As you prepare for the arrival of your little one, you’ll have to select a baby name along with all those tiny baby clothes. Unisex baby names — ones that work well for a boy or girl — are a great option for parents who don’t want to find out the sex until the birth but don’t want to wait until the last minute to choose a name. Others choose a unisex name for the sound or the meaning. Regardless, parents selecting a unisex name are making a trendy decision.
This style of names has exploded in popularity in recent years. Meagan Tulip, a blogger at Tulip Names, believes that this uptick in unisex name popularity is because “modern parents are looking for new and innovative names” and because of a more engaged conversation about gender in our society.
Sophie Kihm, who writes about names for Nameberry, says unisex names reflect our times: “As gender roles are becoming less pronounced in society, unisex names are gaining in popularity. Just as women can now be doctors and CEOs and men can be teachers and stay-at-home dads, so can we name our daughters Cameron and Sailor and our sons Skylar and Quinn.”
Plus, Kihm says, “Unisex names are the stylistic antithesis of other popular names right now.”
So, parents who want to rebel against the Alexandrias, Gabriellas, Sophias and Amelias cropping up these days might see unisex names as a breath of fresh air.
Unisex names draw inspiration from many sources. Some, like Britton, Dakota and London, are pulled from locations. Others, such as Addison, Cameron, Kennedy and Marlowe, began as surnames. Still others pull their origins from nature, as River, Skye, Robin and Winter do. Many on the list started as definitive male names (Kelly, Dylan) or female names (Emery, Evelyn) before making their way into the gender neutral middle ground.
Here’s a list of unisex baby names that are charting in popularity for both boys and girls:
- Addison
- Adrian
- Alex
- Arden
- Aubrey
- August
- Bailey
- Blair
- Blaine
- Brett
- Britton
- Cameron
- Carey
- Casey
- Charlie
- Dakota
- Dallas
- Dana
- Devon/Devin
- Drew
- Elliott/Elliotte
- Emery
- Evelyn
- Finley
- Gray/Grey
- Hayden
- Jamie
- Jesse/Jessie
- Jude
- Kai
- Kelly
- Kennedy
- Kit
- Lane
- London
- Madison
- Mackenzie
- Marley
- Marlow/ Marlowe
- Morgan
- Peyton/Payton
- Quinn
- Reese
- Robin
- Rory
- Rowan
- River
- Scout
- Shiloh
- Sidney/Sydney
- Skye
- Sloane
- Tate
- Taylor
- Teagan
- Tiernan
- Tracy
- Tyler
- Windsor
- Winter
- Wyatt
So, how do you know when you’ve found the perfect name for your child? “Ask yourself, ‘Is the name that you’re considering a name you or your partner would like to be named?'” advises Tulip. “I love a lot of names, but I wouldn’t necessarily like them for myself. Chances are,” she says, “if the name suits you or your partner, it will suit your little one.”
Kihm reminds parents who are drawn to unisex names that there is still a learning curve for some people. “People look to the baby’s name to get clues about the gender, and with unisex names, this can get confusing,” Kihm says. “Certain names are more associated with one gender over the other. Name your daughter Taylor, and most people will assume she’s a girl. Name your daughter Abbott, and she could get confused for a boy. Of course, none of this matters if you don’t mind correcting people.”
