Gender Neutral Cat Names
- Journey
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"passage from one place to another"Description:
One of the new word names, appealing to parents attracted to the idea of a spiritual -- or even an actual -- voyage. The Journee spelling is also being used. Unisex alert: Jenna Jameson used Journey for one of her twin boys, as did the Black Eyed Peas rock musician known as Taboo.
- Asa
Origin:
Hebrew, Japanese, or ScandinavianMeaning:
"healer; morning; of the gods"Description:
A male Biblical name meaning healer, Asa is also an international gem. In Japanese, it means "(born in the) morning". And in Scandinavia, where it's generally spelled Åsa or Ása and pronounced O-sa, it's a popular diminutive form of Old Norse names beginning with the element áss "god".
- Storm
Origin:
Word nameDescription:
The name of one of the most powerful Marvel superheroes — and the first major black female comic book heroine — is certainly a big one to live up to! Portrayed in the live-action X-Men movies first by Halle Berry and then by Alexandra Shipp, Storm is a mutant descended from a long line of African witch-priestesses, who can bend the weather and atmosphere to her will.
- Brinley
Origin:
English, combination of Brynn + Lee "burnt clearing; hill + meadow"Meaning:
"burnt clearing; hill + meadow"Description:
Brinley was a surprise entrant to the US Top 1000 in 2009, however, in 2023, it doesn't feel surprising at all. In fact, alternative spellings Brynleigh and Brynlee also rank in the Top 1000, with Brynley not too far behind.
- Theo
Origin:
Diminutive of TheodoraMeaning:
"divine gift"Description:
Theo has a girls' name is used for only a handful of babies today. As a short form of Theodora, Theo is used much less frequently than Thea or even Teddy. One notable appearance was as the younger daughter in Sofia Coppola's film On the Rocks in 2020.
- Joey
Origin:
Diminutive of Joanna or JosephineDescription:
Fun, friendly and fresher than Jo or Josie as a nickname for Joanna or Josephine.
- Dallas
Origin:
Place name, surnamed and IrishMeaning:
"skilled"Description:
A name with a bit of glamor but also cowgirl vibes, Dallas entered the US Top 1000 for girls in 1992. It fell out of style during noughties, but reappeared in 2012 when other gender neutral names like River, Sawyer, Rowan, and Blake were also climbing fast.
- Bristol
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
Bristol Palin, the daughter of former Alaska governor and Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, grabbed her own share of headlines by having a baby out of wedlock and then appearing on Dancing With The Stars. She single-handedly propelled her distinctive name, inspired by a city in England, into the Top 1000 and up the charts. Bristol's ascent ended a few years back.
- Milan
Origin:
Italian place name or SlavicMeaning:
"gracious, dear"Description:
In many Slavic and other European countries, Milan is purely a boys’ name, but in the US, it's also popular for girls – no doubt inspired by the fashionable Italian city. It entered the Top 1000 for boys in 2013, while for girls it has been in the Top 1000 since 2009.
- Charley
Origin:
Spelling variation of Charlie, FrenchMeaning:
"free man"Description:
Charlie and its many forms are on the rise -- including Charley, which relates more directly to the male formal name Charles. Surprisingly, though, while the number of girls and boys named Charlie are nearly even, there are six times as many girls named Charley than boys.
- Landry
Origin:
French and EnglishMeaning:
"ruler"Description:
Landry is one rising surname name, often after legendary Dallas Cowboys football coach Tom Landry, that is given to boys and girls. But the y ending does give it a feminine sound (as opposed to the more boyish and more popular Landon). Land is a Landry nickname that might work for boys or girls.
- Perry
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"pear tree"Description:
Perry fits right in with rising boyish nicknames for girls and cool picks like Frankie and Scottie. This relaxed name sounds novel compared to such former favorites as Kerry and Sherry.
- Paris
Origin:
French place-nameDescription:
Paris, a one-time mythical and Shakespearean boys' name, peaked in 2004 at Number 157 at least in part due to the highly publicized Paris Hilton. Michael Jackson used it for his daughter.
- Kensington
Origin:
Place nameDescription:
Kensington is a place name with a number of referents; there are cities by the name in Australia, Canada, South Africa, the UK, and the US. As a girls' name, it entered the US Top 1000 in 2015, likely as a fresher way to get to nickname Kensie/Kenzie than Mackenzie, Mckenzie, or Makenzie.
- Remington
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"place on a riverbank"Description:
Between 1980s-era television private eye Remington Steele and Remington Arms, this name might seem all-boy. But in 2014, Remington entered the US girls' Top 1000, and it's been rising since.
- Clarke
Origin:
Variation of ClarkDescription:
A rising choice for girls that fits in with tailored surnames such as Sloane, Greer, and Blair.
- Chandler
Origin:
English from French occupational nameMeaning:
"candle maker"Description:
In the US, well over 200 girls were named Chandler in 2016, its first year on the girls' list since 2002. To us it is still inextricably tied to the Friends character, making it more masculine than it otherwise might be. But it's one of the trendy boy names for girls that's climbing the ladder.
- Denver
Origin:
English or French place-name and surnameMeaning:
"green valley or from Anvers"Description:
Yet another creative character name from Toni Morrison, Denver was a daughter of Sethe's in the novel Beloved. Today Denver is most familiar as the name of the largest city in Colorado, used almost equally for girls and boys.
- Prairie
Origin:
English nature nameMeaning:
"prairie"Description:
Unspecific place name with a wonderfully wide-open, spacious, western feel; used for a character in Thomas Pynchon's novel Vineland.
- Amani
Origin:
Variation of Imani, ArabicMeaning:
"faith"Description:
Popular with Muslim and African-American parents, this virtue name also fits in with the trendy i ending names being seen at the moment. It debuted on the US Top 1000 in 1996.