12 Unisex Baby Names, With Honest Notes on Who Uses Them
Shared names have a habit of drifting. A name starts with boys, girls pick it up, and within a generation the class list looks different. Avery is the clearest case on this list. Knowing where a name sits today can save you surprises on forms, team rosters and party invites.
For each name I give its 2025 rank on the side where it is more common, using U.S. Social Security data. That is not the whole picture, since the other side uses it too. But it tells you which way a name leans right now. A boy named Wren or a girl named Remy is fine. You just want to know what people may assume when they read the name on a list before they meet your child.
How we picked: These are names given to both boys and girls, each listed with its 2025 rank on the side that uses it more.
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Avery began as a boy's surname, and today you will meet far more girls with it. It ranked No. 37 for girls in 2025. Choose it for a son and some forms may assume a daughter. The meaning most often given, through Alfred, is elf counsel.
More about Avery → -
Boys use Rowan more, and it ranked No. 59 for boys in 2025. On a girl it leans toward the red-berried tree. On a boy it reads Irish. Families still argue over the first syllable, so say it firmly at the hospital.
More about Rowan → -
Emery started as a boy's name and now leans girl, ranking No. 74 for girls in 2025. It sounds a lot like Emily on the phone, and many people will spell it Emory. Em and Emmy are built in for either child.
More about Emery → -
On paper Quinn does not lean either way, but the girls' side is bigger right now, at No. 97 in 2025. It began as the Irish surname Ó Cuinn. For a boy, classmates may try Queen as a tease. It usually fades.
More about Quinn → -
Few names sit as close to the middle as River. The boys' side is a little bigger, at No. 111 in 2025, but you will see it on both halves of a class list. Test it with your surname, since R sounds pile up.
More about River → -
6Sage
More girls than boys get Sage, which ranked No. 160 for girls in 2025. On a boy it sits close to names like Reid or Gray. The spelling Saige is common, so spell yours slowly at the pediatrician's desk.
More about Sage → -
Scotland still gives Blair mostly to boys. In the U.S. it turned toward girls in the early 1980s and ranked No. 169 for girls in 2025. People will hear Claire on the phone, and forms may add an E.
More about Blair → -
Reese started on the boys' side and is now used more for girls, ranking No. 192 for girls in 2025. Spelling causes daily friction: Reese, Reece, Rees and Rhys all sound alike. A longer middle name gives the one syllable some shape.
More about Reese → -
9Rory
For a boy, Rory reads Irish and sporty; for a girl it often stands alone or shortens Aurora. Boys use it more, with a 2025 rank of No. 199. The two R's are tricky for toddlers, who may say Wowy.
More about Rory → -
10Wren
Wren leans girl in the U.S., at No. 231 for girls in 2025, but boys wear it too. The silent W is the catch. Plenty of people will write Ren or assume it is short for Lauren.
More about Wren → -
11Ellis
You will meet more boys than girls named Ellis. It ranked No. 243 for boys in 2025. On the phone it sounds like Alice, or Elliot if the listener expects a boy. Spell it once and it usually sticks.
More about Ellis → -
12Remy
Remy is more common for boys, ranking No. 408 in 2025. Grown up, it stays friendly on a man or a woman. The spelling question comes first: Remy, Remi and accented forms all show up, and school databases tend to drop the accent.
More about Remy →
Ranks shift fast for shared names, so a name that leans boy today may lean girl by the time your child starts school. That is not a reason to avoid one. It is a reason to pick a name you like on its own terms. If you would mind people guessing wrong on a form, choose a name from the middle of this list, like River or Quinn.
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Questions about this list
Do unisex names usually drift toward girls?
Many do, and Avery, Reese and Emery all started on the boys' side. It does not happen with every name. Ellis and Rowan, for now, are still used more for boys.
Why do you only give one rank per name?
The rank shown is from the side where the name is more common. The other side uses it too, just less. One rank shows the lean, not the full split.
Will a unisex name cause trouble at school?
Mostly small mix-ups, like a spot on the wrong team list or a form that assumes the other sex. Teachers sort it out fast once they meet your child. A middle name can help if you want to signal more clearly.
Ranks come from U.S. Social Security Administration data. Meanings follow the sources on each name page.