Celebrities' Favorite Unisex Baby Names

By Lisa Milbrand
March 02, 2016
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Some celebrities prefer a name that's gender neutral and works equally well for a boy or a girl. Try one of these unisex baby names that are A-lister approved.
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James

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This ultra classic name, which means supplanter, has been in the top 10 for boys for the better part of the century, but now celebs like Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, as well as Jennifer Love Hewitt and Brian Hallisay, have made it super-stylish for girls, too.

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Mason

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This trendy occupational moniker is most often used for boys (think Kourtney Kardashian's kiddo), but it's also been seen on girls' birth certificates—most notably, Kelsey Grammer's daughter.

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Wyatt

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Wyatt's not quite unisex yet, but the fact that Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher picked this Western classic for their daughter could help it become a hot baby name for girls and boys. Sheryl Crow chose it for her son.

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Lincoln

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Lincoln never used to be considered gender-neutral, but now that Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard picked it for their daughter, it's officially become cool for both boys and girls.

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Dashiell

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This charming moniker is most famously associated with detective novel writer Dashiell Hammett and has been used for a slew of stylish celebrity babies, including Cate Blanchett's son and the daughter of Milla Jovovich and Paul Anderson (who used alternative spelling Dashiel).

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Sasha

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Though this Russian nickname for Alexander shares its origin's meaning of "defending men," it has been more popular for girls here in the U.S. But now celebrities are definitely picking it for their boys. Both Chris Hemsworth and Shakira gave the name to their sons, while on the girls' side, there's Steven Spielberg's daughter and, of course, First Daughter Sasha Obama (who uses it as a nickname for Natasha).

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Phoenix

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The word for a mythical bird that symbolizes rebirth—and is the name of Arizona's capital city—is equally popular for either sex. Scary Spice Melanie Brown picked it for her daughter, while Biggest Loser's Jillian Michaels chose it for her son.

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Jagger

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Famed Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger is the inspiration behind this unisex moniker, used most often for boys (by Creed frontman Scott Stapp and athlete Lindsay Davenport). It's becoming more popular for girls, though: Soleil Moon Frye and Ashlee Simpson each used it for their daughters.

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Sailor or Saylor

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Occupational names have been red hot lately (think Mason, Cooper, Hunter and more), but the nautical moniker Sailor (and alternative spelling Saylor) have been particularly popular with celebrities. Liv Tyler chose it for her son, while Kristin Cavallari gave it to her daughter.

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Bodhi

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This Sanskrit name that means enlightenment has been traditionally a boys' name, used by ex-couple Brian Austin Green and Megan Fox, as well as Jenna Elfman. But singer Bobby Brown used it for his daughter, making it a new option for girls.

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Harper

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Harper started off as a boys' name (picked by singer Paul Simon back in the day for his son), but this unisex name is now more common for girls. Rockers Eddie Vedder and Dave Grohl each chose it for their daughters, as did actor Bill Hader, the multi-talented Neil Patrick Harris and power couple David and Victoria Beckham.

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River

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This poetic nature-inspired name is a celebrity favorite, with Kelly Clarkson recently choosing it for her daughter, River Rose, and actress Keri Russell giving it to her son several years back.

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August

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This summer month has become a hot name among celebrities: Actress Mariska Hargitay and musician Dave Matthews both have sons with the name, while Garth Brooks gave it to his daughter.

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Emerson

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Emerson has been used pretty equally for celebrity offspring. Celeb couple Lindsay Price and Curtis Stone recently picked it for their son, and Teri Hatcher used it for her daughter.

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Charlie

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The nickname for the grand old name Charles has become a popular unisex pick in its own right. David Arquette and couple Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer used it for their sons, while Jeremy Sisto and couple Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O'Connell favored it for their daughters.

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Beckett

Beckett is a British name that means "bee colony," and has become red-hot for boys for years. But I'd say the case could be made for this to be a girl's name, too—especially since TV cop Kate Beckett from Castle regularly goes by her surname. Becky or Kitty could be girlier nicknames. Bachelor alum Melissa Rycroft and husband Tye Strickland welcomed their second child, son Beckett Thomas.

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Winston

Idris Elba, who recently won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Nelson Mandela in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, welcomed a son with the very British (and very cool) name Winston. Winston means "wine town," and is currently in the top 700 baby names in the U.S. It has the legendary Winston Churchill as its claim to fame, and could be an offbeat way to make it to the cool girl nickname Winnie. (That shortened Winnie was picked by Jimmy Fallon for his daughter.)

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