Non-binary names: gender-neutral names and their meanings

A name is often the first thing people learn about you, and for a lot of [[nonbinary|non-binary]] people it is also the first place their gender gets assumed. A name that does not point either way takes that assumption off the table before it starts. It is not the only option: plenty of non-binary people keep a name that reads masculine or feminine, or choose one deliberately, and a name belongs to the person who carries it, whatever a list says.

Why choose a gender-neutral name?

Because it stops doing work you did not ask it to do. A name that reads as male or female sets up expectations before anyone has met you: on an email, a form, a waiting-room list, a booking. A neutral name leaves that space open. Some people find that restful. Others find it simply accurate.

Because it can be a small change or a clean break. Some people pick a neutral short form of the name they were given, so the people around them have less to relearn. Others want a name with no history at all in their family, and that distance is part of the point. Both are good reasons.

Because it rarely needs explaining. Nobody asks why a Rowan is called Rowan. If you are still at the stage of looking, how to choose a new name goes through the process: where to look, how to test a name, and how to tell people.

Neutral is not a fixed property of a name

Names drift. Evelyn was more common for boys when it was first used as a given name in the 17th century, and is now regarded as almost entirely feminine. Kelly was mostly masculine before 1940 and rose as a girls' name in the 1940s and 1950s. Meredith has been given more often to girls than to boys in English-speaking countries since the mid-1920s, and it is still a masculine name in Wales.

It also depends on the language. Behind the Name lists Andrea as masculine in Italian and feminine in English, German and Spanish, and notes that Jo is primarily masculine in German, Dutch and Norwegian. A name that reads as neutral in one country can read as firmly gendered one border away, which matters if you live between languages.

Some countries write rules about it. Italy's civil status regulation says the name given to a child must correspond to the child's sex. Poland's civil status act tells registrars to refuse a child's name that does not indicate the child's sex according to its common meaning. In Germany, the Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache, which writes name opinions for registry offices, says girls and boys may both be given gender-neutral names. Those rules govern registering newborns. None of them decides what the people around you call you.

How to read the lists

Origins and meanings below come from Behind the Name, a reference site on the history of given names (for three Italian words, from the Treccani dictionary), and each entry links to the page it came from. Where the source gives no meaning, the field is left empty rather than filled with a guess. A meaning is a piece of history. It is not a description of you, and many names carry more than one proposed etymology.

The English groups use names that Behind the Name classes as masculine and feminine in English usage. The short forms are names it describes as short forms or diminutives of both masculine and feminine names.

The country groups use counts, because a list of names that are neutral in theory is less useful than knowing which ones are actually given to both sexes. France uses INSEE's file of first names given at birth, Spain the INE population census, Italy ISTAT's births data, Poland the national PESEL register, and Brazil the IBGE 2010 census. For Germany the group follows a ranking of unisex names given to babies born in 2022, compiled by Knud Bielefeld of beliebte-vornamen.de. It is not an official statistic, and it gives ranks rather than counts.

The counts are uneven, and that is the useful part. Some names are split almost evenly; others are overwhelmingly used for one sex with a real minority for the other. Italy and Poland have very few shared names, in small numbers, which fits their naming rules. The figures show how a name is likely to be read where you live. They say nothing about who may use it.

Before you settle on one

Say it out loud with your surname. Look at the initials. Check how it is spelled and pronounced in the languages you actually live in, and what it gets shortened to. Then try it somewhere low-stakes before you tell everyone: a coffee order, a new online account, a friend who is happy to use it for a week.

If pronouns are part of the same change, [[they-them|they/them]] and [[pronoun-set|pronoun sets]] cover the vocabulary, and [[mirror-pronouns|mirror pronouns]] is worth knowing if you would rather people follow your lead than ask.

Nature names

Trees, plants, birds, water, weather and stones. Behind the Name classes every name in this group as masculine and feminine in English.

• Rowan: Irish, English. Anglicized form of the Irish name Ruadhán, and also the name of the rowan tree. Meaning: red, with a diminutive suffix (Ruadhán).
• Ash: English. Short form of Ashley, or the word for the tree or for the residue of fire. Meaning: ash tree clearing (Ashley).
• Aspen: English. From the word for a group of deciduous trees, from Old English æspe. Meaning: aspen tree.
• Aster: English. From the name of the flower, via Latin from Greek. Meaning: star (the Greek root).
• Briar: English. From the word for the thorny plant. Meaning: briar, a thorny plant.
• Cedar: English. From the word for the coniferous tree, via Old French and Latin from Greek kedros. Meaning: cedar tree.
• Linden: English. From a German and Dutch surname, from Old High German linta. Meaning: linden tree.
• River: English. From the word, via Old French from Latin ripa. Meaning: river (the Latin root means riverbank).
• Sage: English. From the word for the herb, or for a wise person. Meaning: sage, the herb, or a wise person.
• Wren: English. From the word for the small songbird, from Old English wrenna. Meaning: wren.
• Sparrow: English. From the name of the bird, from Old English spearwa. Meaning: sparrow.
• Robin: English, French, Dutch, Swedish, Czech. Medieval English diminutive of Robert, now an independent name, sometimes given for the bird. Meaning: bright fame (Robert).
• Lake: English. From the word, ultimately from Latin lacus. Meaning: lake.
• Brook: English. From a surname for someone who lived near a brook. Meaning: one who lived near a brook.
• Ocean: English. From the word, ultimately from Greek Okeanos, the water once thought to surround the Earth. Meaning: ocean.
• Storm: English, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian. From the word. Unisex in English, typically masculine elsewhere. Meaning: storm.
• Sky: English. From the word, from Old Norse ský. Meaning: sky (the Old Norse root means cloud).
• Indigo: English. From the word for the dye and the colour, from Greek Indikon. Meaning: indigo; the Greek root means Indic, from India.
• Blue: English. From the word for the colour, via Norman French from a Frankish word. Meaning: blue.
• Grey: English. Variant of Gray, an English surname. Meaning: grey, originally for a person with grey hair or clothing (Gray).
• Jade: English, French. From the name of the stone. It came into general use in the 1970s, initially unisex. Meaning: (stone of the) flank, from Spanish piedra de ijada.
• Raven: English. From the name of the bird, from Old English hræfn. Meaning: raven.
• Onyx: English. From the word for the gemstone, from Greek. Meaning: claw, nail (the Greek root).
• Sequoia: English. From the giant trees of California, named either from Latin sequor or after the Cherokee scholar Sequoyah.
• Oakley: English. From a surname taken from various place names. Meaning: oak clearing.

