The independent Alex has become a classic in its own right. One of the truest <a href="https://nameberry.com/unisex-names">unisex names</a>, Alex is used almost equally for both sexes. Alex is used both on its own and as a short form of formal names of both genders, such as Alexander, Alexandra, and Alexis.

Alex

Alexander has been in a Top 25 boys' name in the US for 30 years now. But namers are still attracted to its imposing historic pedigree.
 Alexander is derived from the Greek name Aléxandros, composed of the elements aléxein, meaning "to defend," and aner, meaning "man." 
 
According to Greek legend, the first Alexander was Paris, who was given the nickname Alexander by the shepherds whose flocks he defended against robbers. He was followed by Alexander the Great, aka Alexander III, who conquered much of Asia.
 
A royal name in Scotland, Alexander is still highly popular there. In Gaelic, the name became Alasdair; in Spain, Alejandro; and in Italy, Alessandro.
 
The noble Alexander has led to the popularity of many spinoffs, such as Alex, Zander, Xan and Zan, along with female versions such as Alexandra, Alexis, and the unfortunate Alexa.
 Among the many notable Alexanders in history, standouts are Hamilton, Graham Bell, Fleming, Pope and Haig.
 Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber's Alexander is known as Sasha.

Alexander

Alexandra fell out of the Top 100 for the first time since 1983 in 2015 but is still a popular choice. Strong, tasteful, and elegant, Alexandra remains a chic modern classic with a solid historic pedigree.
 
Alexandra is the feminine form of Alexander, which ultimately derived from the Greek components alexein, meaning "to defend," and anēr, "man." In Greek mythology, Alexandra was an epithet of the goddess Hera.
 
Alexandra was made fashionable in the English-speaking world by the Danish princess who married England's King Edward VII in 1863, and there have been other royal bearers in both Britain and Russia. Alexandra is the present queen's first middle name. Widely used in Russia, Alexandras can be found in the works of Dostoevsky and Chekhov.
 
International variations include Alessandra and Alejandra. Alexandra offers an array of softer nicknames, from the gender-neutral Alex to the bouncy Lexi to the more dramatic Xandra.

Alexandra

Alexis, a one-time exclusively-<a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys’ name</a>, was more popular than its sister Alexandra for quite a while, but in recent years Alexandra has overtaken it once again. Alexis was a Top 20 <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ name</a> from 1994-2010 but has experienced a decline in popularity in recent years, though now it's one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/unisex-names">top unisex names</a>.

 Alexis zoomed to popularity following the introduction of the Dynasty character Alexis Carrington in the 1980s – which gave it a sleek image – and was quite popular throughout the 90s and 2000s, peaking at the third most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ name</a> in 1999.

 One of the few notable female pre-Carrington Alexises was 1940s actress Alexis Smith, who had some minimal impact on the name, which entered the list in 1943. A current bearer is Alexis Bledel, who played Rory on Gilmore Girls and currently stars on The Handmaid's Tale.

Alexis

Carmelita is an obscure short form of an obscure name that may rise to new prominence during the 2012 Olympics, via runner Carmelita Jeter aka "The World's Fastest Woman."  Carmelita has a particularly international flavor with the original Carmel a Hebrew name long popular in Ireland, with Carmelita itself most popular in Latin countries.

Carmelita

Celia, splendidly sleek and feminine, is a name that was scattered throughout Shakespeare and other Elizabethan literature, but still manages to feel totally modern. 
 Shakespeare has been credited with introducing Celia in As You Like It, and it was to Celia that the poet Ben Jonson penned the immortal line, "Drink to me only with thine eyes." Other literary Celias have appeared in works ranging from George Eliot's Middlemarch to T. S. Eliot's The Cocktail Party to Lionel Shriver's We Need to Talk About Kevin.
 Celia Cruz was a superstar of Latin music.
 Celia is not a short form of Cecilia, which has a completely different meaning, and developed independently. But some contemporary parents are naming their babies Cecelia, especially with that spelling, and calling them Celia—which gives you two beautiful names in one.

Celia

The genial yet upscale and preppy Cooper was one of the first occupational last names to catch on -- and Cooper remains a pleasing option.
 Cooper began his rapid climb in 1982 and is a popular choice for baby boys. It is wildly popular in Australia, where in some areas Cooper is the top name.
 Two surnamed Coopers currently shining a spotlight on the name: Anderson and Bradley. Parents of Coopers include Melissa Rivers and Dylan Lauren.
 One caveat: Cooper is an extremely popular dog name.

