Unisex Dog Names

Tib and Tibb originated in the 13th century as nicknames for Theobald (for boys) and Isabel and Isabella (for girls). As Isabel grew in popularity, Tib(b) was used more often on girls. By the 16th century, Tib was a term for a young girl, much like Tom was for young boys.

Marvel, once a feminine miracle name, has been resurrected as a unisex word name with a dose of superhero style.

Lexington is trending as a unisex name, used just about evenly for the genders. For Americans, it's got a patriotic feel, given the importance of Lexington, Massachusetts in the Revolutionary War. Lexington, Kentucky, in horse country, is another well-known city with the name. Short form Lex is user friendly.

Modern parents tend to reject Puritan names, but Noble was a Puritan favorite worth revival. Integrity and generosity are attractive qualities in anyone, so it's apparent why parents are starting to notice Noble once again, along with other virtue names like Wisdom and Loyal.

With geographical features like Savannah and Sierra and increasingly getting the baby-name treatment, could icy Tundra also see some use? It's only appeared six times on the Social Security rankings, all in the 1960s and 70s.

A tad spacy.

Dark and enigmatic. A baby named Night would follow in the African tradition of day naming—naming a child based on the day of the week, time of day, or season in which he or she was born.

Legend joins cousins Story, Saga and Fable in the baby name pantheon of narrative words. Unlike Story and Fable, however, Legend comes with additional weight, being used for fame ("living legend") and to denote a person who is fantastic "what a legend"). Who can live up to that?

For basketball fans, in honor of Magic Johnson. Or anyone who believes in magic.

Painter is among the most creative choices in this very fashionable category of names, with a particularly pleasant sound. Whereas most occupational names conjure up physical labor, this one feels like a gateway to the arts.

African-American and women's rights activist Sojourner Truth was born as Isabelle into enslavement. She adopted her new name when she began traveling and preaching abolition in 1843. Sojourner is a heroine name that may, with the rise of spiritual word names such as Journey and Genesis, finally be ready for prime time.

Jagger, made famous as the surname of Rolling Stone Mick, gets an entry in the girls' column thanks to Ashlee Simpson and Evan Ross, who chose it for their daughter. For either gender, this name rocks...but a bit jaggedly. Currently, there are nearly 20 times as many baby boys than girls are given the name Jagger. That balance may shift, making Jagger a more truly gender neutral name.

Another animated Irish surname, this one with jazzy ties to the immortal "Dean of American Jive," Cab Calloway.

A sweet and simple nature name that could also be short for the surname name Odell, the vintage name Della, or the obscure saint's name Endellion.

It's a hat, it's a race, and it's even been known to be a name. In Britain, it would be pronounced darby.

Alternative to Prince, Duke, King, or Earl, but not an improvement on them.

Lex is still used mostly for boys, but like Alex, may cross over with the rising popularity of all long forms of the name. Lexi is another, more feminine option.

Christmas is a day name long and quietly used as a name for babies born at Christmas. Prettier and more modern than Noel or Noelle.

We once dismissed Bird as "too flighty", but with the rise of avian names from Lark to Robin to, well, Birdie, we don't see why Bird can't be a fine choice, especially as a middle name.

Baby is rarely seen as a given name — or even nickname — these days, although it did rank in the Top 1000 from 1989 to 2003. These instances can be accounted for in two ways. Firstly, infants whose birth certificates are not filled out on time are given generic placeholders for registration, such as Infant, Unknown, or Baby. But more influential during this decade was the 1987 movie Dirty Dancing, starring Jennifer Grey as Frances "Baby" Houseman. It's the origin of the famed line, "Nobody puts Baby in a corner."