Spunky, Modern Girl Name Combos!

While a lot of this could be subjective, the names on this list have a bit of a modern, spunky vibe.  Some could be somewhat unisex as well. Girls today are receiving more and more names that are beyond the scope of traditional, classic choices. Surname and occupational names are huge, unisex names or even boy-names-on-girls (BNOG) are gaining popularity, and many Irish names and word names are catching on.

The following list was compiled by me in an effort to showcase some of the best modern names and offer ideas for first/middle combinations to anyone in the market for one:

Mackenzie Hollis

Riley Valentina
Darcy Magnolia
Hazel Kinsley
Kennedy Lace
Piper Connolly
Mercy Willow
Presley Morgan
Addison Hadley
Teagan Everly
Bailey Summer
Delaney Sloane
Ashton Lindsay
Reese Jessamine
Cassidy Ryanne
Paige Emerson
Tatum Siobhan
Kerrigan Fallon
Sylvie Madigan
Madison Serenity
Berkley Joss
Sable Amaya
Taylor Felicity
Whitley Harper
Auden Bristol
Finlay Marlowe
Elle Sheridan
Rosalie Brynn
Kenadie Brooke
Jaelyn Rue
Kaia Bailey
Delaney Blue
Zoey Lyla
Taryn Ellery
Aria Fable

Can you think of any other names that might fit this category? Share your combo ideas in the comments below!

Top 10 Unisex Baby Names in 2014

Last month we discovered which names were most favored by America in 2014. As you know, Emma and Noah were ranked at #1.  Have you ever wondered which unisex names are the most popular?

The SSA doesn't make a separate list for unisex names. It's up to us to determine which names are used for both boys and girls.

If you saw my previous article regarding the boy-to-girl ratios of every unisex name within the Top 1000, you'll see that some names are used more often for one gender than the other, yet some names are very evenly used.

So how can we determine which unisex names are the most popular based on this information?

Since there are two genders, it's a bit complicated to determine the exact popularity, especially since I was taking into account the boy-to-girl ratios of the names, the number of births for each gender, and the rank assigned to the names by the Social Security Administration..

While determining which unisex names are the most popular across the genders, my dilemma was whether or not to include the barely-unisex names like Logan (94% male) or Harper (97% female). In the end, I did include those.

I ranked the Top 10 Unisex Names of 2014 based on the list of names and their data from my previous article. All data ultimately came straight from the SSA's list.

There was much debate and number crunching, but I chose to simplify things by averaging the sum of boy/girl ranks with the "most popular" names having the smallest numbers. Here's the top 10 that I came up with:

1. Avery
In every data crunching method that I toyed with, Avery was without a doubt the most-used unisex name by both genders. At #13 for girls and #186 for boys, Avery is definitely popular. It comes from a surname that may have been derived from either Alberich or Alfred, both names having a meaning related to elves. Because of that, Avery is generally said to mean "Elf Ruler".

2. Riley
Our second most popular unisex name is Riley which also comes from a surname. It actually has two origins. As an Irish surname, it's a variant of Reilly whose meaning is unknown; and as an English surname, it comes from a place name that refers to a "rye clearing". In 2014, Riley ranked at #47 for girls and #173 for boys.

3. Peyton
Between Peyton and Payton, this name is getting a lot of usage for girls. However, the boys still like it too. Peyton in particular is 71% girl but when you average both ranks, it becomes our #3 unisex name.  It came in at #56 for girls and #210 for boys which are respectable ranks! Peyton comes from an English surname which came from a place name meaning "Paega's town".

4. Jordan
Both Jordan and Jordyn have usage as unisex names within the Top 1000. While Jordyn is 91% girl, Jordan is 84% boy. Since we are only considering Jordan here as our #4 unisex name, it's interesting to note that it ranked at #55 for boys and #247 for girls. This name is generally based on the Jordan River near Israel.

5. Parker
This one surprised me a bit. It feels very masculine but it is being given to girls with increased frequency now. 20% of all Parkers born in 2014 were female, which is up from 17% in 2013. It ranked at #73 for boys and #235 for girls last year!  Parker is an English occupational surname that refers to a "keeper of the park".

6. Hayden
From an English surname, Hayden is derived from place names meaning "hay valley" or "hay hill". This name has a decent split of 63% boy and 37% girl. It ranks at #142 for boys and #199 for girls which makes them both reasonably popular. That's why this name is our #6 unisex name for 2014!

