Unique gender-neutral baby names with their origins and meanings

We've included cool, cute, rare, traditional, popular modern and short options, as well as gender-neutral names inspired by nature, Japan and well-known places – all of them gorgeous but definitely neither male nor female.

Here's our list of gender-neutral baby names to inspire you...

Popular gender-neutral baby names

These unisex baby names are some of the most popular choices for parents in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland at the moment, making it onto the latest lists of top 100 names. We've listed them in the order they are ranked according to the Office for National Statistics, The National Records of Scotland and the Nothern Irish Research Agency.

While some names in the list may be more traditionally associated with either girls or boys, there's no reason they can't be used for either sex. So, if you love to be on trend and want people to admire your choice of name, then these popular unisex baby names should hit the right note.

1. Noah

Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: rest, repose
Trend: moving up

2. Leo

Origin: Latin
Meaning: lion
Trend: no change

3. Luca

Origin: Italian
Meaning: bringer of light
Trend: moving up

4. Rory

Origin: Irish
Meaning: red
Trend: moving up

5. Finlay

Origin: Scottish
Meaning: fair-haired hero
Trend: moving down

6. Alex

Origin: Greek
Meaning: defender of the people
Trend: moving down

7. Harper

Origin: English
Meaning: harp player
Trend: moving up

8. Charlie

Origin: German
Meaning: free man
Trend: moving down

9. Brodie

Origin: Scottish
Meaning: a little ridge
Trend: moving down

Cute gender-neutral baby names

These unisex baby names not only sound adorable but many of them have super-cute meanings too. Perhaps you dream of your little one growing up to become kind and benevolent: if so Ellis is a good name for a gentle and generous soul. Or if a magical name takes your fancy you can't go wrong with Avery, meaning ruler of elves.

10. Addison

Origin: British
Meaning: son of Adam

11. Ambrose

Origin: Greek
Meaning: pertaining to the immortals

12. Angel

Origin: Greek
Meaning: messenger or messenger from God

13. Arlie

Origin: English
Meaning: hare meadow

14. Avery

Origin: English
Meaning: ruler of elves

15. Bennie

Origin: Latin
Meaning: son of my right hand, blessed

16. Billie

Origin: English
Meaning: determination, strength

17. Blake

Origin: English
Meaning: dark, black, shining

18. Briar

Origin: English
Meaning: thorny plant, like a rose

19. Bobby

Origin: German
Meaning: bright, fame

20. Casey

Origin: Irish
Meaning: vigilant in war

21. Cody

Origin: Irish
Meaning: a helpful person

22. Dacey

Origin: Irish
Meaning: southerner

23. Daley

Origin: Irish
Meaning: a meeting
Also: Daly

24. Darcy

Origin: French
Meaning: a man from Arcy
Also: D’Arcy

25. Dee

Origin: Welsh
Meaning: swarthy or dark

26. Ellis

Origin: Welsh
Meaning: kind, benevolent

27. Emery

Origin: German
Meaning: brave, powerful, ruler

28. Freddie

Origin: German
Meaning: peaceful ruler
Also: Frederick

29. Madhu

Origin: Indian
Meaning: sweet, honey

30. Malise

Origin: Scottish
Meaning: servant of Jesus

31. Maurice

Origin: Latin
Meaning: a moor
Also: Morrie, Maurie and Mo

32. Noel

Origin: French
Meaning: referring to Christmas Day
Also: Nowell, Noelle

33. Ricki

Origin: German
Meaning: powerful, brave

34. Skyler

Origin: English
Meaning: scholar
Also: Skyla

35. Taylor

Origin: French
Meaning: tailor or to cut
Also: Tayla, Tailor

Cool gender-neutral baby names

It's already a pretty cool move to choose a gender-neutral name for your baby, but these sleek and modern-sounding names inspired by strong surnames, colours and places take the trend to a whole new level.

