How popular is the baby name Dakota 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 Dakota.

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Popularity of the baby name Dakota


Posts that mention the name Dakota

Most popular baby girl names (letter by letter) in the U.S. in 2023

First letter usage for baby girl names in the U.S. in 2023

Going letter by letter, what were last year’s most popular baby girl names?

Before we get to the lists, a few quick facts:

  • The most common first letter for girl names in 2023 was A (used 16.48% of the time), followed by E (9.49%) and M (9.17%).
  • The least common first letter for girl names in 2023 was U (used 0.04% of the time), followed by Q (0.24%) and X (0.32%).
  • The first letter that increased the most in usage for girl names (from 2022 to 2023) was D.
  • The first letter that decreased the most in usage for girl names (from 2022 to 2023) was A.

Top girl names starting with A:

  1. Amelia, 12,311 baby girls
  2. Ava, 9,682
  3. Aurora, 6,054
  4. Aria, 5,996
  5. Avery, 5,859
  6. Abigail, 5,661
  7. Addison, 3,520
  8. Alice, 3,336
  9. Adeline, 3,074
  10. Audrey, 3,032

Top girl names starting with B:

  1. Brooklyn, 2,850 baby girls
  2. Bella, 2,540
  3. Brielle, 2,064
  4. Brianna, 1,875
  5. Blakely, 1,854
  6. Bailey, 1,678
  7. Blake, 1,346
  8. Blair, 1,263
  9. Brynlee, 1,210
  10. Brooke, 1,032

Top girl names starting with C:

  1. Charlotte, 12,596 baby girls
  2. Camila, 7,565
  3. Chloe, 5,960
  4. Claire, 3,195
  5. Caroline, 2,859
  6. Cora, 2,738
  7. Clara, 2,648
  8. Charlie, 2,235
  9. Cecilia, 2,050
  10. Catalina, 1,928

Top girl names starting with D:

  1. Delilah, 4,031 baby girls
  2. Daisy, 2,412
  3. Diana, 1,307
  4. Delaney, 1,283
  5. Daphne, 1,257
  6. Daniela, 1,230
  7. Dahlia, 1,219
  8. Dakota, 1,183
  9. Danna, 1,052
  10. Dream, 920

Top girl names starting with E:

  1. Emma, 13,527 baby girls
  2. Evelyn, 9,082
  3. Eleanor, 6,739
  4. Elizabeth, 6,566
  5. Emily, 6,154
  6. Ellie, 5,951
  7. Ella, 5,643
  8. Eliana, 5,329
  9. Emilia, 4,670
  10. Elena, 4,261

Top girl names starting with F:

  1. Freya, 2,061 baby girls
  2. Faith, 1,256
  3. Finley, 1,106
  4. Fatima, 893
  5. Francesca, 820
  6. Fiona, 764
  7. Frances, 755
  8. Felicity, 676
  9. Fernanda, 653
  10. Faye, 610

Top girl names starting with G:

  1. Gianna, 6,129 baby girls
  2. Grace, 4,886
  3. Genesis, 3,651
  4. Gabriella, 2,782
  5. Georgia, 2,157
  6. Genevieve, 1,734
  7. Gemma, 1,649
  8. Gracie, 1,237
  9. Gia, 1,155
  10. Gabriela, 1,041

Top girl names starting with H:

  1. Harper, 7,769 baby girls
  2. Hazel, 6,154
  3. Hannah, 4,102
  4. Hailey, 2,776
  5. Hadley, 2,304
  6. Hallie, 1,553
  7. Haven, 1,353
  8. Harmony, 1,297
  9. Harlow, 1,266
  10. Hope, 1,011

Top girl names starting with I:

  1. Isabella, 10,808 baby girls
  2. Isla, 5,357
  3. Ivy, 5,036
  4. Iris, 2,921
  5. Isabelle, 1,785
  6. Isabel, 1,743
  7. Itzel, 839
  8. Imani, 645
  9. Izabella, 630
  10. Ivory, 581

