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.

Aidan

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

Alex

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. 

Anderson

Antoine

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.

 A locational surname name deriving from several places in England, there are multiple legitimate derivations for this name. One is from Old English earn "eagle" + denu "valley", while another is from the Celtic ard meaning "high".

 As a girls' name, Arden has been flirting with the bottom of the Top 1000 in recent years, hopping on and off the US list. A solid Nameberry favorite, this name should begin climbing more steadily.

 Arden is more familiar as a surname, as in cosmetics entrepreneur Elizabeth and actress Eve, and the narrative poem by Tennyson, Enoch Arden. Shakespeare's mother was Mary Arden.

Arden

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, 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. 
 Artemis was the twin sister of Apollo, one of the twelve deities who lived on Mount Olympus. She features in three of the fifth century plays of Euripides. The meaning of the name is largely unknown, but it's related to two Greek words meaning safe or butcher, not nearly as lyrical as her mythological story.
 Artemas, on the other hand, is a male name, though some gender confusion could arise from the Artemis Fowl novels.

Artemis

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. 

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. 
Once an exclusively masculine name, Aubrey tipped towards feminine in 1974, and is now given to girls 96% of the time. 
Derived from the Old French name Auberi, a variant of Alberich, Aubrey means “elf ruler” or “elf king.” 
It was a common name for men in England during the Middle Ages and it saw a revival in the 19th century, with the artist and illustrator Aubrey Beardsley being a notable bearer. Across the pond in the US, it remained in the Top 400 for boys until the 50’s. 
Its shift into a mostly feminine name has been accredited to the release of the song “Aubrey” by the rock group Bread in 1972. Before the song was released, less than 10 girls were given the name every year, however, by 1973, it was in the Top 1000. 
David Gates, leader and music producer of the group. wrote the song after watching Breakfast at Tiffany’s, starring Audrey Hepburn, and it is likely that Aubrey stuck around due to its similarity to the cozy-but-stylish name of the actress. 
Besides the song, Aubrey might also be seen as following in the footsteps of names like Kelly, Leslie, Lindsay, and Shelby, historically masculine but used more often for girls from the 1940’s onwards. 
One of the most prominent bearers today is Aubrey Plaza, the deadpan comic actress and breakout star of the show Parks & Recreation. Child actress Aubrey Anderson-Emmons, TV Host Aubrey Miles and soccer player Aubrey Kingsbury are other notable wearers. 
In recent years, the once Top 20 name has seen a decline in popularity however, with newer entries such as Quinn, Aurora, and Emery rising to take its place. Nevertheless, Aubrey is climbing up the charts in England and Wales and is still given to 3000 babies in the US every year. 
Are you interested in Aubrey but still wanting to explore other options? You could consider Indigo, Ashby, Darby, Darcy, August, or Libby.

Aubrey

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.

Auden

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.

August

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.


Austen

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?

Austin

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.

Unlike many gender-neutral surname-y names popular today, Avery began life as a first name and later became a patronymic last name. It originated in the Middle Ages as a Norman-French pronunciation variation of the Anglo-Saxon name Alfred and the Ancient Germanic name Alberich. The elements aelf, meaning "elf" and ric, meaning "ruler" give Avery its meaning. 
 
Angie Harmon and Jason Sehorn may have started it all when they chose it for their daughter in 2005, just as they did with daughters Finley and Emery. Amy Locane used the name in 2009 and now Dr. Phil has a granddaughter named Avery.
 
On 30 Rock, Elizabeth Banks had an extended cameo playing Alec Baldwin's glamorous fiancée, Avery Jessup.

Avery

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.

Azariah

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.

Bailey

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.
 Other associations with bay are the bay laurel tree, prized since ancient times for its medicinal and culinary (bay leaves!) properties, and the reddish-brown color usually applied to horses. There's also the Old English connection, from beġ meaning "berry", making it a fun name for any future Baby Berry. And of course there is the contemporary term of endearment, "Bae", short for baby. 
 Bay Kennish was a character on the show Switched at Birth; and conservative political commentator Bay Buchanan was born Angela Marie.

