Gender-neutral names

What are gender-neutral names like?

Taylor comes from a surname for a tailor and is used for both women and men in English. Jordan is also used for both women and men and has a connection to the river’s name.

Two lists from the birth recordsNames that switched sides · Truly unisex names

Every name links to its full page: meaning, origin, and its real popularity curve since 1890.

Willie Germanic · diminutive of William ("will helmet"); for generations of American girls too, standalone or short for Wilhelmina

Leslie Scottish · from a Scottish place name and surname, possibly 'garden of hollies'; famously borne by Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing, one of Hong Kong's most storied English names

Jessie Hebrew · originally a Scots pet form of Jean; now also used for Jessica, with a separate masculine use for Jesse

Marion French · a form of Mary; famously borne by Marion Donovan, inventor of the modern disposable diaper

Jamie Hebrew · Scottish pet form of James, traditionally interpreted through Jacob as "supplanter"

Taylor English · "cutter of cloth," an occupational surname from Old French; among the first of the 1990s surname names to go fully unisex, riding high for girls and steady for boys. Polished, professional, and friendly all at once

Johnnie Hebrew · diminutive of John, 'God is gracious'

Billie Germanic · diminutive of Bill, also used as a feminine form of William ("will helmet")

Guadalupe Spanish · from the valley of the wolf; honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe, one of the most revered names across generations of Mexican-American Catholic families

Jackie English · diminutive of Jacqueline/Jack, supplanter

Frankie English · pet form of Frank/Frances

Harley English · place name/surname, "hare meadow"

Rene French · from French 'Rene', meaning 'reborn' (from Latin 'renatus')

Jaime Hebrew · Spanish and Portuguese form in the James and Jacob family, carried by medieval kings of Aragon; English Jaime also belongs to Jamie’s branch; Jacob is traditionally interpreted as "supplanter", though its etymology is debated

Kendall English · place name, "valley of the river Kent"

Ollie French · diminutive of Oliver, traditionally linked to Old French 'olivier' (olive tree)

Drew English · manly, brave (short form of Andrew); a nod to Charles Drew, physician who pioneered large-scale blood banking and plasma storage

Emery Germanic · traditionally "industrious ruler"

Peyton English · "Paega's town," an Old English place name that spent centuries as a surname; American parents took it unisex in the 1990s and it stuck for both. Preppy polish with small-town roots

Tommie Aramaic · diminutive of Thomas, twin

Charley Germanic · diminutive or feminine form of Charles, from the Germanic Karl, 'man'

Robbie Germanic · diminutive of Robert, bright fame

Emory Germanic · variant of Emery, traditionally "industrious ruler"

Ivory English · from the material ivory

Blair Scottish · place name, "field, plain"

Jody Hebrew · traditionally diminutive of Joseph/Judith

Joey Hebrew · unisex English diminutive, usually of Joseph and sometimes of Josephine, Johanna, or another Jo- name

Kerry Irish · descendants of Ciar, the dark one

Payton English · variant of Peyton, from an English place surname meaning "Pæga’s town"

Lacy French · from Lassy, Normandy

Merle French · blackbird

Monroe Scottish · surname, "mouth of the river Roe"

Sammie Hebrew · traditionally God has heard

Hollis English · surname meaning 'dweller by the holly trees'

Elisha Hebrew · traditionally translated as 'God is salvation'

Laverne French · from 'la Verne,' the alder tree, or Latin vernus, 'spring-like'

Mckinley Scottish · surname from Gaelic 'Mac Fhionnlaigh', son of Fionnlagh ('white warrior')

Dee English · pet name from the initial 'D', or short for names like Deborah or Diana

Dominique French · French form of Dominic, from Latin 'dominicus', meaning 'of the Lord'

Justice English · virtue name meaning 'moral rightness', from Latin 'iustitia'

Milan Slavic · from the Slavic element milŭ, "gracious, dear", originally a short form of names beginning with that element

Rosario Spanish · rosary; rose garden

Arden English · from an English surname taken from various place names, from a Celtic word meaning 'high'

Carey Welsh · from a Welsh river name, or an Irish surname

Charlie English · short or feminine form of Charles, traditionally from Germanic "man"

Clair Latin · variant of Claire, 'clear, bright'

Gale Hebrew · short form of Abigail, 'father's joy'; also the English word for a strong wind

Leighton English · place name, "settlement by a meadow"

Oakley English · from a surname and place names meaning "oak clearing" in Old English; famously borne by sharpshooter Annie Oakley

Palmer English · occupational surname, "pilgrim, palm-bearer"

Riley Irish · two true sources: the Irish surname O Raghallaigh, its root debated, and an English place name meaning "rye clearing"; either way a surname that crossed over, went unisex in the 1990s, and settled in as an American favorite with an easy grin

Sasha Russian · diminutive of Alexander/Alexandra, "defender"; carries the warmth of a Russian term of endearment

Stevie Greek · pet form of Stephen/Stephanie, "crown"

Sunny English · from the English word sunny, also used to mean "cheerful"

Arlie English · variant of Arley, meaning uncertain (possibly hare wood)

Campbell Scottish · Scottish clan surname, from Gaelic 'cam' (crooked) and 'beul' (mouth)

Michel Hebrew · French form of Michael, 'who is like God?'