Cooper

Though Dara was an (extremely wise) male figure in the Bible, this name feels mostly feminine to modern Americans. The Irish Gaelic version, Darragh, is well-used in contemporary times for boys.
 While Dara dropped out of the Top 1000 a couple of decades ago, it's one of those magic names that feels neither fashionable nor unfashionable. This timeless quality can be an advantage for a child over time. And Dara has the cross-cultural thing going for it as well. It's also a Slavic name, meaning "gift".
 The cousin-name Daria was featured a few seasons ago as the smart and cynical star of her own eponymous animated MTV show.

Dara

Dawn's heyday in the US, Canada and the UK came in the 1960s and 70s. It peaked at #14 in the US in 1971, but has since sunk from sight to be eclipsed by other names with the same meaning, such as Aurora, Roxana or Zariah.

Dawn

Edie is part of the Evie-Ellie et al family of cute and friendly short forms that sometimes stand on its own. Briefly popular in the 1960s, it could well be due for rediscovery. It's already a fashionable choice in the UK, where it has ranked just outside the Top 100 for several years.

 Several Ediths have chosen to be known by this pet form, including socialite and Andy Warhol superstar Edie Sedgwick, actress Edie Falco, singer Edie Brickell and the Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy relatives called Big and Little Edie in the iconic documentary Grey Gardens. Edie Britt was the character portrayed by Nicolette Sheridan in Desperate Housewives.

 British actress Samantha Morton chose Edie for her daughter as did Keira Knightley in 2015. We think Edie is going to continue to rise in the coming years.

Edie

The superpopularity of Emily and Emma has recently boosted the unisex Emery, especially since it became a celebrity baby name when it was chosen by Angie Harmon and Jason Sehorn. 

Emery now ranks among the girls' Top 100 names in the US, though Emma, Emily, and even Emilia are more popular. Emerson and Emmeline are two other popular girl names in the same vein.

Nickname Emmy or Emmie makes it cute and girlish but even more popular given the legion of little Emmys.

Emery

The straightforward Erica is a Norse feminization that was long associated with the complex, mega-popular character Erica Kane, played by Susan Lucci for decades on the soap opera All My Children. Used in Scandinavia since the early eighteenth century, where it was usually spelled Erika, it was in the Top 50 girls' list in the USA in the 1970s and eighties.
 It is worth noting that Erica is also a flower name, in which sense it is its own name, rather than a feminisation.
 The most prominent bearer of the name in recent times is novelist Erica Jong, author of the influential Fear of Flying.

Erica

Jack may have fallen from its Number 1 place in England, but in the US it's as popular as it was at its height in the 1920s and 1930s. A durable, cheery, everyman form of John, Jack ranks as one of the most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/boys-names/j">boy names starting with J</a>. 
Jack is a derivative of John that originated in medieval England. The name went from John to Johnkin to Jankin to Jackin to Jack. The name was so common in the Middle Ages that Jack became a generic term for a man. 
 
Jack is familiar to all from earliest childhood via Jack and Jill, Jack Sprat, Jack and the Beanstalk and Little Jack Horner et al. It is still a recent favorite for novel, TV and movie characters. 
 
Jack is at the top of the charts in Ireland and Scotland, and also ranks highly in Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Belgium.
 
The jaunty Scottish version is Jock.

Jack

Jennifer is the Cornish variation of Guinevere, which ultimately derived from the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar. It has been in use in the English-speaking world since the 18th century but came to prominence in the 20th. Playwright George Bernard Shaw chose Jennifer for the name of his leading lady in his play The Doctor’s Dilemma, which drew more attention to the name.
 
Jennifer was the top name of the 1970s, when there were close to 800,000 Jennifers born: No wonder there are now online support groups for grown-up Jens who have suffered a lack of personal identity. These days Jennifer has fallen out of the Top 100 though it's forever a pretty-sounding name. 
 
Many modern parents opt for Jenna over Jennifer, though Jenna too is losing steam. Jenny and Jennie are forever appealing if not exactly stylish short forms; Jenifer is an alternate spelling.
 
One name that's taking over where Jennifer left off is Genevieve. Another idea for Jennifer lovers in search of an alternative: the perennially appealing Jane. Or even the original Welsh Guinevere.
 
