A unisex name, also known as an epicene name, is a given name that is often given to either a male or a female. Some countries, however, require that a given name be gender-specific (see German name). This list does not cover names in cultures where the names are often not gender specific, which is common in many cultures. For example, some African tribes have unisex names, and so do cultures which use names which are derived from properties, such as the Amish or many cultures in India.
Unisex names are often nicknames that are also used as given names, such as Alex and Chris. Alex can be considered a shortening of both Alexander and its female version, Alexandra, and Chris can be considered a shortening of both Christopher (or Christian) and its female version, Christina (or Christine).
Some names that were once predominately used as male given names are now primarily female given names, including Ashley, Evelyn, Hillary, Jocelyn, Meredith, Nicole, and Vivian. Sometimes the modern adoption of a predominately male given name follows the use by an actress (e.g. Shirley Temple, Drew Barrymore) or fictional character (e.g. Tracy, Blake).
Surnames (Bailey, Courtney, Darcy, Elliot,…) and place names (Dakota, Devon, Montana,…) have become fashionable sources for names for boys and girls in English-speaking countries. These are not inherently gender-specific. If parents seek novelty, different parents may hit upon the same unusual name for children of opposite gender.
List of names that can be unisex
A
B
- Bailey
- Beverly (now usually female)
- Blair
- Blake
- Bo (also spelled Beau for males)
- Bobby (variant spelling Bobbie is female)
- Brett
- Brooke
C
- Cameron (meaning "Squint nose", generally male)
- Camille (unisex in French)
- Carey
- Casey
- Cassidy
- Charlie
- Chris
- Christian [1]
- Claude (unisex in French)
- Cory or Corey, for example Cory Doctorow (m), Cory Kahaney (f)
- Courtney
D
- Dakota
- Dale
- Dana
- Darcy
- Daryl
- Devon
- Dominique (unisex in French)
- Dorian
- Drew
E
F
- Fran (short for Francis (male) or Frances (female))
G
- Gale (or Gail)
- Gene (short for Eugene (male) or Eugenia (female))
- Gerd (male in German, female in Norwegian)
- Gerry (short for Gerald (male) or Geraldine (female))
H
I
J
- Jaden
- Jamie (short for James (male) or Jamesina (female). Jamie is generally used to mean "Young James" but may also used independently as a feminine form of James. The variant spellings Jayme and Jaime are usually female.)
- Jan
- Jay
- Jean (male in French, female in Scottish)
- Jerry
- Jess (short for Jesse (male) or Jessica (female))
- Jessie (feminine or masculine variant of Jesse (male), or short for Jessica (female))
- Jo/Joe/Joey (short for Joseph (male) or Josephine (female))
- Joan (male in Catalan, female in English)
- Jocelyn (male in French, female in English)
- Jody (short for Joseph (male) or Judith (female))
- Jordan
- Joyce
- Julian
K
- Kai or Kay
- Kacey
- Kari (male in Finnish, female in many European languages)
- Kelly
- Kelsey
- Kenya
- Kerry/Kerrie (variations such as Kerri or Keri are usually female)
- Kim
- Kit
- Kris
- Kyle
L
- Lane
- Lauren
- Lea
- Lee
- Les (short for Leslie or Lester for males, and Lesley for female)
- Leslie (traditionally a male name, but now almost exclusively used for females)
- Lindsay or Lindsey
- Logan
- Lynn
M
- Mackenzie (meaning "son of Kenneth")
- Madison
- Mallory
- Marion (e.g. Marion Barry)
- Masami (雅美) Japanese name—can be male or female
- Meredith
- Merle or Meryl
- Michael, for example Michael Jordan (m), Michael Michelle (f)
- Mo
- Montana
- Morgan
N
- Nicky
- Nikita (male in Russian, female in French)
- Noel
P
- Parker
- Pat (short for Patrick (male) or Patricia (female). The androgynous name was popularized for being unisex in the United States on the television show Saturday Night Live)
- Pau (form of Paul (male) or means "peace" in Catalan (female))
- Perry
- Praxedes (usually female, but not in Práxedes Mateo Sagasta)
R
- Randy
- Ray, Rae, or Raye (short for Raymond (male) or short feminine form of Raymond)
- Reed
- Reagan or Regan
- Rene (René is male; Renée female)
- Ricky
- Robin (variant spelling Robyn is female)
- Ronnie or Ronny (short for Ronald (male) or Veronica (female))
- Rory ("red king" in Scots/Irish Gaelic (male) or short for Aurora (female))
- Rowan
- Ryan
S
- Sally (short for Salvatore (male) or Sarah (female))
- Sam (short for Samuel (male) or Samantha (female))
- Sami (female in US, male in Finland)
- Sandy
- Sascha (short for Alexander (male) or Alexandra (female))
- Sean
- Shane
- Shannon
- Sharon (unisex in Hebrew)
- Shawn
- Shelby (primarily female)
- Shelly
- Shirley (now usually female)
- Sidney
- Sierra
- Simcha
- Skyler
- Stacy
- Stevie (short for Stephen (male) or Stephanie (female))
- Sydney
T
- Tal (unisex in Hebrew)
- Taylor
- Terry (short for Terence (male) or Teresa/Theresa (female))
- Tony
- Tory or Tori (short for Victor (male) or Victoria (female))
- Tracy (form of Thracius (male) or short for Teresa/Theresa (female))
- Tristan
- Tyler
V
- Vivian
- Vic (Victor or Victoria)
Y
