With the concept of gender more fluid than ever before, many soon-to-be parents are weighing up the advantages of giving their new arrival a gender-neutral baby name. With that in mind, we are going to build on our post covering 300+ unique names for your baby by also looking at some unisex naming options.
Not only have a number of celebrities such as Sam Smith recently come out as nonbinary (going by the pronouns of “they” and “them”) but a number of forward-thinking parents are trying to distance themselves from potentially damaging gender stereotypes.
That’s why we’ve researched and compiled a list of over 100 gender-neutral baby names for you to look through. But before we get to that, why should you think about going gender-neutral for your baby’s name?
Why Go Gender-Neutral for Your Baby’s Name?
There are several reasons behind choosing a gender-neutral name. Some parents are leaving the sex of their new arrival a surprise and feel that choosing a gender-neutral name covers all bases and gives them more flexibility.
However, the primary reason that unisex baby names are surging is due to a greater prevalence in progressive attitudes towards gender:
Assessing what society looks like when your child reaches adulthood is just one of many factors that will go into your baby-naming process.
To find out what else you will need to consider, we’ve created a step-by-step guide to ensure you choose the perfect name for your new arrival in our Daddlife mini-book series, which you can pick up for FREE for a limited time only. So make sure to pick up yours today after you’re done reading this post.
101 Gender-Neutral Names for Your Baby
So without further ado, let’s delve into our carefully curated list of gender-neutral names for your newborn baby. From Addison to Ziv, there’s something for everyone in this unique list of unisex baby names.
- Bay – This English origin name means “sea inlet.”
- Winter – Another name with English origin, meaning “born in the winter season.”
- Pax – Name with Latin roots, meaning “peace.”
- Xia – Of Chinese origin, meaning “glow of the sunrise.”
- Ziv – A name of Hebrew origin, meaning “radiance, brilliance or light of God.”
- Quinn – This name is a modern take on the popular Irish surname “O’Cuinn” and forename “Conn.” These names mean “wisdom,” and Quinn itself is a unique twist on more traditional takes, setting up your baby perfectly for an exciting life off the beaten path.
- Reese – A Welsh name traditionally associated with boys before Reese Witherspoon popularized it as a girls’ name. This unisex baby name means “enthusiasm.”
- Riley – An Old English name meaning “rye clearing,” this is a firm gender-neutral favorite that can also be spelled Rylee, Ryleigh, and Rilee.
- Jaden – In Hebrew, this unisex name means “thankful, God has heard, or he will judge.” Of course, Jaden Smith is considered an LGBTQIIA+ icon for his gender-fluid fashion choices.
- Kennedy – This gender-neutral Irish name means “armored head.”
- Nuru – Coming from African origin, this name means “light” in Swahili.
- Ash – This name comes from the ash tree from which, according to Norse mythology, Odin made his spear.
- River – Another popular gender-neutral name, it means “stream of water that flows to the sea,” as you might have guessed!
- Storm – Another weather-inspired name, this moniker means “volatile and powerful like severe weather.” Of course, Storm is also a famous member of the X-Men, perfect if you are a superhero fan!
- Sam – Usually short for Samantha or Samuel, this unisex derivative means “name of God.” Nonbinary icon Sam Smith has this name.
- Wallace – This name has an English origin and means “foreigner, stranger.” It can also be spelled Wallis, as in Wallis Simpson.
- Dakota – This unisex name comes from a Native American Sioux tribe and means “friend” or “ally.” Made famous by movie star Dakota Johson.
- Sacha – This gender-neutral name is a variant of Sasha (Russian), which has been thrust in the spotlight by comedian Sacha Baron Cohen.
- Jett – This name has Old English origins and means “free or black stone.”
- Yale – As in the Ivy League university, this Welsh and Old English name means “heights, upland.”
- Elliot – Elliot is a gender-neutral name of a somewhat mixed origin. Originally derived from biblical Hebrew notions, it has since been popularized by the Scots. Elliot Page is another LGBTQIIA+ icon with this name.
