How popular is the baby name Cove in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Cove.

The graph will take a few moments to load. (Don't worry, it shouldn't take 9 months!) If it's taking too long, try reloading the page.


Popularity of the baby name Cove


Posts that mention the name Cove

Girl names that end with a V-sound

Girl names that end with a V-sound

In the U.S., most of the names given to baby girls end with a vowel sound. And many of the remaining names end with an N-sound.

So, what about girl names that end with other sounds?

Below is a selection of girl names that end with a V-sound, regardless of last letter. The names are ordered by current popularity.

Maeve
An Anglicized form of the Irish name Medb, meaning “intoxicating.” Here’s the popularity graph for Maeve.

Olive
From the type of tree. Here’s the popularity graph for Olive.

Genevieve
Based on the medieval name Genovefa (which belonged to a 5th-century French saint). Here’s the popularity graph for Genevieve.

Eve
From the Hebrew name Chavvah, which may mean “life.” Here’s the popularity graph for Eve.

Liv
A nickname for Olivia (or Olive). Here’s the popularity graph for Liv.

Love
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Love.

Dove
From the type of bird. Here’s the popularity graph for Dove.

Cove
From the English vocabulary word that refers to a small, sheltered bay. Here’s the popularity graph for Cove.

Neve
An Anglicized form of the Irish name Niamh, meaning “bright.” Here’s the popularity graph for Neve.

Brave
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Brave.

Aviv
A Hebrew word meaning “spring.” (It’s a component of Tel Aviv, the name of the city in Israel.) Here’s the popularity graph for Aviv.

Clove
From the type of spice. Here’s the popularity graph for Clove.

Arev
An Armenian word meaning “sun.” Here’s the popularity graph for Arev.

Reeve
From the English surname, which originally referred to a person employed as a reeve (“an official responsible for the administration of a manor”). Here’s the popularity graph for Reeve.

Believe
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Believe.


Less-common girl names that end with a V-sound include Merav, Tatev, Lyubov, Einav, Jasneev, Viv, and Wave.

Which of the above do you like most? What others can you think of?

P.S. Here are lists of girl names that end with D-, K-, L-, M-, R-, S-, T-, and Z-sounds.

Sources:

  • SSA
  • Behind the Name
  • Hanks, Patrick, Simon Lenarcic and Peter McClure. (Eds.) Dictionary of American Family Names. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2022.


Top unisex baby names of 2022

pink and blue cupcakes

Which unisex baby names were the most popular in 2022?

To figure this out, I did two things. First, I identified all the gender-neutral names in the latest batch of U.S. baby name data. (To qualify as gender-neutral, a name must be given to girls at least one-third of the time and to boys at least one-third of the time.) Second, I sorted those hundreds of gender-neutral names by total usage: male plus female.

The following names came out on top:

  1. Parker
  2. River
  3. Charlie
  4. Blake
  5. Emerson
  6. Finley
  7. Phoenix
  8. Remington
  9. Tatum
  10. Rory
  11. Dakota
  12. Ari
  13. Shiloh
  14. Alexis
  15. Armani
  16. Remy
  17. Salem
  18. Legacy
  19. Skyler
  20. Denver

The first four names — Parker, River, Charlie, and Blake — were also the top four in 2021.

The five names that entered the top 20 were Shiloh, Salem, Legacy, Skyler, and Denver. Four of the five qualified as unisex in 2021, but ranked lower on the list. Legacy, on the other hand, was slightly over two-thirds male in 2021.

The five names that dropped out of the top 20 were Hayden, Amari, Oakley, Reign, and Milan. All five failed to qualify as unisex in 2022. Hayden, Amari and Milan were given to too many boys; Oakley and Reign were given to too many girls.

Here are those top 20 names again, this time with total counts and gender percentages:

Number of babies*Percentage girlsPercentage boys
Parker6,24338.49%61.51%
River5,37935.55%64.45%
Charlie4,42052.53%47.47%
Blake3,01447.81%52.19%
Emerson2,97557.61%42.39%
Finley2,57152.74%47.26%
Phoenix2,33543.08%56.92%
Remington2,21735.14%64.86%
Tatum2,20252.32%47.68%
Rory2,18143.83%56.17%
Dakota2,13756.34%43.66%
Ari1,73641.24%58.76%
Shiloh1,54359.82%40.18%
Alexis1,53356.69%43.31%
Armani1,49646.86%53.14%
Remy1,41135.08%64.92%
Salem1,08763.75%36.25%
Legacy1,00065.00%35.00%
Skyler97358.38%41.62%
Denver96333.33%66.67%
*Male and female usage added together

So which names came next on the list?

