Gender-neutral baby names are on the rise. Here are the top 10 predictions for 2024.
Get ready to see more babies named Dylan, Avery and Logan in the coming months as gender-neutral names rise in popularity.
According to data from baby name website names.org, gender-neutral baby names have been trending upward dramatically since the 1990s, making up 17% of names in 2023 — with no signs of slowing down this year.
Here's the site's predictions for the top unisex names of 2024:
- Dylan
- Avery
- Logan
- Carter
- Riley
- Parker
- Rowan
- Cameron
- Angel
- Kai
Name.org's data also shows that the increase in unisex names isn't region-specific, despite earlier data showing gender-neutral names were more common in the southeastern U.S. throughout the 1990s.
"More recently, the maps show how dramatically usage has increased across the entire country," the website states, noting that while the names are still most common in the Southeast, they've become "notably more popular" in the Midwest and Pacific Northwest.
The analysis is based on Social Security Administration data on names, which only shows a person's given name, not what they go by.
"It's likely that gender-neutral names are even more common in everyday life than the Social Security data would suggest," the website notes. "For instance, Charlie is a gender-neutral baby name that is used as a nickname for Charles and Charlotte."
Since Charles and Charlotte are more common than most gender-neutral given names, if only "10% use the nickname Charlie, the popularity of Charlie in everyday life would be double what Social Security data would suggest," the website explains.
Other unisex nickname examples include Alex, which can be short for both Alexander and Alexandra, as well as Chris for Christopher, Christian, Christine or Christina.
The current predictions for unisex baby names are similar to those most popular in the past 10 years, a ranking that put Logan in first place, Avery in second and Carter in third. But the most popular unisex names of all time include a more varied lineup with Willie, Kelly and Jordan topping the list.
Other 2024 baby name trends
Gender-neutral names aren't the only ones getting attention. Athletes, actors and movie characters have also influenced what parents are naming their kids.
The name Caitlin, for example, peaked in popularity in 1988, but after more than three decades, it's seeing a resurgence — likely thanks to basketball star Caitlin Clark, according to BabyCenter data earlier this month.
The name Zendaya is also up this year and has been steadily increasing since the release of "Dune: Part Two" in March. The actress' name sits at No. 588. The last time her name spiked was in 2021 after the release of "Dune: Part One," and it continued to increase throughout 2022.
The siblings in the Netflix series "Bridgerton" may have also contributed to the increase in popularity for Anthony (up five spots), Eloise (up 20), Francesca (up 84), and Gregory (up 40) this year.
-Caitlin O'Kane contributed reporting.
