Gender-neutral names have become increasingly popular. Some parents don’t want to pigeonhole their children and some just like particular names – and America has always been creative when it comes to naming people and things. You’re probably familiar with traditional gender-neutral names such as Sidney and Robin, but there are a whole lot more to choose from.
To determine the most popular gender-neutral names in 2020, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on names from the U.S. Social Security Administration. Names that have a male-female ratio between 3:4 and 5:4 were ranked based on the total number of U.S. babies given that name in 2020. Supplemental data on the percentage change in the number of male and female babies who received a given name in 2011 to the number of male and female babies who received that name in 2020 was calculated using data from the SSA.
It turns out that the No. 1 gender-neutral name in 2020 was Charlie. It was traditionally a masculine name, and often a familiar form of Charles, but in 2020 there were more female babies named Charlie (2,219) than male (1,853). (This was America’s most popular baby boy name in 2020.)
Click here to see the most popular gender-neutral names in 2020
Now there are an increasing number of well-known females with the name, too, including actresses Charlie Brooks and Charlie Murphy. One possible influence might have been the widely promoted Revlon perfume called Charlie, widely promoted in the 1970s. The singer Charli XCX, born Charlotte Emma Aitchison, and the Tik Tok superstar Charli D’Amelio go by a variation. ((This was America’s most popular baby girl name in 2020.)
The next two most popular gender-neutral names are Finley and Dakota, respectively. Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Lockwood named one of their twin daughters Finley. There are several well-known actresses named Dakota, as well as : Dakota Blue Richards, Dakota Fanning, and Dakota Johnson. There are also males named Dakota who have been in the public eye, including Medal of Honor winner Dakota Meyer and furniture designer Dakota Jackson.
25. Armoni
> Male babies named Armoni in 2020: 84
> Female babies named Armoni in 2020: 105
> Increase in male babies named Armoni, 2011 to 2020: +210.0%
> Increase in female babies named Armoni, 2011 to 2020: +141.9%
Armoni is of Hebrew origin and means “my palace.” In the Bible, Armoni was a son of Saul.
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24. Honor
> Male babies named Honor in 2020: 101
> Female babies named Honor in 2020: 93
> Increase in male babies named Honor, 2011 to 2020: +210.4%
> Increase in female babies named Honor, 2011 to 2020: +93.9%
Honor was used by the Puritans as a virtue name. Probably the best-known person with this name was Honor Blackman, the actress who played Рussy Galore in the James Bond film “Goldfinger” and Cathy GAle in the ’60s British spy spoof series “The Avengers.”
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23. Kodi
> Male babies named Kodi in 2020: 97
> Female babies named Kodi in 2020: 106
> Increase in male babies named Kodi, 2011 to 2020: +202.1%
> Increase in female babies named Kodi, 2011 to 2020: +135.9%
Kodi is a variant of the name Kody or Cody, and is said to mean “helper” or “helpful.”
22. Laine
> Male babies named Laine in 2020: 99
> Female babies named Laine in 2020: 111
> Increase in male babies named Laine, 2011 to 2020: +330.0%
> Increase in female babies named Laine, 2011 to 2020: +138.8%
Laine is a surname in some countries, notably Finland (where it is pronounced “lye-nuh”), and means “wave” in Finnish and Estonian.
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21. Jules
> Male babies named Jules in 2020: 118
> Female babies named Jules in 2020: 101
> Increase in male babies named Jules, 2011 to 2020: +207.0%
> Increase in female babies named Jules, 2011 to 2020: +144.3%
Jules started out as a French name derived from the Latin Julius. Jules Verne wrote “Around the World in Eighty Days,” and Jules Vaughan is the name of a character in the popular TV series “Euphoria.”
20. Montana
> Male babies named Montana in 2020: 108
> Female babies named Montana in 2020: 112
> Increase in male babies named Montana, 2011 to 2020: +385.7%
> Increase in female babies named Montana, 2011 to 2020: +113.1%
Montana is one of two names on our list that is also a state. It derives from the Spanish word meaning “mountain” or “mountainous.”