The following, ranked 21st through 35th, all fell within both the girls’ top 1,000 and the boys’ top 1,000 in 2022:

  • Briar, 924 total babies
  • Azariah, 903
  • Drew, 896
  • Amiri, 880
  • Bellamy, 847
  • Ocean, 842
  • Jamie, 841
  • Sevyn, 792
  • Dior, 745
  • Chandler, 719
  • Tru, 710
  • Murphy, 709
  • Layne, 702
  • Justice, 643
  • Robin, 637

And here are the rest of the unisex names that had a combined usage of at least 200 babies (in descending order):

Quincy, Kingsley, Jessie, Sol, Khari, Ira, Landry, Joey, Campbell, Kacey, Arden, True, Yael, Jaylin, Shea, Harlem, Joan, Kodi, Hollis, Sidney, Shai, Jireh, Ripley, Laken, Bowie, Kit, Ever, Montana, Kasey, Kadence, Yuri, Jael, Azari, Gentry, Rain, Storm, Perry, Honor, Denim, Isa, Divine, Merritt, Dominique, Camdyn, Jelani, Cove, Ashtyn, Jean, Armoni, Jules, Brighton, Channing

Kacey was one of the few names that happened to hit 50/50 usage — exactly 202 baby girls and 202 baby boys — in 2022. Movie-fueled Marvel was another 50/50 name.

Source: SSA

Image: Adapted from Gallery 1 by Sarah Howells under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Boy names beyond the top 1,000 of 2022

stars

Have you seen any of the boy names beyond the U.S. top 1,000 yet? If not, here’s the next thousand for you.

Last year, the 1,000th most popular boy name in the U.S. was London, given to 222 babies. After that, we find…

1,001st to 1,100th

Massimo, 222
Mordechai, 222
Branson, 221
Deandre, 221
Maurice, 221
Graysen, 220
Ulises, 220
Wren, 220
Carl, 219
Coen, 219
Kristopher, 219
Boaz, 218
Decker, 218
Fox, 218
Blaise, 217
Rogelio, 217
Shai, 217
Beck, 216
Brett, 216
Crosby, 216
Lev, 216
Aspen, 215
Billy, 215
Bishop, 215
Kole, 215
Mariano, 215
Ollie, 215
Veer, 215
Campbell, 214
Kolt, 214
Jireh, 213
Karsyn, 213
Tiago, 213
Blaine, 212
Cristiano, 212
Foster, 212
Hollis, 212
Yadiel, 212
Bobby, 211
Teddy, 211
Beaux, 210
Jaxtyn, 210
Kyng, 210
Ronnie, 210
Syncere, 210
Benny, 209
Genesis, 209
Kace, 209
Mike, 209
Rishi, 209
Howard, 207
Kendall, 207
Reginald, 207
Aizen, 206
Davion, 206
Gianluca, 206
Lyle, 206
Danilo, 205
Dominik, 205
Frankie, 205
Granger, 205
Kamdyn, 205
Lyric, 205
Eliezer, 204
Montgomery, 204
Rowdy, 204
Zabdiel, 204
Gerald, 203
Jahmir, 203
Laith, 203
Dereck, 202
Kacey, 202
Link, 202
Merrick, 202
Yaakov, 202
Ash, 201
Cashton, 201
Dhruv, 201
Izan, 201
Jamal, 201
Joan, 201
Josias, 201
Kenai, 200
Lucien, 200
Jabari, 199
Jakobe, 199
Palmer, 199
Dimitri, 198
Dayton, 197
Denzel, 197
Ephraim, 197
Knowledge, 197
Yitzchok, 197
Bowie, 196
Kruz, 196
Elon, 195
Gus, 195
Kross, 195
Marc, 195
Azaiah, 194

1,101st to 1,200th

Scout, 194
Adrien, 193
Menachem, 193
Zayan, 193
Zephyr, 193
Jad, 192
Jair, 192
Kody, 192
Makari, 192
Jordy, 191
Slade, 191
Ulysses, 191
Abner, 190
Benito, 190
Mikael, 190
True, 190
Matheo, 189
Achilles, 188
Hakeem, 188
Jesiah, 188
Ramiro, 188
Emil, 187
Shlomo, 187
Trent, 187
Aydin, 186
Ernest, 186
Gadiel, 186
Ren, 186
Zeus, 186
Cedar, 185
Landry, 185
Nazir, 185
Avraham, 184
Maison, 184
Ozias, 184
Azai, 183
Bronx, 183
Ralph, 183
Cory, 182
Jasiel, 182
Malakhi, 182
Marley, 182
Zakari, 182
Jessie, 181
Eleazar, 180
Jerome, 180
Keenan, 180
Keon, 180
Jethro, 179
Kashmir, 179
Bastian, 178
Coleman, 178
Daylen, 178
Shimon, 178
Isael, 177
Kaius, 177
Pierre, 177
Terrance, 177
Tzvi, 177
Wiley, 177
Vaughn, 176
Casper, 175
Kolten, 175
Kyaire, 175
Toby, 175
Will, 175
Caysen, 174
Harris, 174
Javon, 174
Jovani, 174
Krue, 174
Rylen, 174
Willie, 174
Yaseen, 174
Cayde, 173
Kaine, 173
Maxim, 173
Ever, 172
Gino, 172
Jakobi, 172
Turner, 172
Yasir, 172
Booker, 170
Jaxen, 170
Jeffery, 170
Lenox, 169
Sol, 169
Tylan, 169
Gio, 168
Kenan, 168
Torin, 168
Elmer, 167
Jacari, 167
Norman, 167
Ziggy, 167
Bentlee, 166
Bilal, 166
Edmund, 166
Harlow, 166
Sekani, 166

