Unisex Names
- Pat
Origin:
Diminutive of PatriciaMeaning:
"noble, patrician"Description:
An early and still quintessentially androgynous name, now supplanted by thousands of fresher options.
- Quinn
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"descendant of Conn, chief leader, intelligence"Description:
Quinn is one of the first popular Irish unisex surnames, a strong and attractive choice on the rise for girls but still popular for boys. Quinn was used for about 3000 baby girls and 700 boys in the US last year.
- Reese
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"ardor"Description:
The sassy, steel magnolia appeal of Oscar-winning Reese (born Laura Jeanne—Reese is her mother's maiden name) Witherspoon has single-handedly propelled this formerly boys’ name into girls' popularity.
- Ricky
- Riley
Origin:
English, IrishMeaning:
"rye clearing; courageous"Description:
Riley—an upbeat, friendly surname name—is red hot for girls and still going strong for boys. If you haven't been spending much time around babies recently, you may be surprised to learn that Riley is the most popular girls' name starting with R and also the Number 1 Irish name for girls in the US.
- Robin
Origin:
Bird name, or English, diminutive of RobertMeaning:
"bright fame"Description:
After a 60 year slide down the popularity ladder, Robin made a turnaround in 2020 and began climbing back into favor for baby girls. One reason may be its new status as one of the most evenly-divided gender neutral names.
- Rory
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"red king"Description:
Rory is a buoyant, spirited name for a redhead with Celtic roots. The name Rory is getting more popular overall, but for the past few years has been trending decidedly toward the boys' side -- however, it's been rising to new heights for girls in recent years.
- Ryan
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"little king"Description:
This ultrapopular boys' name is rapidly becoming a hot name for girls; admired for its buoyant Irish spirit.
- Sam
Origin:
Diminutive of SamanthaMeaning:
"told by God"Description:
Sam as a name standing on its own was given to only 18 girls in 2021, versus over 400 boys. But as a short form it's appealing and down-to-earth for both sexes, and heard far more often: There were over 2500 baby girls named Samantha in the US in one recent year and more than 8500 boys named Samuel, so you will hear the name Sam a lot more often than you might guess judging by the numbers for this short form. Like the wildly popular Charlie, Sam is a nickname that works equally well as a girls' name as a boys'. All forms considered, Sam is still one of the most popular names that start with S.
- Sandy
Origin:
Diminutive of Sandra or AlexandraDescription:
Nickname name hep in the era of Grease.
- Sasha
Origin:
Russian, diminutive of Greek AlexanderMeaning:
"defending men"Description:
Sasha, largely male in Russia--and also spelled Sascha and Sacha--is an energetic name that has really taken off for girls here, chosen by Jerry Seinfeld (using the alternate Sascha spelling) and other celebs. The Barack Obamas use it as the nickname for their younger daughter, whose proper name is Natasha. But in line with a trend toward softer-sounding boys' names like Asher and Joshua and thanks to Borat star Sacha Baron Cohen, Sasha also still has life as a boys' name too--it's popular in France for boys and girls almost equally.
- Sawyer
Origin:
English occupational nameMeaning:
"woodcutter"Description:
Sawyer is one of the top unisex names, used for their daughters by such parents as Sara Gilbert, co-host of The Talk and former actress on Roseanne, currently on The Conners.
- Shane
Origin:
Irish variation of Sean or ShannonDescription:
As a boy's name, Shane is related more directly to the 50s movie cowboy and the Irish name Sean; for a girl, it might be a variation on Shannon, Shana, or Shawn. Parenthood star Erika Christensen named her daughter Shane. Another spin, used by Eddie Murphy, is Shayne.
- Sidney
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"Saint Denis"Description:
While Sidney in this spelling has a long history as a girls' name, it fell off the Top 1000 from the early 50s until 1990. Then it reemerged as one of the newly chic androgynous names for girls, rising into the Top 300 before falling off the Top 1000 list again in 2016. Sydney is now the more fashionable form.
- Skye
Origin:
Scottish place-nameDescription:
The e-addition takes the name from slightly hippie-ish nature name to the place name of a picturesque island off the coast of Scotland, and for baby namers it's by far the more popular spelling.
- Skylar
Origin:
Spelling variation of Schuyler, meaning "scholar"Meaning:
"scholar"Description:
Skylar is a name with a hint of both edginess and whimsy and it makes for a nature-inspired choice that is neither too wordy nor too floral. Popular for girls since the 90s, Skylar has remained in the US Top 100 for over a decade.
- Spencer
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"keeper of provisions"Description:
Yes, Spencer makes a plausible and powerful female choice these days, though still thought of as primarily for boys. Kelsey Grammer used it for his daughter in the 1980's. Spencer made its first appearance on the girls' Top 1000 in 2017.
- Taylor
Origin:
English occupational nameMeaning:
"tailor"Description:
Taylor is one of the prime unisex surnames used for girls and has also been a soap opera favorite. Taylor was in the Top 10 for the last several years of the twentieth century, so that now it tends to feel a little nineties – though Taylor Swift is keeping it in the spotlight and Tay is a charming nickname. Garth Brooks and Bryan Cranston have daughters named Taylor; Taylor Schilling portrays lead Piper Chapman in Orange is the New Black.
- Terry
Origin:
English, diminutive of TheresaDescription:
Terry hit the Top 30 in the fifties; it was seen then as a cool, sleek gender neutral name, but it's long since lost that edge. Today's Terry would probably be Tess or Tessa.
- Tiernan
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"little lord"Description:
An old Irish surname cousin of Tierney that makes an unusual and appealing Irish gender switch.