Unisex Baby Names: How To Achieve Baby Name Equality

Unisex baby names, meaning those that are used for both boys and girls, are not always that equal. Some of the most popular are heavily weighted toward one gender or the other: Emerson is 61 percent girls and 39 percent boys, for instance, while Rowan is the other way around. Other names are skewed depending on spelling: Jadin is 66% boys, while Jadyn is 71% girls.

Still other unisex baby names may veer in a new direction because of a pop culture influence. Quinn, while 68% boys right now, we expect to rise dramatically for girls thanks to the attractive female character on Glee.

But there are some baby names that are truly unisex, given to half boys and half girls. Many of these are somewhat obscure names, or unusual spelling variations of more popular names. We’ve left off the less usable examples (Dacoda, Oluwadamilola) but if your main aim is absolute parity, here are some unisex baby names split 50-50 between boys and girls:

Adi
Aidynn
Amadi

Amori
AngellArringtonBradieCarlisle
Chesley
Clarke
EckoElyahGraeHaydyn
IndianaKemaniLanny
Maika
Marcelle
Mattia
Michal
MichelMoney (equal pay….)OmegaPsalmQamarRayenSalem
Samar
Santanna
ShadowShylerSinclair
StarlingStellarStorm
Thanh
Windsor

More popular unisex baby names that are close to 50-50 include the following, ordered by popularity within each proportion breakdown. Coincidentally, the most widely used name that comes closest to gender equality is my own daughter’s name Rory, given to 581 babies in 2009, 51% of them boys and 49% girls. There are some great names here and some surprises: I would never have guessed, for instance, that Winslow and Timber would tip girlish, or that Dominique, Marion, and Britt would lean toward the boys’ side.

Slightly more girls than boys:

Jaedyn – 51-49Kamdyn – 51-49Lakota – 51 – 49Ellington – 52 – 48Devyn – 53 – 47Camdyn – 53 – 47Kylin – 53 – 47Winslow – 53 – 47Garnet – 53 – 47Laken – 54 – 46Kodi – 54 – 46Tennessee – 54 – 46Landry – 55 – 45Timber – 55 – 45Mercury – 55 – 45Wisdom – 55 – 45Seneca – 55 – 45

Slightly more boys than girls:

Rory – 51 – 49Dominique – 51 – 49Reilly and Ryley – 51 – 49Tenzin – 51 – 49Yuki – 51 – 49Marion – 52 -48Rio – 52 -48Dakotah – 52 -48Gentry – 52 -48True – 52 -48Merritt – 52 -48Joss – 52 -48Britt – 52 -48Jessie – 53 – 47Payden – 53 – 47Valentine – 53 – 47Jazz – 53 – 47Dakota – 54 – 46Jaylin – 54 – 46Jael – 54 – 46Austyn – 54 – 46Jules – 54 – 46Jaziah – 54 – 46Justice – 55 – 45Tristyn – 55 – 45Kaidyn – 55 – 45Corin – 55 – 45Zeal – 55 – 45

Be sure to check out our full list of unisex baby names.

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We’ve just discovered that Amazon is offering two of our books on a special, limited time only, deeply discounted price: Beyond Ava & Aiden for $4.85 and Cool Names for just $3.98!  And in the interest of price equality, we’ve cut the prices of the Kindle versions of Beyond Ava & Aiden and Cool Names. Or you can order ebooks at the new bargain price right here at the nameberry store.  Buy now! (We did.  Really.)