- Zasha – Coming from Russia with love, this name means “defender of the people.”
- Addison – A British name, meaning “son of Adam.” One of the most popular gender-neutral baby names today.
- Galaxy – This cosmic American name means “large system of stars.”
- Blake – This name means “bright” or, somewhat confusingly, “dark.”
- Nat – Often short for girl names like Natalie or boy names like Nathanial, this unisex derivative name means “gift of God.”
- Oakley – This English name means “from the oak tree field.”
- Skylar – This unisex name means “scholar” and has American roots.
- Brantley – A gender-neutral name of Old Norse and Old English origin meaning “sword or fiery torch.”
- Kade – A Scottish name, meaning “from the wetlands.”
- Lennon – As in John Lennon, this Irish name means “dear one, child of love, or a small cloak or cape.” Perfect for fans of The Beatles.
- Peyton – One of the oldest surnames in America, this name has Irish origins and has a host of famous male and female examples.
- Rayne – Rayne is a unisex variant of Raina and Rayna (Scandinavian, Israeli), and the meaning of Rayne is “counsel; song.”
- Sydney – This unisex name is of French origin, meaning “contraction of St. Denys.”
- Teegan – Fancy your newborn to become a literary genius? In Gaelic, this unisex means “little poet.”
- Harper – With roots in Ireland, England, and Scotland, this name means “harp player.”
- Jesse – In Hebrew, this unisex name means “gift of God.”
- Taylor – French name that means “to cut or to tailor.” Made famous in the nonbinary world by actor Asia Kate Dillon, who plays a Taylor (a nonbinary character) in Billions.
- Frankie – Name with American roots, Frankie means “free or truthful.”
- Asa – Pronounced AY-sah, this Hebrew name means “doctor, healer.”
- Fenix – Hailing from the Greek islands, this unisex name means “dark red.”
- Drew – This unisex name means “warrior” in Greek.
- Madison – This gender-neutral name is British in origin, meaning “son of the mighty warrior.”
- Justice – Another British unisex baby name meaning “to deliver what is just.”
- Zuni – This is a gender-neutral name of Native American origin, associated with the word “beauty.”
- Yara – An Arabic name, meaning “water lady or small butterfly.”
- Wyatt – A British unisex name, meaning “war strength.” Sheryl Crow named one of her sons Wyatt in 2007, and Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis named their daughter Wyatt in 2014.
- Emery – This unisex name means “work ruler.”
- Lake – With English roots, this baby name means “the body of water runs deep.”
- Remy – This unisex name means “oarsmen” in French.
- Reagan – Why not give your new baby’s name a royal touch with this unisex name meaning “little king” in Gaelic?
- Verne – A name of Old French origin meaning “alder grove.”
- Phoenix – A gender-neutral name that symbolizes a type of bird often immortalized in Greek and Egyptian mythology as a creature that had the power to rise from its own ashes.
- Onyx – Onyx is a gender-neutral name of Greek origin.
- Parker – Once an occupational surname, this unisex name means “gamekeeper.”
- Devon – A gender-neutral name derived from the namesake county of England.
- Morgan – This Welsh name means “sea born.”
- Jamie – A unisex derivative of James, this Hebrew name means “he/she who supplants.”
- Avery – A unisex name of English and French origin, meaning “ruler of elves.”
- Blair – This Scottish name means “field, meadow.”
- Cameron – Despite this name meaning “crooked,” this name is a very popular unisex name choice.
- Lyndon – This name means “from the flax hill.”
- Georgie – Georgie is of Greek and Latin origin, and the meaning of Georgie is “farmer.”
- Fallon – A unisex name of Irish and Gaelic origin meaning “superiority or descended from a ruler.” It derives from the Gaelic word “follamhnus.”
- August – This name is of Latin origin meaning “great and magnificent.”
- Lane – A gender-neutral name with English origins, meaning “from the narrow road or one who takes the narrow path.”