1,201st to 1,300th

Sidney, 166
Amado, 165
Draven, 165
Giancarlo, 165
Gray, 164
Juelz, 164
Mael, 164
Mayson, 164
Rami, 164
Khyree, 163
Nikko, 163
Rolando, 163
Carlo, 162
Jacoby, 162
Korbyn, 162
Viktor, 162
Aayan, 161
Lucius, 161
Arham, 160
Deon, 160
Giannis, 160
Jeriah, 160
Kenny, 160
Kilian, 160
Xzavier, 160
Zeppelin, 160
Gilbert, 159
Isai, 159
Jai, 159
Jet, 159
Sunny, 159
Terrell, 159
Zymir, 159
Alessio, 158
Eason, 158
Maddux, 158
Monte, 158
Semaj, 158
Sire, 158
Umar, 158
Zackary, 158
Anson, 157
Dov, 157
Dovid, 157
Kolby, 157
Oakland, 157
Jettson, 156
Rayyan, 156
Skylar, 156
Arden, 155
Benton, 155
Hasan, 155
Huxton, 155
Immanuel, 155
Khamari, 155
Krish, 155
Raheem, 155
Andreas, 154
Greysen, 154
Jermaine, 154
Kentrell, 154
Mattias, 153
Thorin, 153
Cormac, 152
Denim, 152
Ender, 152
Mazi, 152
Randall, 152
Canyon, 151
Carmine, 151
Clifford, 151
Elvis, 151
Jenson, 151
Laken, 151
Markus, 151
Terrence, 151
Caius, 150
Demari, 150
Macklin, 150
Milton, 150
Rian, 150
Aydan, 149
Cristopher, 149
Kylin, 149
Ross, 149
Malikai, 148
Pharaoh, 148
Archibald, 147
Ayman, 147
Bernard, 147
Dwayne, 147
Finnick, 147
Giovani, 147
Kyzer, 147
Tristen, 147
Koah, 146
Simeon, 146
Zaylen, 146
Bernardo, 145
Malaki, 145

1,301st to 1,400th

Sultan, 145
Tayden, 145
Agastya, 144
Ansel, 144
Efrain, 144
Lamar, 144
Micheal, 144
Shia, 144
Aleksander, 143
Eitan, 143
Gannon, 143
Kaycen, 143
Lazarus, 143
Reagan, 143
Zakariya, 143
Adiel, 142
Derick, 142
Eros, 142
Lyam, 142
Marcello, 142
Payton, 142
Seamus, 142
Zack, 142
Freddy, 141
Henri, 141
Makoa, 141
Noa, 141
Syed, 141
Taj, 141
Eliot, 140
Kallen, 140
Kyren, 140
Mikah, 140
Quintin, 140
Youssef, 140
Alister, 139
Davi, 139
Kolter, 139
Kymir, 139
Marquis, 139
Noble, 139
Octavio, 139
Oren, 139
Rashad, 139
Tahj, 139
Cru, 138
Gentry, 138
Harper, 138
Isiah, 138
Justus, 138
Kasey, 138
Kodi, 138
Renzo, 138
Rodolfo, 138
Rush, 138
Tristian, 138
Truth, 138
Kit, 137
Oziel, 137
Vince, 137
Zayvion, 137
Aslan, 136
Jaire, 136
Kreed, 136
Loki, 136
Oskar, 136
Perry, 136
Tariq, 136
Aryeh, 135
Aubrey, 135
Azlan, 135
Brent, 135
Cian, 135
Clarence, 135
Demir, 135
Garrison, 135
Jaylin, 135
Jean, 135
Yair, 135
Braydon, 134
Dominique, 134
Eliyahu, 134
Jiovanni, 134
Kaleo, 134
Nick, 134
Amar, 133
Ripp, 133
Yakov, 133
Zealand, 133
Anton, 132
Clinton, 132
Cove, 132
Deklan, 132
Draco, 132
Fredrick, 132
Huck, 132
Kalvin, 132
Nickolas, 132
Reyansh, 132
Yoel, 132

