Gender Neutral Middle Names
- Mayer
Origin:
German surname or HebrewMeaning:
"landlord, farmer; bringer of light"Description:
More common -- when it was common -- with the Meyer spelling.
- Harlem
Origin:
Place-nameMeaning:
"home on a forested dune"Description:
With Brooklyn, Trenton, and Camden on the rise, Harlem is one to watch out for. It has lingered down the lower end of the US Top 1000 since 2018 but has been trending upwards. It's already been picked by one celebrity, and it certainly has a stronger historical and cultural identity -- and it could work as an alternative to Harvey or Harley.
- Silver
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
" a metallic chemical element with atomic number 47"Description:
Among the first wave of word names used in the hippie era, it actually is a legitimate girl's name with a lot of luster.
- Jennings
Origin:
English surnameMeaning:
"son of John"Description:
Jennings is a common English surname that originated as a patronymic for the child of someone named Jen, a short form of John.
- Reilly
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"courageous"Description:
This more elaborate but not unfamiliar spelling of Riley feels oddly more feminine. Designer and Beatle daughter Stella McCartney has a daughter named Reilley. Still, Reilly or more common Riley is one name that's remained popular for both boys and girls.
- Divine
Origin:
Word nameDescription:
Divine seems more proper a name with the rise of Heaven and its turned-around twin Nevaeh. Though superlative names like Divine -- Unique, say, or Precious -- sometimes seems as if they're trying to hard and protesting too much.
- Chapel
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"small Christian church"Description:
This rare spiritual word name could see a boost now that Josh Brolin used it for his daughter, born in December of 2020. Like many of the new additions to this category, Chapel is appropriate for a baby of either sex.
- Hampton
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"home settlement"Description:
Names of classy places -- Aspen, Paris, and yes, Hampton -- are in favor with aspiring parents, though they don't always have the intended effect.
- Raleigh
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"meadow of deer"Description:
An attractive North Carolina unisex place name, Raleigh's soft sound is particularly appropriate for a girl.
- Keagan
Origin:
Spelling variation of KeeganDescription:
While Keegan has been rising in popularity for a number of years, this variant spelling has dropped in the lists.
- Santana
Origin:
Spanish, condensed form of Santa AnaDescription:
Santana was most recently heard on a female character on hit television show Glee. Nonetheless, this name ranks higher for boys, which can be credited to Grammy Award-winning musician Carlos Santana.
- Golden
Origin:
Word nameDescription:
Like Silver, a shimmering metallic color name, almost too dazzling for an ordinary boy.
- Diamond
Origin:
Gem nameDescription:
Diamond sparkled all through the nineties--reaching as high as Number 150 in 1999. Although its shine has diminished quite a bit, it remains in use.
- Shalom
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"peace"Description:
Familiar as the most common form of greeting in Hebrew, but also associated with top female model Shalom Harlow.
- Tru
Origin:
Diminutive of Truman, word name, EnglishMeaning:
"loyal one; true"Description:
With its gentle sound but edgy vibe, Tru ticks the boxes for several modern trends: one syllable boy names (see Brooks), alternatively spelled word names (see Chozen), word names with spiritual undertones (see Shepherd), and nickname style choices (see Bo). Currently in the Top 1000 for girls and boys, it is joined in the rankings by Truett and True
- Artist
Origin:
Word nameDescription:
About 40 baby boys were named Artist -- not Picasso, not Art -- in the US in one recent year. But not so odd, when you consider all the occupational names, from Sawyer to Sergeant, stylish today. The name Artist is also starting to register on the girls' side of the ledger, making Artist a name as gender-neutral as the occupation.
- Paz
Origin:
Hebrew; SpanishMeaning:
"gold; peace"Description:
Paz, currently represented by actresses Paz Vega and Paz de la Huerts, would make a sparkling middle name choice. It originated as a title of the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Peace, and is one of the names that mean peace, derived from the Latin word "pax".
- Huntley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"meadow of the hunter"Description:
Huntley was best known as Brinkley's news partner several decades ago. With the new genre of girls' names that are unusual surnames ending with the lee sound -- think Mosley, Yardley -- Huntley or Huntlea or Huntleigh might rise for girls.
- Mecca
Origin:
Arabic, exact meaning unknownMeaning:
"holy city; temple; place of great importance"Description:
The Islamic prophet Muhammad was born in the city of Mecca, now known as the holiest city in Islam. Officially called Makkah al-Mukarramah, or Makkah, it is located in modern-day Saudi Arabia. Millions of Muslims from across the world make a pilgrimage there each year, while Non-Muslims are understandably not allowed inside the city.
- July
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"month name"Description:
Most things Jul-related – from the month of July to popular modern names Julia and Julian – originate with Roman emperor Julius Caesar, and the month name July is no exception. Fifteen girls and seven boys were named July in 2013, putting this month name into the class of gender neutral names.