In my lifelong quest to name everyone’s baby, I’ve posted a few lists of baby girl names and baby boy names, but what about names that defy easy categorization? Gender-neutral or unisex names are growing in popularity, and for lots of good reasons. Many see them as more inclusive, equitable, and adaptable. Some find them modern, cool, or even edgy. The rise in gender-neutral names also makes it easier for parents to use a family name or other sentimental or beloved name, regardless of their baby’s gender.
The “gendering” of names varies by culture, country, and even by generation, meaning some of these names may feel less “neutral” to you. People also bring personal associations to names, like pop culture references and real-life relationships. For example, which celebrity first comes to mind when you read the names Blake, Drew, and Robin? It might be completely different for different people you ask.
Was it Blake Lively or Blake Shelton? Drew Carey or Drew Barrymore? Robin Wright or Robin Williams? This exercise is just a reminder to keep an open mind when searching for a gender-neutral name. Your first instinct may not be everyone else’s!
Most Popular Gender-Neutral Names
We cross-checked the latest top 1000 baby names list for boys & girls to determine which names ranked highest on BOTH lists. John helped me with this – you know he never met a statistic he didn’t love. So here are the top 20 gender-neutral names, determined by averaging their rankings:
- Parker (#97 boys, #104 girls)
- Riley (#229 boys, #42 girls)
- Avery (#259 boys, #31 girls)
- Rowan (#71 boys, #226 girls)
- Charlie (#176 boys, #140 girls)
- River (#112 boys, #214 girls)
- Tatum (#195 boys, #205 girls)
- Emerson (#270 boys, #151 girls)
- Sawyer (#132 boys, #297 girls)
- Logan (#46 boys, #391 girls)
- Blake (#265 boys, #210 girls)
- Rory (#226 boys, #286 girls)
- Eden (#446 boys, #72 girls)
- Cameron (#66 boys, #485 girls)
- Carter (#45 boys, #507 girls)
- Hayden (#154 boys, #401 girls)
- Sage (#413 boys, #146 girls)
- Angel (#63 boys, #498 girls)
- Noah (#2 boys, #561 girls)
- Oakley (#401 boys, 157 girls)
Now, you may notice some of the names above ranked significantly higher on one list than the other. For instance, Noah is way up at #2 for boys, but only #561 for girls. So we also looked at which names were most closely ranked across the two lists. These are arguably the “most neutral” of the top 1000 baby names:
- Parker (#97 boys, #104 girls – 7 spots apart)
- Tatum (#195 boys, #205 girls – 10 spots apart)
- Robin (#810 boys, #799 girls – 11 spots apart)
- Campbell (#922 boys, #951 girls – 29 spots apart)
- Charlie (#176 boys, #140 girls – 36 spots apart)
- Blake (#265 boys, #210 girls – 55 spots apart)
- Rory (#226 boys, #286 girls – 60 spots apart)
- Francis / Frances (#450 boys, #379 girls – 71 spots apart)
- Finley (#290 boys, #365 girls – 75 spots apart)
- Shiloh (#336 boys, #260 girls – 76 spots apart)
- Jamie (#623 boys, #716 girls – 93 spots apart)
- Skyler (#760 boys, #661 girls – 99 spots apart)
- River (#112 boys, #214 girls – 102 spots apart)
- Emerson (#270 boys, #151 girls – 119 spots apart)
- Phoenix (#275 boys, #421 girls – 146 spots apart)
More Gender Neutral Baby Name Ideas
Let’s look beyond what’s already popular. One great way to pick a gender-neutral name is to find something unique, since non-traditional names may not have as many pre-existing gender associations. Then again, there are plenty of classic names that have been used for both boys and girls. Here’s a longer list of names to consider:
- Adrian
- Aiden
- Alex
- Andy
- Angel
- Arbor
- Archie
- Arlo
- Ash
- Asher
- Aspen
- Aster
- Atlas
- Aubrey
- August
- Avery
- Azriel
- Bailey
- Beck
- Bentley
- Billie
- Blair
- Blake
- Bowie
- Brooklyn
- Brooks
- Bryce
- Cameron
- Campbell
- Carson
- Carter
- Casey
- Chandler
- Channing
- Charlie
- Collins
- Corey / Kori
- Cruz
- Dallas
- Dean / Deane
- Denver
- Devon
- Dorian
- Drew
- Dylan
- Easton
- Eden
- Elliot
- Ellis
- Emerson
- Ezra
- Fallon
- Finley
- Francis / Frances
- Frankie
- Gale
- Greer
- Grey / Gray
- Harley
- Harlowe
- Harper
- Hart
- Hayden
- Holland
- Hollis
- James
- Jayden
- Jesse / Jessie
- Jett
- Johnny / Johnnie
- Jordan
- Jude
- Julian
- Juniper
- Kai
- Keaton
- Kelsey
- Kendall
- Kennedy
- Kirby
- Kit
- Koda
- Kyle
- Lane
- Lennon
- Lennox
- Logan
- London
- Luca
- Marlow
- Max
- Merritt
- Micah
- Miles
- Morgan
- Murphy
- Navy
- Noah
- Noel
- Oakley
- Ollie
- Palmer
- Park
- Parker
- Peyton
- Phoenix
- Presley
- Quinn
- Reagan
- Reese
- Remy
- Ridley
- Riley
- River
- Robbie
- Robin
- Rory
- Rowan
- Rumi
- Ryan
- Sage
- Salem
- Sawyer
- Scout
- Seneca
- Shawn
- Shelby
- Shiloh
- Skyler
- Sloane
- Spencer
- Sullivan
- Sydney
- Tanner
- Tatum
- Taylor
- Theo
- West
- Willow
- Wren
- Wyatt
- Zion
More Naming Resources
To see all of our lists of names – including those split up by gender (and species!) be sure to check out the links below. Because if one thing is for sure, I also want to name your cat and your dog.