1,401st to 1,500th

Avion, 131
Camdyn, 131
Hans, 131
Kendrix, 131
Presley, 131
Atreyu, 130
Aurelius, 130
Benaiah, 130
Taylen, 130
West, 130
Benji, 129
Deshawn, 129
Elyas, 129
Ewan, 129
Jahseh, 129
Jelani, 129
Jessiah, 129
Perseus, 129
Wolfgang, 129
Zaxton, 129
Braxtyn, 128
Francesco, 128
Gerard, 128
Axle, 127
Chad, 127
Everette, 127
Karl, 127
Slater, 127
Warner, 127
Anas, 126
Darrell, 126
Ean, 126
Glenn, 126
Guy, 126
Haven, 126
Jordyn, 126
Keagan, 126
Niam, 126
Orson, 126
Ranger, 126
Brysen, 125
Kip, 125
Linus, 125
Teagan, 125
Wylie, 125
Zamari, 125
Arman, 124
Cristobal, 124
German, 124
Isa, 124
Jael, 124
Kassius, 124
Nikola, 124
Tyree, 124
Ved, 124
Viraj, 124
Alder, 123
Arrow, 123
Aston, 123
Barry, 123
Deangelo, 123
Jadon, 123
Jaylon, 123
Krishiv, 123
Osiel, 123
Pierson, 123
Sami, 123
Todd, 123
Truman, 123
Westen, 123
Akeem, 122
Aksel, 122
Eiden, 122
Emmet, 122
Finnian, 122
Ilyas, 122
Ismail, 122
Kelly, 122
Kymani, 122
Lenny, 122
Obadiah, 122
Ozzie, 122
Rogan, 122
Shaun, 122
Steve, 122
Townes, 122
Barron, 121
Chozen, 121
Kaizer, 121
Rafe, 121
Ramsey, 121
Shea, 121
Syrus, 121
Tyrone, 121
Uziel, 121
Vivaan, 121
Aamir, 120
Alexzander, 120
Carver, 120
Coy, 120

1,501st to 1,600th

Craig, 120
Darien, 120
Haziel, 120
Ivar, 120
Jonathon, 120
Steele, 120
Antony, 119
Bailey, 119
Cam, 119
Finneas, 119
Gilberto, 119
Hansel, 119
Javion, 119
Jayvion, 119
Oaklee, 119
Ravi, 119
Riaan, 119
Storm, 119
Ammar, 118
Arnold, 118
Brexton, 118
Cree, 118
Faris, 118
Malek, 118
Armon, 117
Brentley, 117
Edson, 117
Ezio, 117
Indigo, 117
Jahir, 117
Mahir, 117
Mauro, 117
Santi, 117
Fynn, 116
Jamarion, 116
Levon, 116
Lucio, 116
Mikel, 116
Natanael, 116
Roan, 116
Vernon, 116
Brayson, 115
Honor, 115
Jovan, 115
Kent, 115
Monroe, 115
Stephan, 115
Aven, 114
Dale, 114
Don, 114
Gonzalo, 114
Kaladin, 114
Zephaniah, 114
Akiva, 113
Asiah, 113
Cecil, 113
Channing, 113
Coby, 113
Leeland, 113
Mars, 113
Mavrick, 113
Rylee, 113
Sammy, 113
Savion, 113
Xavion, 113
Aarush, 112
Iverson, 112
Jahziel, 112
Judd, 112
Karsen, 112
Kysen, 112
Osvaldo, 112
Smith, 112
Aariz, 111
Adnan, 111
Amare, 111
Amaris, 111
Artemis, 111
Camryn, 111
Destin, 111
Dev, 111
Eddy, 111
Holland, 111
Luther, 111
Makhi, 111
Percy, 111
Ransom, 111
Sky, 111
Zyan, 111
Aariv, 110
Canon, 110
Chevy, 110
Devonte, 110
Kamarion, 110
Khyson, 110
Lazaro, 110
Revan, 110
Ruger, 110
Evren, 109
Haiden, 109

1,601st to 1,700th

Jru, 109
Leander, 109
Nile, 109
Shivansh, 109
Wilmer, 109
Antoine, 108
Cai, 108
Davon, 108
Jhett, 108
Jules, 108
Neal, 108
Reynaldo, 108
Riot, 108
Ryver, 108
Sulaiman, 108
Avian, 107
Axell, 107
Dezmond, 107
Hampton, 107
Jamar, 107
Kaidyn, 107
Kiran, 107
Nate, 107
Ripley, 107
Said, 107
Sebastien, 107
Gionni, 106
Kahari, 106
Mickey, 106
Tyrell, 106
Yasin, 106
Abdul, 105
Boyd, 105
Eder, 105
Kiyan, 105
Linkin, 105
Massiah, 105
Montana, 105
Olin, 105
Phineas, 105
Rico, 105
Saif, 105
Vladimir, 105
Yunus, 105
Amarion, 104
Amin, 104
Ashtyn, 104
Ilan, 104
Irving, 104
Jacobo, 104
Kennedy, 104
Keoni, 104
Trevon, 104
Aaryan, 103
Cortez, 103
Darryl, 103
Hiram, 103
Kadence, 103
Klay, 103
Masiah, 103
Maverik, 103
Micaiah, 103
Ramses, 103
Roderick, 103
Tamir, 103
Yeshua, 103
Zavian, 103
Ajani, 102
Brighton, 102
Carsen, 102
Denis, 102
Eamon, 102
Izael, 102
Kaeden, 102
Kamron, 102
Khaled, 102
Klayton, 102
Marquise, 102
Neel, 102
Rylo, 102
Shay, 102
Tymir, 102
Yazan, 102
Brewer, 101
Bryer, 101
Divine, 101
Jasai, 101
Kain, 101
Myron, 101
Oaklen, 101
Oden, 101
Artist, 100
Deion, 100
Jetson, 100
Leopold, 100
Nael, 100
Rip, 100
Yousuf, 100
Zaidyn, 100
Cosmo, 99