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

Blaine

The unisex Blake, which indeed has two conflicting meanings, has a briskly efficient image when used for a girl. 
 Though in the eighties it was seen very much as a <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys’ name</a>, epitomized by the character of Blake Carrington, the silver-haired, powerful patriarch of the TV soap Dynasty, these days it's more apt to be associated with Blake Lively, the attractive lead of the Gossip Girl series and the film Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

Blake

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 <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/501/english-names-for-girls">English names for girls</a>.

Blakely

Blue suddenly came into the spotlight, as the unusual color name chosen by Beyonce and Jay-Z for their baby girl Blue Ivy. Blue is also a starbaby middle name du jour, used for both sexes in different spellings and forms, from John Travolta and Kelly Preston's Ella Bleu to Alicia Silverstone's Bear Blu. Dave 'The Edge' Evans named his daughter Blue Angel back in 1989.
 Blue is the heroine of the trendy Marisha Pessl novel Special Topics in Calamity Physics.

Blue

Fading boys' name making fresh start for girls, aided by -ley ending. 

About 50 baby girls were named Bradley last year in the US, versus 900 baby boys. Bradley got a boost as a girls' name via the Jennifer Aniston character on The Morning Show.

Bradley

Fairy-tale memories of Sleeping Beauty inspire some parents—such as Rachel Bilson and Hayden Christensen—to call their daughters Briar Rose. But Briar plus a different middle name might work even better. It's one of the newly popular nature-word names, charting in the US for the first time in 2015 for both genders.
 While there are about four girls named Briar to every three boys, the name is on the rise for both genders. It could make for an interesting choice to honor a Brian.

Briar

Brooke variation – or is the other way around? – that makes it more a nature name, less an eighties-style androgynous name.

Brook

This hyper-rhythmic name has two evocative references. In Greek mythology, she was an island nymph, a daughter of Atlas, who delayed Odysseus from returning home. It is also a genre of West Indian music, originating in Trinidad and Tobago and largely popularized in the States by Harry Belafonte. 
 Calypso was the name of Jacques-Yves Cousteau's research ship--and would make a highly dramatic, musical choice.

Calypso

Newly popular boys' name could cross over in much the way the related Cameron has. 

Camden

Camerson was once a rising star for boys only, but Cameron Diaz almost single-handedly transported it into the unisex camp, though there are still ten times as many boy babies named Cameron as girls. 
Deriving from a Scottish surname meaning “crooked nose”, Cameron is a sweet but sophisticated choice with a hint of showbusiness flair, and a touch of rough-and-tumble. 
As Cameron Diaz’s career took off in the 90’s, Cameron too saw a rise in popularity as a choice for girls. Peaking in 1999, when it was given to nearly 2000 girls, Cameron has recently fallen back down the charts. 
Nevertheless, it is still selected for 600 girls every year, and with the spelling variations of Camryn and Kamryn also featuring in the US charts, it continues to feel like a Top 500 name, ranking alongside Mackenzie, River, or Summer. 
Surprisingly popular, given its meaning, Cameron comes with the built in nicknames, “Cam” and “Cammie” which bring something gentler to the name. 
Looking for something similar but less associated with one celeb? Camden, Cadence, Saffron, Keelin, or Bellamy might inspire you.

Cameron

Carlisle may be a male name in Twilight (he's vampire hero Edward's adoptive father), but in the real baby naming world, it's used about a quarter of the time for girls. Unusual now, we think Carlisle (or Carlyle) has the potential to be the next Carter.

Carlisle

Carmen has long been associated with the sensuous, tragic heroine of Bizet's opera, based on a novel by Prosper Merimee; more recently it has called to mind two other bombshells: Carmen Miranda (born Maria) and Carmen Electra (born Tara), as well as the great jazz singer Carmen McRae. In the celebrity baby name world, this classic <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/495/spanish-names-for-girls">Spanish name for girls</a> was used by Hilaria and Alec Baldwin for their daughter.
 She has plenty of childhood references as well: Carmen Elizabeth Juanita Echo Sky Brava Cortez is a character from the Spy Kids trilogy, Carmen Lowell appears in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, Carmen de la Pica Morales was a character on The L Word, and Carmen Sandiego is the clever anti-hero in the Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? computer-game franchise—she was named for Carmen Miranda and the city of San Diego.
 In the Latin community, Carmen is also used as a <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys’ name</a>.

