In my ongoing mission to help parents find the perfect name, I’ve already shared lists of 100 classic girl names and 100 classic boy names. But increasingly parents are choosing names that don’t fit neatly into “boy” or “girl” categories. Gender-neutral, unisex, and nonbinary baby names are growing in popularity for good reasons: many people find them inclusive, flexible, and modern. They also make it easier to honor family names or sentimental choices regardless of a child’s assigned gender at birth.
The way names are “gendered” depends on culture, country, and even generation, so what seems neutral to one family may feel feminine or masculine to another. People also bring personal associations—celebrities, friends, or fictional characters—that influence how a name reads. Think about the names Blake, Drew, and Robin: one person might picture Blake Lively or Blake Shelton, Drew Barrymore or Drew Carey, Robin Wright or Robin Williams. Those first associations shape how “neutral” a name feels.
That’s why it’s helpful to stay open-minded when choosing gender-neutral baby names. Popularity and personal associations will vary, and your instincts may not match those of other parents or relatives.
Most Popular Gender-Neutral Names
To identify names that are commonly used for both boys and girls, we compared the latest Social Security Administration (SSA) top 1,000 baby names for boys and girls and focused on names that appear high on both lists. Below are the top 20 gender-neutral names based on an average of their rankings on the boys’ and girls’ lists.
- 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 of these names appear much higher for one gender than the other—Noah, for example, ranks very high for boys but far lower for girls. To highlight names that are truly balanced, we also looked for names whose rankings on the boys’ and girls’ lists are closest to each other. Those names tend to read most consistently as gender-neutral in current usage.
- 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 to look beyond the most popular choices, consider names that feel unique or less traditionally gendered. Some families prefer modern, nature-inspired, or surname-style names, while others choose classic names that work well for any gender. The list below offers a wide variety of gender-neutral, unisex, and flexible names to inspire your search.
- 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’d like more inspiration, I’ve compiled many other name lists organized by style, syllable count, and tradition. Below are titles of additional resources you can search for when you’re ready to keep exploring names for babies, cats, dogs, and more.
- 100 Classic Girls Names
- 100 Classic Boy Names
- 100 One-Syllable Girl Names
- 100 One-Syllable Boy Names
- 100+ Celebrity Baby Names
- 200 Girl Cat Names
- 200 Girl Dog Names
- 200 Boy Cat Names
- 200 Boy Dog Names