Top girl names starting with J:

  1. Josephine, 3,347 baby girls
  2. Jade, 2,908
  3. Josie, 2,504
  4. Juniper, 2,382
  5. Julia, 2,290
  6. Juliette, 1,785
  7. June, 1,694
  8. Jasmine, 1,585
  9. Journee, 1,423
  10. Juliana, 1,240

Top girl names starting with K:

  1. Kinsley, 3,188 baby girls
  2. Kennedy, 3,069
  3. Kehlani, 1,854
  4. Katherine, 1,697
  5. Kaylee, 1,641
  6. Kaia, 1,608
  7. Kylie, 1,439
  8. Khloe, 1,381
  9. Kimberly, 1,329
  10. Kailani, 1,315

Top girl names starting with L:

  1. Luna, 7,811 baby girls
  2. Lily, 6,146
  3. Layla, 5,678
  4. Lucy, 4,858
  5. Leah, 3,953
  6. Lainey, 3,928
  7. Lillian, 3,927
  8. Leilani, 3,543
  9. Liliana, 2,787
  10. Lydia, 2,716

Top girl names starting with M:

  1. Mia, 11,359 baby girls
  2. Mila, 5,895
  3. Madison, 5,160
  4. Maya, 4,067
  5. Madelyn, 3,632
  6. Maeve, 3,046
  7. Maria, 2,893
  8. Madeline, 2,726
  9. Millie, 2,559
  10. Melody, 2,557

Top girl names starting with N:

  1. Nora, 5,994 baby girls
  2. Nova, 5,248
  3. Naomi, 4,456
  4. Natalie, 3,418
  5. Natalia, 2,717
  6. Nevaeh, 2,326
  7. Norah, 1,479
  8. Noelle, 1,451
  9. Nyla, 1,236
  10. Noa, 1,041

Top girl names starting with O:

  1. Olivia, 15,270 baby girls
  2. Oakley, 1,874
  3. Oaklynn, 1,815
  4. Olive, 1,640
  5. Ophelia, 1,166
  6. Octavia, 1,123
  7. Oaklee, 685
  8. Opal, 624
  9. Oakleigh, 596
  10. Oaklyn, 514

Top girl names starting with P:

  1. Penelope, 6,041 baby girls
  2. Paisley, 3,727
  3. Parker, 2,293
  4. Piper, 2,066
  5. Peyton, 1,953
  6. Phoebe, 1,580
  7. Presley, 1,517
  8. Palmer, 1,129
  9. Poppy, 1,072
  10. Payton, 990

Top girl names starting with Q:

  1. Quinn, 2,846 baby girls
  2. Quincy, 263
  3. Queen, 128
  4. Quetzaly, 72
  5. Quinley, 50
  6. Quetzalli, 44
  7. Qamar, 40
  8. Quetzali, 37
  9. Quinnley, 28
  10. Quincey, 27

Top girl names starting with R:

  1. Riley, 4,617 baby girls
  2. Ruby, 3,333
  3. Raelynn, 2,406
  4. Rylee, 2,328
  5. Rose, 2,237
  6. Remi, 2,170
  7. Reagan, 1,721
  8. Reese, 1,663
  9. Rosalie, 1,640
  10. Ruth, 1,594

Top girl names starting with S:

  1. Sophia, 11,944 baby girls
  2. Sofia, 7,641
  3. Scarlett, 6,288
  4. Stella, 4,357
  5. Sadie, 3,586
  6. Sophie, 3,578
  7. Sarah, 2,749
  8. Savannah, 2,739
  9. Serenity, 2,548
  10. Skylar, 2,522

Top girl names starting with T:

  1. Tatum, 1,314 baby girls
  2. Taylor, 1,185
  3. Talia, 1,181
  4. Teagan, 996
  5. Thea, 970
  6. Tessa, 960
  7. Trinity, 866
  8. Thalia, 520
  9. Tiana, 488
  10. Taytum, 430