36. Adrian

Origin: Latin
Meaning: son of Adria

37. Alexis

Origin: French
Meaning: noble and light

38. Arden

Origin: English
Meaning: valley of the eagle, high

39. Ariel

Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: lion of God

40. Ashley

Origin: English
Meaning: ash tree clearing
Also: Ashlee, Ashleigh

41. Aubrey

Origin: French
Meaning: elf ruler

42. Bailey

Origin: English
Meaning: bailiff

43. Blaise

Origin: French
Meaning: lisp, stutter
Also: Blase, Blaze

44. Cassidy

Origin: Irish
Meaning: clever

45. Carey

Origin: Irish
Meaning: descendant of Ciardha

46. Courtney

Origin: French
Meaning: courteous, from the court
Also: Cortney, Kortney, Kourtney

47. Dana

Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: God is the judge

48. Eden

Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: place of pleasure

49. Harley

Origin: English
Meaning: hare’s meadow

50. Hunter

Origin: British
Meaning: one who hunts, pursuer

51. Indigo

Origin: Greek
Meaning: a deep blue dye
Also: short form Indie

52. Jonah

Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: dove

53. Jordan

Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: flowing down

54. Kendall

Origin: English
Meaning: Valley on the River Kent (in England)

55. Lennie

Origin: German
Meaning: lion strength

56. Micah

Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: who is like Jehovah

57. Milan

Origin: Indian
Meaning: kind, loving, gracious

58. Riley

Origin: British
Meaning: rye clearing, courageous, valiant

Nature-inspired gender-neutral names

Will your little one be born into a family that loves the great outdoors? Pass on your love for nature to your baby from the very beginning with a name like River or Marley that will remind you of some of your favourite places whenever you say it.

59. Ainsley

Origin: English
Meaning: one’s own woodland

60. Brook

Origin: English
Meaning: lives near a brook
Also: Brooke, Brooks

61. Bryn

Origin: Welsh
Meaning: hill or mound

62. Cranley

Origin: English
Meaning: spring or meadow

63. Cullen

Origin: Irish
Meaning: holly tree

64. Derry

Origin: Irish
Meaning: oak wood

65. Frayn

Origin: French
Meaning: ash tree

66. Hadley

Origin: British
Meaning: heather meadow

67. Hollis

Origin: English
Meaning: holly trees

68. Hanley

Origin: English
Meaning: high meadow

69. Hayden

Origin: English
Meaning: hay valley

70. Leslie

Origin: Scottish
Meaning: holly garden

71. Lindley

Origin: English
Meaning: linden tree meadow

72. Lindsay

Origin: Scottish
Meaning: a lake; a place of linden trees
Also: Lindsey

73. Marley

Origin: English
Meaning: pleasant or marshy meadow
Also: Marlee, Marely

74. Morgan

Origin: Welsh
Meaning: born of the sea

75. Nash

Origin: English
Meaning: by the ash tree

76. Raleigh

Origin: English
Meaning: deer’s meadow

77. River

Origin: English
Meaning: flowing body of water

78. Ocean

Origin: Greek
Meaning: the sea

Rare or unique gender-neutral baby names

Who wants to have the same name as everyone else anyway? Set your child apart by giving them a rare name – it could be spelt uniquely or come from another country that you have links to. If you like to stand out from the crowd and aspire for your baby to be the same, one of these unconventional gender-neutral names could work perfectly.

79. Abba

Origin: Latin
Meaning: the superior or father

80. Adair

Origin: Scottish
Meaning: wealthy spear

81. Artemis

Origin: Greek
Meaning: follower of the goddess of the moon

82. Averill

Origin: English
Meaning: battle

83. Blythe

Origin: English
Meaning: cheerful

84. Bronte

Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: bestower, thunder

85. Cassius

Origin: Latin
Meaning: empty
Also: Cassian, short form Cass

86. Eilir

Origin: Welsh
Meaning: a butterfly

87. Elias

Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: Jehovah is God

88. Hadar

Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: glory

89. Jewell

Origin: French
Meaning: delight

90. Kamal

Origin: Arabic
Meaning: perfection

91. Kelcey

Origin: English
Meaning: ship’s victory

92. Tierney

Origin: Irish
Meaning: descendant of a lord

93. Yuri

Origin: Russian
Meaning: farmer

Place-name gender-neutral baby names

Perhaps you're super proud of your country or local town, or your baby was conceived or will be born in a location that has a special place in your heart. Place names work really well if you're after a unisex baby name and we've included here some of our favourite suggestions.

