In my ongoing mission to help people find the perfect baby name, I’ve shared lists of classic girl and boy names. But what about names that don’t fit neatly into one category? Gender-neutral or unisex names are increasingly popular for many reasons. They can feel inclusive, flexible, and modern, and they make it easier for parents to honor family names or sentimental choices without regard to baby’s sex.
What counts as a gendered name varies by culture, country, and generation, so some names on this list may feel more masculine or feminine depending on your background. People also bring personal associations—celebrity names, friends, or characters—that influence how a name feels. For example, Blake might make you think of Blake Lively or Blake Shelton; Drew could bring Drew Barrymore or Drew Carey to mind; Robin might evoke Robin Wright or Robin Williams. Those associations show why it helps to keep an open mind when choosing a gender-neutral name.
Most Popular Gender-Neutral Names
To identify widely used gender-neutral names, we compared the latest Social Security top 1,000 lists for boys and girls and averaged each name’s rank on both lists. Below are the top 20 names by that combined ranking:
- Parker (#97 boys, #104 girls)
- Riley (#229 boys, #42 girls)
- Avery (#259 boys, #31 girls)
- Rowan (#71 boys, #226 girls)
- Charlie (#176 boys, #140 girls)
- River (#112 boys, #214 girls)
- Tatum (#195 boys, #205 girls)
- Emerson (#270 boys, #151 girls)
- Sawyer (#132 boys, #297 girls)
- Logan (#46 boys, #391 girls)
- Blake (#265 boys, #210 girls)
- Rory (#226 boys, #286 girls)
- Eden (#446 boys, #72 girls)
- Cameron (#66 boys, #485 girls)
- Carter (#45 boys, #507 girls)
- Hayden (#154 boys, #401 girls)
- Sage (#413 boys, #146 girls)
- Angel (#63 boys, #498 girls)
- Noah (#2 boys, #561 girls)
- Oakley (#401 boys, #157 girls)
Some names are much more common for one sex than the other—for example, Noah ranks very high for boys but much lower for girls. To highlight names that are more evenly balanced, we also listed names whose ranks are closest across the two lists. These feel especially neutral because their positions for boys and girls are similar:
- Parker (#97 boys, #104 girls – 7 spots apart)
- Tatum (#195 boys, #205 girls – 10 spots apart)
- Robin (#810 boys, #799 girls – 11 spots apart)
- Campbell (#922 boys, #951 girls – 29 spots apart)
- Charlie (#176 boys, #140 girls – 36 spots apart)
- Blake (#265 boys, #210 girls – 55 spots apart)
- Rory (#226 boys, #286 girls – 60 spots apart)
- Francis / Frances (#450 boys, #379 girls – 71 spots apart)
- Finley (#290 boys, #365 girls – 75 spots apart)
- Shiloh (#336 boys, #260 girls – 76 spots apart)
- Jamie (#623 boys, #716 girls – 93 spots apart)
- Skyler (#760 boys, #661 girls – 99 spots apart)
- River (#112 boys, #214 girls – 102 spots apart)
- Emerson (#270 boys, #151 girls – 119 spots apart)
- Phoenix (#275 boys, #421 girls – 146 spots apart)
More Gender-Neutral Baby Name Ideas
If you want something less common, consider names that haven’t been strongly gendered by popular usage. Unique or nature-inspired names often feel neutral, but there are also many traditional names that work well for any child. Here’s a longer list of gender-neutral name ideas to inspire you:
- Adrian
- Aiden
- Alex
- Andy
- Angel
- Arbor
- Archie
- Arlo
- Ash
- Asher
- Aspen
- Aster
- Atlas
- Aubrey
- August
- Avery
- Azriel
- Bailey
- Beck
- Bentley
- Billie
- Blair
- Blake
- Bowie
- Brooklyn
- Brooks
- Bryce
- Cameron
- Campbell
- Carson
- Carter
- Casey
- Chandler
- Channing
- Charlie
- Collins
- Corey / Kori
- Cruz
- Dallas
- Dean / Deane
- Denver
- Devon
- Dorian
- Drew
- Dylan
- Easton
- Eden
- Elliot
- Ellis
- Emerson
- Ezra
- Fallon
- Finley
- Francis / Frances
- Frankie
- Gale
- Greer
- Grey / Gray
- Harley
- Harlowe
- Harper
- Hart
- Hayden
- Holland
- Hollis
- James
- Jayden
- Jesse / Jessie
- Jett
- Johnny / Johnnie
- Jordan
- Jude
- Julian
- Juniper
- Kai
- Keaton
- Kelsey
- Kendall
- Kennedy
- Kirby
- Kit
- Koda
- Kyle
- Lane
- Lennon
- Lennox
- Logan
- London
- Luca
- Marlow
- Max
- Merritt
- Micah
- Miles
- Morgan
- Murphy
- Navy
- Noah
- Noel
- Oakley
- Ollie
- Palmer
- Park
- Parker
- Peyton
- Phoenix
- Presley
- Quinn
- Reagan
- Reese
- Remy
- Ridley
- Riley
- River
- Robbie
- Robin
- Rory
- Rowan
- Rumi
- Ryan
- Sage
- Salem
- Sawyer
- Scout
- Seneca
- Shawn
- Shelby
- Shiloh
- Skyler
- Sloane
- Spencer
- Sullivan
- Sydney
- Tanner
- Tatum
- Taylor
- Theo
- West
- Willow
- Wren
- Wyatt
- Zion
More Naming Resources
If you want more lists, including those organized by gender or syllable count, there are additional name collections available that cover classic names, one-syllable options, and even pet names. Whether you prefer traditional choices or something more unconventional, there’s a wide range of gender-neutral names to explore—and I’m always happy to help you find the right one.