This post may contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full disclosure here.
Looking for good nonbinary names for your future baby? Check out this nonbinary names list with meanings and popularity rankings for each gender.
More and more parents today are opting for nonbinary names for their babies. They love the coolness factor and the future flexibility gender neutral names provide.
I personally love androgynous names and have spent countless hours researching nonbinary name ideas. It was important to me that both of our babies have one unisex name in their names.
For us, we wanted nonbinary names to reflect our belief in gender equity and give our kids the space to determine their own gender identity.
This list is the product of all my personal research into gender neutral names. I scoured every corner of the internet and left no stone unturned when looking for the nonbinary names for our kids, and I hope that my work can now benefit other families.
Think of this list as a snapshot in this moment in baby name history. Baby name fashion is unpredictable and many unisex names ultimately settle into being a boy or girl name.
Below you’ll find 101 nonbinary name ideas. First, I go into some reasons why choosing a non-binary baby name is awesome. Then we dive into the non binary name ideas. With each nonbinary name, I also give its meaning and the popularity ranking for each gender. You’ll find classic names, soft and sweet names, modern names and unique gender neutral names.
The information on this list comes from my personal database of over 2000+ put together from countless forums, websites and baby books. Popularity data is sourced from the Social Security Administration.
At the end, I give some background on how names become gender neutral, showing examples of some common popularity trends seen with androgynous names. And if you love nonbinary names, don’t forget to check out my other lists on unisex names, such as some truly unique unisex names and a list of vintage genderless names.
Table of Contents
Why pick a non-binary name
So, why should you pick a nonbinary baby name? First, unisex baby names are a great option to give your future baby flexibility. A non-binary baby name can be a small steps in giving your child space for individuality in the future.
Parents also hope that gender neutral names can reduce the preconceptions and sexism their child may face in the future.
Non binary names also carry a coolness factor, being unexpected and sometimes a little edgy. As parents seek more creativity and freshness in names, many popular names are too new to be associated with a gender.
Finally, parents have also opened up to more informal names and nicknames as given names. Nicknames are often unisex because they are originate from both male and female formal names.
Now let’s turn to the non-binary name ideas!
Join our baby name facebook group!
Love chatting about baby names and trends? Join the discussion over on our new Facebook group. Plus, get FREE help finding the perfect baby name!
Classic non binary name ideas
Classic gender neutral names have established history for both girls and boys. While they may trend towards one sex or the other over time, most people know both males and females with these non binary names.
While names like Celeste and Aubrey may sound female leaning, they make lovely names for a boy. Celeste is a gender neutral name in Italy and Aubrey originated as a male name that girls began adopting in the 1970’s.
Related Post: 65 Middle Names for Hailey
| Meaning | (F) Rank | (M) Rank | |
| Adrian | (sea) | – | 61 |
| Alexis | (defender) | 341 | 472 |
| Aubrey | (elf ruler) | 65 | – |
| Augustine | (magnificent) | – | 617 |
| Bellamy | (good friend) | 765 | 621 |
| Beryl | (gemstone) | – | – |
| Blair | (plain) | 315 | – |
| Celeste | (heavenly) | 322 | – |
| Charlie | (free person) | 127 | 189 |
| Dana | (God will judge) | – | – |
| Dylan | (of the sea) | 567 | 44 |
| James | (supplanter) | – | 5 |
| Logan | (little hollow) | 310 | 21 |
| Max | (greatest) | – | 159 |
| Morgan | (of the sea) | 205 | 612 |
| Quinn | (wise) | 80 | 405 |
| Reagan | (little king) | 126 | – |
| Reese | (ardent) | 147 | 701 |
| Riley | (wood clearing) | 37 | 246 |
| Robin | (bright) | 916 | 896 |
| Ryan | (little king) | 495 | 66 |
| Shawn | (God is gracious) | – | 508 |
| Taylor | (tailor) | 192 | 643 |
| Tory | (victory) | – | – |
| Yael | (mountain goat) | – | – |
Cute nonbinary names
Cute nonbinary names are soft and approachable. Below you’ll find a mix of established nonbinary names like Jamie and new hits like Remy. Nickname unisex names like Stevie have been rising fast, especially among girls. Expect to see more little Ollie’s and Freddie’s on the playground in coming years.