94. Brooklyn

Origin: Dutch
Meaning: broken land; after the borough of New York City

95. Dakota

Origin: Native American
Meaning: allies, friends

96. Dallas

Origin: Scottish
Meaning: the valley meadows

97. Denver

Origin: English
Meaning: green valley, from Anvers

98. Devon

Origin: English
Meaning: poet, fawn, defender

99. London

Origin: English
Meaning: the city of London

100. Monroe

Origin: Scottish
Meaning: from the River Roe (in Northern Ireland)

101. Sidney

Origin: English
Meaning: broad island
Also: Sydney

Japanese gender-neutral names

Looking to Japan for inspiration for gender-neutral baby names is a smart idea because the names have such beautiful meanings. Whether you have links to the country or not, these names work really well and will certainly be a distinctive and unique choice for your baby.

102. Akemi

Origin: Japanese
Meaning: bright, beauty, bright sea

103. Aoi

Origin: Japanese
Meaning: hollyhock flower, blue

104. Chiaki

Origin: Japanese
Meaning: gathered wisdom

105. Chiharu

Origin: Japanese
Meaning: wisdom, spring, sunny weather

106. Haruka

Origin: Japanese
Meaning: spring flower

107. Harumi

Origin: Japanese
Meaning: beautiful spring, clear weather

108. Hayate

Origin: Japanese
Meaning: smooth, sound of the wind

109. Iori

Origin: Japanese
Meaning: hermitage, retreat

110. Itsuki

Origin: Japanese
Meaning: tree

111. Izumi

Origin: Japanese
Meaning: spring, fountain

112. Kagami

Origin: Japanese
Meaning: mirror

113. Kaoru

Origin: Japanese
Meaning: fragrance, balmy

114. Kayo

Origin: Japanese
Meaning: good, beautiful generation

115. Kazumi

Origin: Japanese
Meaning: harmony, peace
Also: Kazu

116. Masami

Origin: Japanese
Meaning: become beautiful

117. Matoi

Origin: Japanese
Meaning: wrap, wind around

118. Nagi

Origin: Japanese
Meaning: calm, lull

119. Nao

Origin: Japanese
Meaning: honest, esteem

120. Omi

Origin: Japanese
Meaning: pure beauty

121. Satori

Origin: Japanese
Meaning: awakening, enlightenment

122. Shizu

Origin: Japanese
Meaning: quiet, intention

123. Sora

Origin: Japanese
Meaning: sky

124. Terumi

Origin: Japanese
Meaning: radiance, brilliance

125. Yakumo

Origin: Japanese
Meaning: eight clouds

126. Yoshimi

Origin: Japanese
Meaning: beautiful season

Modern gender-neutral baby names

Baby name trends change with every new generation, influenced by popular books, TV, films and music, what's happening in the news and even politics. The list below contains unisex names that are emerging as popular choices amongst new parents right now.

127. Amory

Origin: German
Meaning: brave, power

128. Coby

Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: supplanter, held by the heel

129. Evan

Origin: Welsh
Meaning: God is gracious

130. Ezra

Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: help, helper

131. Haven

Origin: Old English
Meaning: place of safety

132. Jayden

Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: thankful
Also: short form Jade or Jada

133. Jesse

Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: God lives

134. Jose

Origin: Spanish
Meaning: God will give

135. Logan

Origin: Scottish
Meaning: little hollow

136. Lindsey

Origin: English
Meaning: marshlands of Lincolnshire

137. Mackenzie

Origin: Scottish
Meaning: comely, attractive

138. Madison

Origin: English
Meaning: son of Matthew

139. Marlow

Origin: English
Meaning: driftwood
Also: Marlowe

140. Nolan

Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: champion

141. Parker

Origin: English
Meaning: park keeper

142. Phoenix

Origin: Greek
Meaning: dark red, mythical bird which rises from the ashes

143. Riley

Origin: Irish
Meaning: rye clearing, courageous

144. Ripley

Origin: English
Meaning: clearing in the woods

145. Taylor

Origin: English
Meaning: tailor, cutter of cloth
Also: Tayla

146. Toby

Origin: Latin
Meaning: priceless one

Classic gender-neutral baby names

Choose a classic unisex baby name if you want a name that will stand the test of time and that won't go out of fashion. Some names on this list have been gender-neutral name choices for parents for many years – like Ashley and Drew – and so have a more traditional feel to them.

