Cool Unique Unisex Names

Director Ridley Scott and actress Daisy Ridley made this surname-style name familiar, and with its outdoorsy meaning and rugged yet preppy sound, it could blend in with Oakley, Reid, Riley, and Ridge. Some parents might be put of by the first syllable (as in, "get rid of" or "horrid" or "riddles"), but since Scarlett (scar), Colton (cult), and Titus all rank in the Top 400, it could still work for those looking for a standout last-name first name.

Inventive name for the child of a writer.

This undiscovered unisex name has lots of flair. It was first noticed as a girl's name, starting in the 1980's, on the long-running daytime drama Search for Tomorrow, with the character Adair McCleary, who had ahead-of-their-time brothers named brothers Hogan, Cagney and Quinn. But since Adair has yet to find many takers, it would make a fresh and appealing choice.

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.

Ellington is a swinging musical name, evoking the jazzy and elegant persona of the Duke (born Edward Kennedy Ellington). While that reference may seem to make Ellington a male name, it is also occasionally used for girls.

In geography, a meridian is a line drawn around the curve of the Earth between the North and South Poles. The term comes from Latin meridianus, meaning "pertaining to midday", and the association with midday has led to the word gaining an added figurative meaning of "pinnacle; culmination".

In Turkish mythology, Kayra is the deity of creation. The ancient Turks did not assign a gender to Kayra, who took the form of a goose. According to legend, Kayra planted the tree of life after creating the universe, from which emerged the nine clans.

The short, cute Pim is a Top 100 boys' name in The Netherlands though little-known outside that country. But in a family overrun with Williams, Pim could make an original nickname setting a modern child apart from father Will and grandpa Bill.

This is one of the ninety-nine attributes of Allah, deemed by Muhammad to be a recommended name for a male child. In this country, it's been primarily associated with boxing immortal Muhammad Ali, known as "the greatest." But Ali is also one of the most popular unisex names for both boys and girls.

Asking for trouble. Rebel Wilson is a hilarious Australian actress who puts a female spin on this contemporary badass baby name. Still, we think this name is truly gender neutral – though hardly neutral in any other way. Rebel is undoubtedly one of the edgiest girls' names starting with the letter R.

When playwright Thomas Lanier Williams adopted the pen name of Tennessee, he created a new possibility among American place-names, although it's admittedly a bit bulky in size.

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.

Giovanni is the Italian form of John, and Gio is its dashing nickname. A lot cooler than Johnny, no?

The calming variety of marijuana, used as a baby name every year since 1992.

One of those ultimate cool-girl names, played by Keira Knightley in a movie about a supermodel-turned-bounty hunter, but kids might associate it with the game. High profile British designer India Hicks used it for her daughter. As a girls' nameit's still very rare, used in 2015 in the US for only seven baby girls.

A Biblical name with a modern feel, Azaria is a spelling variation of the Hebrew name, Azariah. Used as a masculine name in the Bible, this spelling is now more commonly used on girls.

Shai is a name newly-used in the US for both boys and, slightly less often, girls. Though the correct pronunciation is "shy", many will say shay, which might be all right with you.

Tavi has been catapulted into the spotlight by teenage fashion blogger Tavi Gevinson. This cute name, previously not on anyone's scope, could be a way to honor an ancestral David or a short form of the luscious Octavia or could stand as a perfectly stylish name all on its own.

Dune is a name of several layers. It's a modern nature name, like Ocean, Bay and Reef, although rarer, conjuring up images of breezy sand dunes on summer beach days.

A surname with potential as a first — Ramsey was given to a little over 100 baby boys in 2022.