Gender neutral names are names given to babies of any gender, and well-loved options include Avery, Riley, Jordan, Parker, Rowan, Quinn, Charlie, River, Emerson, Finley, Sage and Kai.
Maybe you are waiting to find out the sex, maybe you want a name that does not box your child in, or maybe you just like how Rowan sounds. Gender neutral names (also called unisex names) give you far more choices than a handful of surnames.
This list has more than 150 unisex baby names. We checked every origin and meaning against Behind the Name, a long-running etymology reference, and left out anything we could not confirm.
Key Takeaways
Gender neutral names come mostly from surnames, nicknames, word names, place names and names that crossed over.
The SSA ranks names separately for boys and girls, so there is no official unisex top 10.
Usage shifts by era and country: Ashley, Leslie and Evelyn began as mostly masculine names.
Some surname meanings are uncertain. Trust sources that say so.
Say the full name out loud, check the initials and choose your spelling on purpose.
Table of Contents
Gender Neutral Names at a Glance
Quick Answer
Gender neutral names (also called unisex names) are given to babies of any gender. Familiar picks: Avery, Riley, Jordan, Parker, Rowan, Quinn, Charlie, River, Emerson, Finley, Sage and Kai. The Social Security Administration (SSA) ranks names separately for boys and girls (Liam and Olivia led for babies born in 2025), so there is no official unisex top 10.
Name
Origin
Meaning
Avery
English surname
From Norman French forms of Alberich (“elf” and “ruler”) or Alfred
Riley
English and Irish surname
“Rye clearing”; also a variant of Reilly
Jordan
Hebrew river name
From a root meaning “descend, flow down”
Parker
English surname
“Keeper of the park”
Rowan
Irish; also a tree name
From Ruadhán, based on Old Irish “red”
Quinn
Irish surname
From the given name Conn, perhaps “sense, reason” or “chief”
Charlie
English
Diminutive or feminine form of Charles
River
English word
A flowing body of water
Emerson
English surname
“Son of Emery”
Finley
Scottish Gaelic
From Fionnlagh, “white warrior”
Sage
English word
The herb, or a wise person
Kai
Hawaiian
“Sea”
Twelve familiar gender neutral names. Origins and meanings: Behind the Name.
Merriam-Webster defines unisex as “suitable or designed for both males and females.” For names, it means parents give the name to children of any gender. Most unisex baby names come from surnames (Parker, Kennedy), nicknames (Charlie, Sam), nature and word names (River, True), place names (Jordan, Kerry) or names that crossed over (Ashley, Evelyn).
The label depends on where and when you live. Behind the Name notes that Camille is used for boys and girls in France but is generally feminine in English, and that Riley has mostly been given to girls in the United States since 2003 while staying more masculine in the United Kingdom and Australia.
The SSA says its rankings “are done by sex,” so a name such as Micah has one rank for boys and another for girls. You may also see these called non binary names. No names are reserved for nonbinary people: people of any gender use the names on this page.
Classic Unisex Names
Shared across genders for generations, these unisex names feel familiar on any class list.
Name
Origin
Meaning
Taylor
English surname
“Tailor”
Morgan
Welsh
From Old Welsh Morcant, possibly “sea” plus “circle”
Casey
Irish surname
From the given name Cathassach
Jamie
Scottish
Diminutive of James
Robin
English
Medieval diminutive of Robert; also the bird
Lee
English surname
“Clearing”
Kerry
Irish
The name of an Irish county
Dana
English surname
Origin unknown
Dale
English surname
One who lived near a dale or valley
Cameron
Scottish surname
“Crooked nose”
Angel
Medieval Latin
From Greek angelos, “messenger”
Drew
English
Short form of Andrew
Blair
Scottish surname
Gaelic for “plain, field”
Toby
English
Medieval form of Tobias
Terry
English surname
From the medieval name Thierry
Devon
English
Variant of Devin, or the English county
Darcy
English surname
Norman French d’Arcy, “from Arcy”
Shelby
English surname
Possibly a variant of Selby, “willow farm”
Classic unisex names.
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These gender neutral baby names feel current. Many are surnames that found new life in recent decades.