Word and virtue names

Ordinary English words used as names. Behind the Name notes that several of them are most common in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.

• Honor: English. American spelling of Honour, one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century. Meaning: honour.
• Justice: English. From an occupational surname, or directly from the word. Meaning: judge, officer of justice (Old French).
• Liberty: English. From the word, from Latin libertas. Meaning: liberty; the Latin root liber means free.
• Haven: English. From the word for a safe place, from Old English hæfen. Meaning: safe place.
• Ever: English. From the word, from Old English æfre. Meaning: ever.
• Legacy: English. From the word, via Old French from Latin legatum. Meaning: something inherited from a predecessor, heritage.
• Blessing: English. From the word. Most common in Nigeria, Zimbabwe and other parts of Africa. Meaning: blessing.
• Fortune: French, English. From the word, from Latin fortuna. Meaning: fortune; the Latin root fors means luck.
• Promise: English. From the word, from Latin promissum. Most common in parts of English-influenced Africa. Meaning: promise.
• Peace: English. From the word, from Latin pax. Most common in Nigeria and other parts of Africa. Meaning: peace.
• Wisdom: English. From the word, from Old English wis. Meaning: wisdom (wis, wise).
• True: English. From the word, from Old English triewe. Meaning: loyal, faithful.
• Lyric: English. From the word, ultimately from Greek lyrikos. Meaning: lyric, songlike.
• Scout: English. From the word. Harper Lee used it in To Kill a Mockingbird (1960). Meaning: one who gathers information; from Old French escouter, to listen.
• Sunday: English. From the day of the week. Most common in Nigeria and other parts of Africa. Meaning: sun day (Old English sunne and dæg).
• Seven: English. From the word for the number, from Old English seofon. Meaning: seven.
• Phoenix: English. From the immortal bird of Egyptian and Greek mythology that rises from its own ashes. Meaning: dark red (Greek phoinix).

Short forms

Short forms and diminutives of both a masculine and a feminine name. Where the short form has no meaning of its own, the meaning given is that of a longer name, shown in brackets.

• Alex: English, Dutch, German, French and many other languages. Short form of Alexander, Alexandra and other names beginning with Alex. Meaning: defending men (Alexander).
• Sam: English. Short form of Samuel, Samson, Samantha and other names beginning with Sam. Meaning: name of God, or God has heard (Samuel).
• Charlie: English. Diminutive or feminine form of Charles. Meaning: man (Charles, from the Germanic Karl), or army under another theory.
• Frankie: English. Diminutive of Frank or Frances. Meaning: a Frank, a member of the Germanic tribe (Frank).
• Jo: English, German, Dutch, Norwegian. Short form of Joan, Joanna or Josephine; primarily masculine in German, Dutch and Norwegian, short for Johannes or Josef. Meaning: Yahweh is gracious (John, the root of Joanna and Johannes).
• Nicky: English. Diminutive of Nicholas or Nicole. Meaning: victory of the people (Nicholas).
• Ronnie: English. Diminutive of Ronald or Veronica. Meaning: advice, counsel and ruler (Ragnvaldr, the source of Ronald).
• Stevie: English. Diminutive of Stephen or Stephanie. Meaning: crown, wreath (Stephen).
• Terry: English. Diminutive of Terence or Theresa.
• Kit: English. Diminutive of Christopher or Katherine. Meaning: bearing Christ (Christopher).
• Lou: English, French, Dutch. Short form of Louise or Louis. Meaning: famous in battle (Ludwig, the source of Louis).
• Chris: English, Dutch, German, Danish. Short form of Christopher, Christian, Christine and other names beginning with Chris. Meaning: bearing Christ (Christopher); a Christian (Christian).
• Andy: English. Diminutive of Andrew or sometimes Andrea. Meaning: manly, masculine (Andrew).
• Sandy: English. Originally a diminutive of Alexander; as a feminine name, of Alexandra or Sandra. Also given for the colour. Meaning: defending men (Alexander).
• Billie: English. Diminutive of Bill, also used as a feminine form of William. Meaning: will helmet (William).
• Jamie: Scottish, English. Lowland Scots diminutive of James, used as a feminine form since the late 19th century. Meaning: holder of the heel, or supplanter, as explained in Genesis; other theories exist (Jacob, the source of James).
• Drew: English. Short form of Andrew, sometimes used as a feminine form. Meaning: manly, masculine (Andrew).
• Eddie: English. Diminutive of Edward, Edmund and other names beginning with Ed. Meaning: rich guard (Edward); rich protection (Edmund).
• Teddie: English. Diminutive of Edward or Theodore, sometimes a feminine form. Meaning: rich guard (Edward); gift of god (Theodore).
• Jackie: English. Diminutive of Jack or Jacqueline. Meaning: Yahweh is gracious (John, the source of Jack).
• Jody: English. Diminutive of Josephine, Joseph, Joanna and other names beginning with Jo. Meaning: he will add (Joseph).
• Mel: English. Short form of Melvin, Melanie, Melissa and other names beginning with Mel. Meaning: black, dark (Melanie); bee (Melissa).
• Val: English. Short form of Valentine, Valerie and other names beginning with Val. Meaning: strong, vigorous, healthy (Valentine).
• Pat: English. Short form of Patrick or Patricia. Meaning: nobleman, patrician (Patrick).
• Georgie: English. Diminutive of Georgia or George. Meaning: farmer, earthworker (George).
• Bobbie: English. Variant of Bobby; as a feminine name, a diminutive of Roberta or Barbara. Meaning: bright fame (Robert); foreign (Barbara).

