Pick One of These Gender Neutral Baby Names and You'll Be All Set

If you and your partner have decided not to find out the gender of your baby before it’s born, you may have at least two different names waiting on deck, depending on whether you have a boy or a girl. These days, though, more and more parents are opting to give their babies names that don’t fit into either gender category. I truly hope this is a nod to the growing base of non-binary inclusiveness that’s forming in North America, although it could just be hipsters getting bored with using their grandparents’ names. Either way, I won’t judge.

We’ve come a long way from the uncomfortable Saturday Night Live skits with Pat, in terms of gender ambiguity and acceptance. Who knows what the future holds for your child? The idea of of being able to hold on to a name, no matter where your gender falls on the spectrum, is a wonderful gift though.

Here are a few alternative gender-neutral names for your future baby:

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Harper

As if Harper Lee wasn’t a cool enough namesake, this name was one of the top gender-neutral baby names of 2016. I, for one, might need another year or two of distance from the reign of Steven Harper, before naming my baby this, though.

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Jesse

Some people prefer to have an “i” in there, when it’s a girl’s name, but I honestly prefer this spelling for all genders.

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Jordan

When I was in high school, there was a guy named Jordan who was eye candy for me, for years. These days, the sister of one of my daughter’s classmates is also named Jordan.

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Morgan

This is one of those names I grew up thinking was strictly for girls, and then I met a male colleague of my husband’s who also had this name. I think it’s beautiful for either gender.

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Max

This name is usually a shortened version of various longer names, including Maximilian and Maximina. It’s also a nice nod to the new character introduced in the second season of Stranger Things, so bonus.

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Daryl

I’ve only ever known male Darryls, but as long as Daryl Hannah continues to work in the film and television industry, there will be room at the table for all genders with this name.

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Harley

With this name being so closely associated with the motorcycle company, it’s kind of great to see Harley Quinn in the mainstream, after the Suicide Squad movie. Harley is a badass name, no matter what gender your kid is.

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Phoenix

I love the idea of naming your baby Phoenix because I was an 80s kid who watched all of River Phoenix’s movies. And may have had several posters of him on my bedroom wall. Plus, it makes me think of Harry Potter, too.

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Raine

There’s a Canadian band, Our Lady Peace, whose lead singer is named Raine. He’s the husband of Chantal Kreviazuk. The name has also been used for women, though, and it reminds me of the German poet Rainer Maria Rilke, because I’m literary like that.

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West

The close association with our favourite (not at all favourite) celebrity couple, Kim and Kanye West, may take this name of many lists, but I love the androgynous nature of it. I think it could work for any number of babies, and my hope is that the Kanye brand will have faded into nonexistence by the time a baby with that name is in school.