147. Alva

Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: sublime, elf

148. Ashley

Origin: English
Meaning: ash field

149. Carey

Origin: Irish
Meaning: dark, black

150. Christian

Origin: Latin
Meaning: a follower of Christ
Also: short form Christie and Christy

151. Cleo

Origin: English
Meaning: glory

152. Benedict

Origin: Latin
Meaning: blessed
Also: short form Bennet and Benedick

153. Drew

Origin: Scottish
Meaning: brave

154. Ellison

Origin: English
Meaning: son of Elias

155. Guadalupe

Origin: Spanish
Meaning: river of the wolf

156. Harlow

Origin: English
Meaning: a fortified hill

157. Henri

Origin: French
Meaning: house ruler
Also: Henry

158. Hollis

Origin: English
Meaning: holly tree

159. Ingram

Origin: German
Meaning: angel raven

160. Jamie

Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: supplanter

161. Keane

Origin: English
Meaning: wise, clever, brave, strong

162. Kennedy

Origin: Irish
Meaning: helmet-headed

163. Kris

Origin: Latin
Meaning: follower of Christ

164. Laurence

Origin: Latin
Meaning: a man from Laurentium
Also: short forms are Larry, Laurie and Lawrie

165. Lorne

Origin: Scottish
Meaning: fox
Also: Lorn

166. Lovell

Origin: French
Meaning: young wolf
Also: Lovel, Lowell

167. Ollie

Origin: Latin
Meaning: elf warrior

168. Presley

Origin: English
Meaning: priest’s meadow

169. Quinn

Origin: Irish
Meaning: counsel, adviser

170. Rene

Origin: Latin
Meaning: rebirth

171. Robbie

Origin: German
Meaning: bright fame; diminutive of Robert or Roberta

172. Sammie

Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: God heard; diminutive of Samuel or Samantha

173. Sheridan

Origin: Irish
Meaning: searcher, descendant of Siridean

174. Tommie

Origin: English
Meaning: twin

175. Tracy

Origin: Irish
Meaning: warlike, fighter

176. Peyton

Origin: English
Meaning: fighting man’s estate

177. Robin

Origin: English
Meaning: bright, shining

178. Sinclair

Origin: French
Meaning: clear, bright, famous

Short gender-neutral baby names

These concise names roll off the tongue and work well for parents looking to keep it short and sweet. Some are the condensed forms of longer names and can be used as nickname instead.

179. Ai

Origin: Japanese
Meaning: love, affection

180. Asa

Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: physician

181. Bay

Origin: Latin
Meaning: berry

182. Bea

Origin: Latin
Meaning: pilgrim; bringer of joy

183. Beau

Origin: French
Meaning: beautiful or handsome

184. Bette

Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: God’s promise

185. Brie

Origin: French
Meaning: high, powerful; places of marshes
Also: Bree

186. Cher

Origin: French
Meaning: beloved

187. Fay

Origin: English
Meaning: fairy
Also: Faye, Fae

188. Ida

Origin: German
Meaning: hard-working

189. Joan

Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: God is gracious

190. Jude

Origin: Latin
Meaning: praised

191. Kai

Origin: Scottish
Meaning: fire

192. Lark

Origin: English
Meaning: after the songbird

193. Leal

Origin:
Meaning:
Also: another form is Leale

194. Leigh

Origin: English
Meaning: meadow

195. Lynn

Origin: Welsh
Meaning: lake
Also: Lynne, Lin, Lyn

196. Mace

Origin: French
Meaning: club or mace, symbolic of power

197. Nell

Origin: English
Meaning: bright, shining one

198. Noor

Origin: Arabic
Meaning: light
Also: Nur

199. Rae

Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: ewe

200. Shea

Origin: Irish
Meaning: stately one

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Hollie Bond