Unisex Names Across the Atlantic

Unisex baby names are increasingly appealing to parents. But which names are considered unisex, and which names are not, is a very subjective matter – one that is influenced by factors like a person’s past experience, age or location.

If you live in the United States of America, you can be pretty sure that Addison, Aubrey, Harlow, Noa and Remi are girls. Across the pond in the UK, however, there’s a greater chance they might be boys.

And if you flip the situation, the list becomes even longer. Cameron, Dylan, Elliott, Hayden, Jamie, Lennox, Parker and Rory are all among the names that rank in the Top 1000 only for boys in England and Wales, but are widely used for both genders in the US.

Today, we compare the gender balance of the most popular unisex names on both sides of the Atlantic. There are some big differences!

Female in the US, Male in the UK

The names listed above are unisex in the US, but still more common for boys. But there are also many names where the gender usage is completely flipped across the two countries.

Which side of the road you drive on is going to affect whether Bailey, Brooklyn, Charlie, Emerson, Harley, Finley, Leighton, Lennon, Marley, Morgan, Oakley, Reign, Shiloh and Taylor are more likely to be boys or girls. Those names are all more common for boys in England and Wales, but more common for girls in the US.

At the extreme end of the scale are the names that rank in the Top 1000 only for girls in the US, and only for boys in England and Wales. Ashley, Hadley, Henley, Mckenzie, Presley, Reagan and Shay are all overwhelmingly male in the UK, but overwhelmingly female in the US. 

Male in the US, Female in the UK

Most gender-neutral names sit on the more masculine end of the spectrum in the UK than they do in the US. However, that isn’t applicable to every name. For example, names that are masculine in Spanish – like Alexis, Angel and Ariel – tend to lean more masculine in the US than they do in England and Wales. 

Other names that defy the trend include Beau, Elisha, Dakota, Nova, Ocean, Skyler and Peyton. These all lean more feminine in England and Wales compared to the United States.

So, if you happen to have one of those names – prepare for some transatlantic confusion!

Top Unisex Names Across the Atlantic

Time to take a closer look at the stats! 

To be included below, a name must rank in the Top 1000 in both nations, including at least one appearance for each gender across the two countries.

There are many unisex names which rank in the Top 1000 in one country, but not the other, so they don’t make the cut. Apologies to Emery, Blair and Sage! Similarly, some names that are used in a unisex fashion occasionally, such as James, only ever rank for one gender, so they don't appear here either.

Names are given together with their rankings for each gender in each country, plus a chart showing their gender balance for the last year on record.*

*"Unranked" indicates that the name is outside the Top 1000, pink represents female births, and purple represents male births.

