15 Gender-Neutral Names Rising Fast in 2026

Gender-neutral names are more popular than ever. These 15 rising names are modern, meaningful, and work beautifully for any child.

· 7 min read

Gender-neutral names give children freedom, flexibility, and meaning without tying them to expectations from birth. Parents increasingly want a name that will suit the person their child grows into, rather than one loaded with gendered assumptions before that's even known.

The fifteen below are rising fast in 2026 because they draw from three overlapping sources: nature words (Rowan, Wren, River, Sky), surnames turned first names (Avery, Ellis, Arden, Marlowe, Lennox), and virtue or place names (Sage, Eden, Justice, Phoenix, Quinn). None of these are new inventions — most have centuries of use behind them as surnames or place names, which is part of why they read as substantial rather than trendy.

1. Rowan

Irish, from ruadh, "little red one," also the name of the rowan tree, long associated with protection in Celtic folklore. Nature-rooted and warm.

2. Sage

From the Latin salvia via Old French sage, meaning both the herb and "wise." Calm and grounded, and one of the more literal virtue names on this list.

3. Avery

Old English/Norman, an Anglicized form of Alfred or Aubrey, historically linked to "ruler of elves" through Germanic roots. Soft-sounding and now one of the most balanced unisex names in the US.

4. Quinn

Irish, Anglicized from Ó Cuinn, "descendant of Conn." Sharp and modern as a first name, though it began strictly as a surname.

5. Wren

English, taken directly from the small songbird. Delicate and increasingly common for both genders.

6. Ellis

Welsh and English, a medieval form of Elias, sometimes glossed as "benevolent" through that connection. Surname-style and sleek.

7. River

A straightforward nature word rather than a name with ancient roots — flowing, calm, and strong by image rather than etymology.

8. Arden

English, from a place name possibly meaning "high" or "eagle valley," and famous as the Forest of Arden in Shakespeare's As You Like It. Literary and verdant.

9. Phoenix

Greek, the mythological bird reborn from its own ashes. Bold and resilient, and one of the more overtly symbolic names on the list.

10. Eden

Hebrew, "place of pleasure" or "delight" — the biblical garden. Peaceful and increasingly used across genders.

11. Lennox

Scottish, from a place name near Loch Lomond of debated meaning, possibly "place of elms." Strong and aristocratic, historically an earldom title.

12. Marlowe

Old English place name, likely "remnants of a lake" or "driftwood," and the surname of playwright Christopher Marlowe. Literary and smooth.

13. Sky

A direct nature word rather than a name with an etymological history — open and limitless by association.

14. Justice

A virtue name taken directly from the English word. Principled and powerful, gaining ground for both boys and girls.

15. Ari

Hebrew, "lion," also used as a short form of Ariel or Adrian. Short, warm, and genuinely used across genders in both Jewish and broader naming traditions.

A gender-neutral name is a gift of openness, but it's worth checking whether the name you love is genuinely used across genders in practice or still leans heavily toward one — that balance shifts year to year, so a quick look at recent naming data before you commit is worthwhile.

How We Chose These Names

We chose fourteen distinct names (Ellis appeared twice in an earlier draft of this list, which we've corrected) that are genuinely used across genders in current naming data, rather than names that happen to work for either gender in theory but are still overwhelmingly given to one. Origins and meanings were checked against each name's actual root rather than repeated from other list sites.

More Names With a Similar Meaning

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