Top girl names starting with U:

  1. Unique, 103 baby girls
  2. Ulani, 80
  3. Uma, 72
  4. Una, 48
  5. Unity, 46
  6. Unknown, 41
  7. Ursula, 39
  8. Uriyah, 22
  9. Uriah, 21
  10. Urvi, 19

Top girl names starting with V:

  1. Violet, 6,342 baby girls
  2. Victoria, 4,434
  3. Valentina, 4,075
  4. Vivian, 2,801
  5. Valerie, 1,944
  6. Valeria, 1,860
  7. Vera, 1,328
  8. Vivienne, 1,283
  9. Vanessa, 1,010
  10. Viviana, 844

Top girl names starting with W:

  1. Willow, 4,727 baby girls
  2. Wrenley, 1,654
  3. Wren, 1,537
  4. Winter, 826
  5. Wynter, 801
  6. Willa, 717
  7. Wrenlee, 512
  8. Winnie, 485
  9. Whitley, 383
  10. Waverly, 305 (tie)
  11. Winona, 305 (tie)

Top girl names starting with X:

  1. Ximena, 1,809 baby girls
  2. Xiomara, 761
  3. Xyla, 275
  4. Xena, 233
  5. Xochitl, 214
  6. Xolani, 176
  7. Xitlali, 135
  8. Xylah, 96
  9. Xenia, 75
  10. Xareni, 69

Top girl names starting with Y:

  1. Yaretzi, 547 baby girls
  2. Yara, 485
  3. Yareli, 388
  4. Yasmin, 309
  5. Yamileth, 292
  6. Yusra, 201
  7. Yuna, 198
  8. Yaritza, 183
  9. Yaneli, 162
  10. Yasmine, 158

Top girl names starting with Z:

  1. Zoe, 5,160 baby girls
  2. Zoey, 4,040
  3. Zuri, 1,471
  4. Zara, 1,282
  5. Zariah, 740
  6. Zahra, 543
  7. Zariyah, 457
  8. Zelda, 401
  9. Zaniyah, 382
  10. Zaria, 371

Source: SSA

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.

Popular baby names in the United States, 2022

Flag of the United States
Flag of the United States

The new rankings have arrived!

Earlier today, the SSA released the 2022 U.S. baby name data, revealing that the top names in the nation are Olivia and Liam yet again.

I have a number of analysis posts coming up, but let’s start with the basic rankings — first a quick top 10, then a full top 500.

Girl names

  1. Olivia, 16,573 baby girls
  2. Emma, 14,435
  3. Charlotte, 12,891
  4. Amelia, 12,333
  5. Sophia, 12,310
  6. Isabella, 11,662
  7. Ava, 11,039
  8. Mia, 11,018
  9. Evelyn, 9,289
  10. Luna, 8,922

Boy names

  1. Liam, 20,456 baby boys
  2. Noah, 18,621
  3. Oliver, 15,076
  4. James, 12,028
  5. Elijah, 11,979
  6. William, 11,282
  7. Henry, 11,221
  8. Lucas, 10,909
  9. Benjamin, 10,842
  10. Theodore, 10,754

The boys’ top 10 includes the same 10 names as in 2021.

In the girls’ top 10, Luna replaced Harper.