7. Angel
Following closely behind Hayden in terms of the rank averages, Angel is well used for both genders primarily in the Hispanic community.  It's more popular for a boy with 84% of all Angels being male. It ranks at #67 for boys and #275 for girls in 2014. The name is based on the heavenly creatures and means "messenger" in Greek.

8. Alexis
From a Greek name meaning "defender", Alexis is our 8th most popular unisex name in 2014. It ranks higher for girls at #64 but the boys hold their own at #302. The boys actually gained 2% from 2013 in the boy-to-girl ratio of usage.

9. Logan
This name is predominantly used by boys and ranked at #13 in 2014 with over 13 thousand births. However, it also ranked at #391 for girls which is actually quite high despite there being only 828 female births. Logan is unisex even though it has a 94/6 boy-to-girl ratio.  It is a surname meaning "little hollow" which relates to a place in Scotland.

10. Dylan
Similar to Logan, this name has a 93/7 boy-to-girl ratio. Dylan came in at #29 for boys in 2014 while it ranked #394 for girls. In the end, there were over 10 thousand male Dylans and just over 800 females.  This Welsh name meaning "great tide" ranks at #10 on this list!

What do you think of my top 10 list? Would you have crunched the numbers differently? If so, share your methods in the comments below! 

Your Ultimate Guide to Unisex Names: Boy-to-Girl Ratios in 2014

Welcome to our annual list of unisex names. This is where we analyze the gender ratios of each name. Some of these may not truly classify as a true "unisex name" because they will swing very heavily to one side or the other.

I chose to include some names like that because it is worth mentioning, especially if it ranked at 3% last year and now ranks at 5%. That means the name is beginning to gain more popularity for the minority gender.

Over time, it could continue to change and become more of a 20/80 thing and perhaps later a 40/60 thing. Wouldn't you like to be able to guess these things in advance if its a name you're pondering for a future child?

There have been many cases where a name was traditionally male and it was then slowly taken over by the girls. Some of those formerly male names are now considered completely female. Names evolve. If we can catch them in the act, well, I think it would be exciting.

I'm only mentioning all of this because last year I got comments regarding my monitoring of names like Ryan that were only given to 3% of girls. Yes, that does not mean that Ryan is a unisex name through and through. BUT it means that Ryan could potentially gain more usage for females over time and end up becoming a true unisex name.

Take a look at the current trend in Hollywood.  It seems like every other week we're hearing about a new celebrity baby girl being given a masculine name. While it may or may not catch on with mainstream parents right now, it could happen eventually. Things seem to be moving that way already and you never know what the future of naming might bring!

Here are some more examples of celebrity baby girls who were given traditionally masculine names:

Wyatt (Mila Kunis & Ashton Kutcher)
Lincoln (Kristin Bell & Dax Shepherd)
James (Blake Lively & Ryan Reynolds)
Ryan (Haylie Duff)
Maxwell (Jessica Simpson)
Hunter (Kevin Rahm)
Casper (Jason Lee)
Mason & Spencer (Kelsey Grammer)

There are likely many more examples of these. Now we are going to take a look at all of the potentially unisex names in the Top 1000.

Mostly Female Usage:

First, the following are the names that swing more toward the female side, meaning they have 60% or more usage for girls with 40% or less for boys.

Harper: 3% boy / 97% girl                   Boy: 327 births (#728) Girl: 9,564 births (#11) Avery: 19% boy / 81% girl Boy: 2,269 births (#186) Girl: 9,517 births (#13) Riley: 34% boy / 66% girl Boy: 2,429 births (#173) Girl: 4,761 births (#47) Skylar: 8% boy / 92% girl Boy: 409 births (#637) Girl: 4,732  births (#48) Peyton: 29% boy / 71% girl Boy: 1,828 births (#210) Girl: 4,426 births (#56) Alexis: 22% boy / 78% girl Boy: 1,172 births (#302) Girl: 4,188 births (#64) Taylor: 15% boy / 85% girl Boy: 691 births (#435) Girl: 3,782 births (#77) London: 12% boy / 88% girl Boy: 433 births (#611) Girl: 3,264 births (#93) Morgan: 12% boy / 88% girl Boy: 402 births (#650) Girl: 2,984 births (#101) Reagan: 7% boy / 93% girl Boy: 205 births (#999) Girl: 2,882 births (#106) Rylee: 8% boy / 92% girl Boy: 247 births (#877) Girl: 2,753 births (#113) Quinn: 25% boy / 75% girl Boy: 868 births (#363) Girl: 2,539 births (#126) Jordyn: 9% boy / 91% girl Boy: 239 births (#895) Girl: 2,533 births (#127) Kendall: 11% boy / 89% girl Boy: 310 births (#754) Girl: 2,432 births (#131) Ariel: 12% boy / 88% girl Boy: 319 births (#738) Girl: 2,419 births (#133) Payton: 14% boy / 86% girl Boy: 406 births (#644) Girl: 2,397 births (#134)