Carmen

Carroll

One of the original unisex Irish surname names, energetic Casey bounced onto the scene in the 1960s, then peaked in the 1980s for both boys and girls. Today Casey is having a resurgence for both girls and boys and re-entered the charts on the girls' side, likely due to the character Kayce Dutton (pronounced like Casey) on the hit show Yellowstone.
 "Casey at the Bat" is an 1888 poem by Ernest Thayer.

Casey

Ties to the unfortunate Mama are now unraveling, leaving Cass or Cassie to stand on its own as a fresher sounding Cathy or Kate.  But with so many lovely long forms, we'd advise keeping this as a nickname.

Cass

Cato may have risen to new prominence in the English speaking world as an ancient Roman boys' name, popularized by The Hunger Games. But in the Netherlands, it's most widely used as a short form for Catharina and other forms of Katherine, ranking close to the Top 100, higher than any formal variation of the name.

Cato for a girl is a cute idea and a fresh way to shorten the ubiquitous Catherine.

Cato

Charlie and its many forms are on the rise -- including Charley, which relates more directly to the male formal name Charles. Surprisingly, though, while the number of girls and boys named Charlie are nearly even, there are six times as many girls named Charley than boys. 
 
The Charley spelling still ranks in the Top 1000 for girls, though it's fourth in popularity behind Charlie, Charlee, and Charli.

Charley

Charlie is one of the friendly, tomboyish male nickname names--another is Sam-- now used almost as frequently for girls: in 2015, it ranked higher on the girls list than on the boys list for the first time. That makes Charlie one of the most <a href="https://nameberry.com/unisex-names">popular unisex names</a> around today. The name Charlie, for females, has been jumping up the charts since it reappeared, after a 50-year hibernation, in 2005. Charlie has been a favorite for starbaby girls, including the twin daughter of Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O'Connell and the daughter of Julie Chen and Les Moonves. Jeremy Sisto has a hyphenated Charlie-Ballerina. And as Charlotte gets more popular, there will only be more little girl Charlies.

Charlie

Irish surnames are hot, and this one can successfully cross the line to work for girls, replacing the outdated Casey. And only a dozen girls were named Clancy in the US in one recent year (along with 27 boys), making it one of those rare Irish names that are both accessible and distinctive, classic and cool. Clancy is a winner for either gender.

Clancy

Yes, we tend to think of Claude as a male name and Claudia and Claudette as the female, but this ancient clan name is used in France for girls as well as boys, and could make a distinctively chic <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/79/boy-names-for-girls">boy name for girls</a> here too. You may be surprised to know that Claude was in fairly regular use for American girls in the 1880's and nineties, reaching as high as 553 in 1880.

 In her native country, there have been some famous female Claudes, including Queen Claude of France (1499 to 1524), daughter of Louis XII, and another sixteenth century Claude de France, daughter of Henri II.

 Later Claudes include the daughter of Claude Debussy, Claude-Emma (called Chouchou), the leading female character in Tracy Chevalier's novel Lady and the Unicorn, French actress Claude Jade and photographer Claude Cahun, and the widow of French Prime Minister Georges Pompidou.

 While the "lame" meaning is the most widely acknowledged, some etymologists theorize that the name may relate to the word for enclosure or clause, an alternate meaning that may appeal to a child with a form of this otherwise-appealing name.

Claude

Corin is a Shakespearean male name that could easily be adapted for a girl, making a strong update for Corinne or Karen.

Corin

Cyan is an attractive color names, but for a girl, better go all the way to Cyane, the name of a Sicilian nymph who lived in a blue pool.

Cyan

A Native American tribe name which is found in the names of two US states, Dakota was one of the first trendy nineties place names, but is now flagging a little in popularity. The cultural question around using a Native American tribe name as a baby name may be partly to blame.

 Young actress Dakota Fanning helped give it a feminine spin; Rosie O'Donnell chose it for her newborn daughter. Interestingly, Dakota is one of those rare truly<a href="https://nameberry.com/unisex-names">unisex baby names</a> used for almost exactly equal numbers of girls and boys.

Dakota

A name with a bit of glamor but also cowgirl vibes, Dallas entered the US Top 1000 for girls in 1992. It fell out of style during noughties, but reappeared in 2012 when other gender neutral names like River, Sawyer, Rowan, and Blake were also climbing fast. 