Name
Origin
Meaning
Peyton
English surname
Place name, “Paega’s town”
Reese
Welsh
From Rhys, probably “ardour, enthusiasm”
Sawyer
English surname
“Sawer of wood”
Remy
French
English form of Rémy
Oakley
English surname
“Oak clearing”
Skyler
English
Respelling of the surname Schuyler
Dakota
Dakota (Native American)
“Allies, friends” in the Dakota language
Hayden
English surname
“Hay valley” or “hay hill”
Harper
English surname
One who played or made harps
Kendall
English surname
“Valley on the river Kent”
Logan
Scottish surname
“Little hollow”
Blake
English surname
Old English “black” or “pale”
Emery
Norman French
Form of the Germanic name Emmerich
Elliot
English surname
From a diminutive of Elias
Ellis
English and Welsh
From Elis, a medieval form of Elias
Arden
English surname
From a Celtic word meaning “high”
Lennon
Irish surname
From a byname meaning “lover”
Lennox
Scottish surname
District name, possibly “place of elms”
Sutton
English surname
“South town”
Tatum
English surname
“Tata’s homestead”
Bailey
English surname
“Bailiff”
Rory
Irish and Scottish
From Ruaidhrí, “red king”
Shea
Irish
Anglicized form of Séaghdha
Sloan
Irish surname
Variant of Sloane, from Ó Sluaghadháin
Marlowe
English surname
Place name, “remnants of a lake”
Bellamy
English surname
Old French bel ami, “beautiful friend”
Bowie
Scottish surname
Gaelic for “yellow”
Modern gender neutral baby names.
Dakota is the name of a living Native American people. When a name comes from a culture that is not yours, learn what it means to that community first.
Surname-Style Unisex Baby Names
Last names as first names are a major source of unisex baby names in English. Several Irish surnames trace to an older given name with no tidy meaning, so we list the source instead of guessing.
Name
Surname origin
Meaning
Kennedy
Irish
From the given name Cennétig
Reagan
Irish
From the given name Riagán
Murphy
Irish
From the given name Murchadh
Monroe
Scottish
“From the mouth of the Roe,” a river
Campbell
Scottish
“Crooked mouth”
Greer
Scottish
From the given name Gregor
Palmer
English
“Pilgrim”
Hadley
English
“Heather field”
Hollis
English
“Holly trees”
Kingsley
English
“King’s wood”
Hunter
English
A hunter
Harley
English
Old English “hare” or “rock” plus “clearing”
Ashton
English
“Ash tree town”
Chandler
English
“Candle seller” or “candle maker”
Carson
Scottish
Meaning uncertain
Surname-style unisex baby names.
Nature and Word Names for Any Gender
A tree, a bird or a color belongs to everyone. These are English word names unless noted.
Trees and plants: Aspen, Cedar and Sequoia (the trees); Briar (a thorny plant); Aster (the flower; from Greek, “star”); Ash (the tree, or short for Ashley); Linden (German and Dutch surname, “linden tree”).
Water and sky: Lake, Ocean, Rain, Sky and Storm; Brook (English surname for someone living near a brook).
Birds: Wren and Sparrow; Phoenix (the mythical bird; from Greek, “dark red”).
Colors and stones: Blue, Silver and Indigo (the purplish-blue dye); Jade (the stone); Onyx (the gemstone; from Greek, “claw, nail”); Gray (English surname, “grey”).
Virtues and words: Justice, Liberty, Honor and Ever (simply the words); True (“loyal, faithful”); Haven (a safe place); Lyric (“songlike”); Royal (from Latin rex, “king”).
Short Gender Neutral Names
Short gender neutral names are easy to spell and pair well with a longer last name. Several began as nicknames.
Bo: variant of Beau, French for “beautiful, handsome.”
Jo: short for Joan, Joanna or Josephine; in German and Dutch, for Johannes or Josef.
Lou: short form of Louise or Louis.
Sam: short form of Samuel, Samson or Samantha.
Alex: short form of Alexander or Alexandra.
Frankie: diminutive of Frank or Frances.
Kit: diminutive of Christopher or Katherine.
Jules: diminutive of Julia or Julian.
Lux: Latin for “light.”
Bryn: Welsh for “hill, mound.”
Eden: Hebrew; the biblical place name, possibly “pleasure, delight.”
Shiloh: Hebrew; a biblical place name, possibly “tranquil.”
Unisex Names From Around the World
Behind the Name lists each of these for more than one gender in its home culture. For Japanese names, the meaning depends on the characters used to write the name.
Hebrew: Ariel (“lion of God”), Adi (“jewel, ornament”), Amit (“friend”), Lior (“my light”), Tal (“dew”) and Yarden (the Hebrew form of Jordan).
Arabic: Noor, also spelled Nur (“light”), and Amal (“hope, aspiration”).
Japanese: Akira (“bright” or “clear”), Ren (“lotus” or “romantic love”), Hikaru (“light” or “brightness”) and Yuki (“happiness” or “snow”).
More languages: Kiran (Sanskrit; “dust,” “thread” or “sunbeam”), Tenzin (Tibetan; “upholder of teachings”), Imani (Swahili; “faith”), Ayo (Yoruba; “joy”), Kalani (Hawaiian; “the heavens”), Keanu (Hawaiian; “the cool breeze”), Sasha (Russian diminutive of Aleksandr or Aleksandra), Camille (French form of Camilla), Claude (French form of the Latin name Claudius) and Alexis (Greek; “helper” or “defender”).
If one comes from your family’s language, ask a relative how it is said and written, and add the story to your baby book.