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19. Storm
> Male babies named Storm in 2020: 103
> Female babies named Storm in 2020: 124
> Increase in male babies named Storm, 2011 to 2020: +202.0%
> Increase in female babies named Storm, 2011 to 2020: +344.4%
Storm has become a popular name but storms themselves are given names by the World Meteorological Organization. Storm Davis was a MLB pitcher (Baltimore Orioles and Detroit Tigers) between 1982 and 1994.
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18. Gentry
> Male babies named Gentry in 2020: 133
> Female babies named Gentry in 2020: 122
> Increase in male babies named Gentry, 2011 to 2020: +229.3%
> Increase in female babies named Gentry, 2011 to 2020: +182.1%
Gentry is an aspirational name, along with the likes of Duke and Prince.
17. Lux
> Male babies named Lux in 2020: 140
> Female babies named Lux in 2020: 120
> Increase in male babies named Lux, 2011 to 2020: +777.8%
> Increase in female babies named Lux, 2011 to 2020: +155.8%
Lux is the Latin word for “light” and was the name of the character played by Kirsten Dunst in “The Virgin Suicides.”
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16. Sidney
> Male babies named Sidney in 2020: 165
> Female babies named Sidney in 2020: 140
> Increase in male babies named Sidney, 2011 to 2020: +71.4%
> Increase in female babies named Sidney, 2011 to 2020: +34.0%
Coincidentally there have been quite a few Sidneys in the movie business, including “12 Angry Men” director Sidney Lumet, actor Sidney Poitier, and writer/producer Sidney Sheldon.
15. Joan
> Male babies named Joan in 2020: 171
> Female babies named Joan in 2020: 137
> Increase in male babies named Joan, 2011 to 2020: +118.8%
> Increase in female babies named Joan, 2011 to 2020: +217.5%
Joan was traditionally a girl’s name in English-speaking countries, and a boy’s name in parts of Spain and France, where it is the Catalan form of Juan and pronounced “zhwahn.” Now, there are more male babies given the name than girls. Joan Miró was a famous Catalan painter and Joan Roca is a three-star Catalan chef.
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14. True
> Male babies named True in 2020: 164
> Female babies named True in 2020: 170
> Increase in male babies named True, 2011 to 2020: +585.7%
> Increase in female babies named True, 2011 to 2020: +414.6%
Roughly the same number of boys and girls were given the name True in 2020. You read it on 24/7 Tempo so it must be true!
13. Kacey
> Male babies named Kacey in 2020: 161
> Female babies named Kacey in 2020: 184
> Increase in male babies named Kacey, 2011 to 2020: +644.0%
> Increase in female babies named Kacey, 2011 to 2020: +113.6%
Kacey is related to the Greek name Acacia and the Irish/Gaelic name Casey.
12. Campbell
> Male babies named Campbell in 2020: 163
> Female babies named Campbell in 2020: 192
> Increase in male babies named Campbell, 2011 to 2020: +110.1%
> Increase in female babies named Campbell, 2011 to 2020: +69.6%
Campbell is a common surname in Scotland. In the United States it has become popular as a girl’s name but in some other countries it’s primarily a boy’s name.
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11. Murphy
> Male babies named Murphy in 2020: 222
> Female babies named Murphy in 2020: 260
> Increase in male babies named Murphy, 2011 to 2020: +219.8%
> Increase in female babies named Murphy, 2011 to 2020: +1,000.0%
Murphy is the most common surname in Ireland. Its popularity as a first name probably got a boost from the television sitcom “Murphy Brown,” in which Candice Bergen played an investigative journalist and news anchor.
10. Landry
> Male babies named Landry in 2020: 228
> Female babies named Landry in 2020: 302
> Increase in male babies named Landry, 2011 to 2020: +79.7%
> Increase in female babies named Landry, 2011 to 2020: +139.8%
Landry is of French origin. It was the name of three saints and is also the name of towns in France and the United States.
