Visualizing the most common unisex names in the US

(nameplay.org)

16 points | by aaronjbecker 11 hours ago

3 comments

  • danans 9 hours ago
    To me, what's more interesting than the ranking is that the majority of the unisex names seem to be Celtic or Anglo-Saxon in origin.

    Comparatively, there are very few Latin, Greek, or Hebrew names. Perhaps this is because names from the latter languages are still very closely associated with their gendered religious and mythological characters, while those associations have become more hazy with the former.

  • fellowniusmonk 9 hours ago
    I was born a bit ago, up until I was 12 I had only met 2 Ryan's and they were both women and oddly enough both doctors I saw because I was their patient.

    Then my family moved to a different part of the country and I walked into a classroom with 7 Ryan's.

  • mc32 9 hours ago
    Αngel is a funny one. For Anglo Americans I’ve only known girls by that name, but with Mexicans (born in Mexico) I’ve only known guys by that name as they have Angela for their girls.
    • aaronjbecker 9 hours ago
      Yeah there are a few names that become "unisex" only in the aggregate, with differently gendered usage across cultures-- Alexis is another I can think of, it's a girls' name in the US but a boys' name in most other countries.
      • ks1723 8 hours ago
        Similarly, “Andrea” is male in Italian but female in German.
      • mc32 9 hours ago
        Also Sean. I think the Irish prefer Sinead or Siobhan instead for naming girls.
      • Thorrez 9 hours ago
        Another I think is Rosario. A male name in Italy, a female name in Mexico/Spain.
    • xdc0 9 hours ago
      True for any Spanish speaking country.