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Our Favorite Unisex Baby Names

By Heather K. Scott, Tribune Content Solutions

First popular in the 1960s, gender-neutral names have been on the rise since. As parents-to-be carve out ways to give their baby a distinctive name and personality, unisex names have continued to surge in recent years. According to Jennifer Moss, baby name expert, founder and CEO of babynames.com and author of “The One-in-a-Million Baby Name Book,” the past year has shown an uptick in open-gender names. Check out some of her favorite monikers — as well as other unisex names from the most recent Social Security Administrations (SSA) baby name list.

This past year, there has been a boom in unisex name popularity. Jennifer Moss, baby name expert, founder and CEO of babynames.com and author of “The One-in-a-Million Baby Name Book,” says there has definitely been an uptick in unisex names over the past year. Here’s a look at Moss’ top five names:

Elliot

Origin: English; Greek cognate of the Hebrew Elijah (meaning, “Jehovah is God”); also from the Old French surname Elie.
Meaning: The Lord is My God. Elliot is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Elijah. Elliot sits at 217 on the SSA’s baby name list.

Finn

Origin: Irish; one of the great heroes of Irish mythology (Finn MacCool or Fionn mac Cuumhaill, legendary Irish third century hero similar to the English Robin Hood).
Meaning: Fair; also a Nordic name meaning "Man from Finland”. A top-10 favorite name in Germany, this iconic name first popped onto the SSA baby name list in 2000 and how sits at number 234.

Hadley

Origin: English surname
Meaning: From Hadda's Field; from the health-covered meadow. Currently at 99 on the SSA baby name list, Hadley conjures visions of green fields or sun-spotted glens. Hadley is the name of author Ernest Hemingway’s first wife (born Elizabeth Hadley Richardson).

Harper

Origin: English (from the Middle English surname)
Meaning: An occupational surname referring to a harp player. Harper is a far more common surname than given name. Famous people with the name Harper include Harper Lee, author of “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Harper rose to No. 11 on the SSA baby name list this past year.

Kelly

Origin: Irish; English form of the Irish surname, Ó Ceallaigh.
Meaning: Bright-headed; warrior. Perched at 431 on the SSA baby name list, Kelly is an Irish surname that became increasingly popular to both genders during the tail-end of the 20th century.

Lincoln

Origin: English (a surname from the city of Lincoln, in northeastern England)
Meaning: An early Roman settlement in England, located at a pool or lakeside. The name Lincoln harkens back to the revered president, Abraham Lincoln; the name currently is No. 87 on the SSA baby name list and is being used more and more frequently for both boys and girls.

Quinn

Origin: Irish; Scottish.
Meaning: Descendant of Conn; Gaelic meaning is “Counsel” (referring to wisdom and intelligence). This name has deep, ancient roots as a Scottish and Irish surname and is currently ranked 126 on the SSA baby name list. A long-favorite boy’s name, the moniker became a unisex favorite in the mid-1990s (possibly due to the TV show “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman”), and has continued to be popular.