20 Gorgeous Gender-Neutral Baby Names

“There are many reasons to consider a gender-neutral name when deciding what to name your child,” Donna Murray, RN, wrote for VeryWell Family. “It may be a family name. You may believe it will help to prevent gender stereotyping or sexism in your child’s future. You may like the idea of a gender fluid name, or you could be thinking about how your kid’s gender identity might evolve over time.”

For some parents, ensuring that their child will not be constrained by their name is the most important factor. Elementary school teacher Amy Thomas-Martinez observed transgender or nonbinary students at her school, some who had changed their birth names that didn’t suit their gender identities, and the struggles they went through.

This changed her thinking about naming the baby she was expecting, who was going to be a girl. “But that doesn’t mean that’s who she’ll end up being,” Thomas-Martinez told The Boston Globe. “I asked myself, ‘What can we do that will make it easier for all of us if the gender she has been assigned is not her true gender?’”

Whether it’s a name rooted in your heritage, one that strongly evokes a mood, or one that simply has a pleasing sound, a unisex name might be the perfect fit for your baby. With that in mind, we’re giving you a head start by sharing these absolutely beautiful, gender-neutral baby names.

More from Mom.com: How To Explain Gender Neutrality to Your Child

The name Asher isn’t all that common, which is nice, but it also has a really special meaning that applies whether baby is a boy or girl. It’s of Jewish origin and means “fortunate,” “blessed,” or “happy” in Hebrew.

For parents who like unique names, Grey should definitely be a contender. It’s simple and makes us think of peace and contentedness. But most important, we’re betting your kid will never have the same name as another kid in class…but in a good way.

Naming babies after cities is definitely a thing, and if it’s your thing, you should consider the name Aspen. It’s a nice change of pace from names like Brooklyn and London, and has a much calmer, more mellow connotation that we appreciate. It’s of English origin, and it’s related to the Aspen tree. Trees are strong and beautiful… we dig it.

The name Blaine kind of gives us ’80s vibes, which we love, and we totally think it could be a new, gender-neutral It name, kind of like James. It’s of Scottish origin, and in the Gaelic language, it means “thin or lean.” But if you care more about a name that sounds good than its meaning, you can overlook that.

The name Dorian sounds sophisticated, without seeming too mature for a baby. It’s both pretty and handsome, and while it’s not particuarly meaningful — it means “from Doris” in Greek — it’s a strong name nonetheless.

Jordan used to be a much more popular name than it is now, but we say it’s time for a comeback. It’s perfect and powerful, whether your baby is a girl or a boy. It’s of Hebrew origin, meaning to “flow down,” and of course it’s related to the Jordan River.

You might be thinking of that famous Kendall, and if you’re a fan, even better. But the name Kendall really is gorgeous, and we love that it can be used for a boy or girl. It comes from England and means “valley.”

Charlie is a name that seems to have grown in popularity quite a bit lately, and we totally get it. It’s such a cute-sounding name for a boy or a girl. It’s a derivative of the male name, Charles, but it’s often used as a standalone name these days.

Blake is an absolutely gorgeous name for girls or boys. It’s almost a modern classic, and we can’t imagine ever getting tired of it. It also comes from England, and interestingly, it was traditionally given to people who had either unusually dark hair or really light hair.

Want to set your baby up for good fortune? Consider naming him or her, Cody. It’s an Irish name, and in Gaelic it means “wealthy.” Plus, it sounds good and it’s easy to spell and pronounce, so your little one won’t ever struggle with that.

Just like the more traditional names, Regina and Ryan, the name Reign has royal roots. It means “to rule” and comes from the English language. It was turned into a name by creative parents looking for unique and powerful names for their children. It sounds beautiful, and that’s really what matters.

Hayden is another strong and beautiful name that would work well for a boy or girl. It has English and Irish origins, and is most often said to mean “hill.” It sounds like an Old Hollywood movie star name to us though!

Shane is a classic name that, while traditionally a male name, has been used for girls quite a bit in the past few decades. It has both Irish and Jewish roots, and means “God is gracious” in the former and “lily” or “rose” in the latter.

Kai is one of those short-and-sweet names that everyone loves. Kaia is more common for girls, but we think Kai is a more unique alternative and works for babies of either gender. It’s of Scandinavian origin, where the meaning is unknown, but it’s also a word in several languages including Hawaiian and Japanese, in both of which it means “ocean.”

We know…Jessica Simpson did it first. And you know what? We love it. Maxwell has always been a strong name for boys, but we think we like it even better for girls. It comes from Scottish surname “Maccus,” which means “great,” and the Old English word “wielle,” which means “well” or “stream.”

The name Rowan is so strong, just like the tree that it’s derived from. This flowering tree boasts beautiful red berries, and in European mythology iy was thought to have protective powers. In Gaelic, it means “little red-haired one,” though, so it’s also a good option if your baby is a ginger.

Sloan is a gender-neutral name with both Irish and English origins, and has traditionally been used for both boys and girls. It means “warriors” in Gaelic. When it comes to a name, you can’t get much more meaningful than that. We bet it’ll look good on a business card one day too.

Whether you’re religious or not, Zion is a sweet name for a baby girl or boy. In the Bible, it refers to the “kingdom of heaven,” and we bet when you hold that tiny baby for the first time, you’ll feel like you’ve already arrived there.

Adrian is another name that has long been used for both boys and girls, and we still love it. It has a great sound to it, won’t be particularly common or overused, and it’ll never go out of style. It simply means “from the city of Adria” in Latin.

Musical family? Lyric is a sweet-sounding name that is a gentle nod to the influence or love of music and can be used for a boy or girl. It comes from the Greek, meaning “sung with a lyre,” as in the musical instrument.