Bill and Melinda Gates are the parents of a Jennifer. Wonder how she feels with a sister named Phoebe and a brother called Rory?

Jennifer

At the height of the Jennifer craze, many parents were cutting straight to the nickname and putting Jenny on the birth certificate. But now that Jennifer is the mom rather than the daughter, Jenny, which has been somewhat replaced by Jenna, has faded as well. 

Jenny

When Jennifer was ready to give up her throne, her crown was passed to Jessica, who reigned for not one but two decades; Jessica was the top name of both the 1980's and 90's, never sounding quite as trendy as its predecessor, maybe because of its classic Shakespearean pedigree. Jessica has declined a bit in popularity but is still a popular choice.
 Jessica seems to have been coined by Shakespeare for the character of Shylock's daughter in The Merchant of Venice, possibly as a form of a biblical name. There are several attractive Jessicas on the scene today, including Jessica Lange, Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Jessica Simpson, and Jessica Chastain.

Jessica

The ultimate midcentury nickname, retaining a good measure of retro charm, was chosen for her son by Mira Sorvino. 

Johnny

Kai is an internationally flexible name with many possible origins and meanings, growing in popularity in the US and a diverse range of European countries.
 
In the US, the name Kai is most commonly referred to as being of Hawaiian derivation, meaning "sea." In Europe, Kai is largely considered to have Frisian origin as a diminutive of the name Kaimbe, meaning "warrior", or as a short form of Gerard "brave spear". 
 
Kai is also found as an independent name in African, Chinese, Turkish and Native American cultures. Kai is a strong, evocative multi-cultural name that packs a lot of power in its single syllable. 
 
Famous as the name of the boy enchanted by the fairy-tale Snow Queen, Kai was chosen for her son by actress Jennifer Connelly and as a middle name for son Samuel by Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber. 
 
Kai is popular with Berries as both a first and middle name choice. Perhaps because of its international familiarity, Kai is popular in video games. Its most prominent namesake is Danish-born jazz trombonist Kai Winding.
 
Kai ranks in the US Top 1000 for girls, but is used more than 90 percent of the time for boys. Donald Trump, Jr. has a daughter named Kai Madison and Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik named their daughter Khai in 2020.

Katerina and its near-identical twin Katarina have a pleasingly lilting European sound, though for some Americans they may be uncomfortably close to Katrina, which will be linked for a long time to the hurricane that devastated New Orleans.

Katerina

Katherine is one of the oldest, most diverse, and all-around best names: it's powerful, feminine, royal, saintly, classic, popular, and adaptable. Long one of the top <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/k">girls' names starting with K</a>, Katherine has now been unseated on the popularity list by upstarts Kennedy and Kinsley, but a dip in popularity only adds to its charm.
 Katherine also has a wealth of spellings, short forms, and admirable namesakes. The Katherine spelling has been the preferred one in recent years, though Catherine (now associated with the Duchess of Cambridge) has a gentle vintage appeal, while the Katharine spelling relates to actress Kate Hepburn. Sleeker, more modern-feeling Kathryn has in fact been used for centuries and is still popular if not exactly stylish, and the Irish have favored Kathleen.
 Katherine's origins are lost in the mists of time. The earliest version in Ancient Greece was Ekaterine, which may have come from the name of a folk dance. Later, the spelling was changed under the influence of the Greek word katharos, meaning "pure" — a desirable virtue.
 Katherine has been used for countless literary figures over the centuries, from the spirited heroine of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew to the BFF in Fifty Shades of Grey to characters on TV's Castle and The Vampire Diaries.
 Martin Short and Tim Allen have daughters named Katherine.
 A profusion of nicknames includes Kate, Katie, Kathy, Kath, Kat, Kitty, Kay, and Kick. Among international variations are Catriona, Catarina, and Katrina. Two literary namesakes are Katherine Anne Porter and Katherine Mansfield.

Katherine

This member of the aden/ayden extended family is a popular choice not only in the US but across the pond in England, Wales and Scotland as well. Angie Everhart has a son named Kayden Bobby.

Although Kayden in this spelling has been hovering around the Top 100 in the US for several years, with all spellings considered it's much more popular than that. According to our Playground Analysis for 2022, Kayden in all forms ranks among the Top 15 boy names.

What does that mean? No matter how you spell it, if you yell Kayden in the playground, it's likely that more than one little boy will come running.

