Gender Neutral Names Changing Direction
Gender neutral names are susceptible to the same shifts in popularity as traditionally gendered names, but these shifts can differ between the sexes. This makes it more interesting to examine the directions of unisex names, which fluctuate in girl-boy ratio from year to year.
Nameberry defines gender neutral names as those given to a single sex at least ten percent of the time. We looked at the 2018-2019 trend lines of the Top 100 names to determine which unisex names are getting more feminine and masculine, and which are rising and falling for both sexes.
Here, the ups and downs of the most popular unisex names:
Gender Neutral Names Moving in the Same Direction
The unisex names below are rising or falling for both sexes. Millennial and Gen-Z era unisex names such as Taylor, Jordan, and Hayden are declining in use, making way for today’s fresh picks.
Particularly stylish gender neutral names include those ending in I, such as Armani, Kamari, and Remi, place names such as Denver, Memphis, and Salem, and word names including Legacy, Reign, and River.
Unisex Names Moving in Different Directions
Among the unisex names with different trend lines for each sex, we looked at the shift in gender breakdown between 2018 and 2019. Increases in femininity and masculinity occur due to names falling, rising, or staying stable for one sex and trending differently for the other.
Palmer is the name with the greatest increase in femininity over the year, shifting from 71 to 80 percent use among baby girls. Lennox had the greatest increase in masculinity, moving from 66 to 72 percent use among baby boys between 2018 and 2019.
Below, names becoming more feminine and masculine, in descending order according to percent change.
About the Author
Sophie Kihm
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