Unisex names are an increasingly popular way to go about deciding on a name for a new member of the family. They are practical, distinctive, and leave little room for gender-stereotyping.

We’ve compiled a non-alphabetical list of 50 of the best unisex names (in our opinion at least), along with their meanings and origins.

50 of the best unisex names

1. Alex

An old Greek name meaning ‘defender’ or ‘protector’.

2. Phoenix

The phoenix is a powerful and well-known symbol, most popular in Western cultures, especially after the Harry Potter series. Phoenixes convey meanings of resilience and strength, as upon death, these mythical creatures rise from the ashes and are reborn.

3. Eden

This is a very old unisex name meaning ‘delight’ in Hebrew, from the biblical Garden of Eden. It also means ‘paradise’ and ‘place of pristine or abundant natural beauty‘.

4. Riley

Another old gender-neutral name meaning ‘valiant’ or ‘rye clearing’.

5. Blake

An English name meaning ‘dark and attractive’…

6. Keegan

A cute and gender-neutral name originating from Ireland.

7. Harper

A beautiful name meaning ‘player of a harp’, the melodious stringed instrument.

8. August

A very old Latin name meaning ‘revered’, ‘distinguished’ and ‘deserving of respect’. It is what we call the eighth month in English and comes from Augustus, the first Roman Emperor.

9. Rory

A name meaning ‘red-haired king’, and coming from many Irish kings of the original Ruairí/Ruaidhrí/Ruaidhrígh/Raidhrígh. There were many Irish rulers with this name.

10. Cameron

This Scottish name meaning ‘crooked nose’ or ‘crooked river’ is more common for boys, but Cameron Diaz proves it can be a girl’s name, too!

11. Harley

Although you might instantly think of the motorcycle brand Harley Davidson, this name means ‘of the hare clearing’ or ‘where the hare dwells’.

12. Bailey

An English name meaning ‘law enforcer’, or a ‘bailiff’.

13. Paris

A name given after the capital city of France. Paris Hilton and Paris of Troy are two well-known people with this name.

14. Avery

A medieval British name meaning ‘counsellor to elves’.

15. Kieran

This is a modern spelling of the very old Irish and Scottish ‘Ciarán’. These unisex names mean ‘little dark-haired one’.

16. Emerson

Meaning ‘child of Emery’.

17. Jo

This simple name, often seen as ‘Joe’ for guys and ‘Jo’ for gals, can be spelled either way and means ‘blessed’.

18. Hunter

One of the more common unisex names, meaning ‘hunter’, of course!

19. Jesse

Jesse is a name of Hebrew origin meaning ‘the Lord exists’. In the bible, Jesse was the shepherd father of King David.

20. Kai

According to The Bump, Kai is of Welsh, Scandi and Greek origin and means ‘keeper of the keys or the earth’. But according to Very Well Family, Kai is Hawaiian and means ‘of the sea’! Both sound great, whichever meaning.

21.Morgan

Morgan is a Welsh name meaning ‘travelling or circling the sea’, ‘bright sea’ and ‘white sea dweller’.

22. Finley

Also spelled Finlay/Finnley, Finlea/Finleigh, these Irish unisex names mean ‘hero of battle with fair skin or hair’, or simply ‘fair hero’.

23. Blair

A more unique Anglo-Scottish name meaning ‘child of the field’.

24. Charlie

This common and popular name means ‘independent’ and ‘free’.

25. Dakota

This lovely name means ‘friend’ or ‘ally’ and comes from the Native American Sioux tribe.

26. Emery

Meaning ‘brave and powerful’.

27. Jordan

A unisex Hebrew name meaning ‘flowing down the river’, in reference to the river in which Jesus was baptised in the bible.

28. Mickey

Another Hebrew name meaning ‘like or close to God’. This could be a gender-neutral version of Michael or Michaela.

29. Dallas

Originally a Scottish name meaning ‘from the Dales’ or ‘from the valley meadows’.

30. Frankie

A French name meaning ‘free’ or ‘from the Franks’.

31. Casey

An Irish name meaning ‘brave in battle’. Casey Affleck is a famous actor, and Casey is a character in the popular Netflix series Atypical.

32. Leslie

A more commonly female name meaning ‘holly garden’, with Scottish origins.

33. Jaime

Jaime, also spelled Jamie, is another of the common unisex names meaning ‘one who comes after or replaces’. Jamie Foxx and Jamie Lee Curtis are two famous actors with this name.

34. Aspen

A beautiful gender-neutral name after the yellow birch-like aspen, a kind of tree that grows all over the world.

35. Taylor

However you spell Taylor/Taylah/Tailor or even Tyler, these unisex names come from the word ‘tailor’.

36. River

Another lovely nature-based unisex name from the natural stream of water flowing into the sea, a lake, or another river.

37. Parker

An old English name meaning ‘park keeper’.

38. Scout

Meaning a ‘look-out’ or ‘seeker of knowledge’.

39. Andy

Whether you spell it ‘Andy’ or ‘Andie’, both of these English unisex names mean ‘brave’.

40. Reese

Reese comes from the Welsh meaning ‘enthusiastic’, but could also translate to ‘confident’ or ‘ambitious’, according to The Bump.

41. Logan

A Gaelic name meaning ‘small hollow’, as in the place. The most famous person with this name is probably the X-Men character Wolverine, whose name is Logan.

42. Skyler

This name is a descendant of the Dutch surname Schuyler. Both of the unisex names Skyler and Skylar mean ‘intelligent’ and ‘scholarly’.

43. Robin

A name from the small, often red-breasted, bird found on Christmas cards and in parts of Africa, North America, Europe and New Zealand. It can also be spelled Robbin or Robyn, and all of these unisex names mean ‘social’ and ‘bright’.

44. Madison

Although this name means ‘son of the mighty warrior’, it easily applies to girls, too.

45. Quinn

An Irish unisex name meaning ‘fifth’ as in quintuplet. A more general meaning would be ‘descendant’, ‘descendant of the Chief’ or ‘having wisdom, intelligence and reason’.

46. Hayden

Meaning ‘from the hedged or hay valley’. This name is English in origin.

47. Dylan

This name has two spellings, and each of these unisex names means something completely different! Dylan is a Welsh name meaning ‘son of the sea’, whilst its Irish counterpart Dillon means ‘loyal’ and ‘like a lion’.

48. Elliott

This traditional name means ‘Jehovah is God’, and is gaining popularity as a gender-neutral name.

49. Arden

Arden is an old English surname, and now a popular unisex first name, originating in Yorkshire North Riding, Chesire, and the Forest of Arden. It may carry meanings similar to ‘ardent’; very enthusiastic or passionate.

50. Felix

Meaning ‘lucky’. Felix the Cat was a favourite children’s television and book character.

Do you have some other great unisex names not on our list? We’d love to hear them in the comments!

Photo by Minnie Zhou on Unsplash