I intimated that we’d probably do a couple of things with the complete 2012 name data from Victoria, now that it’s been released, and something I thought might be interesting would be to look at the unisex names in the data, and see whether they were used more often for girls or boys, or evenly for both.
Unisex Names More Popular for Girls
- Addison – 76 girls, 7 boys
- Ashley – 31 girls, 13 boys
- Eden – 65 girls, 7 boys
- Harper – 144 girls, 25 boys
- Sasha – 30 girls, 6 boys
- There are only five names used by both sexes that are significantly more popular for girls.
- Some parents chose names for their sons which had a reasonable history of being established as feminine by usage, and which are gaining rapidly in popularity for girls, such as Addison and Eden.
- Ashley is the only one of these names which has a reasonable history of usage by both sexes.
- The most feminine unisex name is Harper, which has the biggest gap between the sexes.
Unisex Names More Popular for Boys
- Alex – 89 boys, 9 girls
- Bailey – 93 boys, 15 girls
- Casey – 16 boys, 7 girls
- Charlie – 264 boys, 63 girls
- Darcy – 78 boys, 10 girls
- Hunter – 156 boys, 8 girls
- Jamie – 31 boys, 6 girls
- Jordan – 120 boys, 13 girls
- Phoenix – 48 boys, 14 girls
- Riley – 217 boys, 9 girls
- River – 21 boys, 9 girls
- There are more than twice as many names used by both sexes that are significantly more popular for boys.
- Casey, Charlie, Darcy, Jamie and Jordan have a reasonable history of usage as unisex names.
- Most of these “more boyish” names, even if still popular, are falling in popularity for boys; Charlie and Hunter are the ones who buck this trend, and are still increasing in male popularity.
- The most masculine unisex name is Riley, which has the biggest gap between the sexes – a much bigger gap than between the boys and girls called Harper.
- Some parents will choose a name for their child which is Top 100 for the opposite sex (such as Harper or Bailey), so name popularity isn’t always a factor in whether a name is considered a “boy” name, or a “girl” name.
Unisex Names Given Fairly Evenly to Girls and Boys
- Ariel – 12 boys, 11 girls
- Asher – 35 boys, 26 girls
- Blair – 15 boys, 12 girls
- Brooklyn – 17 girls, 15 boys
- Emerson – 14 girls, 8 boys
- Frankie – 12 boys, 9 girls,
- Morgan – 13 boys, 11 girls
- Quinn – 30 boys, 24 girls
- Remi – 11 boys, 7 girls
- Remy – 19 girls, 14 boys
- Taylor – 31 girls, 20 boys
- Tully – 10 girls, 8 boys
- Yi – 10 boys, 8 girls
- Zi – 7 girls, 7 boys
- These 14 names could be considered “truly unisex”, in that they are used by both sexes in roughly equal numbers.
- None of the names are popular, which makes me wonder if once a name gains a high level of use, it will tend to skew towards one sex rather than another.
- The most unisex name is the Chinese name Zi, with the same number of boys and girls possessing it.
