Master list Jamie
- Orion
Origin:
Greek mythology nameDescription:
The Greek mythological hunter who was turned into a constellation is much more often used for boys.
- Parker
Origin:
English occupational nameMeaning:
"park keeper"Description:
Indie actress Parker Posey put a female imprint on this sophisticated surname that's still about three times as common for boys but rising for both sexes. Parker has the advantage of its nature connection, relating it to such occupational names as Gardener and Forester.
- Payton
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"fighting man's estate"Description:
Rarely used until the 90s, Payton rose up the charts when it was popularized by the football star, Peyton Manning, and, interestingly, by the character of "Peyton Flanders", the villainess of the 1992 film, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle.
- Piper
Origin:
English occupational nameMeaning:
"pipe or flute player"Description:
Piper is a bright, musical name that entered the list in 1999, one year after the debut of the TV series Charmed, which featured a Piper, and it's been a consistent riser since. Piper Kerman is the memoirist whose prison experiences provided the basis for the hit Netflix series Orange is the New Black.
- Quinn
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"descendant of Conn, chief leader, intelligence"Description:
Quinn is one of the first popular Irish unisex surnames, a strong and attractive choice on the rise for girls but still popular for boys. Quinn was used for about 3000 baby girls and 700 boys in the US last year.
- Reagan
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"little king"Description:
A strong, straightforward Irish unisex surname, with a merry glint in its eye, Reagan has been leaping up the popularity lists, to become one of the top girl names starting with R. Some will inevitably link it to President Ronald, but spell it Regan and it's a Shakespearean name: a daughter of King Lear.
- Robin
Origin:
Bird name, or English, diminutive of RobertMeaning:
"bright fame"Description:
After a 60 year slide down the popularity ladder, Robin made a turnaround in 2020 and began climbing back into favor for baby girls. One reason may be its new status as one of the most evenly-divided gender neutral names.
- Rosalin
- Ryan
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"little king"Description:
This ultrapopular boys' name is rapidly becoming a hot name for girls; admired for its buoyant Irish spirit.
- Sawyer
Origin:
English occupational nameMeaning:
"woodcutter"Description:
Sawyer is one of the top unisex names, used for their daughters by such parents as Sara Gilbert, co-host of The Talk and former actress on Roseanne, currently on The Conners.
- Shannon
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"old and wise"Description:
Irish place-name -- it's a river, a town, and an airport -- once popular but now supplanted by such newer immigrants as Saoirse and Seanan.
- Sharon
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"a plain"Description:
This Old Testament place name was in the Top 10 fifty years ago, but now Sharon, along with sound-alike Karen, have fallen out of favor.
- Sheldon
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"steep-sided valley"Description:
Like Marvin and Melvin, Sheldon has been perceived as about as far out as you can get, though there are very pretty towns in Devon and Derbyshire that inspired it. Sheldon Lee Cooper is the lead (male) nerd character on the TV hit The Big Bang Theory, giving the name a brainy image. Nickname Shelly is sweet and naturey, in a retro kind of way.
- Sinead
Origin:
Irish form of JanetMeaning:
"God's gracious gift"Description:
One of the best known of the Irish girls' names, thanks to singer Sinead O'Connor. Though it's still in the Irish Top 100, it's no longer quite as fashionable in Ireland as Aoife or Aisling. But by now everyone in the Western World knows it's pronounced shin-aid and so would have no trouble fitting in on an American playground.
- Skyler
Origin:
Spelling variation of Skylar or SchuylerDescription:
While Skylar is currently the most popular spelling choice for girls, the Skyler option is more (statistically) unisex. Given to boy and girls in nearly equal numbers each year, it ranks around the middle of the US Top 1000.
- Sloane
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"raider"Description:
Sloane is a sleek, sophisticated surname name that has gradually morphed over to the girls' side. With its distinctive and intriguing sound, Sloane has been in the US Top 1000 since 2009, and in 2022, it made its first appearance in the UK charts, jumping more than 400 places in a single year.
- Sullivan
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"dark eyes"Description:
Stylish and boyish but could work for a girl -- especially one with brown eyes -- and Sully is a quirky and jaunty nickname.
- Tegan
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"fair"Description:
Tailored Tegan comes from a Welsh saint's name. Teagan is just a little bit different, from an Irish surname. The ea spelling is much more popular.
- Tess
Origin:
English, diminutive of TheresaMeaning:
"to harvest"Description:
With its solid Thomas Hardy background, Tess has a lot more substance, strength, and style than most single-syllable names, with an efficient yet relaxed image.
- Vesper
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"evening star"Description:
This Latin word used for evening spiritual services was introduced to baby namers by the Eva Greene character Vesper Lynd in the modern James Bond film Casino Royale in 2006, based on the Ian Fleming novel, and is just now beginning to provoke interest among namers, with its spiritual reference and soft, whispery sound.