Addison

US: #47 for girls, unranked for boys

E&W: #496 for girls, #894 for boys

Alexis

US: #309 for girls, #483 for boys

E&W: #448 for girls, unranked for boys

Amari

US: #217 for boys, #334 for girls

E&W: #366 for boys, #724 for girls

Angel

US: #76 for boys, #440 for girls

E&W: #362 for girls, unranked for boys

Ari

US: #391 for boys, #486 for girls

E&W: #410 for boys, unranked for girls

Ariel

US: #200 for girls, #565 for boys

E&W: #823 for girls, unranked for boys

Ashley

US: #154 for girls, unranked for boys

E&W: #481 for boys, unranked for girls

Aubrey

US: #56 for girls, unranked for boys

E&W: #223 for girls, #723 for boys

August

US: #155 for boys, #856 for girls

E&W: #740 for boys, unranked for girls

Avery

US: #19 for girls, #212 for boys

E&W: #424 for girls, #506 for boys

Bailey

US: #171 for girls, unranked for boys

E&W: #188 for boys, #570 for girls

Beau

US: #109 for boys, unranked for girls

E&W: #162 for boys, #325 for girls

Blake

US: #210 for boys, #219 for girls

E&W: #96 for boys, #432 for girls

Brooklyn

US: #54 for girls, unranked for boys

E&W: #469 for boys, #590 for girls

Cameron

US: #64 for boys, #489 for girls

E&W: #197 for boys, unranked for girls

Carter

US: #33 for boys, #515 for girls

E&W: #63 for boys, unranked for girls

Casey

US: #521 for boys, unranked for girls

E&W: #356 for boys, #770 for girls

Charlie

US: #122 for girls, #204 for boys

E&W: #9 for boys, #601 for girls

Dakota

US: #261 for girls, #348 for boys

E&W: #402 for girls, unranked for boys

Drew

US: #530 for boys, #944 for girls

E&W: #762 for boys, unranked for girls

Dylan

US: #43 for boys, #496 for girls

E&W: #54 for boys, unranked for girls

Eden

US: #130 for girls, #490 for boys

E&W: #111 for girls, #206 for boys

Elisha

US: #837 for girls, unranked for girls

E&W: #806 for girls, unranked for boys

Elliot

US: #174 for boys, #564 for girls

E&W: #71 for boys, unranked for girls

Elliott

US: #158 for boys, #479 for girls

E&W: #83 for boys, unranked for girls

Ellis

US: #325 for boys, #623 for girls

E&W: #76 for boys, unranked for girls

Emerson

US: #155 for girls, #267 for boys

E&W: #723 for boys, unranked for girls

Ezra

US: #44 for boys, #721 for girls

E&W: #60 for boys, unranked for girls

Finley

US: #201 for girls, #304 for boys

E&W: #27 for boys, unranked for girls

Frankie

US: #591 for girls, #979 for boys

E&W: #58 for boys, #128 for girls

Hadley

US: #111 for girls, unranked for boys

E&W: #476 for boys, unranked for girls

Harley

US: #281 for girls, #781 for boys

E&W: #77 for boys, #212 for girls

Harlow

US: #324 for girls, unranked for boys

E&W: #258 for girls, #535 for boys

Harper

US: #10 for girls, unranked for boys

E&W: #29 for girls, #825 for boys

Hayden

US: #177 for boys, #294 for girls

E&W: #242 for boys, unranked for girls

Henley

US: #584 for girls, unranked for boys

E&W: #561 for boys, unranked for girls

Hunter

US: #69 for boys, #829 for girls

E&W: #52 for boys, unranked for girls

Jamie

US: #710 for girls, #715 for boys

E&W: #142 for boys, unranked for girls

Jordan

US: #85 for boys, #435 for girls

E&W: #204 for boys, unranked for girls

Kai

US: #93 for boys, #794 for girls

E&W: #109 for boys, unranked for girls

Kamari

US: #387 for boys, #946 for girls

E&W: #874 for boys, unranked for girls

Karter

US: #161 for boys, #887 for girls

E&W: #506 for boys, unranked for girls

Leighton

US: #400 for girls, #740 for boys

E&W: #338 for boys, unranked for girls

Lennon

US: #299 for girls, #688 for boys

E&W: #274 for boys, unranked for girls

Lennox

US: #291 for boys, #587 for girls

E&W: #388 for boys, unranked for girls

Logan

US: #16 for boys, #317 for girls

E&W: #29 for boys, unranked for girls

Marley

US: #211 for girls, #942 for boys

E&W: #186 for boys, #373 for girls

Mckenzie

US: #278 for girls, unranked for boys

E&W: #694 for boys, unranked for girls

Milan

US: #429 for boys, #642 for girls

E&W: #317 for boys, #717 for girls

Morgan

US: #193 for girls, #691 for boys

E&W: #274 for boys, #574 for girls

Noa

US: #466 for girls, unranked for boys

E&W: #432 for girls, #952 for boys

Nova

US: #38 for girls, #758 for boys

E&W: #186 for girls, unranked for boys

Ocean

US: #800 for boys, unranked for girls

E&W: #616 for girls, unranked for boys

Oakley

US: #281 for girls, #481 for boys

E&W: #98 for boys, unranked for girls

Parker

US: #95 for boys, #128 for girls

E&W: #121 for boys, unranked for girls

Peyton

US: #98 for girls, #430 for boys

E&W: #317 for girls, unranked for boys

Phoenix

US: #238 for boys, #286 for girls

E&W: #201 for boys, #398 for girls

Presley

US: #213 for girls, unranked for boys

E&W: #787 for boys, unranked for girls

Quinn

US: #85 for girls, #440 for boys

E&W: #285 for girls, #286 for boys

Reagan

US: #114 for girls, unranked for boys

E&W: #622 for boys, unranked for girls

Reign

US: #356 for girls, #643 for boys

E&W: #454 for boys, #864 for girls

Remi

US: #125 for girls, #765 for boys

E&W: #226 for girls, #435 for boys

Remy

US: #497 for boys, #356 for girls

E&W: #235 for boys, #897 for girls

Riley

US: #33 for girls, #258 for boys

E&W: #68 for boys, #243 for girls

River

US: #129 for boys, #186 for girls

E&W: #167 for girls, #194 for boys

Robin

US: #866 for boys, #904 for girls

E&W: #143 for boys, #349 for girls

Rory

US: #330 for boys, #457 for girls

E&W: #46 for boys, unranked for girls

Rowan

US: #113 for boys, #255 for girls

E&W: #83 for boys, #443 for girls

Ryan

US: #57 for boys, #450 for girls

E&W: #95 for boys, unranked for girls

Shay

US: #928 for girls, unranked for boys

E&W: #426 for boys, unranked for girls

Shiloh

US: #454 for girls, #618 for boys

E&W: #768 for boys, #936 for girls

Skyler

US: #465 for girls, #566 for boys

E&W: #443 for girls, unranked for boys

Taylor

US: #161 for girls, #597 for boys

E&W: #307 for boys, #526 for girls

Wren

US: #361 for girls, unranked for boys

E&W: #210 for girls, #874 for boys

Which differences were the most surprising? Which names from this list do you consider to be unisex, and which ones sit firmly in one gender? Join the discussion on our forums!