Gender-neutral names are so in demand that they're rising in the ranks of top baby name lists around the world. Read on to discover our list of unisex names that are great options for your baby boy or girl.

Gender-neutral names

Stevie, Logan, Tatum, and Eden are no longer predictable. Last names are first names, traditionally boy names are up for grabs for girls, and naming babies has never been quite this fun and free.

Avery

Avery is one of the most-Googled baby names, along with the search terms "non-binary baby names." A variation on the Old English name Alfred – which sweetly means "elf counsel," Avery is ranked #19 for baby girls on the Social Security baby name list in 2020, and #212 for boys. Once upon a time, it was the other way around – not even showing on top-1,000 lists for girls' names until 1989. Not so coincidentally, this was the same time the TV drama, Murphy Brown, was holding the nation's attention. Clearly, this fabulous name has been permanently borrowed from the boys' name list. Alternative "A" names: Arlo and Andee.

Bentley

Bentley may be the name of a luxury car brand, but this distinctive name, borrowed from an Old English surname, is more forest than street. Broken down, it means "grassy wood clearing" –-beonet means "bent grass," and leah means "wood clearing." With a bit of poetic license, it's often translated as "from the moor." This decidedly gender-neutral name with the modern ring to it cracked the top 1,000 on the Social Security list in 2007 and has gathered momentum ever since, thanks in part to Bentley Edwards of Teen Mom fame. Alternative "B" names: Bay, Billie, Brooklyn.

Collins

Collins is an auspicious surname, popular in Ireland and Scotland, that has recently been borrowed by parents in search of a cool and sophisticated gender-neutral given name for their daughters. With prominent bearers of the name such as Judy Collins, Joan Collins, actress Lilly Collins (daughter of Brit rocker Phil, who played a character named Collins in the film, The Blind Side), and Irish hero Michael Collins to name a few, it's hard to go wrong with this refreshing name that ends with a chic "s." Alternative "C" names: Campbell, Charlie, Clay

Dallas

Dallas was, surprisingly, a Scottish surname meaning "meadow dwelling" long before it became a place name; it is best known as the name of a popular city in Texas. Yet it's been used as a given name for boys since 1880, when baby name data was first tracked. But this country-meets-city name was also used for girls as far back as 1910. Dallas peaked in unisex popularity in the nineties, long after the hit TV series Dallas aired, and before it made a comeback. Bryce Dallas Howard, daughter of actor and director Ron Howard (Richie Cunningham from Happy Days), is the best-known bearer of this name. Alternative "D" name: Drew

Echo

Echo is a character from Greek mythology with a great story: A mountain nymph who drew the ire of Goddess Hera, Echo earned punishment that involved the loss of her voice – aside from the ability to repeat the last word of each sentence said to her. As a given name, Echo has a shorter history, only cracking 1,000 on the BabyCenter list in 1983 and 1984. As a girls' name, this wonder of nature name has risen substantially in the past two years, and this might be attributed to the simple fact that it ends with an "o." Alternative "E" names: Eden, Ever, Emerson, and Evian.

Frankie

Frankie is a nickname for a once common given name that has been borrowed if not claimed by parents looking for a less gender-constrained name. Stemming from Franciscus/Francisco – meaning Frenchman – Francis (Frank) was a man's name, while Frances was used as the feminine version. The fact that Frankie is now more popular as a girls' name on the Social Security list speaks volumes. This playful, artsy name has much going for it, including its "ie" ending. Alternative "F" names: Finley, and Freddie.

Gael

Gael is Latin for a "Gaelic person." It's also a variation of the name Gail, which is a short form of the biblical name Abigail. For lovers of nature and the elements, this short, sharp name can also be spelled Gale – which is a nautical term meaning strong wind. (Gale also means "jovial" in Middle English.) Gael Garcia Bernal is a well-known film actor from Mexico who starred in Babel, Coco, Motorcycle Diaries, and Bad Education. Alternative "G" names: Gage, Garner, Garnet

Hayden

Hayden is a little bit preppy, a little bit rock and roll. An English surname, it means "hay hill." In Germany, where composer Joseph Haydn was born, it is spelled Heiden, and means "heathen." This quintessentially unisex name has transitioned easily to a given name with the help of teen wolf Hayden Romero. Hayden currently ranks #166 for boys, and #275 for girls. Alternatives: Hadley, Harlow, Harper, and Holden.