1,701st to 1,800th

Giuseppe, 99
Jasir, 99
Journey, 99
Kacen, 99
Lake, 99
Lloyd, 99
Mordecai, 99
Quinten, 99
Rudra, 99
Viaan, 99
Yohan, 99
Armaan, 98
Avyan, 98
Baron, 98
Corbyn, 98
Hussein, 98
Kashtyn, 98
Kyzen, 98
Marcelino, 98
Nakoa, 98
Xavi, 98
Adolfo, 97
Amauri, 97
Eliab, 97
Elvin, 97
Ervin, 97
Jovi, 97
Riyan, 97
Usman, 97
Uzziah, 97
Wolf, 97
Clint, 96
Gibson, 96
Ishmael, 96
Jaleel, 96
Joao, 96
Konnor, 96
Orin, 96
Taylin, 96
Wendell, 96
Advik, 95
Ansh, 95
Aris, 95
Armoni, 95
Ayansh, 95
Braulio, 95
Cypress, 95
Darnell, 95
Henley, 95
Kove, 95
Quadir, 95
Alek, 94
Azari, 94
Aziah, 94
Chester, 94
Gerson, 94
Josh, 94
Kailo, 94
Kenton, 94
Lars, 94
Linden, 94
Oslo, 94
Sir, 94
Stellan, 94
Valor, 94
Ayce, 93
Cornelius, 93
Hagen, 93
Kaisyn, 93
Kyngston, 93
Lyndon, 93
Shaya, 93
Taysom, 93
Braylin, 92
Gryffin, 92
Issa, 92
Karmelo, 92
Mecca, 92
Samar, 92
Yuri, 92
Amani, 91
Dashiell, 91
Deegan, 91
Lester, 91
Levy, 91
Maykel, 91
Noam, 91
Raylen, 91
Summit, 91
Urijah, 91
Yuvaan, 91
Ayven, 90
Domingo, 90
Donnie, 90
Haze, 90
Humberto, 90
Jakhari, 90
Johnathon, 90
Johnpaul, 90
Jordi, 90

1,801st to 1,900th

Karam, 90
Koe, 90
Kyran, 90
Paulo, 90
Akai, 89
Auden, 89
Avrohom, 89
Demarcus, 89
Geovanni, 89
Hardin, 89
Hendrixx, 89
Isidro, 89
Izayah, 89
Jarvis, 89
Morris, 89
Mykel, 89
Shalom, 89
Xaiden, 89
Zakaria, 89
Asad, 88
Calder, 88
Dan, 88
Ellison, 88
Hussain, 88
Irvin, 88
Keller, 88
Meyer, 88
Ragnar, 88
Sanad, 88
Shiv, 88
Woodrow, 88
Woods, 88
Xion, 88
Zade, 88
Aharon, 87
Azaan, 87
Basil, 87
Camari, 87
Colsen, 87
Jacobi, 87
Johann, 87
Mikhail, 87
Rain, 87
Reggie, 87
Theodor, 87
Zohan, 87
Aidyn, 86
Angus, 86
Cordell, 86
Esai, 86
Giovanny, 86
Hoyt, 86
Kahlil, 86
Kasyn, 86
Emrys, 85
Giorgio, 85
Hadi, 85
Ignatius, 85
Izhaan, 85
Konner, 85
Lisandro, 85
Lonnie, 85
Quest, 85
Riggins, 85
Ronaldo, 85
Taha, 85
Vito, 85
Alton, 84
Charley, 84
Egypt, 84
Eydan, 84
Fidel, 84
Jaquan, 84
Jibreel, 84
Kaito, 84
Kasper, 84
Klaus, 84
Makaio, 84
Octavius, 84
Richie, 84
Sloan, 84
Vander, 84
Zacari, 84
Austyn, 83
Brenton, 83
Ciaran, 83
Keylor, 83
Kyden, 83
Maksim, 83
Malcom, 83
Obed, 83
Shayan, 83
Valen, 83
Ahmari, 82
Arvin, 82
Braiden, 82
Fred, 82
Holt, 82
Kru, 82
Maxx, 82

