Boy Names for Girls

Unisex name around for several decades for boys and now ripe for girls.

Everett is a male name that's a prime crossover candidate, much like Eliot, Ellis, and Ellery.

Callan is a Top 100 name for boys in Scotland, but has a unisex sensibility thanks to the easy nickname Callie.

Yes, Spencer makes a plausible and powerful female choice these days, though still thought of as primarily for boys. Kelsey Grammer used it for his daughter in the 1980's. Spencer made its first appearance on the girls' Top 1000 in 2017.

Quincy is a Presidential surname name that actually sounds both cute and strong when used for a girl. For the first time ever, Quincy joined the Top 1000 roster for girls in 2023, given to over 250 baby girls that year.

Music legend David Bowie lends his adopted surname considerable charisma to this stylish Scottish name for girls and boys. Born David Robert Jones, he changed his name to avoid confusion with The Monkees' Davy Jones.

Rudy hasn't yet enjoyed the comeback of cousin name Ruby, despite having been chosen by hip couple Sadie Frost and Jude Law, but it still could happen.

With Scottie, Stevie, Billie, and Frankie all on trend for girls, Benny could be another unisex nickname that catches on in the coming years. Influencer Jaci Marie Smith named her baby Benny Marie in 2024 and author Charmaine Wilkerson used the name on a female character in her popular novel Black Cake, as a nickname for Bernadetta. Beyond pop culture, 9 baby girls were called Benny in recent years.

Lane is a unisex name equally accessible to boys and girls. As a common surname, Lane is attached to such celebrities as Diane and Nathan.

Truly multi-cultural, Ira can be: a Russian short form of Irina, meaning "peace"; a gender-switch of the Hebrew male name Ira, meaning "watchful"; a modern Greek and Finnish form of Hera, meaning "hero" or "protectress"; a Sanskrit name meaning "earth" or "enjoyment"; and a Basque nature name meaning "fern", from the word iratzea.

Bodhi relates to the Buddhist concept of enlightenment and has been a hot baby name in recent years.

More than 50 baby girls were named Griffin in the US last year, while the old Welsh name makes the Top 250 for boys.

If Sam can make it as a girl's name, why not Max? Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's eldest daughter Maxima goes by Max, but you could also use it as a short form for Maxine, Maximilienne or even Margaux.

Maxwell may be thought of as one of the classic Scottish names for boys, but two celebrities have recently used Maxwell for their daughters - Jessica Simpson bestowed it upon her daughter, Maxwell Drew, in 2012, followed by Lindsay Sloane's daughter, also born in 2012, named Maxwell Lue. Sixty-six parents chose Maxwell for their little girls in 2017, but that's compared with over 3000 baby boys named Maxwell, so while this name is used for babies of both genders, it's not truly a unisex name.

The name Wilder is still used more than 90 percent of the time for boys, but it's being used quietly for girls too. with 50 receiving the name in a recent year. Along with the rest of the Wild and Wiley family, it's one of the hottest baby names starting with W. Certainly giving your child of either gender such a wilder name is setting them up for a certain kind of character and future.

An increasingly viable option for girls, perhaps influenced by the rise of similar-sounding Nola and unisex names more generally.

This surname gained momentum in the 1990s, when it was particularly in vogue for males. However, it seems to be experiencing a surge for females—it was one of the fastest-rising names of 2013, jumping 266 spots back into the Top 1000.

The midcentury favorite boys' name Scott feels fresher when used for a girl. Scotty is a cute nickname.

A softly poetic surname name, associated with poet W.H., Auden is enjoying quiet but marked fashion status. It was chosen for his daughter by Noah Wyle and is definitely one to watch.

No, Jackson is not the latest crazy name the girls are stealing from the boys. Oddly enough, Jackson was given to MORE girls a decade ago than it was last year, probably as a family name or as a tribute to the musicians. But Jackson's extreme popularity as a boys' name has probably made it feel less possible for girls.