Gender-neutral names beginning with B
108. Bailey
109. Beau
110. Bernie
Origin: French
Meaning: Brave as a bear
111. Billie (or Billy)
112. Blair (Blaire)
113. Blake
Origin: Old English
Meaning: Black or dark
114. Blaze (Blaize)
Origin: English
Meaning: Flame, fire
115. Blue
116. Bo
Origin: Old Norse, Chinese
Meaning: To live, Wide wave
117. Bobby (or Bobbie)
Origin: English
Meaning: Bright fame
118. Bodhi
119. Briar
120. Bryce
Origin: Scottish, English
Meaning: Speckled, son of a nobleman
What Mumsnetters think about gender-neutral baby names beginning with B
"I know a Billie and she's from a well-heeled background. She's Wilhelmina on her birth certificate. I think Billie is fine.” - Mumsnet user, FayCarew
“I know a Bodhi. He is five and adorable. He does live by the sea and will likely end up being a surfer.” - Mumsnet user, Hillrunning
How to choose a baby name beginning with B
If you want a popular name, check the most popular names lists. There are several B names for boys and girls, which appear on one or more of the official stats lists, including ONS baby names list for England and Wales (released May 2024), the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency and Central Statistics Office for Irish names and the National Records of Scotland for Scottish names.
Want to give your baby a more unusual name? choose one which doesn’t appear on the lists mentioned above.
If you’re looking for a classic, timeless name consider Beatrice for a girl or Benjamin for a boy; both these names are enduring classics which have remained popular through the decades.
Want a name with good nickname potential? look for a longer name which can be easily shortened, like Bethany (Beth) or Benedict (Ben).
Embrace the short name trend by selecting a snappy B name like Bess, Bert, Bill, Bo or Beau.
Drawn towards unisex names starting with B? There are plenty to consider including Bailey, Blake and Bryce.
Bestow an on-trend nature name on your little chick; Blossom, Bramble and Briar.
Take B name inspo from music stars like David Bowie, Billie Eilish, Bjork, Beck and ABBA’s Benny and Bjorn, who are all anything but B list.
What’s a popular girl’s name beginning with B?
A popular girl’s name beginning with B is any that is included in the official ‘most chosen names’ lists: the ONS baby names list for England and Wales (released May 2024), the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency and Central Statistics Office for Irish names and the National Records of Scotland for Scottish names. Bella and Bonnie appear in one or more of these official lists.
Interestingly, the gender-neutral name Blake appears in the ONS top 100 boys’ name list and in the Scottish top 100 for girls.
What’s a popular boy’s name beginning with B?
The popular names that appear in one or more of the official ‘most popular’ lists for England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland are: Benjamin, Brody, Blair, Blake, Bobby and Bodhi.
As mentioned above, Blake appears in the top 100 ONS list for boys and in the top 100 list in Scotland for girls.
What are rare names that start with B?
Rare names for girls and boys include names beginning with B which don’t appear in any of the ‘most popular’ baby names lists. These include: Bambi, Bliss, Briella, Bram, Bruno and Buzz.
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.