Theoretically Unisex Names Overwhelmingly Used by Girls
- Alexis – 112 girls, 5 or less boys
- Allie – 12 girls, 5 or less boys
- Allison – 12 girls, 5 or less boys
- Ally – 11 girls, 5 or less boys
- Angel – 21 girls, 5 or less boys
- Arya – 19 girls, 5 or less boys
- Aubrey – 7 girls, 5 or less boys
- Avery – 11 girls, 5 or less boys
- Bonnie – 52 girls, 5 or less boys
- Brooke – 24 girls, 5 or less boys
- Cassidy – 8 girls, 5 or less boys
- Chelsea – 104 girls, 5 or less boys
- Chelsey – 12 girls, 5 or less boys
- Clare – 18 girls, 5 or less boys
- Cleo – 34 girls, 5 or less boys
- Clover – 12 girls, 5 or less boys
- Coco – 23 girls, 5 or less boys
- Courtney – 12 girls, 5 or less boys
- Crystal – 15 girls, 5 or less boys
- Dakota – 25 girls, 5 or less boys
- Dana – 12 girls, 5 or less boys
- Ebony – 66 girls, 5 or less boys
- Elisha – 9 girls, 5 or less boys
- Erin – 31 girls, 5 or less boys
- Esme – 7 girls, 5 or less boys
- Evelyn – 68 girls, 5 or less boys
- Florence – 26 girls, 5 or less boys
- Gigi – 12 girls, 5 or less boys
- Ginger – 8 girls, 5 or less boys
- Harlow – 18 girls, 5 or less boys
- Indiana – 68 girls, 5 or less boys
- Indie – 29 girls, 5 or less boys
- Indigo – 36 girls, 5 or less boys
- Indy – 21 girls, 5 or less boys
- Iris – 20 girls, 5 or less boys
- Jade – 53 girls, 5 or less boys
- Jessie – 14 girls, 5 or less boys
- Joyce – 7 girls, 5 or less boys
- Kalani – 8 girls, 5 or less boys
- Kelly – 14 girls, 5 or less boys
- Kelsey – 8 girls, 5 or less boys
- Koa – 11 girls, 5 or less boys
- London – 11 girls, 5 or less boys
- Madison – 134 girls, 5 or less boys
- Maria – 26 girls, 5 or less boys
- Marley – 40 girls, 5 or less boys
- Mary – 42 girls, 5 or less boys
- Mika – 11 girls, 5 or less boys
- Miley – 22 girls, 5 or less boys
- Mischa – 11 girls, 5 or less boys
- Nicola – 13 girls, 5 or less boys
- Nikita – 27 girls, 5 or less boys
- Nikki – 6 girls, 5 or less boys
- Noor – 7 girls, 5 or less boys
- Olive – 53 girls, 5 or less boys
- Paige – 85 girls, 5 or less boys
- Paris – 8 girls, 5 or less boys
- Payton – 7 girls, 5 or less boys
- Pearl – 21 girls, 5 or less boys
- Peyton – 24 girls, 5 or less boys
- Piper – 68 girls, 5 or less boys
- Reese – 7 girls, 5 or less boys
- Ruby – 419 girls, 5 or less boys
- Sage – 13 girls, 5 or less boys
- Scarlet – 6 girls, 5 or less boys
- Scarlett – 256 girls, 5 or less boys
- Shelby – 19 girls, 5 or less boys
- Shiloh – 8 girls, 5 or less boys
- Skye – 43 girls, 5 or less boys
- Stacey – 6 girls, 5 or less boys
- Stevie – 16 girls, 5 or less boys
- Sydney – 8 girls, 5 or less boys
- Teagan – 13 girls, 5 or less boys
- Tegan – 9 girls, 5 or less boys
- Tia – 23 girls, 5 or less boys
- Vivian – 19 girls, 5 or less boys
- Wendy – 8 girls, 5 or less boys
- Willow – 129 girls, 5 or less boys
- Winter – 22 girls, 5 or less boys
The most feminine unisex name is Ruby, which is #3 for girls and in very rare use for boys (quite possibly, no boys at all). Ruby does have some usage as an Australian male name in the 19th century.