Murphy Irish · surname Ó Murchadha, "sea warrior"

Scottie English · pet form of Scott, "from Scotland"

Sol Latin · Spanish and Portuguese word-name meaning "sun"; separately, a Jewish short form of Solomon, from shalom, "peace"

Alpha Greek · first

Angel Greek · from Greek angelos, "messenger", through Latin angelus

Kai Hawaiian · "sea" in Hawaiian; equally an independent name in Frisian and Scandinavian, Estonian, Japanese, and Chinese use, each with its own root and history. One crisp syllable that belongs everywhere, likely the secret of its global rise

Kasey Irish · variant spelling of Casey, from Irish Cathasach meaning 'vigilant, brave'

Ari Hebrew · "lion"; also a short form of Ariel/Arianna

Artie Welsh · diminutive of Arthur, traditionally 'bear'

Collins Irish · surname, "son of Colin"

Ellery Latin · English surname, traditionally linked to Hilarius, meaning 'cheerful'

Holland Dutch · from the place name Holland or the related surname

Jordan Hebrew · to flow down

Lavern French · variant of Laverne, possibly from a French place name meaning 'alder grove'

Lavon Hebrew · traditionally white

Layne English · variant of Lane, "narrow road"

Lennon Irish · surname Ó Leannáin, traditionally "lover" or "cloak"

Amari African American · modern name, popularly given the meaning "strength"

Baby English · the English word for infant, used directly as a given name

Berkley English · place name/surname meaning 'birch tree meadow'

Channing English · English surname of disputed origin, traditionally 'young wolf', possibly linked to French chanoine, 'canon'

Ellison English · surname meaning 'son of Ellis' (a form of Elijah/Elias)

Ever English · modern word name from 'always, forever'

Gentry English · people of noble birth, from Old French genterise

Golden English · from the English word 'golden'

Honor Latin · esteem, distinction; virtue name from Latin honor

Isa Hebrew · short form of Isabel/Isabella, meaning 'God is my oath'

Ivey English · variant spelling of Ivy, the climbing plant

Kris Greek · short form of Kristopher or Kristina, from Greek 'Christ-bearer'

Kristian Greek · Scandinavian and Finnish form of Christian, and a Bulgarian variant

Lennie Germanic · pet form of Leonard, traditionally 'brave lion', or of Lena

Merritt English · English surname from Merriott in Somerset, recorded in the Domesday Book as Meriet, 'boundary gate' in Old English

Ocie Uncertain · Disputed: possibly a Southern US diminutive of Oswald, Oscar, or Oceana; no single confirmed source.

Raleigh English · English place name/surname, from Old English 'roe deer meadow'

Ramsey Scottish · surname from a place name, traditionally 'wild garlic island'

Santana Spanish · surname/place name from 'Santa Ana' (Saint Anne)

Sloan Irish · from the Irish surname Ó Sluaghadháin, "descendant of Sluaghadhán" (sluaghadh, "raid, mobilization")

Valentine Latin · traditionally 'strong, healthy', from Latin valens

Adel Arabic · Arabic for 'just, fair'; also a Germanic name element meaning 'noble'

Arie Hebrew · variant of Ari, Hebrew for 'lion'

Audie English · diminutive, likely of Audrey, Old English for 'noble strength'

Avery English · an Anglo-Norman remaking of Alfred, "elf counsel," the wise counsel of the old stories; centuries as a surname, then a first name again, unisex since the 1990s and now led by girls. Soft sound, surprisingly deep roots

Britton English · English surname meaning 'a Briton', from Britain

Darian Persian · variant of Darius, 'possessing goodness'

Garnett English · From an Old French/Latin surname for a dealer in garnets or a ruddy-complexioned person, ultimately Latin granatum 'pomegranate'.

Kendal English · place name, "valley of the River Kent"

Kingsley English · from an English surname and place name, read as "king's wood" or "king's clearing" in Old English

Larkin Irish · Irish surname, 'descendant of Lorcán (fierce)'

Marlo English · variant of Marlowe, surname meaning "site of a former lake"

Nicola Italian · Italian form of Nicholas, Greek for 'victory of the people'

Shea Irish · anglicized form of Seaghdha, 'admirable, hawk-like'

Tatum English · an English surname from a place name meaning "Tata's homestead"

Waverly English · place name meaning 'meadow of quaking aspens'; popularized by Walter Scott's novel Waverley

Brook English · English word name for a small stream

Carlin Irish · Irish surname, traditionally 'little champion'

Clarke English · occupational surname meaning 'clerk, scholar'

Darby English · English surname and place name from Old Norse, traditionally 'deer park settlement'

Jessy Hebrew · nickname-style variant of Jesse/Jessica, from Hebrew for 'gift'

Lake English · from the English word for a body of water

Landry French · from Germanic Landric, 'ruler of the land'

Linden English · 'lime tree', a nature and surname name

Marlowe English · from a surname, 'remnants of a lake' in Old English

Montana Spanish · 'mountain', from Spanish montana, used as a place name

All 570 gender neutral names, A to Z

Gender-neutral names

What are gender-neutral names like?

All 570 gender neutral names, A to Z

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