Kayden

Keira is an attractive <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ name</a> that's gotten a huge boost from the meteoric rise of Keira Knightley. Original spelling Kiera, which relates more directly to the male Kieran, was the more popular form until the rise of Keira Knightley reversed the order. Both are Anglicized versions of the Irish Ciara.

Keira

Kendra was once seen as a feminization of Kenneth -- but it's now firmly established as a standalone. American parents can't seem to make up their mind about it though: it was one of 2013's fastest-rising names, entering the Top 200 for the first time since 2000, but then it tumbled again. 

Today, Kendra is settling into fashionable classic territory, still an attractive choice for families looking to honor an ancestral Kenneth.

Kendra

The name of the Roman goddess of the moon, Luna is derived straight from the Latin word for moon, luna. Luna may be the name most likely to surprise someone from an older generation by its Top 10 status in the US and its widespread international popularity.
Often ranked as Number 1 on Nameberry's internal charts, the strong but shimmery Luna is among the Top 100 names for baby girls in a wide range of countries around the world, from France to Italy to Germany, Scandinavia to Slovenia to Spain. It's simple, easy to spell and pronounce, and remarkably diverse.
 And it's also got deeper roots than you might imagine. It was somewhat popular in the US as a baby name around the turn of the 20th century, reaching a high of Number 403 way back in 1881.

Luna's popularity is undoubtedly influenced by the Harry Potter character Luna Lovegood and several high-profile celebrity babies, notably the oldest daughter of Chrissy Teigen and John Legend. 
 Along with its celebrity connections, Luna's popularity is partially driven by its standing as a mythological name. Luna’s divine complement is Sol, the god of the Sun. In Roman art, Luna is often depicted driving a chariot.
 
Luna makes another appearance as the endearing oddball Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter series, who was central enough to the story to have Harry give his daughter Luna as a middle name, and as the True Blood teacher-shapeshifter character, Luna Garza. 
 
Along with Chrissy Teigen and John Legend, other celebrities who named their daughters Luna include Penelope Cruz and Javier Barden as well as Constance Marie. Joely Fisher and Ellen Pompeo have used it as a middle. Uma Thurman and Arpad Busson use Luna as the nickname they call daughter Rosalind Arusha Arkadina Altalune Florence.
 
Luna is also among the <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names/dogs">most popular dog names</a>.

Luna

This Thai nature name is closely associated with popular young Thai-Chinese actress Pimnitchakun Bumrungkit, who uses it as her nom de guerre.

Maengmum

Less-traditional variation of Michaela that's found more popularity than the original.  The appeal for many parents is that this spelling clarifies pronunciation and also offers two names in one, incorporating the popular Kayla. While Makayla is the most popular version, all forms of the name are now dropping in the polls.

Mikayla

Now that it's no longer fashionable for girls, Robin is rising for boys again. Robin Hood, Robin Williams, Christopher Robin, and Robin the Boy Wonder are all male namesakes, after all. It reentered the US Top 1000 <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys names</a> in 2015 for the first time since 1999 and continues to bounce around the lower end of the Top 1000.

Robin is one of the unisex names that switched predominant genders a couple of times. Initially a boys' name, it hit its high point for both genders in the 1950s, eventually becoming more popular for girls. Now Robin is used near-equally for both sexes, given to 290 baby girls and 256 baby boys in the US in 2021.

Robin is one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names/france">Top 100 Boy Names in France</a>.

Robin

Ronaldo

Ryan’s use as a given name was inspired by the surname Ryan, a variation of the Irish O’Riain meaning "son of Rían." Rían is composed of the Irish-Gaelic elements rí, meaning "king" and an, a diminutive suffix. Ryan is considered a unisex name in the US, where variant spellings Ryann and Ryanne are also valid for girls.
 
Ryan has been one of the most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/168/irish-names">Irish names</a> in America for decades; it had been in the Top 20 since 1976, and dropped out in 2010 but still ranks highly, even though parents now have such a wide choice of Irish surnames, from Flynn to Finnigan, and newer Ry names like Ryder. Ryan (born Patrick) O'Neal first brought it to light in the mid-1960s, when parents saw it as a fresher and more spirited alternative to names like Brian and Kevin. In recent years, Ryan has taken off as a girl's name.
 Several male marquee Ryans still keep the name in the spotlight—think Ryan Seacrest, Ryan Reynolds, Ryan Gosling and Ryan Philippe.

