Unisex name
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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 predominantly used as male given names are now primarily female given names, including Ashley, Beverly, Carol, Evelyn, Hillary, Jocelyn, Meredith, Nicole, Shirley, and Vivian. Sometimes the modern adoption of a predominantly male given name follows the use by an actress (e.g. Shirley Temple, Drew Barrymore) or fictional character (e.g. Tracy, Blake).
Some names vary their gender from country to country or language to language. For example, Anne, which is female in English is normally male in Dutch; or Jean, which is female in Scottish and male in French.
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.
Unisex names can also be the source of considerable humor, such as Julia Sweeney's sexually-ambiguous character "Pat" on Saturday Night Live.
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List of names that can be unisex
A
- Akira Japanese name—can be male or female
- Al
- Alex (short for Alexander (male) or Alexandra (female))
- Alexis
- Andrea (male in Italian, female in German)
- Andy (short for Andrew (male) or Andrea (see above))
- Angel (male in Spanish, female in English (pronounced differently))
- Anne (can be male in Dutch)
- Ashley (the variation Ashleigh is usually female)
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" or "Crooked nose" from Scottish Gaelic, generally male)
- Camille (unisex in French)
- Carey
- Carol (now usually female, male forms Caroll or Karol (Polish))
- Casey
- Cassidy
- Charlie
- Chris
- Christian [1] (http://www.thenamemachine.com/baby-names-girls/Christian.html)
- Claude (unisex in French)
- Cory or Corey, for example Cory Doctorow (m), Cory Kahaney (f)
- Courtney
D
E
F
- Fran (short for Francis (male) or Frances/ Francesca (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))
- Gerrit (some interpret it being a male name, others, mainly because of female Gerit believe this name to be female)
H
- Haley, Hayley, or Hailey (e.g.Haley Joel Osment (male) and Hayley Mills (female))
- Hillary
- Hitomi Japanese name—can be male or female
- Holly (e.g. the character of Holly Martins in The Third Man)
- Hunter
I
J
- Jaden
- Jamie (short for James (male) or Jamesina (female). Jamie is generally used to mean "Young James" but may also used be 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 (short for Christopher in males)
- Kris
- Kyle
L
- Lane
- Lauren
- Lea
- Lee (usually male with Leigh a more common spelling for female)
- Les (short for Leslie or Lester for males, and Lesley for female)
- Leslie (traditionally a male name, but now more often used for females)
- Lindsay or Lindsey
- Logan
- Lynn
M
- Mackenzie (meaning "son of Kenneth", from the Scots Gaelic MacCoinneach)
- Madison
- Mallory
- Maria (common as a middle for latino males, but more common for females [first or middle])
- Marion (e.g. Marion Barry)
- Masami 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
- Nicola (male in Italian, female in German)
- Nikita (male in Russian, female in French) (Nakita is an alternate spelling for the name but is typically common amongst females)
- 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))
- Payton, Peyton (the former tends to be preferred with boys and the latter girls; however, either could be used for either gender)
- 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, Renea is an alternate spelling for the female variant)
- Ricky (short for Richard or Eric (male), Erika or Frederika (female))
- Robin (variant spelling Robyn is female)
- Ronnie or Ronny (short for Ronald (male) or Veronica (female))
- Rory ("red king" in Scots/Irish Gaelic (Ruadhrí in Irish, Ruadhridh in Scottish gaelic) (male) or short for Aurora (female))
- Rowan (Means "little red one", from Irish Ruadhán)
- 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 (somtimes spelled Cydney for female)
- 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 [male] or Victoria [female])
Y
- Yael