How popular is the baby name Lael 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 Lael.
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Which names were the trendiest among baby boys born in Canada last year?
Below you’ll find Canada’s fastest-rising and highest-debuting boy names of 2024.
Rises (absolute)
Here are the boy names that saw the biggest increases in usage in terms of absolute change (number of babies) from 2023 to 2024:
Arjan, rose from 160 to 292 baby boys (+132)
Zorawar, 247 to 367 (+120)
Samuel, 627 to 723 (+96)
Levi, 818 to 909 (+91)
Muhammad, 637 to 716 (+79) [3-way tie]
Weston, 286 to 365 (+79) [3-way tie]
Wyatt, 448 to 527 (+79) [3-way tie]
Wesley, 459 to 534 (+75)
Arthur, 813 to 883 (+70) [tie]
August, 215 to 285 (+70) [tie]
Zorawar, the fastest-rising boy name a year earlier, continues to climb.
Rises (relative)
Here are the boy names that saw the biggest increases in usage in terms of relative change (percentage of babies) from 2023 to 2024:
Laken, rose from 5 to 28 baby boys (460% increase)
Macklin, 10 to 52 (420%)
Ilyes, 8 to 31 (288%)
Rishiv, 7 to 26 (271%)
Avitaj, 11 to 40 (264%)
Gurshaan, 8 to 29 (263%)
Anveer, 7 to 25 (257%)
Lael, 7 to 24 (243%)
Jugaad, 5 to 16 (220%) [3-way tie]
Mateus, 5 to 16 (220%) [3-way tie]
Sabr, 5 to 16 (220%) [3-way tie]
Macklin — which now ranks 536th in Canada — was no doubt influenced by Canadian hockey player Macklin Celebrini, who was selected first overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2024 NHL draft. (The U.S. usage of Macklin also increased last year.)
Debuts
Finally, here are the boy names that debuted most impressively in Canada’s baby name data in 2024:
Avitaaz, 46 baby boys
Akaay, 32
Lovic, 20
Avitaaj, 13
Arshiv, 12 [3-way tie]
Parwaaz, 12 [3-way tie]
Rustyn, 12 [3-way tie]
Charvik, 11 [4-way tie]
Daler, 11 [4-way tie]
Jaitegh, 11 [4-way tie]
Neeom, 11 [4-way tie]
Akaay was influenced by a celebrity baby — the son of Indian cricketer Virat Kohli and Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma. (Thank you to Clare for figuring out why Akaay debuted in both Canada and the U.S. last year!)
Other boy-name debuts in the Canadian data included Juancho (10), Lupin (6), and Melchizedek (5).
Do you have thoughts/theories about any of the names above?
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.
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:
Parker
River
Charlie
Blake
Hayden
Emerson
Amari
Finley
Remington
Phoenix
Oakley
Dakota
Tatum
Rory
Ari
Alexis
Armani
Remy
Reign
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 girls
Percent boys
Shiloh
1,245
61.69%
38.31%
Legacy
1,086
66.30%
33.70%
Salem
970
62.99%
37.01%
Briar
955
62.20%
37.80%
Denver
941
38.68%
61.32%
Skyler
930
58.92%
41.08%
Drew
913
37.13%
62.87%
Jamie
847
48.41%
51.59%
Bellamy
812
45.44%
54.56%
Justice
812
46.92%
53.08%
Azariah
794
47.23%
52.77%
Layne
761
43.63%
56.37%
Chandler
758
39.97%
60.03%
Ocean
673
45.77%
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 girls
Percent boys
Quincy
653
33.38%
66.62%
Murphy
610
65.25%
34.75%
Tru
608
36.02%
63.98%
Kingsley
594
37.71%
62.29%
Robin
546
53.11%
46.89%
Amiri
502
34.46%
65.54%
Landry
489
55.01%
44.99%
Ira
465
35.91%
64.09%
Kacey
425
48.94%
51.06%
Joey
424
41.75%
58.25%
Campbell
414
50.72%
49.28%
True
405
53.09%
46.91%
Everest
385
34.55%
65.45%
Arden
385
58.70%
41.30%
Harlem
379
37.20%
62.80%
Shea
379
63.85%
36.15%
Sol
375
63.47%
36.53%
Bowie
370
36.76%
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 girls
Percent boys
Hollis
362
45.03%
54.97%
Yael
348
39.37%
60.63%
Joan
340
45.59%
54.41%
Laken
315
56.19%
43.81%
Gentry
302
45.36%
54.64%
Lux
296
36.15%
63.85%
Sidney
293
55.29%
44.71%
Kasey
284
56.34%
43.66%
Kadence
280
66.43%
33.57%
Ever
278
40.65%
59.35%
Camdyn
270
36.67%
63.33%
Jael
270
48.15%
51.85%
Dominique
260
33.46%
66.54%
Montana
260
57.69%
42.31%
Kodi
258
56.20%
43.80%
Ramsey
254
47.24%
52.76%
Perry
253
42.69%
57.31%
Storm
245
57.14%
42.86%
Ashtyn
243
60.91%
39.09%
Honor
240
47.92%
52.08%
Kit
233
44.64%
55.36%
Brighton
232
46.98%
53.02%
Isa
227
33.48%
66.52%
Armoni
210
50.00%
50.00%
Merritt
208
60.58%
39.42%
Jupiter
206
62.62%
37.38%
Arrow
203
38.42%
61.58%
Laine
203
63.55%
36.45%
Jules
201
43.78%
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):
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.
Looking for a set of baby names with something in common? If so, here are some 4-letter anagram names for you to check out!
Anagrams are words that contain the same set of letters, but not in the same sequence. For instance, the words “race,” “care,” and “acre” are all anagrams of one another.
Anagram names can be a neat option for siblings — particularly multiples (like twins and triplets). They’re also a clever way to connect a baby name to the name of an older relative (e.g., grandpa Gary, grandson Gray).
Below are hundreds of four-letter names (collected from the SSA’s huge database of U.S. baby names) that happen to be anagrams of other names.
Four-letter anagram names
Adir, Adri, Ardi, Dair, Dari, Diar, Dira, Dria, Riad, Rida
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