10 Popular Unisex Names
Looking to give your baby a unisex name? You’re not alone. The unisex baby name trend is on the rise and in 2016, the percentage of babies given a unisex name reached a record 15%. Names.org recently released their list of the 200 most popular unisex names of all time, and Willie, a name we don’t hear often, takes the top spot.
So what exactly makes a name gender neutral? The site said when it comes to all names, 92% are either 99% male or 99% female. They looked at names with less than 95% of one gender to be gender-neutral. Given their definition, only 6% of names are considered gender-neutral.
Many of the most popular unisex names on the list are ones we don’t hear often, but there are some names that are among the top 100 baby names you will see on the like, like Mason, Riley, Mackenzie, and Taylor.
Check out the top 10 most popular unisex names below:
Willie: The most popular unisex name of all time. Willie is an English name that you don’t hear as often now. According the Names.org, the gender-neutral name peaked in 1919 when 6,942 boys and 4,050 girls were named Willie.
Kelly: A name you hear more often with girls than you do boys, but this name peaked for both boys and girls in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Terry: Terry was most popular for both girls and boys in 1955 when nearly 21,000 babies born were born with the name. While the name isn’t incredibly popular now, it’s given more to boys than girls.
Jordan: Jordan is a unisex name we hear often in recent years. It’ a more popular name among boys, ranking in the top 100 names in 2015. The name was most popular in the 1990s and peaked in 1990 when 22,000 babies were given the name.
Taylor: Taylor was originally a last name given to those who made clothes, and was first used as a girl’s name in the America. While it peaked in 1993, it still continues to be a popular name, ranking in the top 200 names in 2015.
Alexis: A name with Greek and Roman history, Alexis is quite popular for boys in France, while it’s more commonly heard with girls in English-speaking countries. It’s always been more popular with girls, but the name peaked with both boys and girls in 1998 when nearly 20,000 girls and 2,000 boys were given the name Alexis.
Leslie: It’s not often we hear Leslie as a boy’s name, but the name was popular with boys in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Though it’s more common as a girl’s name, it’s still not very popular and didn’t even break the top 500 names in 2015.
Jamie: A Hebrew name that means “supplanter,” Jamie is still a unisex name we hear often with both boys and girls. The name was most popular with boy boys and girls in 1976 and will remain a classic and strong name.
Shannon: A common name that is becoming less and less popular, with only 271 babies being given the name in 2016 (most being girls). Shannon reached it’s highest popularity in the 1970s. In 1970, 16,171 babies were given the name Shannon.
Shawn: A name first given to boys in 1931, it wasn’t until 1938 when it emerged as a girl’s name. Still a more popular name with boys, Shawn is still given to girls. It reached popularity for both boys and girls in 1971 when 14,696 boys and girls were given the name.
If you're searching for the perfect unisex baby name for your upcoming arrival, visit the Pampers easy-to-use Baby Name Generator tool.