Names used for all genders in English

Mostly surnames and place names that became given names. Several have moved from one gender to another within the last century; the origin notes say so where the source does.

• Avery: English. From a surname derived from the Norman French form of Alberich or Alfred. Meaning: elf ruler (Alberich) or elf counsel (Alfred).
• Jordan: English, French, Macedonian, Serbian. From the river between Jordan and Israel. Meaning: descend, flow down (the Hebrew root of the river's name).
• Taylor: English. From a surname for a tailor, via Norman French from Latin. Meaning: tailor (Latin talio, to cut).
• Casey: English. From the Irish surname Ó Cathasaigh, from the given name Cathassach. Meaning: vigilant (Cathassach).
• Riley: English. From an Irish surname (a variant of Reilly) or an English surname from a place name. Meaning: rye clearing (the English place name).
• Quinn: English. From the Irish surname Ó Cuinn, from the given name Conn. Meaning: perhaps sense, reason, or head, chief (Conn).
• Emerson: English, Brazilian Portuguese. From an English surname. Meaning: son of Emery.
• Ellis: English, Welsh. From a surname derived from Elis, a medieval form of Elias; also an Anglicized form of Welsh Elisedd. Meaning: kind, benevolent (Elisedd).
• Hollis: English. From a surname for a person who lived near holly trees. Meaning: holly trees.
• Harper: English. From a surname for a person who played or made harps. Meaning: harp player or harp maker.
• Parker: English. From an occupational surname. Meaning: keeper of the park.
• Reese: Welsh, English. Anglicized form of Rhys, also used as a feminine name. Meaning: probably ardour, enthusiasm (Rhys).
• Blair: Scottish, English. From a Scottish surname. Typically masculine in Scotland. Meaning: plain, field, battlefield (Gaelic blàr).
• Kendall: English. From a surname taken from the name of Kendale in northwestern England. Meaning: valley on the river Kent.
• Finley: English. Variant of Finlay, an Anglicized form of Fionnlagh. Lately more common for girls in the United States. Meaning: white warrior (Fionnlagh).
• Hayden: English. From a surname derived from place names. Meaning: hay valley, or hay hill.
• Peyton: English. From a surname, originally a place name. Meaning: Pæga's town.
• Marlowe: English. From a surname derived from a place name. Meaning: remnants of a lake.
• Sawyer: English. From a surname. Meaning: sawer of wood.
• Arden: English. From a surname taken from place names, from a Celtic word. Meaning: high.
• Emery: English. Norman French form of Emmerich; as a modern given name, now typically feminine. Meaning: the second element means ruler, king; the first is uncertain (Emmerich).
• Ellery: English. From a surname derived from the medieval name Hilary. Meaning: cheerful (Hilarius, the source of Hilary).
• Sidney: English. From a surname. Traditionally more masculine, but in America used more for girls between 1993 and 2019.
• Shannon: English. From the River Shannon, the longest river in Ireland. Meaning: possibly related to Old Irish sen, old, ancient.
• Kerry: English. From the name of the Irish county, Ciarraí in Irish. Meaning: Ciar's people.
• Lee: English. From a surname derived from Old English leah. Meaning: clearing.
• Leslie: English. From a Scottish surname taken from a place in Aberdeenshire. More common as a feminine name in America after the 1940s. Meaning: probably garden of holly (Gaelic).
• Kelly: Irish, English. Anglicized form of the Irish name Ceallach. Mostly masculine before 1940. Meaning: uncertain: traditionally bright-headed, or possibly war, strife, or church (Ceallach).
• Bailey: English. From a surname. Meaning: bailiff.
• Cameron: English. From a Scottish surname. Mainly used for boys. Meaning: crooked nose (Gaelic cam and sròn).
• Dakota: English. From the Native American people of the northern Mississippi Valley, or the states named after them. Meaning: allies, friends (in the Dakota language).
• Devon: English, African American. Variant of Devin, possibly also inspired by the English county.
• Rory: Irish, Scottish, English. Anglicized form of Ruaidhrí. Typically masculine. Meaning: red king (Ruaidhrí).
• Tatum: English. From a surname derived from a place name. Meaning: Tata's homestead.
• Shelby: English. From a surname, possibly a variant of Selby. Meaning: possibly willow farm, if from Selby (Old Norse).
• Meredith: Welsh, English. From the Welsh name Maredudd. Still a masculine name in Wales. Meaning: possibly greatness, magnificence, and lord.
• Evelyn: English, German. From a surname derived from the name Aveline. More common for boys in the 17th century, now almost entirely feminine.
• Marley: English. From a surname taken from a place name. Meaning: pleasant wood, boundary wood, or marten wood.
• Logan: English. From a Scottish surname taken from a place in Ayrshire. Meaning: little hollow.
• Blake: English. From a surname. Meaning: black, or pale (Old English).