| Meaning | (F) Rank | (M) Rank | |
| Ariel | (lion of God) | 222 | 560 |
| Ashton | (ash tree) | – | 147 |
| Avery | (ruler of elves) | 19 | 210 |
| Bailey | (berry clearing) | 162 | – |
| Blake | (dark, white) | 199 | 205 |
| Dell | (small valley) | – | – |
| Drew | (strong) | 815 | 509 |
| Elisha | (God is salvation) | – | 870 |
| Ellery | (joyful) | – | – |
| Frankie | (free) | 593 | – |
| Freddie | (peaceful ruler) | – | – |
| Jamie | (supplanter) | 698 | 624 |
| Jules | (youthful) | – | – |
| Kit | (bearing Christ) | – | – |
| Lane | (pathway) | – | 261 |
| Mica | (loved friend) | – | – |
| Misha | (resembles God) | – | – |
| Ollie | (olive tree) | – | – |
| Perry | (pear tree) | – | – |
| Remy | (oarsman) | 550 | 357 |
| Rory | (red king) | 396 | 295 |
| Sasha | (defender) | 571 | – |
| Stevie | (crown) | 284 | – |
| Sully | (south meadow) | – | – |
| Toby | (God is good) | – | – |
| Val | (valiant) | – | – |
Personalized baby name items
Once you’ve found the perfect gender neutral baby name idea, check out these cute ideas for baby name you can customize with their name.
Modern non-binary names
Any nonbinary given name already has a contemporary feel but some androgynous names sound even more fresh. If you’re looking for a modern non-binary name consider some of these names below.
Unisex name Channing feels posed for a comeback and I love the name Winn with the nickname of Winnie for either sex (Winn also makes my list of short unisex names).
| Meaning | (F) Rank | (M) Rank | |
| Ace | (one, unity) | – | 156 |
| Ainsley | (meadow) | 363 | – |
| Bryce | (swift, freckled) | – | 250 |
| Cary | (pure) | – | – |
| Casey | (vigilant) | – | 446 |
| Channing | (wolf cub) | – | – |
| Corey | (from a hollow) | – | 553 |
| Darcy | (dark) | – | – |
| Fallon | (leader) | 725 | – |
| Finley | (fair-haired warrior) | 211 | 265 |
| Grey | (pleasant) | – | 716 |
| Harlow | (rock hill) | 238 | – |
| Harper | (harpist) | 10 | – |
| Joss | (one of Goths) | – | – |
| Marlowe | (driftwood) | 896 | – |
| Monroe | (mouth of the river) | 525 | – |
| Parker | (park keeper) | 115 | 93 |
| Peyton | (warrior’s estate) | 99 | 471 |
| Rowan | (red-haired) | 241 | 106 |
| Sloan | (warrior) | 574 | – |
| Spencer | (steward) | – | 315 |
| Sutton | (south town) | 244 | 541 |
| Tatum | (cheerful) | 279 | 385 |
| Winn | (friend) | – | – |
| Wren | (passerine bird) | 251 | – |
Unique non binary name ideas
Unique androgynous names are very on trend with parents seeking creativity and individuality in their baby name. Given their newness, these cool nonbinary names are less likely to have settled into being associated with either sex.
Unique names also have a better likelihood of remaining unisex as they are given to fewer babies. I think Cove is likely to pick up steam and would make a rare and fun middle name (Cove is a highlight on my list of unisex nature names too). Kirby would also be adorable on either gender.