Theoretically Unisex Names Only Used by Boys
- Adrian – 37 boys, 5 or less girls
- Aiden – 144 boys, 5 or less girls
- Ali – 65 or less boys, 5 or less girls
- Arlo – 28 boys, 5 or less girls
- Ash – 8 boys, 5 or less girls
- Beau – 75 boys, 5 or less girls
- Blake – 163 boys, 5 or less girls
- Bodhi – 19 boys, 5 or less girls
- Brodie – 55 or less boys, 5 or less girls
- Brody – 35 boys, 5 or less girls
- Cameron – 53 boys, 5 or less girls
- Campbell – 35 boys, 5 or less girls
- Chance – 8 boys, 5 or less girls
- Chase – 94 boys, 5 or less girls
- Chris – 18 boys, 5 or less girls
- Clancy – 13 boys, 5 or less girls
- Coby – 17 boys, 5 or less girls
- Cody – 48 boys, 5 or less girls
- Colby – 8 boys, 5 or less girls
- Cooper – 248 boys, 5 or less girls
- Dallas – 13 boys, 5 or less girls
- Dion – 12 boys, 5 or less girls
- Dusty – 8 boys, 5 or less girls
- Dylan – 146 boys, 5 or less girls
- Elliot – 41 boys, 5 or less girls
- Elliott – 24 boys, 5 or less girls
- Evan – 50 boys, 5 or less girls
- Ezra – 13 boys, 5 or less girls
- Finlay – 18 boys, 5 or less girls
- Finley – 23 boys, 5 or less girls
- Francis – 8 boys, 5 or less girls
- Harley – 53 boys, 5 or less girls
- Hayden – 119 boys, 5 or less girls
- James – 381 boys, 5 or less girls
- Jay – 18 boys, 5 or less girls
- Jesse – 65 boys, 5 or less girls
- Joey – 10 boys, 5 or less girls
- Jonty – 15 boys, 5 or less girls
- Jude – 60 boys, 5 or less girls
- Julian – 70 boys, 5 or less girls
- Kai – 89 boys, 5 or less girls
- Koby – 51 boys, 5 or less girls
- Kody – 10 boys, 5 or less girls
- Logan – 178 boys, 5 or less girls
- Luca – 113 boys, 5 or less girls
- Luka – 53 boys, 5 or less girls
- Mason – 266 boys, 5 or less girls
- Max – 283 boys, 5 or less girls
- Maxwell – 49 boys, 5 or less girls
- Memphis – 6 boys, 5 or less girls
- Micah – 32 boys, 5 or less girls
- Milan – 6 boys, 5 or less girls
- Miller – 21 boys, 5 or less girls
- Musa – 6 boys, 5 or less girls
- Myles – 16 boys, 5 or less girls
- Noah – 409 boys, 5 or less girls
- Oakley – 8 boys, 5 or less girls
- Parker – 31 boys, 5 or less girls
- Rafferty – 17 boys, 5 or less girls
- Reece – 17 boys, 5 or less girls
- Reed – 7 boys, 5 or less girls
- Reid – 9 boys, 5 or less girls
- Reilly – 6 boys, 5 or less girls
- Rory – 36 boys, 5 or less girls
- Rowan – 12 boys, 5 or less girls
- Ryan – 228 boys, 5 or less girls
- Sam – 66 boys, 5 or less girls
- Saxon – 26 boys, 5 or less girls
- Shane – 8 boys, 5 or less girls
- Sean – 32 boys, 5 or less girls
- Sidney – 7 boys, 5 or less girls
- Sunny – 12 boys, 5 or less girls
- Toby – 78 boys, 5 or less girls
- Tristan – 38 boys, 5 or less girls
- Troy – 9 boys, 5 or less girls
- Zion – 15 or less boys, 5 or less girls
The most masculine unisex name is Noah, which is #6 for boys, and very rare for girls (perhaps not used at all). Noah can also be a Hebrew name for girls, from a completely different derivation than the male name Noah. I was not able to find any women named Noah in Australian records, but this might be because the high volume of male ones obscured them.
So … how unisex is a unisex name? Disappointingly, the answer seems to be “not very”. Most unisex names are in fact used much more by one sex over another, and those that are given fairly equally to both boys and girls do not have a high level of use.
I see no reason why a boy cannot be called Sage, or a girl Memphis, but even these obviously unisex names are skewed either female or male in the data.
Some people worry that girls are “taking all the boys names“, which will lead to some kind of naming cataclysm of epic proportions. Others look forward to an era when parents feel free to choose whatever name they like, unconstrained by gender.
So far, there is little evidence of either this fear or hope coming into being. Although we all seem to know a boy named Jade or a girl named Arlo, their numbers are too insignificant to show up in the data.