Names used for all genders in other languages

Names Behind the Name classes as masculine and feminine in their own language, from Japanese and Korean to Yoruba, Hebrew and Welsh. For Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Vietnamese names, the meaning often depends on the characters used to write the name.

• Akira: Japanese. Several kanji can form this name. Meaning: bright, or clear.
• Hikaru: Japanese. Meaning: light, or brightness.
• Makoto: Japanese. Meaning: sincerity, in one common spelling.
• Kaoru: Japanese. Meaning: fragrance, fragrant.
• Sora: Japanese. Meaning: sky.
• Ren: Japanese. Meaning: lotus, or romantic love, depending on the kanji.
• Ji-woo: Korean. Alternate transcription of Ji-u. The meaning depends on the hanja used. Meaning: for example will, purpose (ji) with rain or universe (u).
• Haneul: Korean. Meaning: heaven, sky.
• Yu-jin: Korean. The meaning depends on the hanja used. Meaning: for example have or abundant (yu) with precious, rare (jin).
• Ming: Chinese. Meaning: bright, light, clear, or inscribe, depending on the character.
• Wen: Chinese. Meaning: literature, culture, writing.
• Ariel: Hebrew, English, French, Spanish, Polish. Used in the Old Testament as a name for Jerusalem. Meaning: lion of God.
• Eden: Hebrew, English, French. From the biblical place name. Meaning: possibly pleasure, delight (Hebrew), or plain (Sumerian).
• Noam: Hebrew, French. Meaning: pleasantness.
• Tal: Hebrew. Meaning: dew.
• Lior: Hebrew. Meaning: my light.
• Shai: Hebrew. From a word, or a diminutive of Isaiah. Meaning: gift, if from the word.
• Deniz: Turkish. Meaning: sea.
• Ekin: Turkish. Meaning: harvest, culture.
• Umut: Turkish. Meaning: hope.
• Evren: Turkish. In Turkic mythology, a giant snake-like dragon. Meaning: cosmos, the universe.
• Ayodele: Yoruba. Meaning: joy has come home.
• Temitope: Yoruba. Meaning: mine is worthy of gratitude.
• Kehinde: Yoruba. Typically given to the second of twins. Meaning: comes last.
• Taiwo: Yoruba. Meaning: taste the world, taste life.
• Uche: Igbo. Meaning: wisdom, sense, mind.
• Kelechi: Igbo. Meaning: thank God.
• Thando: Xhosa, Zulu, Ndebele. From the verb thanda. Meaning: to love.
• Ayanda: Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele. Meaning: they are increasing.
• Kalani: Hawaiian. Meaning: the heavens.
• Makana: Hawaiian. Meaning: gift.
• Aroha: Māori. Meaning: love.
• Imani: Swahili, African American. Ultimately from Arabic. Meaning: faith.
• Zawadi: Swahili. From Arabic zawād, provisions. Meaning: gift.
• Kiran: Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil and other languages. From Sanskrit. Meaning: dust, thread, or sunbeam.
• Suman: Bengali, Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Kannada, Nepali. From Sanskrit. Meaning: well-disposed, good mind.
• Nour: Arabic. Alternate transcription of Nur. Meaning: light (Nur).
• Rayan: Arabic. Alternate transcription of Rayyan. Meaning: watered, luxuriant (Rayyan).
• Roshan: Persian, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali. Meaning: light, bright.
• Minh: Vietnamese. From Sino-Vietnamese. Meaning: bright.
• Thanh: Vietnamese. From Sino-Vietnamese. Meaning: blue, green, young; sound, voice; or clear, pure, depending on the character.
• Deryn: Welsh. Meaning: possibly bird.
• Puck: Dutch; in English legend, a mischievous spirit. Used in the Netherlands as mainly a feminine name.

Shared names in France

Names given to both boys and girls in France, counted from births registered between 1980 and 2021 in INSEE's first names file.