If you’re looking for something unique, I also have a whole post on unique gender neutral names that are truly rare.
| Meaning | (F) Rank | (M) Rank | |
| Arden | (eagle valley) | – | – |
| Belen | (house of bread) | 826 | – |
| Briar | (shrub) | 515 | 713 |
| Brynn | (hill) | 362 | – |
| Cove | (bay, inlet) | – | – |
| Dakota | (friend) | 270 | 344 |
| Denver | (green valley) | 776 | 505 |
| Ellis | (benevolent) | 594 | 321 |
| Emery | (industrious) | 89 | 764 |
| Hadley | (heather field) | 112 | – |
| Harley | (hare’s field) | 306 | 923 |
| Kennedy | (misshapened head) | 70 | – |
| Kirby | (settlement by church) | – | – |
| Landry | (ruler) | 962 | 989 |
| Palmer | (pilgrim) | 329 | 990 |
| Presley | (priest’s meadow) | 212 | – |
| Roux | (red) | – | – |
| Sage | (wise) | 179 | 427 |
| Scout | (explorer) | 829 | – |
| Shiloh | (peace) | 410 | 581 |
| Sky | (sky, cloud) | 717 | – |
| Skylar | (raider) | 74 | – |
| Waverly | (aspen tree meadow) | 749 | – |
| Winter | (winter season) | 324 | – |
| Zephyr | (gentle breeze) | – | – |
Nonbinary name trends
Very few names remain truly nonbinary over time. Identifying a unisex baby name is capturing a moment in time when a name was used for both boys and girls. Here are four trends often observed with gender neutral names:
1. Transitioning From One Sex to the Other
Many androgynous names start as a name for one sex before transitioning to the other. Most often, male names transition to female names. Names we think of a feminine today, such as Lindsey or Ashley, actually started as boy names.
Once a name starts being given to girls, many parents of boys will shy away from it. We can catch some names in the middle of the transition, such as Blake pictured below.
Right now it is decidedly nonbinary, ranking #199 for girls and #205 for boys, but likely will trend towards becoming a girl name in the future.
2. New Popularity Rise
Sometimes newly popular names are so new that they aren’t yet associated with a gender. These names enjoy a moment in time where they are nonbinary.
Will these names remain unisex or shift to one sex? It is almost impossible to predict which way a nonbinary name will go when you are picking it today. An example of this trend is the newly popular Finley, pictured below, which ranks almost equally in popularity between boys (#265) and girls (#211).
3. Rare or Unique Picks
Some names are so rare or unique that they are not associated with either sex. Given their rarity, these gender neutral names are less likely to have a critical mass swing them towards one gender or another.
That said, it is not always possible to predict the changing winds in baby name fashion. Today’s rare nonbinary may be topping the boy or girl chart in a few years. An example of a name still in unisex obscurity is Landry, shown in the chart below:
4. Previously Popular Names
Lastly, some names have their heyday as popular monikers for both boys and girls and then settle back into an ‘uncommon unisex zone.’ You hear the name and can picture either a man or a woman given its previous history.
Today these unisex names are rare enough that they do not lean feminine or masculine. Robin is a perfect example of a name returning to nonbinary after its prime, as graphed below. A popular name in the 50’s, today it ranks #916 for girls and #896 for boys.
You can check out more baby names’ popularity by checking out our name trend data tool.
Conclusion: choosing a nonbinary baby name
Nonbinary names are great ways to give your baby flexibility and individuality in their name. However, as the winds of naming fashion blows, it is impossible to predict the future trajectory of a gender neutral name. As parents take more freedoms in naming, hopefully we’ll see more names stay in the truly unisex territory.
Finally, I’d be remise in not acknowledging that nonbinary and masculine names are given to girl babies far more often than feminine and unisex names are given to boy babies. Names associated with boys are seen as strong or unique; and for girls, an androgynous name is a means to mitigating future sexism when the name is on the top of a resume.
However, this inherently says that names perceived as feminine aren’t as formidable or desirable as boy names. Once girls start receiving a name, we also often see boy parents stop using it. I hope one day soon we see boys named Juno as much as we see girls named James.
Looking for more androgynous name ideas? You may also like this list of 65+ Bird Inspired Names [+ Meanings!].
