Truly Gender-Neutral Names: The Most Balanced of Them All

Gender-neutral names are balanced in the proportion of girls to boys who receive the name in a given year. At Nameberry, we define this as no less than 35 percent, but no more than 65 percent of a single sex. Compare that to unisex names, which are given to the minority sex at least 10 percent of the time.

Parents may choose gender-neutral names to offer their child freedom from gender stereotypes or conventional gender identity. These truly neutral names give children the space to explore gender, mold their names to fit their identities, and perhaps limit the assumptions people make based on hearing or seeing their name before meeting them.

Other parents are choosing these gender-neutral baby names for their modern style rather than strict gender parity. Gender-neutral names can be non-traditional with relatively recent histories, particularly when used for girls, giving them potential to sound fresher than the classics.

One thing to consider is that names move in and out of gender-neutral status. Until recently, Charlie was largely reserved for boys, but now it’s given to girls and boys in equal numbers. Likewise, Jamie was overwhelmingly feminine for much of the 20th century, with a decade of gender neutrality in the 1970s. After a sharp drop in instances among baby girls, Jamie once again qualifies as gender-neutral (for now).

Another thing to consider is that what counts as gender-neutral will greatly depend on where you are. Rory and Finley for example might be neutral choices in the US, whereas in the UK, they wouldn't even qualify as unisex. Jules, Imran and Aris are others that may be viewed differently across the globe.

Finally, it's worth bearing in mind that we are basing this purely on the statistics. Other people's definition of what makes a name gender-neutral may differ from the parameters laid out above.

Let’s dive into the names considered truly gender-neutral today:

Top Gender-Neutral Names

In 2020, Parker became the reigning top gender-neutral name. It had been considered unisex for years, but 2020 was the first year Parker achieved gender-neutral status. It has remained in the top spot for 2023, and is balanced in gender distribution, unlikely to lean too heavily either way anytime soon. Parker now ranks at Number 91 for boys and Number 121 for girls.

The previous title holder was Charlie, now the second-most common gender-neutral name. It had fallen down the rankings in recent years, but 2023 saw last years second place-holder River take such a dip in popularity for girls that it no long qualifies as gender-neutral.

When it comes to the most balanced names in terms of sex distribution, Charlie along with Blake, Alexis, Finley, Azariah, Bellamy, Tatum, and Robin take the lead.

The most common gender-neutral baby names rank in the Top 1000 for both sexes. Names are listed with the ratio of girls to boys given the name in 2023.

Parker (38:62)

Charlie (52:48)

Emerson (58:42)

Tatum (47:53)

Blake (50:50)

Rory (41:59)

Finley (49:51)

Dakota (54:46)

Phoenix (41:59)

Shiloh (57:43)

Remington (38:62)

Ari (40:60)

Armani (45:55)

Alexis (52:48)

Remy (36:64)

Reign (62:38)

Salem (62:38)

Azariah (51:49)

Briar (58:42)

Denver (38:62)

Drew (40:60)

Sevyn (63: 37)

Miller (35:65)

Skyler (57:43)

Jamie (43:57)

Ocean (42:58)

Layne (39:61)

Chandler (43:57)

Bellamy (49:51)

Robin (52:48)

Tru (40:60)

Quincy (40:60)

Miller and Quincy joined the list after they both entered the Top 1000 lists for girls in 2023, while Reign rose up enough for boys that it now qualifies.

Names that are no longer gender-neutral include Dior, Murphy, and Legacy which now lean more feminine, and Amiri and River which are currently given to more boys. Justice has also dropped off the list, not because it isn’t gender neutral, but because it is out of the Top 1000 names for girls.

Rising Gender-Neutral Names

The rare(r) names that are rising for both sexes include Traveling Lite names like Mavi, Paz and Lou, last names as first names such as Callaway and Dempsey, and unique, modern word names like Solace, Cove, and Starling.

Adel (36:64)

Akari (50:50)

Aris (46:54)

Asani (50:50)

Callaway (39:61)

Chapel (47:53)

Chosyn (56:46)

Cove (39:61)

Cypress (38:62)

Dempsey (37:63)

Divine (53:47)

Emari (41:59)

Ever (38:62)

Golden (45:55)

Halen (50:50)

Harlem (38:62)

Hollis (42:58)

Jelani (40:60)

Kemper (46:54)

Lou (48:52)

Mavi (63:37)

Nikita (42:58)

Paz (52:48)

Rhythm (56:44)

Rowe (42:58)

Shea (63:37)

Solace (42:58)

Starling (57:43)

Teegan (63:37)

Tully (64:36)

Names Changing in Distribution

The following unique unisex names are rising for one sex but are dropping for the other. Should they continue on their trajectories, the balance could shift, and we could see them lose their gender-neutral status. For the time being, these names still achieve gender parity, but as noted earlier, things can change significantly year by year.

Amen (43:57)

Auden (55:45)

Breeze (42:58)

Charleston (60:40)

Huntley (45:55)

Itzae (35:64)

Jael (47:53)

Kasey (43:57)

Kit (55:45)

Koi (56:44)

Linden (42:58)

Marlo (49:51)

Namari (37:63)

Safari (44:56)

Soul (52:48)

Taylin (57:43)

Tenzin (58:42)

Valentine (36:64)

Wynn (48:52)

The Best of the Rest

Given to at least 20 but no more than 50 babies in 2023, these rare gender-neutral baby names might not be trending but they do get the Nameberry seal of approval. In fact, their uniqueness might make them feel even more neutral, as people might not have the same gendered associations around them that they could have with Charlie, Toby, or Kadence.

Amory (41:59)

Ashby (40:60)

Atlantis (57:43)

Avry (50:50)

Bora (56:44)

Elim (46:54)

Enzi (38:62)

Hani (50:50)

Jory (45:55)

July (57:43)

Knoxley (52:48)

McCall (56:44)

Mercury (50:50)

Nyree (54:46)

Poet (48:52)

Pruitt (39:61)

Revel (44:56)

Saturn (61:39)

Solaris (63:37)

Sumner (36:64)

The Nearly Neutral

This final category includes unisex names that were on the very cusp of being gender-neutral in 2023 and might become so if they continue along the same trajectory in the future. Here are a few to watch out for:

Carlyle (34:66)

Cree (34:66)

Keylen (34:66)

Ollie (34:66)

Shai (34:66)

Weslee (34:66)

Brook (66:34)

Kansas (66:34)

Kior (66:34)

Tovi (66:34)