• Camille: French, English. French feminine and masculine form of Camilla; generally only feminine in English. Used in: France, births 1980 to 2021: 25,930 boys, 178,605 girls.
• Dominique: French. Feminine and masculine form of Dominicus. Meaning: of the Lord (Dominic). Used in: France, births 1980 to 2021: 6,765 boys, 2,023 girls.
• Claude: French, English. Masculine and feminine form of Claudius. Meaning: possibly lame (Latin claudus, via Claudius). Used in: France, births 1980 to 2021: 4,420 boys, 587 girls.
• Charlie: English. Diminutive or feminine form of Charles. Meaning: man (Charles, from the Germanic Karl), or army under another theory. Used in: France, births 1980 to 2021: 12,611 boys, 13,563 girls.
• Sasha: Russian, Ukrainian, English, French. Diminutive of Aleksandr or Aleksandra. Meaning: defending men (Alexander). Used in: France, births 1980 to 2021: 10,032 boys, 7,347 girls.
• Alix: French. Medieval variant of Alice, also sometimes used as a masculine name. Meaning: nobleness, nobility (Adelaide, the source of Alice). Used in: France, births 1980 to 2021: 5,908 boys, 23,076 girls.
• Andréa: Form of Andrew: feminine in English, German, Spanish and other languages, masculine in Italian. Meaning: manly, masculine (Andrew). Used in: France, births 1980 to 2021: 6,066 boys, 25,013 girls.
• Eden: Hebrew, English, French. From the biblical place name. Meaning: possibly pleasure, delight (Hebrew), or plain (Sumerian). Used in: France, births 1980 to 2021: 19,825 boys, 10,812 girls.
• Louison: French. Diminutive of both Louise and Louis. Meaning: famous in battle (Ludwig, the source of Louis). Used in: France, births 1980 to 2021: 4,834 boys, 5,832 girls.
• Loïs: Two names: a feminine New Testament name, and the Galician form of Louis. Meaning: possibly more desirable, better (the feminine name); famous in battle (Louis, from Ludwig). Used in: France, births 1980 to 2021: 7,314 boys, 3,268 girls.
• Yaël: Hebrew form of Jael. Meaning: ibex, mountain goat. Used in: France, births 1980 to 2021: 1,708 boys and 1,252 girls spelled Yaël; 2,955 boys and 2,146 girls spelled Yael.
• Swann: French. From the English surname Swann, popularised in France by the 1984 film Swann in Love. Meaning: swan, or servant, herdsman. Used in: France, births 1980 to 2021: 5,526 boys, 2,165 girls.
• Noa: Feminine in Hebrew, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Dutch (from Noah, a daughter of Zelophehad); also a masculine French variant of Noah. Meaning: motion (the feminine name); rest, repose (the masculine name). Used in: France, births 1980 to 2021: 31,583 boys, 6,000 girls.
• Kim: English, Dutch, German. Now usually taken as a short form of Kimberly, though it is older as a given name. Used in: France, births 1980 to 2021: 1,091 boys, 5,018 girls.
• Jordane: French. Variant of Jordan, also used as a feminine form. Meaning: descend, flow down (the Hebrew root of Jordan). Used in: France, births 1980 to 2021: 2,814 boys, 1,568 girls.
• Ange: French. Masculine and feminine form of Angelus. Meaning: messenger (Greek angelos, via Angel). Used in: France, births 1980 to 2021: 6,296 boys, 995 girls.

Shared names in Germany

Names from Knud Bielefeld's ranking of the most popular unisex names given to both boys and girls born in Germany in 2022. The ranking gives positions, not counts, and it is not an official statistic.

• Luca: Italian and Romanian form of Lucas, popular beyond Italy and Romania from around the end of the 20th century; also the Hungarian form of Lucia. Meaning: probably from Lucania (Luke). Used in: Germany, babies born in 2022: number 1 in Knud Bielefeld's ranking of unisex names.
• Mika: Finnish short form of Mikael (masculine); also a Japanese feminine name. Meaning: who is like God? (Michael); beautiful and fragrance (the Japanese name). Used in: Germany, babies born in 2022: number 2 in Knud Bielefeld's ranking of unisex names.
• Toni: Short form of Anttoni, Antun and related forms of Antonius, used in German and several other languages; in English, a feminine short form of Antonia. Used in: Germany, babies born in 2022: number 3 in Knud Bielefeld's ranking of unisex names.
• Lian: German short form of Julian or Kilian; also a Chinese name used for all genders. Meaning: lotus, water lily (the Chinese name). Used in: Germany, babies born in 2022: number 4 in Knud Bielefeld's ranking of unisex names.
• Robin: English, French, Dutch, Swedish, Czech. Medieval English diminutive of Robert, now an independent name. Meaning: bright fame (Robert). Used in: Germany, babies born in 2022: number 6 in Knud Bielefeld's ranking of unisex names.
• Charlie: English. Diminutive or feminine form of Charles. Meaning: man (Charles, from the Germanic Karl), or army under another theory. Used in: Germany, babies born in 2022: number 8 in Knud Bielefeld's ranking of unisex names.
• Lou: English, French, Dutch. Short form of Louise or Louis. Meaning: famous in battle (Ludwig, the source of Louis). Used in: Germany, babies born in 2022: number 9 in Knud Bielefeld's ranking of unisex names.
• Elia: Italian form of Elijah (masculine); Spanish feminine form of Elio. Meaning: my God is Yahweh (Elijah). Used in: Germany, babies born in 2022: number 10 in Knud Bielefeld's ranking of unisex names.
• Nikita: Russian form of Niketas (masculine); also a Marathi and Hindi feminine name. Meaning: winner, victor (Niketas); house, habitation (the Sanskrit-derived name). Used in: Germany, babies born in 2022: number 11 in Knud Bielefeld's ranking of unisex names.
• Nika: Russian short form of Veronika or Nikita; Slovene and Croatian feminine form of Nikola; Georgian diminutive of Nikoloz. Used in: Germany, babies born in 2022: number 13 in Knud Bielefeld's ranking of unisex names.
• Deniz: Turkish. Meaning: sea. Used in: Germany, babies born in 2022: number 15 in Knud Bielefeld's ranking of unisex names.
• Janne: Swedish and Finnish masculine diminutive of Jan; Danish, Norwegian and Estonian feminine diminutive of Johanne or Johanna. Meaning: Yahweh is gracious (John). Used in: Germany, babies born in 2022: number 16 in Knud Bielefeld's ranking of unisex names.
• Noa: Feminine in Hebrew, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Dutch; also a masculine form of Noah in Croatian, Hawaiian and French. Meaning: motion (the feminine name); rest, repose (the masculine name). Used in: Germany, babies born in 2022: number 17 in Knud Bielefeld's ranking of unisex names.
• Nour: Arabic. Alternate transcription of Nur. Meaning: light (Nur). Used in: Germany, babies born in 2022: number 18 in Knud Bielefeld's ranking of unisex names.
• Kaya: Turkish masculine name; also a modern English feminine name. Meaning: rock, cliff (the Turkish name). Used in: Germany, babies born in 2022: number 19 in Knud Bielefeld's ranking of unisex names.
• Nikola: Feminine form of Nicholas in German, Polish, Czech and Slovak; masculine in Serbian, Croatian and other languages. Meaning: victory of the people (Nicholas). Used in: Germany, babies born in 2022: number 21 in Knud Bielefeld's ranking of unisex names.
• Bente: Danish, Norwegian, Dutch. Danish feminine form of Benedict. Meaning: blessed (Benedict). Used in: Germany, babies born in 2022: number 22 in Knud Bielefeld's ranking of unisex names.
• Juno: From Roman mythology, the queen of the heavens. Used in: Germany, babies born in 2022: number 23 in Knud Bielefeld's ranking of unisex names.
• Quinn: English. From the Irish surname Ó Cuinn, from the given name Conn. Meaning: perhaps sense, reason, or head, chief (Conn). Used in: Germany, babies born in 2022: number 24 in Knud Bielefeld's ranking of unisex names.
• Eden: Hebrew, English, French. From the biblical place name. Meaning: possibly pleasure, delight (Hebrew), or plain (Sumerian). Used in: Germany, babies born in 2022: number 26 in Knud Bielefeld's ranking of unisex names.

