Unisex baby names are increasingly appealing to parents. But which names are considered unisex, and which names are not, is a very subjective matter – one that is influenced by factors like a person’s past experience, age or location.
If you live in the United States of America, you can be pretty sure that Addison, Aubrey, Harlow, Noa and Remi are girls. Across the pond in the UK, however, there’s a greater chance they might be boys.
And if you flip the situation, the list becomes even longer. Cameron, Dylan, Elliott, Hayden, Jamie, Lennox, Parker and Rory are all among the names that rank in the Top 1000 only for boys in England and Wales, but are widely used for both genders in the US.
Today, we compare the gender balance of the most popular unisex names on both sides of the Atlantic. There are some big differences!
Which side of the road you drive on is going to affect whether Bailey, Brooklyn, Charlie, Emerson, Harley, Finley, Leighton, Lennon, Marley, Morgan, Oakley, Reign, Shiloh and Taylor are more likely to be boys or girls. Those names are all more common for boys in England and Wales, but more common for girls in the US.
At the extreme end of the scale are the names that rank in the Top 1000 only for girls in the US, and only for boys in England and Wales. Ashley, Hadley, Henley, Mckenzie, Presley, Reagan and Shay are all overwhelmingly male in the UK, but overwhelmingly female in the US.
Other names that defy the trend include Beau, Elisha, Dakota, Nova, Ocean, Skyler and Peyton. These all lean more feminine in England and Wales compared to the United States.
So, if you happen to have one of those names – prepare for some transatlantic confusion!
To be included below, a name must rank in the Top 1000 in both nations, including at least one appearance for each gender across the two countries.
There are many unisex names which rank in the Top 1000 in one country, but not the other, so they don’t make the cut. Apologies to Emery, Blair and Sage! Similarly, some names that are used in a unisex fashion occasionally, such as James, only ever rank for one gender, so they don't appear here either.
Names are given together with their rankings for each gender in each country, plus a chart showing their gender balance for the last year on record.*
*"Unranked" indicates that the name is outside the Top 1000, pink represents female births, and purple represents male births.
Addison
US: #47 for girls, unranked for boys
E&W: #496 for girls, #894 for boys
Alexis
US: #309 for girls, #483 for boys
E&W: #448 for girls, unranked for boys
Amari
US: #217 for boys, #334 for girls
E&W: #366 for boys, #724 for girls
Angel
US: #76 for boys, #440 for girls
E&W: #362 for girls, unranked for boys
Ari
US: #391 for boys, #486 for girls
E&W: #410 for boys, unranked for girls
Ariel
US: #200 for girls, #565 for boys
E&W: #823 for girls, unranked for boys
Ashley
US: #154 for girls, unranked for boys
E&W: #481 for boys, unranked for girls
Aubrey
US: #56 for girls, unranked for boys
E&W: #223 for girls, #723 for boys
August
US: #155 for boys, #856 for girls
E&W: #740 for boys, unranked for girls
Avery
US: #19 for girls, #212 for boys
E&W: #424 for girls, #506 for boys
Bailey
US: #171 for girls, unranked for boys
E&W: #188 for boys, #570 for girls
Beau
US: #109 for boys, unranked for girls
E&W: #162 for boys, #325 for girls
Blake
US: #210 for boys, #219 for girls
E&W: #96 for boys, #432 for girls
Brooklyn
US: #54 for girls, unranked for boys
E&W: #469 for boys, #590 for girls
Cameron
US: #64 for boys, #489 for girls
E&W: #197 for boys, unranked for girls
Carter
US: #33 for boys, #515 for girls
E&W: #63 for boys, unranked for girls
Casey
US: #521 for boys, unranked for girls
E&W: #356 for boys, #770 for girls
Charlie
US: #122 for girls, #204 for boys
E&W: #9 for boys, #601 for girls
Dakota
US: #261 for girls, #348 for boys
E&W: #402 for girls, unranked for boys
Drew
US: #530 for boys, #944 for girls
E&W: #762 for boys, unranked for girls
Dylan
US: #43 for boys, #496 for girls
E&W: #54 for boys, unranked for girls
Eden
US: #130 for girls, #490 for boys
E&W: #111 for girls, #206 for boys
Elisha
US: #837 for girls, unranked for girls
E&W: #806 for girls, unranked for boys