1,901st to 2,000th

Maziyon, 82
Ori, 82
Tevin, 82
Abdulrahman, 81
Blair, 81
Constantine, 81
Dakoda, 81
Ishan, 81
Jaycob, 81
Jennings, 81
Kalen, 81
Koby, 81
Kyron, 81
Lamont, 81
Lathan, 81
Lex, 81
Lukah, 81
Muhammadali, 81
Orhan, 81
Riker, 81
Roscoe, 81
Tahir, 81
Ajay, 80
Alakai, 80
Arlen, 80
Caison, 80
Camron, 80
Conway, 80
Daemon, 80
Elan, 80
Hudsyn, 80
Iman, 80
Jarrett, 80
Kanaan, 80
Kota, 80
Matheus, 80
Mayer, 80
Naim, 80
Neymar, 80
Rivers, 80
Sylvan, 80
Thor, 80
Virgil, 80
Amadeo, 79
Brantlee, 79
Damarion, 79
Donte, 79
Elton, 79
Halston, 79
Haroon, 79
Jaron, 79
Kurt, 79
Mahdi, 79
Neythan, 79
Radley, 79
Rigoberto, 79
Rockwell, 79
Shaurya, 79
Stratton, 79
Clifton, 78
Earl, 78
Fredy, 78
Hernan, 78
Keelan, 78
Merritt, 78
Miran, 78
Rayaan, 78
Alias, 77
Arin, 77
Armin, 77
Beauden, 77
Brenden, 77
Daryl, 77
Eastyn, 77
Edmond, 77
Esdras, 77
Estevan, 77
Gavriel, 77
Kyrin, 77
Manolo, 77
Niall, 77
Samarth, 77
Sora, 77
Syaire, 77
Xavien, 77
Zaine, 77
Andrei, 76
Aram, 76
Camren, 76
Everardo, 76
Gurbaaz, 76
Henderson, 76
Marlin, 76
Marlo, 76
Mylan, 76
Nehemias, 76
Reyan, 76
Ridley, 76
Rishaan, 76
Xavian, 76

See anything you like?

Source: SSA

Image: Adapted from Scattered stars in Sagittarius by ESA/Hubble under CC BY 4.0.

Top gender-neutral baby names of 2021: Parker, River, Charlie

pink and blue cupcakes

Looking for baby names that work for both genders?

Actually, let me rephrase that: Do you want to see which names are being given to sizeable numbers of baby boys and baby girls in the U.S. right now?

I wanted to ask the question in a more specific way because I think the details matter. Names can be gender-neutral in theory, but that doesn’t mean they’re being given to babies of both genders in practice.

It’s the difference between Evelyn and Everest.

Gender identity is a big topic of conversation these days, so it’s not surprising that an ever-growing number of parents are searching for baby names that aren’t strongly associated with one gender or the other.

To know what’s happening with baby names in real life, though, we need to focus on the data. That’s why I didn’t consider anything but data when I created the list below.

These names were culled from the 2021 U.S. baby name data (provided by the U.S. Social Security Administration). Each one saw usage that was at least one-third female and at least one-third male, making all of them relatively gender-neutral among today’s newborns.

Top gender-neutral baby names

Let’s start with a quick rundown of the 20 most popular gender-neutral baby names in the U.S. right now:

  1. Parker
  2. River
  3. Charlie
  4. Blake
  5. Hayden
  6. Emerson
  7. Amari
  8. Finley
  9. Remington
  10. Phoenix
  11. Oakley
  12. Dakota
  13. Tatum
  14. Rory
  15. Ari
  16. Alexis
  17. Armani
  18. Remy
  19. Reign
  20. Milan

Now here’s the same list again, but this time around I’ve added some details.

Parker (#1)

Last year, the name Parker was given to 6,229 babies. Of these babies, 2,406 (38.63%) were girls and 3,823 (61.37%) were boys. In terms of rankings, Parker placed 115th for girls and 93rd for boys.

Parker is an English surname that originally referred to someone who was employed as the keeper of a hunting park.

River (#2)

Last year, the name River was given to 5,317 babies. Of these babies, 1,862 (35.02%) were girls and 3,455 (64.98%) were boys. In terms of rankings, River placed 151st for girls and 110th for boys.

River, the English word that refers to a flowing body of water, was derived from the Latin word ripa, meaning “riverbank” or “seashore.”

Charlie (#3)

Last year, the name Charlie was given to 4,190 babies. Of these babies, 2,202 (52.55%) were girls and 1,988 (47.45%) were boys. In terms of rankings, Charlie placed 127th for girls and 189th for boys.

Charlie is a diminutive of the male name Charles, which ultimately comes from the Germanic name Karl, which meant “freeman” (i.e., not a serf or slave).

Interestingly, Charlie is a top-10 name for boys in some regions (like New Zealand and Ireland) and a top-10 name for girls in others (like Quebec).

Blake (#4)

Last year, the name Blake was given to 3,337 babies. Of these babies, 1,497 (44.86%) were girls and 1,840 (55.14%) were boys. In terms of rankings, Blake placed 199th for girls and 205th for boys.

Blake is an English surname that can be traced back to either of two Old English words that happen to have opposite meanings — one being “black,” the other being “white.”

Hayden (#5)

Last year, the name Hayden was given to 3,283 babies. Of these babies, 1,096 (33.38%) were girls and 2,187 (66.62%) were boys. In terms of rankings, Hayden placed 290th for girls and 176th for boys.

Hayden is an English surname that originally referred to someone from one of several different like-named locations. In many cases, the place names were made up of elements meaning “hay” and “hill.” (Depending upon the location, though, the first element sometimes meant “fence enclosure,” and the second element sometimes meant “valley.”)

Emerson (#6)

Last year, the name Emerson was given to 2,952 babies. Of these babies, 1,729 (58.57%) were girls and 1,223 (41.43%) were boys. In terms of rankings, Emerson placed 167th for girls and 279th for boys.