Ryan

Sarah was derived from the Hebrew word sarah, meaning "princess." Sarah is an Old Testament name—she was the wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac. According to the Book of Genesis, Sarah was originally called Sarai, but had her name changed by God to the more auspicious Sarah when she was ninety years old.
 
Sarah is a timeless classic, as perpetually stylish as it is traditional. Sarah is still widely used, but with such a range of images and variations that any child can make it her own.
 
Sarah was a Top 10 name from 1978 to 2002, and though it has slipped in popularity, it's still one of the most widely used <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/baby-names-starting-with/s">names that start with S</a>. The Sara spelling is another popular option, and diminutives Sadie and Sally are used independently.
 
A few of her many prominent namesakes are iconic actress Sarah Bernhardt, jazz singer Sarah Vaughan, comedian Sarah Silverman, and actress/fashionista Sarah Jessica Parker.

Sarah

Serena, a name used since Roman times, was given fresh life by tennis star Williams, and then again with the leading character on Gossip Girl, Serena van der Woodsen. There have also been Serenas on soap operas and other shows from Bewitched to Law & Order.
 And pre-TV, there was the damsel in Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queen and Serena Merle in Henry James's The Portrait of a Lady.

Serena

A solid classic with plenty of history, Thomas strikes the balance between strength and gentleness. A favorite in the UK, a staple in France, and Australia, and never absent from the US Top 100, Thomas feels like a safe bet and a name that fits into any era. 
The Greek form of the Aramaic name Ta’oma, Thomas means “twin.” It came about in the Bible because there were too many apostles called Judas, and so, Thomas became the “twin”, to reflect his close brotherhood with Jesus. 
Known as “Doubting Thomas” due to his initial skepticism of Jesus’s resurrection, he went on to become a martyr, and there was no need to doubt Thomas’s potential as a given name. 
Brought into common usage by the Normans, it was then always among the 5 most common English names for boys at any point between the 13th and 19th century. 
While it has fallen down the US charts in recent years, it remains a familiar and trusted choice. Given to over 6000 boys every year, it has made a steady climb back into the Top 50. 
Across the pond in the UK, both Thomas and Tommy make the Top 30, while Tom, Tommy-Lee and Tommie have made their mark in the Top 1000. 
As a well-established classic, Thomas naturally comes with plenty of noteworthy namesakes. “Thomas the Tank Engine” might appeal to you kids, but there’s also the theologian, Sir Thomas Aquinas, the cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the Founding Father, Thomas Jefferson. the philosopher, Thomas Hobbes, and the writer, Thomas Hardy. 
More recent namesakes for those who aren’t into history include actors Tom Hardy, Tom Cruise, and Tom Hiddleston, singers Tom Parker and Tom Fletcher, Olympic diver Tom Daley, and Thomas Sanders, of YouTube fame. 
A timeless all-rounder, Thomas comes with the intuitive nicknames, Tommy and Tom, which feel sweet for a child but not too cutesy for a grown-up. For more unexpected options, you could try the nature-inspired Moss or Scottish Tam. 
Unlikely to go out of style anytime soon, Thomas is a refined but approachable choice. If the popularity does give you pause, however, you could try the surname-inspired Thompson, or an <a href=“https://nameberry.com/list/492/100-classic-boys-names--below-the-top-1000/all”> underused classic</a> like Marius, Rufus, or Phinneas. 
Alternatively, there is a wealth of interesting variants to ponder, from Italian Tommaso and Scottish Tavish to Croatian Tomo– and for girls, there’s Thomasina, Tomine and Tamsin.

Thomas

As a name, Topaz is sophisticated and sultry; as a golden gem, it's said to have healing and energizing properties and also to bring good luck-- and being the birthstone for November it's one of the perfect <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/605/names-for-november-babies">names for November babies</a>, with that final 'z' giving it some extra sizzle.
 The topaz gets its name via French and Latin from Greek; it is probably ultimately of oriental origin.
 There is an eponymous novel by Leon Uris--later made into a 1969 Hitchcock movie--in which Topaz was the name not of a person but a spy code name, and in the Dodie Smith novel I Capture the Castle, there is a character named Topaz Mortmain.

Topaz

Troye

Nelu's list "Names I like ♥" of 34 great name ideas: Alex - Troye!