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9. Robin
> Male babies named Robin in 2020: 259
> Female babies named Robin in 2020: 287
> Increase in male babies named Robin, 2011 to 2020: +256.4%
> Increase in female babies named Robin, 2011 to 2020: +196.6%
Robin has been a popular boy’s name for centuries, as evidenced by characters ranging from Robin Hood to Batman’s sidekick. Now it’s equally popular for males and females. Famous Robins have included the actor Robin William and actress Robin Wright.
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8. Bellamy
> Male babies named Bellamy in 2020: 335
> Female babies named Bellamy in 2020: 337
> Increase in male babies named Bellamy, 2011 to 2020: +00.0%
> Increase in female babies named Bellamy, 2011 to 2020: +635.8%
Bellamy started out as a surname of French, English, and Irish origin. It means “fine friend” or “beautiful friend.”
7. Azariah
> Male babies named Azariah in 2020: 367
> Female babies named Azariah in 2020: 315
> Increase in male babies named Azariah, 2011 to 2020: +284.5%
> Increase in female babies named Azariah, 2011 to 2020: +134.0%
Azariah was traditionally a masculine name. It’s of Hebrew origin and means “helped by God.”
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6. Jamie
> Male babies named Jamie in 2020: 346
> Female babies named Jamie in 2020: 390
> Increase in male babies named Jamie, 2011 to 2020: +124.5%
> Increase in female babies named Jamie, 2011 to 2020: +54.5%
Jamie derives from James and is almost equally popular as a name for male and female babies.
5. Karsyn
> Male babies named Karsyn in 2020: 361
> Female babies named Karsyn in 2020: 472
> Increase in male babies named Karsyn, 2011 to 2020: +462.8%
> Increase in female babies named Karsyn, 2011 to 2020: +114.6%
Karsyn is an American version of the Scottish name Carson.
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4. Justice
> Male babies named Justice in 2020: 389
> Female babies named Justice in 2020: 505
> Increase in male babies named Justice, 2011 to 2020: +77.2%
> Increase in female babies named Justice, 2011 to 2020: +91.7%
Justice is a virtue name that works equally well for male and female babies. “And Justice for all!”
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3. Dakota
> Male babies named Dakota in 2020: 905
> Female babies named Dakota in 2020: 1,158
> Increase in male babies named Dakota, 2011 to 2020: +88.0%
> Increase in female babies named Dakota, 2011 to 2020: +108.4%
Dakota is one of two names on our list that is also a state (two states, in fact – North and South). There are several well-known actresses named Dakota: Dakota Blue Richards, Dakota Fanning, and Dakota Johnson. There are also males named Dakota who have been in the public eye, including Medal of Honor winner Dakota Meyer and furniture designer Dakota Jackson.
2. Finley
> Male babies named Finley in 2020: 1,080
> Female babies named Finley in 2020: 1,429
> Increase in male babies named Finley, 2011 to 2020: +213.0%
> Increase in female babies named Finley, 2011 to 2020: +162.4%
Finley is of Scottish and Irish origin and is a fairly common surname. Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Lockwood named one of their twin daughters Finley. Finley Peter Dunne was a popular American writer and humorist in the early 20th century.
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1. Charlie
> Male babies named Charlie in 2020: 1,853
> Female babies named Charlie in 2020: 2,219
> Increase in male babies named Charlie, 2011 to 2020: +121.9%
> Increase in female babies named Charlie, 2011 to 2020: +259.2%
Charlie was traditionally a masculine name, and often a familiar form of Charles, but in 2020 there were more female babies named Charlie than males. There have been quite a few prominent males with this name, including the actors Charlie Chaplin and Charlie Sheen and jazz great Charlie Parker. As it has become more broadly popular now there are several actresses with the name, including Charlie Brooks and Charlie Murphy.
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