Current:Home > reviewsGender-neutral baby names are on the rise. Here are the top 10 predictions for 2024. -StockFocus
Gender-neutral baby names are on the rise. Here are the top 10 predictions for 2024.
View
Date:2025-04-16 06:39:00
Get ready to see more babies named Dylan, Avery and Logan in the coming months as gender-neutral names rise in popularity.
According to data from baby name website names.org, gender-neutral baby names have been trending upward dramatically since the 1990s, making up 17% of names in 2023 — with no signs of slowing down this year.
Here's the site's predictions for the top unisex names of 2024:
- Dylan
- Avery
- Logan
- Carter
- Riley
- Parker
- Rowan
- Cameron
- Angel
- Kai
Name.org's data also shows that the increase in unisex names isn't region-specific, despite earlier data showing gender-neutral names were more common in the southeastern U.S. throughout the 1990s.
"More recently, the maps show how dramatically usage has increased across the entire country," the website states, noting that while the names are still most common in the Southeast, they've become "notably more popular" in the Midwest and Pacific Northwest.
The analysis is based on Social Security Administration data on names, which only shows a person's given name, not what they go by.
"It's likely that gender-neutral names are even more common in everyday life than the Social Security data would suggest," the website notes. "For instance, Charlie is a gender-neutral baby name that is used as a nickname for Charles and Charlotte."
Since Charles and Charlotte are more common than most gender-neutral given names, if only "10% use the nickname Charlie, the popularity of Charlie in everyday life would be double what Social Security data would suggest," the website explains.
Other unisex nickname examples include Alex, which can be short for both Alexander and Alexandra, as well as Chris for Christopher, Christian, Christine or Christina.
The current predictions for unisex baby names are similar to those most popular in the past 10 years, a ranking that put Logan in first place, Avery in second and Carter in third. But the most popular unisex names of all time include a more varied lineup with Willie, Kelly and Jordan topping the list.
Other 2024 baby name trends
Gender-neutral names aren't the only ones getting attention. Athletes, actors and movie characters have also influenced what parents are naming their kids.
The name Caitlin, for example, peaked in popularity in 1988, but after more than three decades, it's seeing a resurgence — likely thanks to basketball star Caitlin Clark, according to BabyCenter data earlier this month.
The name Zendaya is also up this year and has been steadily increasing since the release of "Dune: Part Two" in March. The actress' name sits at No. 588. The last time her name spiked was in 2021 after the release of "Dune: Part One," and it continued to increase throughout 2022.
The siblings in the Netflix series "Bridgerton" may have also contributed to the increase in popularity for Anthony (up five spots), Eloise (up 20), Francesca (up 84), and Gregory (up 40) this year.
- More baby name news: "Chozen" and "Emryn" are rising fast as most popular baby names of the year are revealed
-Caitlin O'Kane contributed reporting.
- In:
- Childbirth
- Children
Sara Moniuszko is a health and lifestyle reporter at CBSNews.com. Previously, she wrote for USA Today, where she was selected to help launch the newspaper's wellness vertical. She now covers breaking and trending news for CBS News' HealthWatch.
TwitterveryGood! (311)
Related
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- New Jersey judge rejects indictment against officer charged with shooting man amid new evidence
- Detroit mother gets 35+ years in prison for death of 3-year-old son found in freezer
- 2024 Olympics: Why Hezly Rivera Won’t Compete in Women’s Gymnastics Final
- The Louvre will be renovated and the 'Mona Lisa' will have her own room
- UCLA ordered by judge to craft plan in support of Jewish students
- Ryan Reynolds Shares Look Inside Dad Life With Blake Lively and Their 4 Kids
- How Harris and Trump differ on artificial intelligence policy
- Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
- Francine Pascal, author of beloved ‘Sweet Valley High’ books, dead at 92
Ranking
- Sonya Massey's father decries possible release of former deputy charged with her death
- Federal appeals court rules against Missouri’s waiting period for ex-lawmakers to lobby
- Landslides caused by heavy rains kill 49 and bury many others in southern India
- Paris Olympics set record for number of openly LGBTQ+ athletes, but some say progress isn’t finished
- Why Sean "Diddy" Combs Is Being Given a Laptop in Jail Amid Witness Intimidation Fears
- Sorry Ladies, 2024 Olympian Stephen Nedoroscik Is Taken. Meet His Gymnast Girlfriend Tess McCracken
- How Stephen Nedoroscik Became Team USA's Pommel Horse Hero
- New Details on Sinéad O'Connor's Official Cause of Death Revealed
Recommendation
What to watch: O Jolie night
Accusing Olympic leaders of blackmail over SLC 2034 threat, US lawmakers threaten payments to WADA
Best of 'ArtButMakeItSports': Famed Social media account dominates Paris Olympics' first week
Sheriff in charge of deputy who killed Sonya Massey declines to resign, asks for forgiveness
Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
Son of drug kingpin ‘El Chapo’ pleads not guilty to drug trafficking charges in Chicago
Investigation finds at least 973 Native American children died in abusive US boarding schools
Taylor Swift “Completely in Shock” After Stabbing Attack at Themed Event in England