Names That Shifted From One Gender to Another
Names drift. These shifts are documented in Behind the Name’s usage notes. One sits in the SSA top 10: Evelyn, ranked 8th for girls born in 2025, was more common for boys when it first became a given name.
Name
Origin and meaning
How its use changed
Ashley
English surname, “ash tree clearing”
More common for U.S. boys until the 1960s; still more common for boys in the United Kingdom
Evelyn
English surname, from the given name Aveline
More common for boys in the 17th century; now almost entirely feminine
Leslie
Scottish surname, probably Gaelic “garden of holly”
More popular for girls in America after the 1940s
Kelly
Irish, from Ceallach (traditionally “bright-headed”)
Mostly given to boys until about 1940
Lindsay
English and Scottish surname, from the Lindsey region of England
Mostly for boys before the 1960s and 1970s
Beverly
English surname from a Yorkshire city, “beaver” plus (possibly) “stream”
Masculine in the 19th century; feminine in America after a 1904 novel
Courtney
English surname, from a French place name or a Norman nickname, “short nose”
Unisex in America at first; mostly girls from the mid-1960s
Meredith
Welsh, from Maredudd, possibly “greatness” plus “lord”
Masculine in Wales; more often for girls in English since the mid-1920s
Hilary
Medieval English form of Latin Hilarius or Hilaria
Mainly masculine in the Middle Ages; revived as mostly feminine
Aubrey
Old French form of Germanic Alberich
More often given to girls since the mid-1970s
Madison
English surname, “son of Matthew” or “son of Maud”
Not widely used for girls until a 1984 movie
Sidney
English surname, first given to honor politician Algernon Sidney
Traditionally masculine; the spelling Sydney became popular for girls
Vivian
Latin Vivianus, from vivus, “alive”
An English masculine name since the Middle Ages; now also feminine
Addison
English surname, “son of Adam”
Recent popularity for girls, helped by its similarity to Madison
Whitney
English surname, “white island”
Took off for girls in the 1960s and again in the 1980s
How the gender use of these names changed, per Behind the Name usage notes.
Newer names follow the same path: Behind the Name notes that Kendall was mostly masculine until 1993 and that Monroe began shifting toward girls around 2009. It is not one-way, either. Rory, traditionally masculine, rose for girls in the early 2000s and has grown faster for boys since 2011.
How to Choose a Unisex Name and a Middle Name
Say it out loud: with your last name, the way a teacher would call it.
Check the initials: so they do not spell something awkward.
Try it with siblings: similar sounds (Riley and Rory) get tangled.
Think about nicknames: Cameron often becomes Cam, and Ashley shortens to Ash.
Choose the spelling on purpose: the SSA counts each spelling as a separate name, so Skyler and Skylar are tallied apart.
Honor family and culture: a family surname or heritage name adds a story. Grandparents may be busy picking their own grandparent names.
Balance the middle name: vary the length (Kai Emerson, Emerson Lee), go fully neutral (Rowan Sage, Quinn Ellis) or anchor a modern first name with a family name.
The best gender neutral names are the ones you still love after saying them fifty times. Use the meanings here to narrow your list, test each name with your last name, and remember that usage shifts. For current U.S. data, check the SSA’s boys’ and girls’ lists: a unisex name appears on both.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most popular gender neutral names?
There is no official ranking, because the Social Security Administration lists names separately for boys and girls. Familiar gender neutral names used for any gender include Avery, Riley, Jordan, Parker, Rowan, Quinn, Charlie, River, Emerson and Finley. Check both SSA lists to see current use.
What is the difference between unisex and gender neutral baby names?
In everyday use they mean the same thing: a name given to children of any gender. Unisex is the older term, and gender neutral is more common today. Some parents reserve gender neutral for names with no gender history, such as River or Sage.
What are some rare unisex names?
Word and nature names tend to be rare as first names: Cedar, Sparrow, Lux, Ever and Indigo. From other languages, Tal (Hebrew, dew), Lior (Hebrew, my light), Tenzin (Tibetan, upholder of teachings) and Ayo (Yoruba, joy) are used for more than one gender.
What are good nonbinary names?
There is no separate list of nonbinary names. People of any gender use gender neutral names such as Rowan, Sage, River, Quinn, Kai, Robin or Alex. The best choice is one that feels right to the person who carries it and is easy to say and spell.
Which girl names used to be boy names?
Behind the Name documents several. Ashley was more common for boys in the United States until the 1960s, and Evelyn was more common for boys in the 17th century. Leslie, Kelly, Lindsay, Beverly, Meredith, Hilary and Aubrey also moved toward mostly feminine use.
Can I use a gender neutral name as a middle name?
Yes. A unisex middle name such as Lee, Sage, Jo, Quinn or True pairs with almost any first name. Vary the length of the two names, say them together with your last name, and check that the initials do not spell anything awkward.
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