75 Gender-Neutral Names Perfect for Your New Addition

Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher chose Wyatt, and Cate Blanchett picked Dashiell. Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds selected James (for their daughter), while Chris Hemsworth and Shakira both went with Sasha. Jessica Simpson opted for Maxwell Drew for her daughter, and Neil Patrick Harris and Victoria and David Beckham picked Harper.

While gendered names were once the norm, more and more people are moving to gender-neutral names for their children. A study by Quartz found that the preference for strictly girls' or boy’s names is on the decline, with the name Charlie leading the pack as the most widely-used gender-neutral name.

Thinking of keeping gender out of the baby-name equation? Here are 75 names to consider, along with their meanings and origins.

Why do people choose gender-neutral names for their children?

While it ultimately comes down to personal preference, people have many different reasons for choosing gender-neutral names. They include:

• Dismissing gender-related stereotypes.

In the study “From Lawyer to Judge: Advancement, Sex, and Name-Calling,” Bentley Coffey and Patrick A. McLaughlin found that women with more “masculine”-sounding names were more successful in their legal careers. This speaks to a larger trend of people not wanting their children to have their names associated with common gender roles and stereotypes. Could gender-neutral names open up doors for these children?

• Given children greater agency.

More and more people are recognizing the fluidity of gender and acknowledging that a person’s sex at birth is not necessarily the same as the gender with which they identify. Unisex baby names acknowledge this reality. If an individual, for instance, is transgender, they won’t necessarily feel like their name is at odds with their true gender or need to change it, unless they want to.

• Planning ahead.

Some people opt not to find out the sex of their babies until they’re born, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to start picking out baby names. Even those who do may not want to wait too long to think about their top choices. A gender-neutral name makes that all the more possible.

• Being unique.

I went to school with a thousand Laurens (and I’ve known several other Lauras over the years, too). Do you know which name I’ve never encountered in real life? Brooklyn. Or Skyler. Or Rory. While some gender-neutral names are fairly common (and becoming more so), many tend to be less ubiquitous than their gendered counterparts. (There are some exceptions, of course, and there are many names that tend to be more common among one gender over another. And if you’re looking for a truly unique name, check out this list.)

75 Gender-neutral names

1. Addison

Origin: Old English

Meaning: Son of Adam

2. Adrian

Origin: Latin

Meaning: Dark

3. Aiden

Origin: Irish

Meaning: Little fire

4. Ainsley

Origin: Gaelic

Meaning: Meadow

5. Alex

Origin: Greek

Meaning: Defender/protector of people

6. Andy

Origin: Greek

Meaning: Brave

7. Ari

Origin: Hebrew

Meaning: Lion of God

8. Ariel

Origin: Hebrew

Meaning: Lion of God

9. Ashton

Origin: English

Meaning: Ash tree town

10. Aubrey

Origin: English

Meaning: Elf ruler

11. Avery

Origin: English

Meaning: Elf ruler

12. Bailey

Origin: Irish

Meaning: Bailiff 

13. Blair

Origin: Scottish Gaelic

Meaning: Field

14. Blake

Origin: Old English

Meaning: Black or pale

15. Brett

Origin: Middle English

Meaning: Native of Brittany

16. Brooklyn

Origin: English

Meaning: Strem

17. Cameron

Origin: Scottish

Meaning: Crooked nose

18. Carey

Origin: Irish

Meaning: Descendant of Ciardha 

19. Casey

Origin: Irish

Meaning: Watchful

20. Charlie

Origin: Old English

Meaning: Free man

21. Corey

Origin: Anglo-Saxon

Meaning: Chosen

22. Courtney

Origin: French

Meaning: Short nose

23. Dakota

Origin: Siouan

Meaning: Ally

24. Dana

Origin: Celtic

Meaning: From Denmark

25. Devon

Origin: English

Meaning: Defender

26. Dominique

Origin: French

Meaning: Belonging to God

27. Drew

Origin: Latin

Meaning: Strong

28. Dylan

Origin: Welsh

Meaning: Son of the sea

29. Eli

Origin: Hebrew

Meaning: Uplifted

30. Elliott

Origin: English

Meaning: God on high

31. Emerson

Origin: German

Meaning: Brave

32. Evan

Origin: Welsh

Meaning: Youth

33. Finley

Origin: Scottish

Meaning: Fair-haired warrior

34. Francis

Origin: Latin

Meaning: Free one

35. Frankie

Origin: Latin

Meaning: Free one

36. Gray

Origin: Scottish

Meaning: Grey

37. Harley

Origin: Old English

Meaning: Meadow

38. Harper

Origin: Middle English

Meaning: Harp player

39. Hayden

Origin: Old English

Meaning: Fire

40. Hollis

Origin: Old English

Meaning: Dweller at holly trees

41. Jackie

Origin: English

Meaning: Supplanter

42. Jamie

Origin: Hebrew

Meaning: Supplanter

43. Jean

Origin: Old French

Meaning: God is gracious

44. Jody

Origin: Hebrew

Meaning: Praised

45. Jordan

Origin: Hebrew

Meaning: To flow down

46. Jules

Origin: Latin

Meaning: Youthful

47. Kelly

Origin: Irish

Meaning: War

48. Kelsey

Origin: Old English

Meaning: Brave

49. Kendall

Origin: Old English

Meaning: Kent river valley

50. Kennedy

Origin: Gaelic

Meaning: Helmeted chief

51. Kerry

Origin: Gaelic

Meaning: Dark or dusky

52. Kyle

Origin: Gaelic

Meaning: Narrow channel

53. Lane

Origin: Old English

Meaning: Narrow road

54. Leslie

Origin: Gaelic

Meaning: Garden of hollies

55. Logan

Origin: Scottish

Meaning: Little hollow

56. Mackenzie

Origin: Scottish/Gaelic

Meaning: Child of a wise leader

57. Micah

Origin: Hebrew

Meaning: Who is like God?

58. Morgan

Origin: Welsh

Meaning: Sea-born

59. Nico

Origin: Greek

Meaning: Victorious people

60. Paris

Origin: Greek

Meaning: Son of Priam (the king of Troy in Greek mythology)

61. Parker

Origin: Old English

Meaning: Park keeper

62. Perry

Origin: Middle English

Meaning: Pear tree

63. Peyton

Origin: Latin

Meaning: Royal

64. Phoenix

Origin: Greek

Meaning: Dark red

65. Quinn

Origin: Gaelic

Meaning: Wisdom

66. Reagan

Origin: Irish

Meaning: Little ruler

67. Reese

Origin: Welsh

Meaning: Ardor 

68. Riley

Origin: Old English

Meaning: Rye field

69. Robin

Origin: Old German

Meaning: Bright

70. Rory

Origin: Irish

Meaning: Red king

71. Rowan

Origin: Scottish/Irish

Meaning: Little redhead

72. Sidney

Origin: French

Meaning: Saint Denis/wide island

73. Skyler

Origin: Dutch

Meaning: Scholar

74. Taylor

Origin: English-French

Meaning: Tailor

75. Toby

Origin: Greek

Meaning: God is good

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