Eden: 17% boy / 83% girl Boy: 447 births (#601) Girl: 2,117 births (#151) Emery: 15% boy / 85% girl Boy: 361 births (#687) Girl: 2,026 births (#161) Reese: 17% boy / 83% girl Boy: 403 births (#648) Girl: 1,960 births (#165) Emerson: 39% boy / 61% girl Boy: 1,048 births (#324) Girl: 1,670 births (#196) Marley: 14% boy / 86% girl Boy: 273 births (#821) Girl: 1,643 births (#202) Finley: 36% boy / 64% girl Boy: 829 births (#374) Girl: 1,498 births (#223) Teagan: 14% boy / 86% girl Boy: 212 births (#979) Girl: 1,272 births (#253) Lyric: 17% boy / 83% girl Boy: 255 births (#860) Girl: 1,210 births (#271) Harley: 30% boy / 70% girl Boy: 407 births (#641) Girl: 940 births (#349) Kamryn: 20% boy / 80% girl Boy: 216 births (#967) Girl: 850 births (#380) Sage: 32% boy / 68% girl Boy: 399 births (#654) Girl: 834 births (#388) Tatum: 36% boy / 64% girl Boy: 462 births (#592) Girl: 828 births (#392) Jamie: 32% boy / 68% girl Boy: 292 births (#786) Girl: 633 births (#489) Leighton: 30% boy / 70% girl Boy: 240 births (#893) Girl: 568 births (#540) Jessie: 36% boy / 64% girl Boy: 280 births (#809) Girl: 504 births (#587) Emory: 40% boy / 60% girl Boy: 252 births (#868) Girl: 373 births (#743)

The most popular unisex name, meaning the name with the most usage across both genders, is Avery with over 9 thousand births for girls and 2 thousand for boys. This means they both rank well at #13 and #186 respectively.  Both Skylar and Skyler are gaining for the girls whereas Tatum, Finley, Alexis  Kendall, and Morgan have shifted toward the boys' side.

If you would like to make more comparisons from 2013 to 2014, take a look at our previous article featuring the Boy-to-Girl Ratios of Unisex Names in 2013.

Most Evenly Used for Both Genders:

Now let's look at the names that are very evenly matched for boys and girls. These names are the ones that come the closest to being truly gender neutral. The names on this list range from a 50/50 split to a 59/41 or 41/59 split.  In other words, these have the tightest ratios:

Charlie: 54% boy / 46% girl                Boy: 1,670 births (#225) Girl: 1,432 births (#229) Dakota: 43% boy / 57% girl Boy: 876 births (#360) Girl: 1,136 births (#285) Skyler: 46% boy / 54% girl Boy: 911 births (#352) Girl: 1,070 births (#302) Justice: 41% boy / 59% girl Boy: 518 births (#531) Girl: 756 births (#421) Phoenix: 59% boy / 41% girl Boy: 901 births (#355) Girl: 629 births (#494)

Armani: 57% boy / 43% girl Boy: 570 births (#489) Girl: 422 births (#671) Lennon: 47% boy / 53% girl Boy: 358 births (#691) Girl: 399 births (#699) Oakley: 52% boy / 48% girl Boy: 394 births (#657) Girl: 362 births (#768) Landry: 50% boy / 50% girl Boy: 270 births (#829) Girl: 269 births (#981) Azariah: 49% boy / 51% girl Boy: 264 births (#838) Girl: 278 births (#954)

The name that is officially most unisex for the year 2014 is Landry. There was only a difference of one birth between the genders which makes it a [rounded up] 50/50 split! It's the closest I've ever seen two names come to being equally used for both genders!  

The next closest name is Azariah with a 49/51 split which is very close!  Justice gained 4 percentage points for the girls over 2013.  One name was a big mover in particular this year: Skyler jumped 10 points in favor of the girls in 2014. 

Mostly Male Usage:

The following names lean more toward the male side but are still used for females too. These have a range of 60% or more for boys with 40% or less for girls. 

