Gender Neutral Names Mega List

A big list of names that may / may not be gender neutral. There are conventional names, such as Alex and less conventional names like Vernon.
  1. Aidan
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little and fiery"
    • Description:

      Aidan is an ancient Irish saint's name with a fire meaning that's mega popular for boys, most often spelled as Aiden. The name is occasionally used for girls, sometimes as Aidyn or Ayden, as well. Aidan was the name of a famous seventh-century Irish saint, and is related to the Irish word for fire.
  2. Alex
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Alexandra or Alexis
    • Meaning:

      "defending men"
    • Description:

      One of the most evenly divided unisex names these days; strong and energetic, if overused, for both genders.
  3. Anderson
    • Origin:

      English from Scandinavian
    • Meaning:

      "son of Anders"
    • Description:

      Another masculine surname that's gaining followers in the female camp. About 6 percent of the babies named Anderson today are girls. The son ending confers a meaning that's literally masculine, but that didn't stop Allison, Addison, and Madison from feeling right for girls.
  4. Antoine
    • Arden
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "valley of the eagle; high"
      • Description:

        Arden, the name of the magical forest in Shakespeare's As You Like It, is a stylish A name with a strong, straightforward image. Another reason to love Arden: its similarity to "ardent." Arden is solidly unisex, with the current gender distribution running about 60 percent girls and 40 percent boys.
    • Ari
      • Origin:

        Diminutive of Ariel, Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "lion of God"
      • Description:

        In 2010, baby boys named Ari outnumbered baby girls 4 to 1; today, there are nearly equal numbers of boys and girls named Ari. And that's only counting the babies who receive Ari as a full name. Ari can also be short for not only Ariel but Aria, Arya, Ariana, and any other name starting with Ari. Ari entered the US Top 1000 for girls in 2016.
    • Artemis
      • Origin:

        Greek mythology name
      • Meaning:

        "safe or butcher"
      • Description:

        Artemis, one of the key figures of the female Greek pantheon, is the ancient virgin goddess of the hunt, wilderness, animals, childbirth, and a protector of young girls, later associated with the moon. Artemis is the equivalent to the Roman Diana, but a fresher and more distinctive, if offbeat, choice.
    • Ash
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "ash tree"
      • Description:

        The tree, not the charred bit of soot in the fireplace, usually used for boys, but, as a short form of Ashley, works for girls too.
    • Aubrey
      • Origin:

        English from French version of German Alberic
      • Meaning:

        "elf ruler"
      • Description:

        Almost like a fusion between vintage Audrey, bubbly Ruby, and unisex Avery, Aubrey has been a popular choice for girls since the mid 2000’s.
    • Auden
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "old friend"
      • Description:

        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.
    • August
      • Origin:

        Latin
      • Meaning:

        "majestic, venerable"
      • Description:

        Though associated traditionally (and fashionably) with boys, it has been used occasionally for girls as well – by Garth Brooks, Nicolas Cage, and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, for example. But August is used significantly more often for girls these days than traditional feminine variations Augusta and Augustina, and makes for a fresh twist on traditional month names like April and May, as well as an updated spin on season name Autumn.
    • Austen
      • Origin:

        Literary surname and shortened form of Augustine, Latin
      • Meaning:

        "great, magnificent"
      • Description:

        While Austin is a popular boys' name, this spelling, honoring novelist Jane, nudges the name toward gender-neutral, chosen last year for 67 baby boys and 57 girls.
    • Austin
      • Origin:

        English, shortened version of Augustine, Latin
      • Meaning:

        "great, magnificent"
      • Description:

        More often used as a boys' name, parents have also been choosing Austin for their little girls - as the 176 female Austins born in the US in 2022 demonstrate. May we suggest the literary version "Austen" for girls, as a well-deserved homage to the famed English author Jane Austen?
    • Avery
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "ruler of the elves"
      • Description:

        Avery is a hugely popular name in the US, especially for girls. But while nearly four times as many girls as boys are named Avery today Avery's popularity is starting to soften for girls while it continues to strengthen for boys.
    • Azariah
      • Origin:

        Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "helped by God"
      • Description:

        Though this is a popular name for men in the Bible, today it's used with this spelling for nearly equal numbers of girls and boys. The Azaria variation is much more often given to girls.
    • Bailey
      • Origin:

        Occupational name
      • Meaning:

        "law enforcer, bailiff"
      • Description:

        Bailey -- a jaunty surname -- was first used for a female TV character in 1978 in the show WKRP in Cincinnaati, then caught on big time. Bailey's still an appealing choice, though, and a celebrity fave. Parents of daughters named Bailey include Scot Baio and Stella McCartney.
    • Bay
      • Origin:

        English word, Old English
      • Meaning:

        "an inlet of the sea where the land curves inward; berry"
      • Description:

        One of the most usable of the pleasant, newly adopted nature/water names (like Lake and Ocean), especially in middle position. It's gentle, slightly whimsical, but grounded by its similarity to May or Rae.
    • Blaine
      • Origin:

        Irish
      • Meaning:

        "yellow"
      • Description:

        She's the bff of Blair, Blake, and Brooke who shop at Bergdorf's, Bonwits and Bendel's.
    • Blake
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "fair-haired, dark"
      • Description:

        The unisex Blake, which indeed has two conflicting meanings, has a briskly efficient image when used for a girl.
    • Blakely
      • Origin:

        English surname
      • Meaning:

        "dark wood or clearing"
      • Description:

        Blakely, along with Blakeley, Blakelee and Blakeleigh, is one of the post-Ashley surname names that end with the lee sound so stylish today. Reality stars Trista and Ryan Sutter named their daughter Blakesley. These surname-names are among the most stylish English names for girls.