Elliot
US: #174 for boys, #564 for girls
E&W: #71 for boys, unranked for girls
Elliott
US: #158 for boys, #479 for girls
E&W: #83 for boys, unranked for girls
Ellis
US: #325 for boys, #623 for girls
E&W: #76 for boys, unranked for girls
Emerson
US: #155 for girls, #267 for boys
E&W: #723 for boys, unranked for girls
Ezra
US: #44 for boys, #721 for girls
E&W: #60 for boys, unranked for girls
Finley
US: #201 for girls, #304 for boys
E&W: #27 for boys, unranked for girls
Frankie
US: #591 for girls, #979 for boys
E&W: #58 for boys, #128 for girls
Hadley
US: #111 for girls, unranked for boys
E&W: #476 for boys, unranked for girls
Harley
US: #281 for girls, #781 for boys
E&W: #77 for boys, #212 for girls
Harlow
US: #324 for girls, unranked for boys
E&W: #258 for girls, #535 for boys
Harper
US: #10 for girls, unranked for boys
E&W: #29 for girls, #825 for boys
Hayden
US: #177 for boys, #294 for girls
E&W: #242 for boys, unranked for girls
Henley
US: #584 for girls, unranked for boys
E&W: #561 for boys, unranked for girls
Hunter
US: #69 for boys, #829 for girls
E&W: #52 for boys, unranked for girls
Jamie
US: #710 for girls, #715 for boys
E&W: #142 for boys, unranked for girls
Jordan
US: #85 for boys, #435 for girls
E&W: #204 for boys, unranked for girls
Kai
US: #93 for boys, #794 for girls
E&W: #109 for boys, unranked for girls
Kamari
US: #387 for boys, #946 for girls
E&W: #874 for boys, unranked for girls
Karter
US: #161 for boys, #887 for girls
E&W: #506 for boys, unranked for girls
Leighton
US: #400 for girls, #740 for boys
E&W: #338 for boys, unranked for girls
Lennon
US: #299 for girls, #688 for boys
E&W: #274 for boys, unranked for girls
Lennox
US: #291 for boys, #587 for girls
E&W: #388 for boys, unranked for girls
Logan
US: #16 for boys, #317 for girls
E&W: #29 for boys, unranked for girls
Marley
US: #211 for girls, #942 for boys
E&W: #186 for boys, #373 for girls
Mckenzie
US: #278 for girls, unranked for boys
E&W: #694 for boys, unranked for girls
Milan
US: #429 for boys, #642 for girls
E&W: #317 for boys, #717 for girls
Morgan
US: #193 for girls, #691 for boys
E&W: #274 for boys, #574 for girls
Noa
US: #466 for girls, unranked for boys
E&W: #432 for girls, #952 for boys
Nova
US: #38 for girls, #758 for boys
E&W: #186 for girls, unranked for boys
Ocean
US: #800 for boys, unranked for girls
E&W: #616 for girls, unranked for boys
Oakley
US: #281 for girls, #481 for boys
E&W: #98 for boys, unranked for girls
Parker
US: #95 for boys, #128 for girls
E&W: #121 for boys, unranked for girls
Peyton
US: #98 for girls, #430 for boys
E&W: #317 for girls, unranked for boys
Phoenix
US: #238 for boys, #286 for girls
E&W: #201 for boys, #398 for girls
Presley
US: #213 for girls, unranked for boys
E&W: #787 for boys, unranked for girls
Quinn
US: #85 for girls, #440 for boys
E&W: #285 for girls, #286 for boys
Reagan
US: #114 for girls, unranked for boys
E&W: #622 for boys, unranked for girls
Reign
US: #356 for girls, #643 for boys
E&W: #454 for boys, #864 for girls
Remi
US: #125 for girls, #765 for boys
E&W: #226 for girls, #435 for boys
Remy
US: #497 for boys, #356 for girls
E&W: #235 for boys, #897 for girls
Riley
US: #33 for girls, #258 for boys
E&W: #68 for boys, #243 for girls
River
US: #129 for boys, #186 for girls
E&W: #167 for girls, #194 for boys
Robin
US: #866 for boys, #904 for girls
E&W: #143 for boys, #349 for girls
Rory
US: #330 for boys, #457 for girls
E&W: #46 for boys, unranked for girls
Rowan
US: #113 for boys, #255 for girls
E&W: #83 for boys, #443 for girls
Ryan
US: #57 for boys, #450 for girls
E&W: #95 for boys, unranked for girls
Shay
US: #928 for girls, unranked for boys
E&W: #426 for boys, unranked for girls
Shiloh
US: #454 for girls, #618 for boys
E&W: #768 for boys, #936 for girls
Skyler
US: #465 for girls, #566 for boys
E&W: #443 for girls, unranked for boys
Taylor
US: #161 for girls, #597 for boys
E&W: #307 for boys, #526 for girls
Wren
US: #361 for girls, unranked for boys
E&W: #210 for girls, #874 for boys
Which differences were the most surprising? Which names from this list do you consider to be unisex, and which ones sit firmly in one gender? Join the discussion on our forums!
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