Several names in this book appear on both the boys' and the girls' list, but that doesn't necessarily make them unisex names. On our sound-and-rhythm lists, we thought it was important to show you names that are—or have been—used for both genders, but we also wanted to keep the list relevant for today's parents. We removed names that we figured were simple mislabeling errors on the Social Security list—Richard, Robert, and David as girls' names, for instance. We also tried to omit names that used to be boys' names in other eras but have now crossed over into strictly female territory, such as Meredith, Lynn, and Carroll. Somewhat arbitrarily, though, we kept some names that seem to be more female these days—like Lindsey, Kenya, and Nakia—on the boys' list as well because they still have the potential to be unisex. We also kept names that are used for either sex in other cultures: Alma is a Spanish female name and a Mormon male name, and although Andrea is a girls' name in the United States, it is used by both genders in Mediterranean countries, like Andrea Boticelli, the male opera singer.

In an effort to define what unisex means now, we compiled this list of names that have appeared on both the boys' and girls' top 1000 lists since 1990. With each name we show their current rank on the male (M) and female (F) lists. This way you can judge for yourself if it is a more popular name to give a girl or a boy these days. The names on the used-to-be unisex list have appeared on both the male and female lists in the last 100 years. We show you the current rank for the name on whichever list it presently appears. If it hasn't been on the list in the last 14 years, we let it stand alone. And, finally, we also came up with a list of future unisex names, which we think could appeal to parents looking for the next unisex name.

Unisex
Addison (M 539; F 192)
Alexis (M 149; F 7)
Angel (M 43; F 121)
Ariel (M 557; F 214)
Armani (M 711; F 932)
Ashley (M 940; F 8)
Ashton (M 101; F 474)
Aubrey (left boys list in 2002; F 186)
Avery (M 222; F 90)
Bailey (M 360; F 99)
Blair (left boys list in 1995; F 979)
Campbell (M 984; F 927)
Casey (M 264; F 318)
Cassidy (left boys list in 1990; F 153)
Chandler (M 263; left girls list in 2001)
Christian (M 24; F 822)
Cody (M 79 in 2003; left girls list in 1991)
Corey (M 200; left girls list in 1995)
Courtney (left boys list in 2001; F 104)
Dakota (M 130; F 342)
Dallas (M 391; left girls list in 2000)
Darian (M 527 in 2003; left girls list in 2001)
Devin (M 74; F 807)
Dylan (M 19; F 501)
Emerson (M 714; F 785)
Erin (left boys list in 1996; F 81)
Gabriel (M 30 in 2003; left girls list in 2001)
Harley (M 426; F 313)
Jade (left boys list in 2001; F 100)
Jaden (M 83; F 229)
Jamie (M 552; F 174)
Jean (M 477; left girls list in 1994)
Jessie (M 412; F 475)
Jimmie (left boys list in 2000)
Jodie (left girls list in 1995)
Jordan (M 38; F 49)
Justice (M 401; F 456)
Kayden (M 370; F 936)
Kennedy (M 974; F 123)
Kyle (M 53; left girls list in 1990)
Leslie (M 874: F 92)
Logan (M 29; F 351)
London (M 892; F 801)
Loren (left boys list in 1998; F 962)
Micah (M 175; F 716)
Michael (M 2; left girls list in 1995)
Morgan (M 364; F 29)
Paris (F 275; left the male list in 2001)
Parker (M 127; F 809)
Payton (M 262; F 207)
Quinn (M 293; F 677)
Reagan (M 877; F 202)
Reese (M 374; F 312)
Riley (M105; F 72)
Robin (left boys list in 1999; F 943)
Rory (M 651; F 998)
Rowan (M 626: F 949)
Ryan (M 12; F 485)
Sage (M 610; F 405)
Skylar (M 414; F 147)
Sidney (M 685; F 328)
Stacy (M 1000; F 653)
Taylor (M 201; F 19)
Tracy (M 821; F 819)
Tyler (M 15; F 606)

Used to be Unisex Aiden (M 73) Alma (F 640) Ardell Arlie Audie Bennie (left boys list 1990) Bernie Beryl Bobbie (F 806) Bobby (M 455) Brooke (F 43) Carroll Charlie (M 372) Chris (M 371) Christopher (M 9) Clare (F 644) Cruz (M 598) Dale (M 562) Darby (F 951) Daryl (M 943) Diamond (F 238) Donnie (M 947) Eddie (M 389) Elza Finley Frances (F 580) Frankie (M 795) Freddie (M 977) Gail Gerry Golden Jacoby (M 765) Jaelyn (F 535) Jalen (M 156) Jan (M 546) Jeri Jerry (M 287) Joey (M 496) Jody (M 915) Justin (M 26) Kenya (F 585) Kenyatta Kenneth (M 109) Lindsey (F 133) Lonnie (M 928) Lou Louie (M 914) Lupe Lynn (F 947) Marlen (F 923) Marlyn Maxie Meredith (F 361) Meryl Mickey (M 994) Nakia (F 997) Odell Ollie Pat Patsy Regan (F 452) Robbie (M 899) Robyn (F 912) Ronnie (M 550) Rosario (F 947) Sailor Sandy (F 839) Santos (M 693) Shirley (F 766) Sterling (M 639) Theo Toby (M 439) Tommie (M 944) Trinidad Trinity (F 57) Val Valentine Vernie Vernell Virgil (M 882) Vivian (F 223) Whitney (F 448) Willie (M 454)

Future Unisex Aiko Blue Cedar Clover Cypress Davin Dexter Finley Jabari Jacari Jacoby Jett Journey Kai Keanu Keiko Levi Makaio Najee Neftali Nova Omarion Piper Rumer Sailor Sasha Satchel Scout Sterling Talmedge Taurean Torrance Vaughn Walker Wyatt Xavier Zachary

< previous article | section index | next article >