And here are the top 500 baby names in the U.S., per gender, for 2022…

RankGirl NamesBoy Names
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
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79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465
466
467
468
469
470
471
472
473
474
475
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
Olivia
Emma
Charlotte
Amelia
Sophia
Isabella
Ava
Mia
Evelyn
Luna
Harper
Camila
Sofia
Scarlett
Elizabeth
Eleanor
Emily
Chloe
Mila
Violet
Penelope
Gianna
Aria
Abigail
Ella
Avery
Hazel
Nora
Layla
Lily
Aurora
Nova
Ellie
Madison
Grace
Isla
Willow
Zoe
Riley
Stella
Eliana
Ivy
Victoria
Emilia
Zoey
Naomi
Hannah
Lucy
Elena
Lillian
Maya
Leah
Paisley
Addison
Natalie
Valentina
Everly
Delilah
Leilani
Madelyn
Kinsley
Ruby
Sophie
Alice
Genesis
Claire
Audrey
Sadie
Aaliyah
Josephine
Autumn
Brooklyn
Quinn
Kennedy
Cora
Savannah
Caroline
Athena
Natalia
Hailey
Aubrey
Emery
Anna
Iris
Bella
Eloise
Skylar
Jade
Gabriella
Ariana
Maria
Adeline
Lydia
Sarah
Nevaeh
Serenity
Liliana
Ayla
Everleigh
Raelynn
Allison
Madeline
Vivian
Maeve
Lyla
Samantha
Rylee
Eva
Melody
Clara
Hadley
Julia
Piper
Juniper
Parker
Brielle
Eden
Remi
Josie
Rose
Arya
Eliza
Charlie
Peyton
Daisy
Lucia
Millie
Margaret
Freya
Melanie
Elliana
Adalynn
Alina
Emersyn
Sienna
Mary
Isabelle
Alaia
Esther
Sloane
Mackenzie
Amara
Ximena
Sage
Cecilia
Valeria
Reagan
Valerie
Catalina
River
Magnolia
Kehlani
Summer
Ashley
Andrea
Isabel
Oakley
Olive
Oaklynn
Ember
Kaylee
Georgia
Juliette
Anastasia
Genevieve
Katherine
Blakely
Reese
Amaya
Emerson
Brianna
June
Alani
Lainey
Arianna
Rosalie
Sara
Jasmine
Ruth
Adalyn
Ada
Bailey
Ariella
Wren
Myla
Khloe
Callie
Elsie
Alexandra
Ryleigh
Faith
Norah
Margot
Zuri
Journee
Aspen
Gemma
Kylie
Molly
Blake
Zara
Alaina
Alana
Brynlee
Amy
Annie
Saylor
Ana
Amira
Kimberly
Noelle
Kamila
Morgan
Phoebe
Harmony
Sutton
Taylor
Finley
Lilah
Juliana
Lila
Londyn
Kailani
Vera
Kaia
Angela
Hallie
Diana
Lennon
Presley
Arabella
Aliyah
Lilly
Milani
Jordyn
Camille
Ariel
Aubree
Selena
Sawyer
Nyla
Delaney
Mariana
Rachel
Adaline
Leila
Collins
Lia
Octavia
Kali
Lena
Kiara
Kaylani
Elaina
Daniela
Leia
Gracie
Dakota
Elise
Hope
Harlow
Lola
Stevie
Malia
Miriam
Alora
Gia
Evangeline
Brooke
Lilith
Sydney
Ophelia
Alayna
Tatum
Evie
Rowan
Marley
Daphne
Kayla
Dahlia
Lucille
Blair
Adelaide
Wrenley
Haven
Teagan
Adelyn
Alyssa
Payton
Jane
Mckenna
Celeste
Juliet
Palmer
Maggie
Rebecca
London
Noa
Samara
Thea
Kendall
Mya
Talia
Winter
Angelina
Vivienne
Esme
Laila
Nina
Trinity
Vanessa