- Nell – Once a nickname in Old English, this unique unisex name means “bright, shining one.”
- Unique – If you are looking for an unusual baby name, consider the name Unique. The name Unique is of Latin origin, meaning “only one.”
- Ocean – This Greek name means “sea.”
- Tait – Of Old Norse origin, this name means “happy.”
- Rain – This is a variant of Rainbow, meaning “rain; abundance from above.”
- Urban – Having Latin origin, this name means “from the city.”
- Xavi – This name is of Basque origin and means “the new house.”
- Scout – An American name, meaning “one who gathers information, explores, and discovers.”
- Emerson – An Old English name that means “brave, powerful.”
- Nevada – A unisex name of Latin origin, and the meaning of Nevada is “snow.”
- Jude – A name of Greek origin. The meaning of Jude is “praised.”
- Atlas – Of Greek origin, and the meaning of Atlas is “to carry.” Atlas was a mythical Titan who bore the weight of the world on his shoulders, so the name bears connotations of great strength.
- Evan – Meaning “God is gracious; born of yew; youth” Evan is a perfect unisex name choice with plenty of famous people on both sides of the gender spectrum sporting this moniker. Actor Evan Rachel Wood and Twitter co-founder Evan Williams spring to mind.
- Page – This Old English name means “attendant.”
- Leighton – Another English name, meaning “from the town near the meadow.”
- Quest – The perfect unisex name for your new adventurer! This Latin name means “long search.”
- Dylan – Welsh name meaning “son of the sea.”
- Rowan – This unisex name has a Gaelic background and means “little red-head.” Perfect if you have the hair color to match!
- Eli – Once considered a short form of Elijah, Eli is now recognized as an individual name in its own right. Of Hebrew origins, famous Eli’s include Eli Manning and country artist Jack Ingram’s daughter.
- Quinby – With roots in Old Norse, this unisex name means “estate of the woman.”
- Bailey – Pronounced BAY-lee. It is of Old English origin, and the meaning of Bailey is “berry clearing; bailiff; city fortification.”
- Carson – A gender-neutral name of Scottish origins, meaning “son of the marsh-dwellers.”
- Win – This name is of Old English origin, meaning “elf or magical being.”
- Cassidy – Though it means “curly-headed,” plenty of straight-haired or no-haired babies are given the name Cassidy. It’s an Irish surname that comes from Ó Caiside (“son of Caiside”).
- Harley – This name originated from a surname that was taken from a place name, which, in turn, was derived from the Old English “hara” (“hare”) and “leah” (“woodland, meadow”).
- Kori – A unisex name of Greek origin and is a variant of Kora meaning “maiden.”
- Lacy – A name of English and French origins. The meaning of Lacy is “a place in France.” It’s an offshoot of the related name Lacey.
- Paris – While French in origin, Paris is perhaps best known as the handsome Trojan prince who kidnapped the beautiful Helen, queen of Sparta, and started the Trojan War.
- Raven – Inexorably linked with the namesake blackbird, this British literally means “a large black bird.”
- Paisley – A whimsical Scottish name derived from the town itself.
- Leigh – Has Hebrew and English origins. The meaning of Leigh is “delicate; weary; meadow or pasture.”
- Ashley – This has long been one of the most popular unisex names. Of British origin, meaning “ash meadow.”
- Hayden – Derived from a distinguished British surname that means “hedged valley” in Old English.
- Valo – With Finnish origin, this name means “light.”
- Fernley – From Old English origins, this unisex name means “fern meadow.”
101 Unisex Baby Names for You to Choose From
So there you have it – over 100 gender-neutral names for you to draw inspiration from during your baby name search.
If you prefer to look at names that are equally unique but more aligned with traditional female or male gender definitions, you can always take a look at our list of 300+ unique baby names instead.
Finally, don’t forget to get your hands on our exclusive baby-naming mini-book for free while stocks last. It’s chock-full of hints and tips from dads who’ve successfully negotiated the baby-naming process, allowing you to avoid some of the most common pitfalls.