Perhaps most obviously associated with the city in Texas, Dallas is also a Scottish place name with the meaning "meadow dwelling"; an English surname, meaning "valley house" and possibly an Irish name, meaning "skilled, assembly, council, or, blindness" depending on the translation
 
Currently given to around 480 girls each year, Dallas does lean more masculine - not surprising perhaps, since it's been in the US Top 500 for boys since name records began in 1880. Given to nearly three times as many boys as girls, this still makes the name, statistically, a solidly unisex option.

Dallas

In the New Testament, Damaris was an Athenian woman converted to Christianity by St. Paul. Known for her charitable work, her name was a favorite among the Puritans. Having slid off the bottom of the Top 1000 in 2012, Damaris might be deserving of more attention by parents in search of a New Testament name that is unusual but accessible, especially since girls' names ending in 's' are coming back into fashion. 
 Damaris is a supermodel name via Damaris Lewis; it's currently a Top 100 name in Chile.

Damaris

This name found in both Celtic and Scandinavian mythology has gone from all-boy to almost all-girl, retaining a strong, unisex quality. However, it has dropped following its three-decade heyday from the 1960s to the 1990s.
 Dana is the birth name of Queen Latifah.

Dana

Though Dara was an (extremely wise) male figure in the Bible, this name feels mostly feminine to modern Americans. The Irish Gaelic version, Darragh, is well-used in contemporary times for boys.
 While Dara dropped out of the Top 1000 a couple of decades ago, it's one of those magic names that feels neither fashionable nor unfashionable. This timeless quality can be an advantage for a child over time. And Dara has the cross-cultural thing going for it as well. It's also a Slavic name, meaning "gift".
 The cousin-name Daria was featured a few seasons ago as the smart and cynical star of her own eponymous animated MTV show.

Dara

Demeter, the Greek goddess of grain, agriculture, and the harvest, growth and nourishment, was Zeus's sister and Persephone's mother. Variation Demetria is the full name of actress Demi Moore. Though familiar, Demeter is not one of the <a href-="https://nameberry.com/list/624/gorgeous-greek-goddess-names-for-babies">Greek goddess names</a>that's finding widespread modern favor.

Demeter

Dexter turned ultracool for a girl when Diane Keaton named her daughter Dexter Dean.  Dexter is getting a new style gloss for both genders thanks to (unlikely) baby name role model, television's Dexter the genial serial killer.

Dexter

If Cameron's first name could start a girl's name craze, why not her second. 

Diaz

With both the Dillon and Dylan spellings, usage of this gender-neutral names runs about ten to one boys to girls. But Dylan is used about 20 times as often as Dillon for both genders. Which might be a vote in favor of Dillon, though for better or worse, this spellings distances the name from singer Bob and poet Thomas.

Dillon

Had a surge of popularity in the Dynasty days, now has subsided in the wake of fresher French choices like Destry and Delphine, though it retains its sense of sophistication. It's one of the most truly <a href="https://nameberry.com/unisex-names">gender-neutral baby names</a> right now.

Dominique

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 <a href="https://nameberry.com/girl-names">girls' name</a>it's still very rare, used in 2015 in the US for only seven baby girls.

Domino

A male name occasionally borrowed by the girls, as in Dorian Cramer, a long-running female character on the soap One Life to Live and famous midcentury model Dorian Leigh.

Dorian

Drew is an elegant formerly male-only alternative to Andy that joined the stylishly upscale Paige-Brooke-Blair sorority, thanks largely to Drew Barrymore. Barrymore comes by her first name legitimately: it was the maiden name of her paternal great-grandmother, Georgiana 'Georgie' Drew Barrymore, one of many esteemed actors in her family history.
 Jessica Simpson used Drew as the middle name of her daughter Maxwell.

Drew

Just a few years ago, Dustin, Dylan, and Daryl seemed like radical, edgy names for girls; now even Great-aunt Alberta wouldn't raise an eyebrow. 

Dustin

Boys' favorite retains more of its poetic, windswept quality when used for a girl, as Robin Wright and Sean Penn did. Alyssa Milano gave her daughter Elizabella Dylan as a middle name. 

