Gender Neutral Names for my 2023 Baby

  1. Sappho
    • Origin:

      Ancient Greek
    • Meaning:

      "sapphire"
    • Description:

      Name of the 7th century BC Greek lyric poet born on the island of Lesbos, whose name has been synonymous with lesbian love. Though this name is rarely used today, it certainly could be and, some might say, SHOULD be revived.
  2. Shannon
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "old and wise"
    • Description:

      The name of the longest river in the British Isles rose to the US Top 25 for girls in the 1970s and the Top 100 for boys, but has fallen off the Top 1000 for both genders. At the latest count, the name Shannon was given to about 200 babies in the US, about a third of those boys. As a favorite Irish name, Shannon has now been supplanted by newcomers such as Saoirse and Seanan.
  3. Willoughby
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "farm near the willows"
    • Description:

      Willoughby is an energetic last-name-first route to the popular short form Will, livelier than any of the two-syllable options. It could be picked up by parents attracted to the Willow sound for girls.
  4. Winter
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Fresher, brisker and, yes, cooler than Summer or Autumn or Spring, Winter is now a full-fledged female choice, especially since Nicole Richie and Joel Madden used it for daughter Harlow's middle name, and Gretchen Mol picked it as her daughter's first, as did media mogul Sean Parker. Winter continues to be the preferred spelling and has risen in popularity significantly over the past few years.
  5. Wren
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "small bird"
    • Description:

      Wren may not be as time-honored a bird name choice as Robin or even Lark, but it's more fashionable and fresh, with a gentle and earthy vibe.
  6. Wendelin
    • Willacy
      • Yona
        • Origin:

          Cherokee or variation of Jonah, Hebrew
        • Meaning:

          "bear; dove"
        • Description:

          A name with a double animal connection via two distinct origins, one Native American and the other Hebrew and Biblical. Yona is rare in the US but not unknown: It was given to a dozen baby girls in 2021.
      • Yonah
        • Origin:

          Hebrew variation of Jonah
        • Meaning:

          "dove"
        • Description:

          This form of the stylish Old Testament name is too close to the feminine Yona.