Emerson is an English surname that originally referred to the son of someone named Emery.

Amari (#7)

Last year, the name Amari was given to 2,880 babies. Of these babies, 972 (33.75%) were girls and 1,908 (66.25%) were boys. In terms of rankings, Amari placed 333rd for girls and 199th for boys.

Amari is a modern name that doesn’t seem to have a specific origin or meaning.

Finley (#8)

Last year, the name Finley was given to 2,705 babies. Of these babies, 1,407 (52.01%) were girls and 1,298 (47.99%) were boys. In terms of rankings, Finley placed 211th for girls and 265th for boys.

Finley is based on the Gaelic name Fionnlagh, which is made up of elements meaning “white” and “warrior.”

Remington (#9)

Last year, the name Remington was given to 2,475 babies. Of these babies, 890 (35.96%) were girls and 1,585 (64.04%) were boys. In terms of rankings, Remington placed 348th for girls and 231st for boys.

Remington is an English surname that originally referred to someone from the town of Rimington, in Lancashire. (It’s also an American gun brand.)

Phoenix (#10)

Last year, the name Phoenix was given to 2,454 babies. Of these babies, 1,032 (42.05%) were girls and 1,422 (57.95%) were boys. In terms of rankings, Phoenix placed 308th for girls and 248th for boys.

Phoenix, the word that refers the mythological bird that rises from its own ashes, was derived from an ancient Greek word meaning “crimson” or “purple.”

Oakley (#11)

Last year, the name Oakley was given to 2,292 babies. Of these babies, 1,524 (66.49%) were girls and 768 (33.51%) were boys. In terms of rankings, Oakley placed 193rd for girls and 403rd for boys.

Oakley is an English surname that originally referred to someone from one of several different like-named locations. In all cases, the place names were made up of elements meaning “oak” and “clearing.”

Dakota (#12)

Last year, the name Dakota was given to 2,090 babies. Of these babies, 1,147 (54.88%) were girls and 943 (45.12%) were boys. In terms of rankings, Dakota placed 270th for girls and 344th for boys.

Dakota, the name of a Native American tribe, means “friendly” or “allied” in the Siouan language of the Dakota people.

Tatum (#13)

Last year, the name Tatum was given to 1,959 babies. Of these babies, 1,125 (57.43%) were girls and 834 (42.57%) were boys. In terms of rankings, Tatum placed 279th for girls and 385th for boys.

Tatum is an English surname that originally referred to the homestead of someone named Tata.

Rory (#14)

Last year, the name Rory was given to 1,919 babies. Of these babies, 789 (41.12%) were girls and 1,130 (58.88%) were boys. In terms of rankings, Rory placed 396th for girls and 295th for boys.

Rory is an Anglicized form of the Irish name Ruaidhri, which is made up of elements meaning “red” and “king.”

Ari (#15)

Last year, the name Ari was given to 1,598 babies. Of these babies, 649 (40.61%) were girls and 949 (59.39%) were boys. In terms of rankings, Ari placed 478th for girls and 342nd for boys.

Ari has several potential definitions, including: “lion” in Hebrew, “brave” in Armenian, and “eagle” in Icelandic.

Alexis (#16)

Last year, the name Alexis was given to 1,569 babies. Of these babies, 940 (59.91%) were girls and 629 (40.09%) were boys. In terms of rankings, Alexis placed 341st for girls and 472nd for boys.

Alexis comes directly from the ancient Greek (male) name Alexis, which meant “helper” or “defender.”

Armani (#17)

Last year, the name Armani was given to 1,540 babies. Of these babies, 661 (42.92%) were girls and 879 (57.08%) were boys. In terms of rankings, Armani placed 469th for girls and 369th for boys.

Armani is an Italian surname that originally referred to the child of someone named Armano. (It’s also an Italian fashion brand.)

Remy (#18)

Last year, the name Remy was given to 1,451 babies. Of these babies, 550 (37.90%) were girls and 901 (62.10%) were boys. In terms of rankings, Remy placed 550th for girls and 357th for boys.

Remy, written Rémy in French, is based on the Latin name Remigius, which meant “oarsman.”

It’s interesting that both Remy and Remington are on this list. Remy is a standalone name…but it could also be used as a nickname for Remington.

Reign (#19)

Last year, the name Reign was given to 1,338 babies. Of these babies, 884 (66.07%) were girls and 454 (33.93%) were boys. In terms of rankings, Reign placed 349th for girls and 608th for boys.

Reign is an English word that can be traced back to the Latin word regnum, meaning “royal power” or “kingdom.”

Milan (#20)

Last year, the name Milan was given to 1,278 babies. Of these babies, 452 (35.37%) were girls and 826 (64.63%) were boys. In terms of rankings, Milan placed 655th for girls and 388th for boys.

Milan is a Slavic name based on the element milu, meaning “dear, sweet.” (It’s also a city in northern Italy.)

More gender-neutral baby names

What other gender-neutral names made the cut?