Indigo

Indigo is a deeply colorful name, describing a hue somewhere between purple and blue. It comes from the Greek word for "from India," which is where the coveted plant-based dye came from. Eighties alt folk band Indigo Girls springs to mind, as does a featured character from Hilary McKay's Casson Family fiction book series. The go-to nickname Indy has its own unisex allure. Alternative: Iman.

Jamie

Jamie, also spelled Jaime (conjuring the phrase "I love" in French), is a variation of the classic name James (via Jacob), which means "to supplant." Snowboarder Jamie Anderson wowed fans with her gold medal Olympic Snowboarding slopestyle run in 2014, and again in 2018. Jamie Chadwick is a British Formula One racecar driver. Actor and comedian Jamie Foxx starred in In Living Color. This limber name could also be used as a short name for Jameson. Alternate "J name": Journey.

Kai

Kai is a short name with a long history. In natural history terms, it means "sea" or "ocean" in both Hawaiian and Japanese. But it's likely hard for many National Public Radio addicts not to think of Kai Ryssdal, charismatic host of the show Marketplace, when they hear this name. And Gerda and Kai are the main characters of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Snow Queen, upon which Disney's Frozen was loosely based. Alternate "K" names: Kalani and Kendall.

Lennon

Lennon only popped up on the radar as a given name in 2008. Originally an Irish surname – John Lennon; Sophie Lennon from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel – as a first name, it's got a vowel to consonant balance thing going on that is pleasing to both the eye and the ear. It means "lover" in Gaelic, and it's on the rise on BabyCenter's baby name list – making it one to snatch up before trendiness steps in and renders it boring. Alternate "L" names: Lennox, Lyric and Logan.

Monroe

Monroe is another name for a river in Ireland. In Scotland, spelled "Munro," it means a hill – specifically, a mountain that is more than 3,000 feet high. This all-about-nature English surname has grown in popularity, significantly for females over the past decade. It didn't appear on the girls' name list until 1996 – and now surpasses boys' names, most probably related to the birth of 2001 Monroe Cannon, daughter of Mariah Carey. Alternate "M" names: Milo, Marlow, and Morgan.

Nova

Nova has a strong, twinkling ring to it; it kind of looks and feels vintage but is oh so... well, new! (New, the English translation, is also gaining traction in the unisex baby name world.) But Nova's astronomical association with bright but fleeting "new" stars (which are actually remnants of old stars) gives this name superpowers and extraterrestrial appeal. Nova Ren Suma is a best-selling author of several young adult novels, including, The Walls Around Us. Alternative "N" name Noah.

Onyx

Onyx is a Latin-based name which means "claw." It's also the name of a hard mineral stone used in ancient Egypt to make bowls or pottery. Its recent popularity and the rise of this name on both boys' and girls' baby name lists can be largely contributed to rapper Iggy Azalea, who named her son Onyx. Canadian pop singer Alanis Morissette has a daughter named Onyx (sister to Ever.) Alternative "O" names: Oakley and Ode.

Peyton

Peyton is a solid gender neutral name that's never been too trendy. It can be down-to-earth and also a bit preppy. That "y" in the middle, plus the "-on" ending makes it timelessly cool. Peyton originates from an old English place name. Scandalous in its time, Peyton Place is a notorious 1950s novel, turned film, turned soap opera. Notable bearers of this name are Payton Sawyer of One Tree Hill, Peyton List, a prolific American actress, and American football phenomenon Peyton Manning. Alternate "P" names: Paige and Pax.

Quinn

Quinn is an Irish surname (meaning son of the chief) that has long since been snatched up by parents of girls. Long before Quinn Fabray, the cheerleading captain from TV series Glee, came Bob Dylan's "The Mighty Quinn." Both preppy and hip, this name is still commonly used for boys. Its allure stems from the one-syllable as well as its unusual first letter. Alternate "Q" name: Quincy.

