, SKYE, SKYLAR, SKYLER

Sky is a straight-up nature name and feels obvious gender neutral. Skylar and Skyler come from the Dutch surname Schuyler, so they almost belong on a different part of this list. Except the spelling is altered to make us thing of blue skies, with all the optimism and beauty of the natural world.

WINTER

Summer and Autumn are more solidly female in use. Spring is just plain rare. But Winter trends unisex. Maybe it’s down to sound. Edwin and Winifred make the syllable win both traditional and gender neutral. Or maybe it’s just that Winter started to trend later, when a great many nature names felt effortlessly unisex.

WREN

We tend to give bird names to the girls. Or we did. After all, Robin started out masculine. And Wren? It sounds like a logical nickname for traditional Lawrence. Plus generations have watched Ren take on a small town with the power of dance in Footloose. No surprise that Wren is now trending for boys and girls alike.

EVEN MORE UNISEX NAMES

ANGEL

It sounds delicate and feminine to native English speakers, but solidly masculine to Spanish speakers, as well as many others. The result is a solidly unisex choice in the US.

AFTON

Borrowed from the name of a river in a Robert Burns poem, based on a real river in Scotland.

AMARI

Possibly from an Arabic root meaning “long life.”

AVALON

Arthurian paradise, or possibly an influential Roxy Music album.

ARDEN

As in Shakespeare’s famous forest.

ARI

It could be short for the many popular Ari- names for girls, making Ari/Ariana the equivalent of Charlie/Charlotte. But it’s also a traditional Hebrew name meaning lion, as well as a Norse name meaning eagle, making his a solidly unisex option.

BLUE

The color blue tends to be associated with boys, but figures like Blue Ivy Carter, daughter of Beyonce and Jay-Z, shift the name’s perception.

COREY, CORY

Originally a surname name with Norse roots, Corey suggests multiple spellings and has been used across gender lines since the 1970s.

DAKOTA

Place name that enjoyed a burst of popularity as a gender-neutral favorite at the turn of the twenty-first century.

DALLAS

Place names often feel like unisex choices, and this Texas city is no exception.

DENVER

Colorado city with all the appeal of late singer-songwriter John Denver baked in.

EDEN

Old Testament place name with a hint of paradise, similar to names like Edie and Evan.

EVER

Meaningful word name option.

GOLDEN

Modern color-name choice with a glow.

KAI

A Hawaiian name meaning sea.

LEGACY

A big name for a child, one that feels equal opportunity.

LYRIC

A word name with ties to music.

MEMPHIS

The original sits in Egypt; the Tennessee city was named for it. Musician Bono called his daughter Eve Memphis Sunny Day Iris Hewson. As an actress, she’s known by the more restrained Eve Hewson.

MILAN

A Slavic masculine name meaning gracious, or an Italian city known as the center of the fashion industry.

NAVY

Another equal-opportunity choice in the hue of blue.

PAX

The Roman goddess of peace was Pax, but given the name’s similarity to Max, it’s also viewed as masculine.

PHOENIX

As in the mythical creature who rises from the ashes, or possibly the Arizona city.

PSALM

Spiritual choice that works for a daughter or a son.

QUEST

As adventuorus as Journey.

REIGN

More directly that simply naming your child after a monarch.

SALEM

Place name and cousin to Shalom.

SEVEN, SEVYN

Number names are having a moment, but Seven – and Sevyn – connect to the creation story and the day of rest. That makes them particularly meaningful.

SHALOM

The Hebrew word for peace.

SHILOH

An Old Testament place name, Shiloh fits with so many o-ending favorites.

TRU, TRUE

Obvious choice for a virtue name.

VALO

Modern unisex Finnish name meaning light.

HOW TO CHOOSE GENDER-NEUTRAL NAMES

1. KNOW YOUR WHY

Sometimes parents choose a name only to discover they like it equally well for a daughter or a son. After all, family surnames were once bestowed regardless of gender. Other parents might like the general style or find it appealing that their child’s name doesn’t immediately set expecations.

2. CONSIDER THE DATA

It’s worth noting that few names are truly unisex, and names change over time. Look at the numbers, not just from the most recent year, but across a decade or more. Is a name gaining for boys, but falling for girls – or vice versa. While we can’t predict the future, it’s good to look at existing patterns.

3. BUILD IN SOME BALANCE

If you’ve chosen a truly unisex name, consider a middle that more cleary suggests gender. Why? In case your child wants it. We name strangers. Parker might be the perfect name fo your child, no matter what, but maybe he’ll prefer to use Parker Michael Smith in some places, to distinguish himself from others – including women – with the same first name.

Do any of these unisex baby name ideas appeal to you?