Typically female names for boys

  1. Kelly
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "war"
    • Description:

      A predominantly male name in the US until the late 1950s, the name continued to rise for both sexes for both sexes for a further decade, before starting to decline for boys. Despite dropping out of the boys' Top 1000 in 2002, Kelly retains a rugged Irish charm.
  2. Kelsey
    • Origin:

      English surname
    • Meaning:

      "Cenel's island"
    • Description:

      Kelsey (ex-Frasier) Grammer is a famous male bearer, although most modern Kelseys are female. It derives from several English place names, possibly meaning "Cenel's island", from the Old English name Cenel "fierce".
  3. Kendal
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "valley of the river Kent"
    • Description:

      Variant of Kendall
  4. Kendall
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "valley of the river Kent"
    • Description:

      While Kendall originally started as a boys’ name, and remained more or equally popular for boys until the early 1990s in the US, it now feels almost synonymous with Kendall Jenner, of Kardashian fame.
  5. Kendry
    • Origin:

      Malagasy
    • Meaning:

      "wise man"
    • Description:

      How often do you see a name from Madagascar that is so wearable in English? Kendry has a great meaning to boot and is possibly a great name for a Christmas baby. What's not to love?
  6. Kenzie
    • Origin:

      Short form of Mackenzie, Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "son of Kenneth"
    • Description:

      Overwhelmingly feminine in the US, where parent name Mackenzie is wildly popular, but masculine in the UK, where Kenzie ranks among the Top 1000 names for baby boys.
  7. Kim
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Kimball
    • Description:

      Kim is forever feminized, despite memories of the Rudyard Kipling character.
  8. Kimberly
    • Origin:

      English surname and place name
    • Meaning:

      "Cyneburga's meadow"
    • Description:

      Kimberly is a variation of the South African (and Australian) place name Kimberley, named after John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley. The name comes from a Norfolk earldom (first spelled Chineburlai) and references the meadow or woodland clearing of a medieval Lady called Cyneburga.
  9. Kit
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Christopher
    • Meaning:

      "bearer of Christ"
    • Description:

      Actor Kit Harington, aka the dreamy Jon Snow on Game of Thrones, has given this nickname-name new style and appeal for boys. Actress Jodie Foster used it for her son.
  10. Lacy
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "from Lassey"
    • Description:

      Back in the day, Lacy used to be available to boys as well.
  11. Laine
    • Origin:

      Variation of Lane
    • Meaning:

      "a small roadway or path"
    • Description:

      Unisex Lane is a hit for boys in the last few decades, remaining around the 200s in popularity. Laine may lean a bit more feminine, but still has that unisex feel.
  12. Lark
    • Origin:

      Bird name
    • Description:

      In one recent year there were 60 baby girls in the US named Lark....and only eight baby boys. But there's no reason this bird name can't also be masculine, especially given that Robin is making a comeback for boys and Sparrow is a notable starbaby boy (he's Nicole Richie and Joel Madden's son).
  13. Larkin
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "rough, fierce"
    • Description:

      The additional syllable makes Lark a masculine surname name.
  14. Lauren
    • Origin:

      English from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "from Laurentum or bay laurel"
    • Description:

      A Top 1000 boy name throughout the first half of the 20th century in the US, Lauren was popularized for girls by the actress Lauren Bacall. Today, while the Lauren spelling is still 99 percent feminine, Loren is truly gender-neutral, used last year for 75 baby girls and 60 baby boys.
  15. Lee
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "pasture, meadow"
    • Description:

      A name that has a bit of a shouldn't-I-be-a-middle-name sound, though still in use as a first for both genders. Lee might be a good choice if you want something that sounds at once traditional yet modern, unisex but not newly-minted.
  16. Leigh
    • Leighton
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "meadow town"
      • Description:

        More popular in its Layton spelling, Leighton is rising in popularity in the US for both sexes simultaneously, although this spelling remains more popular for girls for now – no doubt helped by actress Leighton Meester. Lleyton – as in Australian tennis star Lleyton Hewitt – is another, even more complicated, variant spelling.
    • Lennon
      • Origin:

        Irish
      • Meaning:

        "lover"
      • Description:

        A growing number of high-profile (and other) parents are choosing to honor their musical idols, such as Hendrix, Presley, Jagger, and now Lennon.
    • Lesley
      • Leslie
        • Origin:

          Scottish
        • Meaning:

          "garden of holly"
        • Description:

          This Scottish place name and surname was more popular for boys in the US until the mid-1940s; in the UK, the Leslie spelling is predominantly masculine, with Lesley widely used as the feminine variant. Now ranking in the mid-400s for girls and not at all for boys in the US, it could be time to bring this smart, subtle nature name back, especially considering the current popularity of -ley names for both sexes.