Shared names in Spain

Names held by both men and women living in Spain, from INE's count of residents on 1 January 2025. The average ages show two generations: Reyes, Patrocinio and Buenaventura belong mostly to older people, while Aran, Amets and Lur belong mostly to younger people.

• Reyes: Spanish. From the title of the Virgin Mary, La Virgen de los Reyes. Meaning: kings. Used in: Spain, residents on 1 January 2025: 1,293 male (average age 59), 5,214 female (average age 49).
• Cruz: Spanish, Portuguese. Refers to the cross of the crucifixion. Meaning: cross. Used in: Spain, residents on 1 January 2025: 857 male (average age 62), 1,027 female (average age 64).
• Aran: Catalan: from a mountainous region in the north of Catalonia. Irish: from the Aran Islands. Meaning: valley (Basque haran, the source of the Catalan place name). Used in: Spain, residents on 1 January 2025: 3,934 male (average age 8), 774 female (average age 12).
• Amets: Basque. Meaning: dream. Used in: Spain, residents on 1 January 2025: 1,940 male (average age 11), 360 female (average age 23).
• Lur: Basque. Meaning: earth, ground. Used in: Spain, residents on 1 January 2025: 252 male (average age 11), 894 female (average age 12).
• Ventura: Spanish. A short form of Buenaventura, or directly from the word. Meaning: fortune. Used in: Spain, residents on 1 January 2025: 1,830 male (average age 60), 474 female (average age 72).
• Patrocinio: Spanish. From the title of the Virgin Mary, La Virgen del Patrocinio. Meaning: patronage, sponsorship. Used in: Spain, residents on 1 January 2025: 450 male (average age 70), 4,610 female (average age 73).
• Buenaventura: Spanish form of Bonaventura. Meaning: good fortune. Used in: Spain, residents on 1 January 2025: 1,371 male (average age 65), 255 female (average age 74).
• Práxedes: Spanish form of Praxedes, sometimes used as a masculine name. Meaning: proof, demonstration (Latin praxis). Used in: Spain, residents on 1 January 2025: 195 male (average age 64), 744 female (average age 72).
• Noah: Hebrew. Two different biblical names: the builder of the Ark, and a daughter of Zelophehad. Meaning: rest, repose (the masculine name); motion (the feminine name). Used in: Spain, residents on 1 January 2025: 8,520 male (average age 8), 2,005 female (average age 10).
• Ariel: Hebrew, English, French, Spanish, Polish. Used in the Old Testament as a name for Jerusalem. Meaning: lion of God. Used in: Spain, residents on 1 January 2025: 2,627 male (average age 30), 337 female (average age 11).
• Yael: Hebrew form of Jael. Meaning: ibex, mountain goat. Used in: Spain, residents on 1 January 2025: 1,398 male (average age 9), 439 female (average age 26).
• Simone: Feminine form of Simon in French, English, German and other languages; masculine Italian form of Simon. Meaning: hearing, listening (Simon). Used in: Spain, residents on 1 January 2025: 1,228 male (average age 36), 843 female (average age 45).
• Nicola: Italian masculine form of Nicholas; feminine form in German and English. Meaning: victory of the people (Nicholas). Used in: Spain, residents on 1 January 2025: 1,199 male (average age 38), 296 female (average age 44).
• Sasha: Russian, Ukrainian, English, French. Diminutive of Aleksandr or Aleksandra. Meaning: defending men (Alexander). Used in: Spain, residents on 1 January 2025: 424 male (average age 12), 358 female (average age 16).
• Eden: Hebrew, English, French. From the biblical place name. Meaning: possibly pleasure, delight (Hebrew), or plain (Sumerian). Used in: Spain, residents on 1 January 2025: 395 male (average age 16), 347 female (average age 19).
• Dominique: French. Feminine and masculine form of Dominicus. Meaning: of the Lord (Dominic). Used in: Spain, residents on 1 January 2025: 195 male (average age 45), 395 female (average age 51).
• Kim: English, Dutch, German. Now usually taken as a short form of Kimberly, though it is older as a given name. Used in: Spain, residents on 1 January 2025: 197 male (average age 33), 337 female (average age 41).
• Eli: Spanish, Norwegian and Danish feminine short form of Elisabet or Elin; also a masculine Hebrew name. Meaning: ascension, or my God (the Hebrew name). Used in: Spain, residents on 1 January 2025: 151 male (average age 35), 179 female (average age 31).
• Monserrate: Latin American Spanish. Variant of Montserrat, a mountain near Barcelona. Meaning: jagged mountain (Montserrat). Used in: Spain, residents on 1 January 2025: 253 male (average age 64), 174 female (average age 63).