Remy

Remy is a family name that means "oarsman" or "rower." (Fittingly, there's a Remy River in Quebec, Canada.) Of French origin, the first known instance of the name comes from St. Remigius, the Bishop of Reims. More recently, it's the name of Pixar's beloved Rat from the film Ratatouille. This cool, worldly-sounding name has been widely borrowed as a given name. Sometimes a nickname for Remington, a rising unisex name, it can also be spelled Remi. Looking at Social Security baby name rankings, Remy is well on its way to being equally used for boys and girls. Alternate "R" names: Reagan, Rain, and Rowan.

Stevie

Stevie is one of the sneakier unisex names to slip into the limelight. Other than Stevie Wonder and singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks – who set the bar for bangs in the '70s – Stevies, male or female, were few and far between. Along came the viral TikTok video featuring the Fleetwood Mac song Dreams, and suddenly Stevie is the number one rising name on the BabyCenter baby name charts. But another Stevie – Stevie Budd, the fictional front desk clerk on CBC's Schitt's Creek –could also have played a role in this name's rising popularity. Alternate "S" names: Sasha, Sky and Skyler.

Tatum

Tatum has no definitive meaning. It's said to derive from an old English surname, via an Old English given name, but it's always had a certain allure thanks to youngest Academy Award-winning actress in history: Tatum O'Neal. Dare we mention Channing Tatum of Magic Mike fame (named People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive in 2012), who could be behind the current popularity of this name with boys? As non-binary as they come, the name is equally popular for boys as for girls on the BabyCenter name list. Alternate "T" names: Tobin and Tyler.

Unique

Unique busted into the Social Security top 1,000 baby names in 2001, but has since dropped out. That doesn't mean it isn't a great name – particularly for an only child, as it means "only one." While not as popular as Dominique and Monique, this one-of-a-kind name is on the rise on the BabyCenter baby names list for girls. Alternate "U" names: Uri and Uriah.

Valor

Valor is a virtue name, via the Latin word value, meaning "bravery" or "courage." It's hard to go wrong by giving this meaningful name to your future hero baby, with the built-in nickname of Val, and it also has a gentle but strong ring to it. A lot of "V" names carry a certain elegance, Victoria, Victor – and Valor is no exception. Alternate "V" names: Voss and Vero.

Wren

Wren is a name as meaningful as it is short. A little bird with a big voice, the wren is a songbird, depicted in fables and folktales around the globe, sometimes referred to as the king of birds. Once an Old English surname (such as renowned 17th-century architect Christopher Wren), its demand as a given name is growing – Wren Kingston is a character in the popular American drama series Pretty Little Liars. Once considered exclusively a boys' name, this name is on the rise on BabyCenter girl name lists for good reason: It's both lovely and natural. Alternate "W" names: Wallace and Walker.

Xola

Xola (pronounced zo-luh) is said to be a South African name whose meaning is debatable. In Zulu, xola is a verb meaning "to be calm or peaceful." More commonly spelled with a "Z," Zola is the surname of the French novelist and playwright Emile Zola. This four-letter moniker is perfectly gender-neutral and has the added benefit of ending in the ever-popular letter "a." Inexplicably, Xola rose nearly 2,000 places on the BabyCenter baby name list between 2020 and 2021. This may be attributed to the power of the X-factor. Alternate "X" name: Xanthe

Yael

Yael is unexpectedly popular. A Hebrew name meaning "mountain goat," it was borne by a biblical heroine and only first appeared in the top 1,000 Social Security names in 2013. Despite its feminine history, it's often been borrowed as a name for boys. That said, on the BabyCenter list, this soft and significant name is on the rise as a girls' name. Traditionally pronounced "ya-elle," it's most commonly pronounced "Yale," like the university. It is sometimes spelled Jael. Alternate "Y" name: Yuna.

Zuri

Zuri (pronounced zoo-ree) is a lovely, easy name that means "beautiful" in Swahili. Actor Forest Whitaker plays a powerful fictional character named Zuri in the hit superhero film Black Panther. Spelled with an "h" (Zurhi), it's the name of LeBron James' daughter. Alternate "Z" names: Zuma, Zen, and Zion.