Dylan

Easton is a stylish Waspy-sounding surname that's climbing up the popularity charts. TV actress Elisabeth Rohm named her daughter Easton August Anthony, which seemed like a real gender bender, and now Rachel Leigh Cook has made it the middle name of her baby Charlotte.
Note that Easton is now in the Top 100 for boys--for whom directional names are a real trend-- but we won't be surprised to see more and more little lady Eastons arriving.

Easton

Ever since Little Egypt practically invented the belly dance in the 1890s, this name has had a suggestive aura. Astonishingly, Egypt is now among the Top 1000 names for girls in the US. Cairo is a related option.

Egypt

Like its parent name Elijah and the related Elliot, this has potential for girls. It shares sounds with Eliza, Delilah, and Iris, along with established unisex choices, like Ellis, Emery, and Eden. Given to only a small handful of girls every year, it is not a popular choice just yet. If you do enjoy the idea, Lilias, Eirlys, Clovis, Micah, or Micaiah might appeal too.

Elias

Elliot is another traditional <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/79/boy-names-for-girls">boy name used for girls"</a>, a trend led by political commentator George Stephanopoulos and his actress wife Ali Wentworth. 
 Variously spelled Eliot, Elliot, Elliott and Elliotte (used by Marla Sokoloff), its star is definitely on the rise for girls. Bonus for girls is cute and feminine nickname, Elle. And many parents, of course, choose Elliot to get to the trendy short form Ellie or even Ella. At this point, Elliot has become one of the most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/unisex-names/e">unisex names starting with E</a>.
 Dr. Elliot Reid was a female character on Scrubs.

Elliot

Ellis, a surname used sparingly as a first in the Wallace/Morris period, sounds new now for girls, as a gender-neutral alternative to Ella or Alice. It debuted in the US Top 1000 for girls in 2015.-- Ellis has always been in the Top 1000 for boys -- and seems to be headed straight up. One of the most popular gender-neutral names, currently there are two baby boys named Ellis for every girl. Ellis Bell was the name chosen by Emily Bronte as her male pseudonym, and Ellis Grey was the mother of Dr. Meredith Grey on Grey's Anatomy.

Ellis

The combination of Emily and Emma's popularity -- and the fact that Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher's daughter is named Emerson -- have put this formerly strictly <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys’ name</a>, embodying the gravitas of Ralph Waldo Emerson, in the limelight for girls. 
 Shonda Rhimes, creator/producer/writer/director of Grey's Anatomy, has a daughter named Emerson Pearl. Emerson is now one of the most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/unisex-names/e">unisex names starting with E</a>.

Emerson

The superpopularity of Emily and Emma has recently boosted the unisex Emery, especially since it became a celebrity baby name when it was chosen by Angie Harmon and Jason Sehorn. 

Emery now ranks among the girls' Top 100 names in the US, though Emma, Emily, and even Emilia are more popular. Emerson and Emmeline are two other popular girl names in the same vein.

Nickname Emmy or Emmie makes it cute and girlish but even more popular given the legion of little Emmys.

Emery

Emmet is usually the boys' form of the names Emma, but it might work for a girl too if Emma and Emily are too overused for you.

Emmet

A simple, unusual word name with an evocative meaning, Ever feels similar enough to Eva, Evelyn, and Everly that it shifts easily into name territory. Actor Robert Carradine was ahead of the trends when he named his now grown-up actress daughter Ever back in the 70s, while more recently, it was used by both Milla Jovovich and Owain Yeoman. 
 
A unisex name, currently used slightly more often for boys, Ever is on the rise across the board. Given to around 125 girls and 200 boys in 2023, Ever is a whimsical name that's grounded by its familiar, name-y sounds, and its ties to the Hebrew name Eber and to the Germanic Eberhard, the source of Everett.

Ever

This name of the North Dakota city has been used for at least one female (we know, because she wrote to us) but it doesn't meet the Social Security's five-baby threshold to ever make it onto the official records for either sex. But it certainly can work as a first name as well as or even better than many place-names. After all, it rhymes with Margo!

Fargo

The most enduringly popular hero of Irish myth was Finn McCool, whose name is one of the coolest ever. When used for the female protagonist of How to Make an American Quilt, it established its hipness for girls as well.