Shared names in Italy

Italian civil status rules say a child's name must correspond to the child's sex, so few names are given to both, and in small numbers. These are names ISTAT recorded for both boys and girls born from 2022 to 2024.

• Andrea: Italian form of Andreas, masculine in Italian; feminine in English, German, Spanish and other languages. Meaning: manly, masculine (Andrew). Used in: Italy, births 2022 to 2024: 10,080 boys, 476 girls.
• Celeste: Italian feminine and masculine form of Caelestis. Meaning: of the sky, heavenly. Used in: Italy, births 2022 to 2024: 13 boys, 2,324 girls.
• Sole: Italian. Meaning: sun. Used in: Italy, births 2022 to 2024: 12 boys, 3,038 girls.
• Ariel: Hebrew, English, French, Spanish, Polish. Used in the Old Testament as a name for Jerusalem. Meaning: lion of God. Used in: Italy, births 2022 to 2024: 21 boys, 706 girls.
• Nour: Arabic. Alternate transcription of Nur. Meaning: light (Nur). Used in: Italy, births 2022 to 2024: 14 boys, 524 girls.
• Noa: Feminine in Hebrew, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Dutch; also a masculine form of Noah in Croatian, Hawaiian and French. Meaning: motion (the feminine name); rest, repose (the masculine name). Used in: Italy, births 2022 to 2024: 92 boys, 140 girls.
• Karol: Polish, Slovak and Slovene masculine form of Karl; English feminine variant of Carol. Meaning: man (Charles, of which Karl is a form), or army under another theory. Used in: Italy, births 2022 to 2024: 18 boys, 191 girls.
• Diamante: Italian word for diamond, from medieval Latin diamas and Greek adamas. Meaning: diamond. Used in: Italy, births 2022 to 2024: 7 boys, 133 girls.
• Eden: Hebrew, English, French. From the biblical place name. Meaning: possibly pleasure, delight (Hebrew), or plain (Sumerian). Used in: Italy, births 2022 to 2024: 61 boys, 63 girls.
• Nikita: Russian form of Niketas (masculine); also a Marathi and Hindi feminine name. Meaning: winner, victor (Niketas); house, habitation (the Sanskrit-derived name). Used in: Italy, births 2022 to 2024: 71 boys, 38 girls.
• Levante: Italian word for the east, from the present participle of levare, to rise, first said of the rising sun. Meaning: east, rising. Used in: Italy, births 2022 to 2024: 44 boys, 53 girls.
• Blu: Italian word for dark blue, adapted from French bleu. Meaning: blue. Used in: Italy, births 2022 to 2024: 9 boys, 62 girls.
• Angel: English, Bulgarian, Macedonian. From the medieval Latin name Angelus. Meaning: messenger (Greek angelos). Used in: Italy, births 2022 to 2024: 16 boys, 42 girls.
• Sasha: Russian, Ukrainian, English, French. Diminutive of Aleksandr or Aleksandra. Meaning: defending men (Alexander). Used in: Italy, births 2022 to 2024: 36 boys, 17 girls.
• Fiore: Italian. From the word, or an Italian form of Flora and Florus. Meaning: flower. Used in: Italy, births 2022 to 2024: 20 boys, 16 girls.
• Dominique: French. Feminine and masculine form of Dominicus. Meaning: of the Lord (Dominic). Used in: Italy, births 2022 to 2024: 11 boys, 30 girls.

Shared names in Poland

Polish law tells registrars to refuse a child's name that does not indicate the child's sex, so shared first names are rare, and many come from other languages. Counts are for living people in the national PESEL register.

