Cool gender-neutral names
179. Alexis
180. Avery
Origin: English
Meaning: Ruler of elves
181. Bailey
182. Beau
183. Billy (or Billie)
Origin: Germanic
Meaning: Will, desire
184. Blake
Origin: Old English
Meaning: Black or dark
185. Blythe
Origin: English
Meaning: Free spirit
186. Dylan
Origin: Welsh
Meaning: Son of the sea
187. Harper
188. Indy (or Indie)
189. Monroe
190. Morgan
Origin: Welsh
Meaning: Sea circle
191. Rain
Origin: English
Meaning: Rain
192. Remi (or Remy)
Origin: French
Meaning: Rower
193. Raven
Origin: English
Meaning: Blackbird
194. Stevie
Origin: English
Meaning: Crown, garland
195. Storm
Origin: English
Meaning: Tempest
196. Syd
Origin: English
Meaning: Wide meadow
197. Taylor
Origin: English
Meaning: Tailor
198. Willow
Origin: English
Willow tree
199. Wren
Origin: English
Meaning: Small bird
200. Ziggy
What Mumsnetters say about cool gender-neutral names
“I think tomboy or androgynous names sound cool.” - Mumsnet user, tooorangey
“Personally I think the very coolest name of someone I know is a woman called Stevie. Not short for anything. I wish I was called that or Billie or something quite androgynous.” - Mumsnet user, MisterMagpie
How to choose a cool baby name
Keep it short - for many parents today, cool equates to short and striking three letter, one syllable names, which feel fresh and modern… Oh, hi there, Ace, Jett, Dot and Rae.
Embrace Nordic chic - names popular in Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Iceland are gaining popularity with UK parents for their simple beauty. Think Astrid, Axel, Tove and Lumi.
Look to nature and the weather for inspiration because names such as Daisy, Meadow, Bear, Fox, Rain and Storm are choices for cool cats right now. For cool verging on freezing cold, how about Eira, a Welsh name which means ‘snow’?
Love flower names? Good news, they fit in with the nature-inspired trend, but look to more underused options such as Rosa or Marigold.
Pick a surname for your baby’s first name. While surname names such as Parker and Taylor have long been cool over the pond in the USA, they’re now becoming increasingly popular with fashionable British parents for boys and girls.
Aim for the stars with a space-themed name such as Buzz (after Buzz Aldrin), Star or Stella (which means ‘star’), any of which would rocket your baby to coolness.
Names inspired by musicians and bands never go out of style - Ziggy and Bowie pay homage to the star man himself, David Bowie, while ONS analysts suggest that the stratospheric rise of Ezra in recent years could be, in part, down to the popularity of ‘Shotgun’ singer George Ezra.
Flick through your calendar for name ideas. Month, day season names are in mode right now. June, August, Sunday and Winter all spring (pun intended) to mind.
Opt for an ‘old money’ aka traditional aristo name with a timeless, classy vibe for your little prince or princess. Imagine swishing around a country estate with Caroline, Amanda, Vivienne and Henry and you’re on the right track, darling. And don’t forget Rupert, which made the top 100 list for the first time ever last year.
Go vintage - but not too far back in time. We’re all used to Victorian names which made a reappearance about 10 years ago. Now mid-century names (1950s and 1960s) are due a resurgence. We’re talking Paul, David, Mary and Gloria, which are all included in our 200 cool names lists above.
For another mid-century nod, how about more modern names paying tribute to stars of that era, including Lennon, Ringo, Harrison, Elvis, Monroe and Dylan?
To lasso a bit of the Wild West naming trend, consider names including Wyatt, Levi, Daisy and Pearl for your own little cowboy or cowgirl.
Keep your eye on popular culture if you’re looking for the next big baby naming trend, because new movies, TV series, music artists and bands can offer inspiration.
What is the coolest baby name?
A popular cool, short name for boys is Jude, which has been in the ONS top 100 since 2010. No surprise really given it pays homage to one of the Beatles’ greatest hits of all time. However, at number 40, it isn't too high up the chart - a crucial consideration when you're looking for a cool name for your baby boy.
A brand-new entry to the ONS top 100 boy name list is Brody (at number 90) which offers the sort of effortless surfer cool you might like for your baby boy, even if you happen to live in rainy Lancashire.
For girls, we like Olive (at number 74 in the chart). While it rose 25 places last year, it remains the cooler sister of Olivia, which has been top of the ONS list since 2016. Mumsnet user Hightemp confirms: “Olive… definitely for the cool mums.”
Outside the top 100 but still fairly popular are Stella and Etta, chic names with an edge of cool which have lovely meanings - ‘star’ and ‘little rose’ respectively.
What are cool unique names?
Gender-neutral names offer effortless cool. They’re still relatively unusual but gaining in popularity. Our favourites from our cool gender-neutral name lists are Raven and Storm, which are sure to have an impact when you introduce your little hipster at the local toddler group.
When it comes to unique girl names, the Finnish name Lumi taps into the cool Nordic chic trend and has a lovely meaning - 'beauty' and 'purity of snow.' For boys, you can’t go far wrong with Donovan, an Irish name meaning ‘dark warrior’ which has loads of rock star cred and shortens to the undoubtedly adorable ‘Donnie’.
Believe it or not, though, some of the most unusual and freshest sounding names picked by parents today are from a few decades ago. This is where the mid-century trend comes in, with old school ‘mum and dad’ names making a comeback. As Mumsnet user CountToTen puts it: “Being called John or Jane these days is pretty unique.”
About the author
Louise Baty writes parenting content for Mumsnet, producing product round-ups, travel guides and baby name articles. She’s also written content for Mumsnet’s sister site, Gransnet.
Originally from West Yorkshire and now based in Nottinghamshire, Louise has worked as a features writer for consumer magazines and national newspapers for 20 years. She specialises in parenting and lifestyle features and emotional true life first-person interviews and has authored four non-fiction books on parenting and grandparenting.
Mum to two tweenagers, Louise’s own baby name choosing days may be long gone. However, she admits to having spent a LONG time deciding on her DCs’ names, together with her DP.
For this reason, Louise has a particular interest in baby names. She understands how difficult it can be to narrow down a short list from your long list of baby names, either during pregnancy or during the sleep-deprived days following the birth of your baby. By compiling comprehensive and easy-to-follow baby name round-ups for Mumsnet, she hopes to provide inspiration and support to parents-to-be who are looking for the perfect name for their baby.