Finn

Frances, a soft and gentle classic last popular a hundred years ago, is trending again. The cool nickname Frankie is one reason for the revival of Frances, adding lightness and sass to a serious name.
Frances is the feminine form of Francis, the English variation of the Latin name Franciscus. Franciscus, meaning "Frenchman," was taken from the Germanic tribe the Franks, which got its name from the francisca, the axe they used in battle. Until the seventeenth century, the spellings Frances and Francis were used interchangeably for both sexes.
 
More recently, Frances started receiving new attention when it was chosen in the early 90s by Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love for their only child. It's been by such stylish parents as Jimmy Fallon and Amanda Peet (who nicknamed her daughter Frankie).
 
Frances was a favorite of the Tudor aristocracy after being given to Henry VII's granddaughter. St. Frances (Mother) Cabrini was the first American citizen to be canonized.
 
Some of the best known pop culture bearers of the name were known by diminutives—the Franny of J.D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey, Francie in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Frankie in A Member of the Wedding, Baby in Dirty Dancing, and Gidget in Gidget. Traditional nickname Fran feels a bit bland and Fanny, though possessing some eighteenth century charm, is unusable in Britain and Australia where it is slang for female genitalia.
 Frances is the endearing badger in the childhood favorite Bedtime for Frances and other Frances books.
 Among well known bearers are Frances Perkins, Secretary of Labor in the Roosevelt era; actresses McDormand, Dee, Farmer, and Fisher; journalist Fitzgerald; and writers Burney and Hodgson Burnett.
 Frances was the abandoned first name of Judy Garland, Dinah Shore, and Dale Evans.
 Some attractive foreign versions are the increasingly popular Francesca, Francoise, Franca, Fanya, and Francine.
 Frances began trending upward before Pope Francis was named in 2013, but that helped propel it up further than this somewhat sedate classic name might have gone on its own.

Frances

Francis

Vintage nickname name, with a down-to-earth country feel. This renewed interest placed Frankie back in the US Top 1000 in 2015 after a 41-year hiatus. For girls, it's a popular choice in England and Wales, Australia, and New Zealand.

Drew Barrymore, who helped popularize and glamorize boyish names for girls, has a daughter named Frankie. On TV's Better Things, Pamela Adlon's middle daughter is named Frankie (sister to Max and Duke, both girls).

Frankie

Freddie, especially with the ie ending, is one of the old-school boy-names-for-girls that came into vogue at the turn of the last century. Freddie, all on its own, ranked among the Top 1000 girl names until 1958, but in 2021 it was given to just 8 baby girls. Maybe that makes it prime for a comeback, ala Billie?

Freddie

Former traditional male name now in middle-aged limbo, but with a nice naturey meaning to endear it to modern parents. Actress Glenn Close is a famous female bearer.

Glen

A name that's on the rise for boys but rarely used -- though possible -- for girls. 

Grady

This color name, spelled either Gray or Grey is rapidly catching on. Actress Jenny von Oy recently called her daughter Gray Audrey.


Gray

Grey is the more common spelling in Britain and Australia. This color name has a softness and ambiguity which makes it equally lovely for a boy or a girl.

Grey

The Halley version of this popular name family hit the Top 1000 only once, in 1986, inspired by Halley's Comet, named for astronomer Edmund Halley.

Today, Halley is still used -- it was given to 50 baby girls last year -- but is much less popular than many other spellings of the name, which include Hailey, Haley, Hallie, and Hayley.

Halley

Once a macho biker name, Harley is now showing its softer side. In the UK, Harley is predominantly masculine, but it's currently more popular for girls than boys in the US.
 Along with Harper and Hadley, we think it will climb even further. In England, it's associated with Harley Street, home to some of London's most prominent medical specialists.
 A famous fictional namesake is Batman's Harley Quinn, "born" Harleen Quinzel. DC Comics movie Suicide Squad from 2016 was probably part of the reason for the increase in the number of girls named Harley. Harley Cooper was a character who was introduced on the soap The Guiding Light in 1987—that Harley was named after her father's favorite motorcycle.

Harley

If Melody and Lyric are on your style sheet, the peaceful Harmony, popularized by Buffy the Vampire Slayer, should be too. 

