2022 Names Used NEARLY EQUAL for M and F

A unisex name in Hawaii, with great potential for cool nickname Ma(c)k.

As Makenna, Makenzie, and Makayla lose their spark, Hawaiian Makani feels fresh as ever.

Popular name in Japan in its own right, but also as a nickname for Miyako or Makiko.

Classic Irish surname with a lot of character and some interesting associations: the title character of a Samuel Beckett novel and basketball great Karl Malone. Malone is a popular name for baby boys in France.

Friendly and charming international variation of Matthew, common in Estonia.

Mavi is a gender-neutral Turkish name with a colorful meaning and a trendy feel, that is also the name of a jeans company, and a Spanish short form of the double name, Maria Victoria. This is one we expect to hear more of as an alternative to Maeve.

Diminutive of any of the stylish family of Max names, from Maxwell to Maximiliano.

Unless you're making an intentional homage to the Maya civilization, the traditional spelling Maayan will prove less confusing.

Short, concise, and cheerful, Merit is a name with several possible roots. From its English origins, it could be viewed as a virtue name, celebrating commendable good behaviour. Equally, it could be seen as a streamlined form of Merritt, an Old English surname meaning "boundary". Rising in the US, albeit slowly, Merit may be given to more babies in coming years, due to the recent interest in unusual virtue names, last names as first names, and for word names.

Mica is not the same name -- though it sounds the same -- as Micah, but the h makes it feel more masculine.

The African tradition of day naming—giving a child a name inspired by the day, time, or season in which they were born—has become attractive to Western parents as word names increase in use. Midnight is a relatively new addition to the pool—it was used as a middle name by Nicole Richie and Joel Madden for their son in 2009.

A few possible explanations for this name: It could be a creative spelling of Million, an elaborated variant of Milan or a reference to singer Christina Milian. We'll leave it up to you whether those are winning inspirations for a baby name.

Feels akin to Brooks and Rivers, two other boys' names that double as plural nouns. It's been used as a first name for centuries, including by a two time governor of Virginia.

With its trendy -o ending and connotations of luxury, we think the name of one of the smallest and wealthiest countries in the world has rich baby name potential.