Here are the names that were used a bit less often than the twenty above…

Number of babies*Percent girlsPercent boys
Shiloh1,24561.69%38.31%
Legacy1,08666.30%33.70%
Salem97062.99%37.01%
Briar95562.20%37.80%
Denver94138.68%61.32%
Skyler93058.92%41.08%
Drew91337.13%62.87%
Jamie84748.41%51.59%
Bellamy81245.44%54.56%
Justice81246.92%53.08%
Azariah79447.23%52.77%
Layne76143.63%56.37%
Chandler75839.97%60.03%
Ocean67345.77%54.23%
*Male and female usage added together

All of the above ranked among both the top 1,000 girl names and the top 1,000 boy names last year. Two of the below (Robin and Landry) did as well.

Number of babies*Percent girlsPercent boys
Quincy65333.38%66.62%
Murphy61065.25%34.75%
Tru60836.02%63.98%
Kingsley59437.71%62.29%
Robin54653.11%46.89%
Amiri50234.46%65.54%
Landry48955.01%44.99%
Ira46535.91%64.09%
Kacey42548.94%51.06%
Joey42441.75%58.25%
Campbell41450.72%49.28%
True40553.09%46.91%
Everest38534.55%65.45%
Arden38558.70%41.30%
Harlem37937.20%62.80%
Shea37963.85%36.15%
Sol37563.47%36.53%
Bowie37036.76%63.24%
*Male and female usage added together

Most of the above appeared in at least one top-1,000 list last year. The exceptions were Kacey, Campbell, True, Arden, Shea, and Sol.

None of the names from this point onward reached the top 1,000 for either gender.

Number of babies*Percent girlsPercent boys
Hollis36245.03%54.97%
Yael34839.37%60.63%
Joan34045.59%54.41%
Laken31556.19%43.81%
Gentry30245.36%54.64%
Lux29636.15%63.85%
Sidney29355.29%44.71%
Kasey28456.34%43.66%
Kadence28066.43%33.57%
Ever27840.65%59.35%
Camdyn27036.67%63.33%
Jael27048.15%51.85%
Dominique26033.46%66.54%
Montana26057.69%42.31%
Kodi25856.20%43.80%
Ramsey25447.24%52.76%
Perry25342.69%57.31%
Storm24557.14%42.86%
Ashtyn24360.91%39.09%
Honor24047.92%52.08%
Kit23344.64%55.36%
Brighton23246.98%53.02%
Isa22733.48%66.52%
Armoni21050.00%50.00%
Merritt20860.58%39.42%
Jupiter20662.62%37.38%
Arrow20338.42%61.58%
Laine20363.55%36.45%
Jules20143.78%56.22%
*Male and female usage added together

Here are the gender-neutral baby names that saw overall usage ranging from 100 to 199 babies (in descending order):

Yuri, Arie, Ridley, Kobi, Jean, Channing, Linden, Shannon, Indiana, Marlo, Taylin, Divine, Cypress, Iman, Daylin, Aris, Wynn, Jelani, Halston, Rumi, Levy, Camari, Jackie, Austen, Azari, Issa, Lake, Huntley, Amen, Loren, Eastyn, Sora, Everette, Timber, Kaylen, Johnnie, Nikita, Ryver, Lexington, Reilly, Hudsyn, Charleston, Aven, Akari, Koi, Dru, Lou, Kylar, Payson, Finlee, Cove, Halen, Bryar, Royale, Tracy, Eliyah, Larkin, Amarii, Mecca, Britton, Emari, Nazareth, Kamani, Valentine, Ellington, Tenzin, Ryley, Kaidence, and Kirby.

And, finally, here are the gender-neutral names that saw overall usage ranging from 50 to 99 babies (in descending order):

Soul, Gracen, Daelyn, Wisdom, Conley, Arley, Evren, Rogue, Rhythm, Peace, Mykah, Blue, Masyn, Lowen, Golden, Callaway, Phoenyx, Blu, Lael, Rainn, Tommie, Bleu, Jadyn, Alexi, Bennie, Lennix, Choyce, Amaree, Atley, Rei, Crimson, Tristyn, Maeson, Declyn, Honest, Ilya, Amory, Rawlings, Jianni, Jensyn, Teigen, Lynden, Weslee, Maze, Graycen, Zaelyn, Paxtyn, Tennessee, Davey, Marvel, Joud, Rhylan, Deniz, Azure, Davy, Desi, Rhen, Breeze, Arlie, Harlo, Roux, Riven, Lakota, Airam, Denym, Jae, Tayler, Bostyn, Adair, Ciel, Namari, Kodie, Quinlan, Salah, Drue, Kamoni, Kayan, Jordin, Carrington, and Sakari.


Most of the names above don’t have a long history of usage in the U.S., so they aren’t anchored one gender or the other — making them good options for expectant parents who want names that work for both genders.

Note that many fall into a handful of categories, including: nature names, place names, surnames, color names, and virtue names. It may be worthwhile to focus on categories like these as you continue your search, as they’ll tend to naturally contain a good proportion of gender-neutral names.

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Gallery 1 by Sarah Howells under CC BY-SA 3.0.