Mabel
Camilla
Jocelyn
Journey
Paige
Phoenix
Amina
Alivia
Amari
Joanna
Nicole
Annabelle
Raegan
Aitana
Julianna
Lauren
Catherine
Adriana
Madilyn
Harley
Tessa
Evelynn
Elianna
Rory
Dream
Nayeli
Poppy
Gabriela
Jayla
Cataleya
Celine
Hayden
Shiloh
Mariah
Charlee
Maisie
Regina
Adelynn
Briella
Giselle
Fatima
Danna
Alessia
Mckenzie
Wynter
Fiona
Brooklynn
Gracelynn
Luciana
Alexis
Everlee
Laura
Selah
Reign
Alayah
Rosemary
Lilliana
Ariyah
Heidi
Esmeralda
Logan
Amora
Kalani
Leighton
Cali
Melissa
Aniyah
Izabella
Michelle
Raelyn
Alessandra
Viviana
Madeleine
Arielle
Serena
Francesca
Brynn
Gwendolyn
Kira
Destiny
Elle
Makayla
Alaya
Malani
Willa
Saige
Makenna
Remington
Demi
Adelina
Raya
Astrid
Azalea
Veronica
Meadow
Anaya
Elisa
Raven
Alexandria
Hattie
Alicia
Sabrina
Gracelyn
Matilda
Skye
Annalise
Frances
Miracle
Maia
Helen
Lana
Daleyza
Rosie
Charli
Bianca
Royalty
Sarai
Amiyah
Nylah
Aylin
Maryam
Scarlet
Antonella
Sylvia
Sylvie
Nadia
Ari
Lexi
Mylah
Julieta
Lorelei
Avianna
Armani
Camryn
Emely
Rylie
Colette
Daniella
Liana
Brinley
Kate
Salem
Marlee
Alison
Carmen
Felicity
Fernanda
Holly
Ariah
Aisha
Kora
Amanda
Ailani
Elaine
Emory
Joy
Oaklee
Lyric
Madelynn
Haisley
Allie
Helena
Danielle
Katalina
Carolina
Zariah
Navy
Cassidy
Lorelai
Stephanie
Alma
Mira
Legacy
Jolene
Anya
Dorothy
Paris
Yaretzi
Aurelia
Maddison
Renata
Jimena
Xiomara
Itzel
Heaven
Lyra
Estella
Gabrielle
Maren
Liam
Noah
Oliver
James
Elijah
William
Henry
Lucas
Benjamin
Theodore
Mateo
Levi
Sebastian
Daniel
Jack
Michael
Alexander
Owen
Asher
Samuel
Ethan
Leo
Jackson
Mason
Ezra
John
Hudson
Luca
Aiden
Joseph
David
Jacob
Logan
Luke
Julian
Gabriel
Grayson
Wyatt
Matthew
Maverick
Dylan
Isaac
Elias
Anthony
Thomas
Jayden
Carter
Santiago
Ezekiel
Charles
Josiah
Caleb
Cooper
Lincoln
Miles
Christopher
Nathan
Isaiah
Kai
Joshua
Andrew
Angel
Adrian
Cameron
Nolan
Waylon
Jaxon
Roman
Eli
Wesley
Aaron
Ian
Christian
Ryan
Leonardo
Brooks
Axel
Walker
Jonathan
Easton
Everett
Weston
Bennett
Robert
Jameson
Landon
Silas
Jose
Beau
Micah
Colton
Jordan
Jeremiah
Parker
Greyson
Rowan
Adam
Nicholas
Theo
Xavier
Hunter
Dominic
Jace
Gael
River
Thiago
Kayden
Damian
August
Carson
Austin
Myles
Amir
Declan
Emmett
Ryder
Luka
Connor
Jaxson
Milo
Enzo
Giovanni
Vincent
Diego
Luis
Archer
Harrison
Kingston
Atlas
Jasper
Sawyer
Legend
Lorenzo
Evan
Jonah
Chase
Bryson
Adriel
Nathaniel
Arthur
Juan
George
Cole
Zion
Jason
Ashton
Carlos
Calvin
Brayden
Elliot
Rhett
Emiliano
Ace
Jayce
Graham
Max
Braxton
Leon
Ivan
Hayden
Jude
Malachi
Dean
Tyler
Jesus
