There’s a new trend that’s taking being “named after Dad” to a whole new level. Sure, it’s been a tradition for probably thousands of years to name daughters after their fathers by feminizing the male version of the name: like turning Daniel into Danielle, Jack into Jacqueline, or Frank into Francesca. But this new “suburban dad” naming trend is literally just using male names for girls. James, for example, doesn’t become Jaime — it stays James — but on a girl this time! Sometimes the spelling of the name is feminized a smidge, like Billie instead of Billy, but the name itself doesn’t change.
You could definitely give your daughter any old “dad name,” but some — Kevin, Peter, and Matthew, to name a few — don’t translate quite as well. Our list of male names for girls includes names that aren’t exactly unisex, but will work as a unique girl’s name, and some (such as Casey and Charlie) that are increasingly seen as equally fitting for boys or girls.
Charlie
If there ever was a male name, it’s Charlie — because it comes from Charles, which literally means “man!” But Charlie is a hot up-and-comer in the world of girl names. According to data from the U.S. Social Security Administration, which tracks the popularity of baby names year over year, Charlie was barely on the list of the top 1000 names for girls in 2005; it stood at #959. Fast-forward to 2023, though, and it has skyrocketed to #125!
Celebs Jerry O’Connell and Rebecca Romijn named one of their twin daughters Charlie in 2008.
Scottie
If you need further proof of the “suburban dad” naming trend for girls, look at Scottie! Per the U.S. Social Security Administration, it made the top 1000 for the first time in 2022, but barely, coming in at #923. By 2023, however, it was at #617 — and is still climbing! It’s a variant of the name Scott, of course, which is derived from the Latin word Scoti meaning “a speaker of Gaelic.”
Marty
While Marty hasn’t broken into the top 1000 most popular girl names yet, it fits perfectly into the “dad name” trend, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see an uptick in popularity very soon. It comes from the Roman god Mars, the god of war, whose name was possibly derived from the Latin word maris, meaning “male.”
Drew
Another literal manly name, Drew is derived from Andrew — which comes from the Greek word andreios, meaning “masculine.” And if it’s good enough for the iconic Drew Barrymore …
Terry
Terry has been a fairly gender-neutral name for decades, though usually when seen on a girl, it’s spelled Terri or Terrie. But why not give your daughter the “boy” version? It comes from the Norman French surname Thierry, which comes from the Gothic name Theodoric and means “ruler of the people.”
Shawn
Why name her Shawna when Shawn works fine? Just ask Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson East! It actually comes from the name Seán, which is the Irish version of John, meaning “the Lord is gracious.”
Derek
What does the name Derek have to do with the name Terry? They both originated with the same root name — Theodoric — and share the same meaning: ruler of the people!
Kyle
You could name your daughter Kyla — or Kylie, a la Jenner — but why not just stick with Kyle and make her a standout? It’s actually a geographic name that comes from the Gaelic word caol, meaning “narrows” or “strait.”
Frankie
Another “dad name” that’s burning up the SSA’s female popularity charts, Frankie was at #988 in 2015 — but as of 2023, it was at #538. (Actor Shemar Moore is the proud dad of a daughter named Frankie, born in 2023!) The name comes from Frank, of course, which refers to members of an ancient Germanic tribe by the same name: the Franks.
Joey
Anyone who’s ever watched, or heard of, the hit show Dawson’s Creek has heard of the character Joey Potter (played by Katie Holmes) — whose real name was Josephine, but Joey was her cute and quirky nickname. It comes from Joseph, which is a Hebrew name meaning “he will add.”
Casey
Derived from the Irish surname Ó Cathasaigh, meaning “vigilant” or “watchful,” Casey is one of the most popular unisex names ever. Even so, it’s more often used for boys — but makes the perfect “dad name” for girls!
James
James is actually a version of the Hebrew name Jacob, meaning “supplanter.” Though it’s fairly common to see Jamie (and spelling variants like Jaime and Jaimee) used for girls, James is a more rare girl name that’s seen an increase in popularity. Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively used it for their daughter in 2014!
Georgie
You could definitely name your daughter George (meaning “farmer”) — actors Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Hilarie Burton did exactly that in 2018, with the birth of their daughter, George Virginia! But Georgie is a cute and playful variant that you don’t often hear for girls.
Ryan
From the Irish surname Ó Riain, meaning “little king,” Ryan is a name you don’t hear often enough for girls, in our opinion!
Jesse
We know what you’re thinking: why not just name your daughter Jessica and call her Jessie for short? Well, because they’re actually two different names, for starters. While Jessica is likely derived from the name Iscah, meaning “to behold,” Jesse comes from the name Yishai, meaning “gift.”
Alex
Derived from Alexander, a Greek name meaning “defender of men,” Alex is a fairly common unisex name. But what’s not so common is Alex being a girl’s given name; even if she’s called Alex, it’s typically short for Alexandra. So Alex alone is a breath of fresh air.
Johnnie
Meaning “the Lord is gracious,” the name John (and its nickname, Johnny) is so perennially popular than everyone — everyone! — can probably name multiple men named John that they personally know. But how many girls do you know named Johnnie? … Exactly!
Randall
Randall is a version of the medieval name Randolf, which is comprised of two Germanic elements: rant, meaning “rim” (as in the rim of a shield), and wolf, meaning — you guessed it — “wolf.” In terms of feminine versions of this name, Randi has been the most widely-used choice for girls (just ask Patrick Mahomes’ mom, Randi Mahomes!). But in the spirit of using unchanged “dad names,” we love Randall for girls — if Kendall is a girl name, why would Randall be a stretch?
Billie
Billy, of course, is a nickname for William — meaning “will helmet” (odd, we know). And there’s nothing wrong with leaving it as-is for a daughter; Billy is fine. But thanks to icons like Billie Holliday and Billie Eilish, Billie with an -ie ending has become popular for girls, especially in the last few years; per the SSA, it was at #942 in 2021 and in just two years, jumped up to #865.
Andy
Typically for boys, this is another nickname for Andrew (meaning “manly”) — if Andy is seen on a girl, it’s usually a nickname for Andrea (and usually spelled Andi, Andie, or Andee). Andy-with-a-y just gives it a little bit of a unique edge!
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