Logan: 94% boy / 6% girl                    Boy: 13,579 births (#13) Girl: 828 births (#391) Jayden: 96% boy / 4% girl Boy: 12,878 births (#15) Girl: 569 births (#539) Carter: 97% boy / 3% girl Boy: 10,599 births (#27) Girl: 355 births (#785) Dylan: 93% boy / 7% girl Boy: 10,350 births (#29) Girl: 822 births (#394) Ryan: 94% boy / 6% girl Boy: 9,026 births (#37) Girl: 603 births (#510) Hunter: 96% boy / 4% girl Boy: 8,759 births (#40) Girl: 362 births (#766) Cameron: 93% boy / 7% girl Boy: 7,013 births (#53) Girl: 524 births (#578) Jordan: 84% boy / 16% girl Boy: 6,810 births (#55) Girl: 1,300 births (#247) Angel: 84% boy / 16% girl Boy: 6,255 births (#67) Girl: 1,179 births (#275) Parker: 80% boy / 20% girl Boy: 5,677 births (#73) Girl: 1,386 births (#235) Blake: 89% boy / 11% girl Boy: 4,913 births (#84) Girl: 589 births (#499) Kayden: 92% boy / 8% girl Boy: 4,691 births (#90) Girl: 391 births (#712) Micah: 93% boy / 7% girl Boy: 3,612 births (#109) Girl: 264 births (#994) Sawyer: 79% boy / 21% girl Boy: 3,571 births (#110) Girl: 955 births (#344) Hayden: 63% boy / 37% girl Boy: 2,851 births (#142) Girl: 1,656 births (#199)

Kai: 90% boy / 10% girl Boy: 2,387 births (#177) Girl: 262 births (#1000) Karter: 89% boy / 11% girl Boy: 2,103 births (#194) Girl: 273 births (#968) Elliot: 83% boy / 17% girl Boy: 1,750 births (#217) Girl: 367 births (#756) Rylan: 84% boy / 16% girl Boy: 1,726 births (#219) Girl: 339 births (#812) Elliott: 83% boy / 17% girl Boy: 1,574 births (#233) Girl: 329 births (#833) Rowan: 67% boy / 33% girl Boy: 1,531 births (#239) Girl: 770 births (#412) Zion: 83% boy / 17% girl Boy: 1,471 births (#255) Girl: 295 births (#911) Dallas: 72% boy / 28% girl Boy: 1,359 births (#268) Girl: 522 births (#580) River: 64% boy / 36% girl Boy: 1,223 births (#287) Girl: 703 births (#453) Remington: 73% boy / 27% girl Boy: 1,101 births (#313) Girl: 410 births (#685) Amari: 62% boy / 38% girl Boy: 970 births (#340) Girl: 585 births (#524) Milan: 64% boy / 36% girl Boy: 748 births (#411) Girl: 424 births (#670) Rory: 69% boy / 31% girl Boy: 741 births (#416) Girl: 326 births (#840) Casey: 60% boy / 40% girl Boy: 519 births (#530) Girl: 352 births (#792) Remy: 60% boy / 40% girl Boy: 424 births (#621) Girl: 278 births (#956)

There are several names in the 90th percentile range that most people today would generally consider to just be boy names, but since they do get a handful of feminine usage, it's wise to keep an eye on the changes from year to year. 

For instance, a few of those names that ranked very-masculine (in the 90s) have had some changes from 2013 to 2014. Logan gained more female births and lost some male births. It was 95% boy in 2013 and is now 94%.  Ryan had more female births in 2014 which made the males lose 2%. Similarly, Hunter also had more female usage resulting in a lost of 1% for the boys.

Interestingly, spelling makes a difference. Out of all the Carters born in 2014, only 3% of them were female, however, 11% of all Karters were female.  Ryan is mostly masculine since only 6% of them were girls, but add the ever-popular letter L to the mix and suddenly 16% of all Rylans are female.

If you would like to make more comparisons from 2013 to 2014, take a look at our previous article featuring the Boy-to-Girl Ratios of Unisex Names in 2013.

What do you think of these stats? Can you point out anything interesting that I missed? What are your favorite unisex names?

Baby Naming Challenge - Unisex Edition

This game will follow a "name bank" format. You will be given a set of names to choose from. Create a first and middle name combination for three children. These children will all have a unisex first name based on the list of unisex names that I posted earlier this week!