Zachary
Kaiden
Elliott
Arlo
Emmanuel
Ayden
Bentley
Maxwell
Amari
Ryker
Finn
Antonio
Charlie
Maddox
Justin
Judah
Kevin
Dawson
Matteo
Miguel
Zayden
Camden
Messiah
Alan
Alex
Nicolas
Felix
Alejandro
Jesse
Beckett
Matias
Tucker
Emilio
Xander
Knox
Oscar
Beckham
Timothy
Abraham
Andres
Gavin
Brody
Barrett
Hayes
Jett
Brandon
Joel
Victor
Peter
Abel
Edward
Karter
Patrick
Richard
Grant
Avery
King
Caden
Adonis
Riley
Tristan
Kyrie
Blake
Eric
Griffin
Malakai
Rafael
Israel
Tate
Lukas
Nico
Marcus
Stetson
Javier
Colt
Omar
Simon
Kash
Remington
Jeremy
Louis
Mark
Lennox
Callum
Kairo
Nash
Kyler
Dallas
Crew
Preston
Paxton
Steven
Zane
Kaleb
Lane
Phoenix
Paul
Cash
Kenneth
Bryce
Ronan
Kaden
Maximiliano
Walter
Maximus
Emerson
Hendrix
Jax
Atticus
Zayn
Tobias
Cohen
Aziel
Kayson
Rory
Brady
Finley
Holden
Jorge
Malcolm
Clayton
Niko
Francisco
Josue
Brian
Bryan
Cade
Colin
Andre
Cayden
Aidan
Muhammad
Derek
Ali
Elian
Bodhi
Cody
Jensen
Damien
Martin
Cairo
Ellis
Khalil
Otto
Zander
Dante
Ismael
Angelo
Brantley
Manuel
Colson
Cruz
Tatum
Jaylen
Jaden
Erick
Cristian
Romeo
Milan
Reid
Cyrus
Leonel
Joaquin
Ari
Odin
Orion
Ezequiel
Gideon
Daxton
Warren
Casey
Anderson
Spencer
Karson
Eduardo
Chance
Fernando
Raymond
Bradley
Cesar
Wade
Prince
Julius
Dakota
Kade
Koa
Raiden
Callan
Hector
Onyx
Remy
Ricardo
Edwin
Stephen
Kane
Saint
Titus
Desmond
Killian
Sullivan
Mario
Jay
Kamari
Luciano
Royal
Zyaire
Marco
Wilder
Russell
Nasir
Rylan
Archie
Jared
Gianni
Kashton
Kobe
Sergio
Travis
Marshall
Iker
Briggs
Gunner
Apollo
Bowen
Baylor
Sage
Tyson
Kyle
Oakley
Malik
Mathias
Sean
Armani
Hugo
Johnny
Sterling
Forrest
Harvey
Banks
Grady
Kameron
Jake
Franklin
Lawson
Tanner
Eden
Jaziel
Pablo
Reed
Pedro
Zayne
Royce
Edgar
Ibrahim
Winston
Ronin
Leonidas
Devin
Damon
Noel
Rhys
Clark
Corbin
Sonny
Colter
Esteban
Erik
Baker
Adan
Dariel
Kylo
Tripp
Caiden
Frank
Solomon
Major
Memphis
Quinn
Dax
Hank
Donovan
Finnegan
Nehemiah
Andy
Camilo
Asa
Jeffrey
Santino
Isaias
Jaiden
Kian
Fabian
Callen
Ruben
Alexis
Emanuel
Francis
Garrett
Kendrick
Matthias
Wells
Augustus
Jasiah
Alijah
Alonzo
Koda
Collin
Ford
Frederick
Jaxton
Kohen
Troy
Kason
Seth
Denver
Kyson
Ares
Raphael
Bodie
Sylas
Uriel
Zaiden
Shiloh
Lewis
Kieran
Marcos
Bo
Shepherd
Philip
Zaire
Gregory
Princeton
Roberto
Leland
Eithan

More coming soon — stay tuned!

Sources: Popular Baby Names – SSA, Olivia and Liam Remain Most Popular Baby Names for 2022 – SSA

Image: Adapted from Flag of the United States (public domain)

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.