Girls names starting with the "Har" sound like Harper, Harley, and Harlow have been trending in recent years. This musical choice fits right in, and it is no wonder that Harmony has been in the Top 200 since 2014.

Harmony

Politics aside, the Cuban capital is one of the most rhythmic of place-names. The question is: can politics be put aside? 

Havana

Holland is one of the coolest geographical names, unadorned and elegant, evocative of fine Rembrandt portraits and fields of pink and yellow tulips. It first entered the US Top 1000 in 2014.
 Holland Taylor is the Emmy award-winning actress most recognized for her work on Two and a Half Men; she wrote and appeared in a one-woman play on Broadway.
 Holland, like most place names, is gender neutral. The count is currently running at about four girl Hollands for every boy.

Holland

Howard?  For a girl?  In the woolly new world of baby naming, stranger things have happened.  One or two, anyway.

Howard

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.

Hunter

Indigo is one of the most appealing and evocative of the new generation of color names. Color names have joined flower and jewel names -- in a big way -- and Indigo, a deep blue-purple dye from plants native to India, is particularly striking for both girls and boys. Indigo is the name of a character in the Ntozake Shange novel Sassafrass, Cypress & Indigo, and was used for his daughter by Lou Diamond Phillips.
 Some cultural references: The Indigo Girls are a folk duo, 'Mood Indigo' is a classic Duke Ellington jazz composition, and there is a 1970's New Age theory that Indigo children possess special, sometimes supernatural abilities.

Indigo

Ira for a girl can be either a Russian short form of Irina, meaning "peace", or a gender-switch of the Hebrew male name Ira. 

 Annette Bening and Warren Beatty broke the ice by using this Old Testament male standard as the middle name of their daughter Isabel, and food writer Molly Yeh named her second daughter Ira Dorothy in 2022, sister to Bernadette "Bernie".

Ivory was last popular a hundred years ago. In 2013, it finally began to regain some momentum in the female rankings, reentering the Top 1000.
 A word of caution, however—people may associate this name with illegal poaching of elephants and the ivory trade. Or, more prosaically, the popular brand of soap.

Ivory

James for a girl? Believe it or not, this is one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/79/boy-names-for-girls">boy names for girls"</a> gaining a lot of attention these days, since Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds shocked the world by choosing it for their eldest daughter in 2014 (after his late father).
 
Since then, it's become something of a celebrity baby middle name du jour, with high-profile parents including Coco Rocha, Kristin Cavallari, Nev Schulman and Brandon Jenner all having daughters with James in the middle spot.

James

Thanks to two cultural influences, January has joined March, April, June and August as a plausible month name.
 The first was a character named January Wayne in a bestselling 1973 Jacqueline Susann novel, Once is Not Enough, which was later made into a movie. Then, five years later, the mother-to-be of January Jones – future Mad Men star – was inspired by that character to give the name to her baby daughter, as did enough other parents in 1978 to bring January to Number 639 on the list.
 So if you're looking for a cool namesake for an aunt Janet or Janice, January might be the perfect alternative. January, along with Snow and Frost, are also perfect <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/89/winter-baby-names">names for winter babies</a>.

January

One of the boys' names newly appropriated for girls -- either on its own, as a pet form of any J name, or as a singular middle name. 

Originally a feminine of John, Jean was popular in Scotland long before it found favor elsewhere, and had its most shining moment here in the era of Jean Harlow (born Harlean), ultimate symbol of silver screen glamour. Now, though there are many grandmas and even moms with the name, it doesn't seem all that baby-friendly. Though that could change, and Jean could join Jane.
 A perennial on the popularity list until it finally dropped off in 1994, Jean was in the Top 20 from 1922 to 1936 and ranks among the 100 most <a href="/list/653/100-most-common-names-for-girls">common names for girls</a> of the past century. It was extremely well-used as a middle name, as in Michael Jackson's song "Billie Jean" and tennis champ Billie Jean King, not to mention Hermione Jean Granger from Harry Potter/. It was also the actual first name of Scout Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird. Maggie Smith shone in the 1969 film The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, and nickname Jeanie was commemorated in the Stephen Foster classic song "I Dream of Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair," as well as in the early sitcom, I Dream of Jeannie.

