Girls Names for Guys

Do you really want to name your baby after a car when there are so many other lex possibilities?

Lou, all by itself, is become fashionable for girls, which usually makes a name LESS fashionable for boys. But Lou, like Bill or Jim, is rarely used on its own for boys anyway. (You wouldn't name a boy Frederick Lou the way that girls are named Mary Lou or, in the case of Keri Russell's new baby, Willa Lou.) Long form Louis is getting cool again and, with the Lewis spelling, is the Number 2 name in Scotland.

This lively Scottish name caught on for girls in a big way starting from the 1970s in the US, although it has remained much more gender-neutral in its native Britain, where it peaked at #109 for boys in 2005 (#303 for girls the name year). Mac would be a cool short form.

Madison was at one time a strictly boys' presidential name, reaching as high as Number 311 at the end of the nineteenth century. That all changed in 1985 when it entered the girls' list, zooming up quickly until it reached the Number 2 spot, with more than 22,000 female babies given the name in 2001. As is so often the case, its use for boys has dropped precipitously.

A nickname for Malcolm that at one point ranked independently on the US Top 1000. It still exists as an affectionate pet form, but you’re unlikely to hear a Malcolm introduce himself as Mal.

Morgan, once split evenly between the sexes, is a strong and attractive Welsh favorite, still a common boys’ name in Wales. Morgan is now more often a girls' name in the U.S. – about 2000 girls were given the name in one recent year, vs. 362 boys – though it's one of the most traditional unisex choices. Morgan was actually a Top 200 pick for boys in Victorian Britain!

Western place-name that feels equally appropriate for both genders. Note: Natives say rhyme that second syllable with had, so it's not nehv-AH-da.

As sturdy as Oak, but with stronger roots as a first name, Oakley ticks lots of boxes for modern trends. With its unisex vibe, it's nature-based meaning, it's surname-y feel, and it's popular -lee ending, it's not wonder Oakley is on the rise.

Piper's rising popularity for girls makes it an unlikely masculine choice.

Make that bird name, and while it does work for both genders, it's far more popular for girls, via Raven Symone.

Riley -- one of the most popular unisex names -- is trendier now for girls though for boys it's a classic, ALWAYS ranking in the US Top 1000.

This spirited Gaelic classic, which became popular in Ireland via the illustrious twelfth century king Rory O'Connor, makes a highly energetic choice, now used for either sex. Rory's gender split is still trending boyward; it's one of the coolest boys' names starting with R.

Botanical choice that can work for either gender. Simple and straightforward. Caveats: rue means "regret" in English, and "street" in French.

Fits many criteria sought by modern parents: it's short and strong, with intimations of wisdom as well as fragrant herbal properties. At this point, Sage is given about a third of the time to boys.

Haunting biblical and Civil War place-name; now unisex—especially after the mega-high-profile Brangelina couple picked it for their daughter. It debuted in the Top 1000 for boys in 2015.

Referring to the Scottish Isle of Skye, this spelling brings Sky down to earth. Skye is used ten times more often for girls than boys, while the gender split on the Sky spelling is more like three to one in favor of the female side.

Taylor was much more popular throughout the 1990s for both genders than it is today. Close to the Top 50 boys' names in the mid-1990s, Taylor recently fell out of the Top 500 for boys and out of the Top 100 for girls, and is predicted to continue on a downward trajectory for both genders. Similar but more stylish baby names today include Sawyer, Sayer and Thayer.