Names That Work For Boys and Girls
Updated Fri Feb 02 2024
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Names that work for boys and girl, often called unisex names or gender-neutral names, are stylish as ever today, in a time when avoiding heavily gendered names has become more of a priority for many parents.
Whether you are looking to avoid your child being treated differently based on their name's assumed gender, are looking to change your own name to something gender-neutral, or just think unisex baby names are darn-right cute, this is the list for you.
Many nature names fit this category, from the more popular River, Sage, and Wren to rare options like Everest, Cypress, and Storm. Other word names that work for boys and girls are Justice, Poet, and Echo.
Last names as first names or surname names also fit into this category, such as Ellison, Campbell, Bowie, and Halston. Nickname names that work for boys or girls include Frankie, Drew, Rory, and Kit.
Explore our list of names that work for boys and girl here, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.
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- Royal
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"royal"Description:
Even less subtle than Duke or Earl, this name shot up the popularity charts in 2013, the same year young Prince George was born and the craze for all things royal (and Royal) began. Today, it's a leading boys' name on Nameberry's own popularity charts.
- Jude
Origin:
Latin diminutive of JudahMeaning:
"praised"Description:
Jude is a modern star, maintaining a steady level of popularity -- but not TOO much popularity -- for more than a decade now. Thank Jude Law and the great Lennon-McCartney song "Hey Jude", double-handedly responsible for propelling Jude up the charts.
- Juniper
Origin:
Latin tree nameMeaning:
"young"Description:
Juniper is a fresh-feeling nature name -- it's a small evergreen shrub -- with lots of energy. A new favorite of fashionable parents, Juniper joins such other tree and shrub names as Hazel, Acacia, and Willow.
- Wren
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"small bird"Description:
Wren, a lilting songbird name, could be the next Robin. Wren entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2012 and is among the new wave of popular English names for girls.
- Kit
Origin:
English, diminutive of ChristopherMeaning:
"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.
- Remy
Origin:
French from LatinMeaning:
"oarsman"Description:
Remy is one of the hottest names today for both boys and girls, sometimes spelled Remi. . It entered the popularity list in 2009 and has quickly become one of the fastest-rising names on the list.
- River
Origin:
Nature nameDescription:
River shares the tranquil feeling of all the water names, and seems to have pretty much escaped its past strong association with River Phoenix and his unfortunate fate. Actor Joaquin Phoenix named his son with actress Rooney Mara after his brother River.
- Nova
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"new"Description:
Nova has the feel of both newness, from its meaning, and great energy as an astronomical term for a star that increases suddenly in brightness before fading.
- Arden
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"valley of the eagle; high"Description:
Arden, the name of the magical forest in Shakespeare's As You Like It, is a stylish A name with a strong, straightforward image. Another reason to love Arden: its similarity to "ardent." Arden is solidly unisex, with the current gender distribution running about 60 percent girls and 40 percent boys.
- 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.
- Avery
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"ruler of the elves"Description:
Avery is a hugely popular name in the US, especially for girls. But while nearly four times as many girls as boys are named Avery today Avery's popularity is starting to soften for girls while it continues to strengthen for boys.
- Ari
Origin:
Diminutive of Ariel, HebrewMeaning:
"lion of God"Description:
Ari, the short form of Ariel (or any other Ari- beginning name, such as Aristotle) stands up better as a boys’ name than its progenitor does. It is also short for Aristotle, as in Onassis, and is a prominent character on TV's Entourage -- the uberagent Ari Gold.
- Ash
Origin:
Diminutive of Asher, EnglishMeaning:
"ash tree"Description:
Ash has Southern charm plus the arboreal-nature appeal. Plus your little boy will prize Ash as the name of the hero of the Pokemon cartoons. Ash can also be a dashing short form of Asher, Ashton, or any other "Ash" name.
- Harlow
Origin:
English surnameMeaning:
"rock hill or army hill"Description:
Jean Harlow (born Harlean Carpenter), the original platinum blonde bombshell, was a symbol of 1930s glamour, a factor that first Patricia Arquette and then Nicole Richie and Joel Madden probably had in mind when they gave their daughters the distinctive surname name Harlow.
- Ray
Origin:
Diminutive of RaymondMeaning:
"wise protector"Description:
Ray, still and forever, is one of the all-time hippest boys' names, with its jazzy Ray Charles biopic overtones. It's one of the coolest middle names), but works perfectly fine as a first.
- 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.
- Hayden
Origin:
English place nameMeaning:
"hay valley"Description:
Hayden – a formerly obscure name that's risen to huge popularity – has dipped in this year's ratings. Though Hayden is among the most distinctive of the bunch, it gets lost in the crowd of Jaidens, Bradens, Aidans, and endless variations. Associated with Hayden Christensen, of Star Wars fame.
- Onyx
Origin:
Gem nameDescription:
Unlike Pearl and Ruby, this is one gem name suited for boys, the final x making it sound strong and virile. Musician Iggy Azalea chose the name Onyx for her son.
- Sage
Origin:
Herb name and also LatinMeaning:
"wise and knowing"Description:
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.
- Indigo
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"Indian dye"Description:
Indigo is one of the most appealing and evocative of the new generation of color names. Color names have joined flower and jewel names -- in a big way -- and Indigo, a deep blue-purple dye from plants native to India, is particularly striking for both girls and boys. Indigo is the name of a character in the Ntozake Shange novel Sassafrass, Cypress & Indigo, and was used for his daughter by Lou Diamond Phillips.