Jean

An established place name, associated with a sunny island in the English Channel, the Garden State in the US, knitted pullovers, reality TV, and a Broadway musical. It peaked in the late 2000s and though it is now in decline, 130 girls and nearly 50 boys received the name in 2023. 
 -ey meaning "island". Alternative theories suggest it comes from jarl ,meaning "earl" or hjǫr meaning "sword".

Jersey

Jessie has never been used as much as Jennie/Jenny, partly because it's a <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys’ name</a> as well (spelled Jesse), but it does have a friendly and unpretentious pioneer feel. In Scotland, it's found as an Anglicized form of Teasagh, itself a form of Jean, and is used as a full name. And in the rest of the world, Jessie may be short for Jessica or used on its own.
 Jessie Redmon Fauset was a novelist known for her involvement in the Harlem Renaissance.

Jessie

Though this may be thought of as a short form of the legitimate name Jetta, that one's gone to the cars. This sounds more modern if a bit supersonic. In the Netherlands, it's in the Top 100, originating as a short form of -ette ending names such as Henriette and Mariette.

Originally used for children baptized in holy water from the river Jordan, it became one of the leading <a href="https://nameberry.com/unisex-names"> androgynous names</a> of the nineties. As the balance tips toward the boys' side, it's slipping on the girls' popularity chart. Alternate spelling Jordyn is now more popular for girls.

Jordan

Jude may be a rising boys' name, thanks to Jude Law, but it's also a new way to spin Judy or Judith as well as a name that's long been used quietly for girls as well as boys. Alexis Stewart, daughter of Martha, named her daughter Jude and Jessica Lange plays Sister Jude on American Horror Story.

Jude

TV personality Jules Asner made this middle-aged male name suddenly seem young and fresh and female, after having been an off-the radar-nickname for Julia and Julie. Author and wife of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver spells her name Jools, and we've also seen Joolz.

Jules

June, a sweetly old-fashioned month name derived from the goddess Juno, was long locked in a time capsule with June Allyson (born Ella) and June Cleaver, but is rising again especially as a middle name. 
 June was a Top 100 name from 1915 to 1941, peaking in 1925 at Number 39. It fell off the U.S. Top 1000 in 1987 and returned in 2008 after a two-decade hiatus. Now, we'd call it one of the vintage girls' names starting with J due for a comeback. Balthazar Getty has a daughter named June and Amanda Peet used it as her daughter Molly's middle name.
 Juni is the Scandinavian version; other related choices are Junia, Juno, Juna and Djuna.

June

Juneau, the name of the city in Alaska, has rightfully taken a back seat as a name to the classic Juno.  Most famous reference: When the pregnant teenager is introduced in the movie "Juno," the prospective adoptive father says, "Oh, like the city in Alaska."  Juno takes a deep breath and then says simply, "No."

Juneau

Justice is a fashionable word name, used for both girls and boys. Justice has the distinction of being a virtue name without the religious implications of Faith or Grace. It still feels more male than female, perhaps partly due to the classic Roman name Justus, but Justice has become a more common pick for girls in recent years. 

Justice

This appealing multi-cultural name, pronounced KYE, is beginning to be used for girls as well as boys. Among its many derivations and meanings: "sea" in Hawaiian, "forgiveness" in Japanese, "willow tree" in Navajo, "food" in Maori, and "earth" in Scandinavian. For girls, it debuted on the US Top 1000 in 2010.

This attractive surname name still projects that Kennedy family charisma. While it didn't come into widespread use until long after the deaths of martyred heroes President John F. or Senator Robert Kennedy, Kennedy is now one of the most <a href="https://nameberry.com/unisex-names">popular unisex names</a> for girls as well as the top <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/k">girls' name starting with K</a>. This is one name that manages to sound trendy and classic at the same time.

Kennedy

This body of water runs deep; the best of a group of new possibilities that includes Bay, Ocean, River, and the more established Brook. It has received attention via the actress Lake Bell. Lake would make a particularly cool and refreshing middle name, as Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady did for daughter Vivian.
 Lake is also a fairly common surname, represented by 1940's blonde femme fatale Veronica (born Constance Ockelman), actress/talk show host Ricki and Emerson, Lake & Palmer bassist Greg.

Lake

birds_rule's list "Gender Neutral Names Mega List" of 171 great name ideas: Aidan - Zola!

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.