1A. Your first child is a boy. Choose from one of the following unisex names for his first name:

Alexis, Armani, Carter, Dakota, Drew, Elliot, Ellison, Finley, Haven, Jamie, Jordan, Kendall, Lyric, Morgan, Payton, Quinn, Remy, Rory, Sage, Skyler, Taylor

1B. Choose from the following vintage names for his middle name:

Arthur, Barnaby, Chester, Edmund, Franklin, George, Howard, Irving, Jasper, Louis, Milton, Oscar, Percy, Raymond, Samuel, Theodore, Virgil, Walter

And baby boy number one's name is.....?

2A. Your second child is a boy. Choose from one of the following unisex names for his first name:

Amari, Avery, Casey, Dallas, Dylan, Elliott, Emerson, Harley, Hayden, Jaylin, Justice, Lennon, Marley, Oakley, Peyton, Reagan, Riley, Rowan, Sawyer, Spencer, Teagan

2B. Choose from the following occupational names for his middle name:

Archer, Brenner, Clark, Dexter, Foster, Gage, Hayward, Jagger, Kiefer, Marshall, Parker, Reeve, Ryder, Steele, Shepherd, Thatcher, Tolliver, Wayne

And baby boy number two's name is.....?

3A. Your third child is a girl. Choose from one of the following unisex names for her first name: 

Angel, Cameron, Charlie, Devon, Eden, Ellis, Emery, Harper, Hunter, Jessie, Kai, London, Milan, Parker, Phoenix, Reese, River, Ryan, Skylar, Tatum, Zion

3B. Choose from the following quirky and unusual names for her middle name:

Avalon, Bluebell, Coraline, Dove, Eulalie, Fable, Hypatia, Isis, Juniper, Kismet, Lilac, Meadow, Plum, Raven, Sable, Temperance, Velvet, Wintress

And baby girl number one's name is....?

Here are the names that I chose:

Finley Theodore

Lennon Tolliver

Reese Coraline 

Well, which names did you choose?  Share them here in the comment section or on Facebook! 

Lennon

I came up with a short list of unisex names to potentially feature and it was hard for me to decide between them, so I took the question to the wonderful people on Instagram! The first poll narrowed the list to three names, but the voting was very close on the final three. It came down to Finley, Lennon or Phoenix. In the end, I tallied all of the votes from both polls together and Lennon was the winner!

Upon hearing the name Lennon, the first thought that may come to many peoples' minds is that of the late John Lennon of super rock group The Beatles. Beyond the musical connection, which is probably a huge reason parents choose the name, Lennon actually comes from an Irish surname. It has been anglicized from Ó Leannáin which is basically a patronymic name meaning "descendant of Leannán". Leannán itself is said to mean "lover" in Gaelic.

Lennon is now considered a unisex name. Originally, it was only given to boys from 1913 to 1980 in the US. Girls were slowly given the name starting in 1981 and it has quickly caught up to the same ranks as the boys. In 2013, there were 273 girls named Lennon and 289 boys which makes this name nearly even for both genders because of its 51/49 split.

It has only gained this boost of popularity for girls in the past year. The birth split for 2012 was 33% girl and 67% boy. Before that, the difference was even greater.  If you're wondering, as of 2013, the boy Lennon ranks at #769 and the girl Lennon ranks at #923, joining the Top 1000 for the first time ever. It will be interesting to see if this iconic surname of a male rock star will eventually be turned into a name that's favored by females.

As a baby name choice, like I mentioned, Lennon is a musical honor name. It joins the ranks of others such as Hendrix, Jagger, Marley and Presley. As far as nicknames go, the most obvious would be Len or Lenny. However, nicknames aren't very necessary when the name's only 2 syllables long.

What do you think of the name Lennon? What sort of middle names or sibling names would you pair with it? Names of other celebrities? Other surnames? Other unisex names? There's plenty of routes to take. Here are a few ideas I came up with:

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Auden, Hadley, Lucy, Marlow, Monroe, Rowan, Tatum
Brothers: Arlo, Harrison, Jude, Madden, Parker, Rowan, Sawyer

Male Middle Name Ideas:
Lennon Alexander
Lennon James
Lennon Oliver
Lennon Theodore

As a Middle Name:
Charles Lennon
Michael Lennon
Seth Lennon
Zachary Lennon

Female Middle Name Ideas:
Lennon Charlotte
Lennon Isabella
Lennon Kate
Lennon Victoria

As a Middle Name:
Audrey Lennon
Ivy Lennon
Maisie Lennon
Tabitha Lennon

Share your name pairing ideas in the comment section below or on Facebook!