• Nika: Slovene and Croatian feminine form of Nikola; Russian short form of Veronika or Nikita; Georgian diminutive of Nikoloz. Used in: Poland, living people in the PESEL register on 22 January 2025, first names: 986 male, 1,711 female.
• Andrea: Form of Andrew: feminine in English, German, Spanish and other languages, masculine in Italian. Meaning: manly, masculine (Andrew). Used in: Poland, living people in the PESEL register on 22 January 2025, first names: 770 male, 1,703 female.
• Karen: Danish short form of Katherine (feminine); Western Armenian transcription of Garen (masculine); also a Japanese feminine name. Used in: Poland, living people in the PESEL register on 22 January 2025, first names: 512 male, 678 female.
• Simone: Feminine form of Simon in French, English, German and other languages; masculine Italian form of Simon. Meaning: hearing, listening (Simon). Used in: Poland, living people in the PESEL register on 22 January 2025, first names: 408 male, 225 female.
• Lilian: English variant of Lillian, and a French and Romanian masculine form. Meaning: lily, if from Latin lilium (Lillian). Used in: Poland, living people in the PESEL register on 22 January 2025, first names: 226 male, 220 female.
• Alexis: French, English, Greek, Spanish. From the Greek name Alexis. Meaning: helper, defender. Used in: Poland, living people in the PESEL register on 22 January 2025, first names: 228 male, 107 female.
• Kim: English, Dutch, German. Now usually taken as a short form of Kimberly, though it is older as a given name. Used in: Poland, living people in the PESEL register on 22 January 2025, first names: 157 male, 182 female.
• Dominique: French. Feminine and masculine form of Dominicus. Meaning: of the Lord (Dominic). Used in: Poland, living people in the PESEL register on 22 January 2025, first names: 174 male, 161 female.
• Robin: English, French, Dutch, Swedish, Czech. Medieval English diminutive of Robert, now an independent name. Meaning: bright fame (Robert). Used in: Poland, living people in the PESEL register on 22 January 2025, first names: 511 male, 54 female.
• Toni: Short form of Anttoni, Antun and related forms of Antonius, used in German and several other languages; in English, a feminine short form of Antonia. Used in: Poland, living people in the PESEL register on 22 January 2025, first names: 209 male, 27 female.
• Charlie: English. Diminutive or feminine form of Charles. Meaning: man (Charles, from the Germanic Karl), or army under another theory. Used in: Poland, living people in the PESEL register on 22 January 2025, first names: 266 male, 32 female.
• Eden: Hebrew, English, French. From the biblical place name. Meaning: possibly pleasure, delight (Hebrew), or plain (Sumerian). Used in: Poland, living people in the PESEL register on 22 January 2025, first names: 69 male, 163 female.
• Mika: Finnish short form of Mikael (masculine); also a Japanese feminine name. Meaning: who is like God? (Michael); beautiful and fragrance (the Japanese name). Used in: Poland, living people in the PESEL register on 22 January 2025, first names: 52 male, 382 female.
• Noa: Feminine in Hebrew, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Dutch; also a masculine form of Noah in Croatian, Hawaiian and French. Meaning: motion (the feminine name); rest, repose (the masculine name). Used in: Poland, living people in the PESEL register on 22 January 2025, first names: 54 male, 639 female.
• Maria: Latin form of Greek Maria, from Hebrew Miryam. Behind the Name notes it is occasionally used as a masculine middle name in Germany, Poland and Italy. Meaning: not known for certain; most likely Egyptian, perhaps partly from mry, beloved (Mary). Used in: Poland, living people in the PESEL register on 22 January 2025: as a first name, 49 male and 576,071 female; as a second name, 9,668 male.

Shared names in Brazil

Names recorded for both men and women in Brazil's 2010 census, from IBGE. Juraci and Jaci come from Tupi. Where Behind the Name has no entry for a name, its origin and meaning are left empty.

• Valdeci: Used in: Brazil, 2010 census: 62,293 male, 20,831 female.
• Darci: English, Brazilian Portuguese. Variant of Darcy, the most common form in Brazil, where it is more popular as a masculine name. Used in: Brazil, 2010 census: 42,379 male, 20,941 female.
• Juraci: Tupi, Brazilian Portuguese. Meaning: from Tupi îuru, mouth, and çy, mother, origin. Used in: Brazil, 2010 census: 24,957 male, 30,030 female.
• Eli: Hebrew and English masculine name; also a Spanish, Norwegian and Danish feminine short form of Elisabet or Elin. Meaning: ascension, or my God (the Hebrew name). Used in: Brazil, 2010 census: 26,035 male, 18,046 female.
• Jaci: Tupi, Brazilian Portuguese. Meaning: moon. Used in: Brazil, 2010 census: 9,029 male, 13,309 female.
• Aldenir: Used in: Brazil, 2010 census: 7,326 male, 5,877 female.
• Francis: English, French. From the Late Latin name Franciscus. Meaning: Frenchman. Used in: Brazil, 2010 census: 7,495 male, 2,673 female.
• Darcy: English. From a surname for someone who came from Arcy in France. Used in: Brazil, 2010 census: 4,428 male, 4,294 female.
• Aldeci: Used in: Brazil, 2010 census: 2,595 male, 2,481 female.
• Juracy: Used in: Brazil, 2010 census: 2,483 male, 3,178 female.
• Jacy: Used in: Brazil, 2010 census: 1,657 male, 2,927 female.
• Marley: English. From a surname taken from a place name. Meaning: pleasant wood, boundary wood, or marten wood. Used in: Brazil, 2010 census: 2,067 male, 2,175 female.
• Angel: English, Bulgarian, Macedonian. From the medieval Latin name Angelus. Meaning: messenger (Greek angelos). Used in: Brazil, 2010 census: 2,016 male, 1,510 female.
• Luz: Spanish. From the title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de la Luz. Meaning: light. Used in: Brazil, 2010 census: 1,302 male, 1,462 female.
• Dani: Diminutive of Daniel in Hungarian, Spanish, Dutch and Hebrew; in English, a feminine diminutive of Danielle. Meaning: God is my judge (Daniel). Used in: Brazil, 2010 census: 949 male, 1,440 female.
• Deni: Used in: Brazil, 2010 census: 1,885 male, 1,415 female.