Boy to Girl Ratios of Unisex Names in 2013

I went through the US Top 1000 baby names for 2013 and pulled out as many unisex names as I could. At least one name had to be in the Top 1000, but most of the names are on the list for both a boy and a girl. If you can think of any names that I missed --and I'm sure there are a few-- let me know so that I can include them.

Seeing information like this is helpful for those who are considering a unisex name but are unsure of how popular it really is for each gender. For example, Harper has really skyrocketed up the charts for girls lately. If you have always pictured it on a boy, it may be handy to know that only 4% of all Harpers are boys. Perhaps that matters to you, perhaps it doesn't. Either way, that kind of information can be found here.  You may even come across a name or two that you had no idea was somewhat unisex.

Alexis: 20% boy / 80% girl

Boy:  1,182 births (#294)

Girl: 4,741 births (#46)

Amari: 62% boy / 38% girl

Boy: 951 births (#337)

Girl: 576 births (#512)

Angel: 84% boy / 16% girl

Boy: 6,320 births (#67)

Girl: 1,204 births (#266)

Armani: 58% boy / 42% girl

Boy: 559 births (#486)

Girl: 409 births (#683)

Ashton: 93% boy / 7% girl
Boy: 2,597 births  (#152)
Girl: 188 births (#1252)

Avery: 18% boy / 82% girl

Boy: 2,036 births (#196)

Girl: 9,121 birth (#12)

Cameron: 93% boy / 7% girl

Boy: 6,809 births (#59)

Girl: 508 births (#566)

Carter: 97% boy / 3% girl

Boy: 9,512 births (#32)

Girl: 298 births (#859)

Casey: 60% boy / 40% girl

Boy: 553 births (#490)

Girl: 373 births (#726)

Charlie: 54% boy / 46% girl

Boy: 1,551 births (#233)

Girl: 1,315 births (#240)

Dakota: 45% boy / 55% girl

Boy: 890 births (#353)

Girl: 1,074 births (#293)

Dallas: 72% boy / 28% girl

Boy: 1,149 births (#302)

Girl: 454 births (#610)

Devon: 88% boy / 12% girl

Boy: 635 births (#446)

Girl: 83 births (#2226)

Drew: 84% boy / 16% girl

Boy: 1,170 births (#297)

Girl: 223 births (#1092)

Dylan: 94% boy / 6% girl

Boy: 10,058 births (#28)

Girl: 610 births (#489)

Eden: 16% boy / 84% girl

Boy: 377 births (#643)

Girl: 2,022 births (#158)

Elliot: 83% boy / 17% girl

Boy: 1,486 births (#241)

Girl: 308 births (#842)

River

When you think of warm weather and outdoor activities, perhaps a body of water comes to mind. Whether you enjoy the pool or the ocean, water is a huge part of summertime. Since we're discussing summer names this week and next, I thought I'd feature the name River for my boy name choice even though I'm aware of how unisex it is.

Of course, River comes from the English word that refers to a flowing body of water. Many people enjoy rafting down a river during the summer or camping near one. Ultimately, the word river is derived from the Latin ripa meaning "riverbank". As a name, River was considered masculine first but the girls staked their claim on it fairly quickly. It is still more popular for boys though.

As a nature name, River offers a great tranquil vibe, but also one of adventure. Pluralizing it as Rivers is also an option but it doesn't receive as many births per year as the singular River. There have been a few celebrities who have used this name for their children in recent years. There's also pop-culture ties to the late River Phoenix; and Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo.  For the females, there was a character on Doctor Who named River Song; and singer Kelly Clarkson recently gave her daughter the name River Rose.

River first appeared on the baby name record in 1971. It wasn't used regularly each year until 1986 for boys. It increased in usage around 1994 and has slowly been climbing upward since then. There were 815 males named River in 2013 for a ranking of #372.

The girls jumped on the bandwagon in 1988 but didn't have as much of an increase in births per year as the boys. They began catching up around 2006. As of 2013, there were 480 females named River, ranking the name at #588 on the girl side of the US Top 1000 chart.

What sort of name would you pair with River? Would you stick to the nature path? Would you find another 5 letter name? Perhaps another name with a V in it? Maybe something else entirely! Here's a few ideas that I came up with to help you out:

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Aurora, Brooke, Hazel, Ivy, Lotus, Olivia, Summer, Willow
Brothers: Archer, Forest, Hunter, Jasper, Miles, Sawyer, Talon, Tyler

Boy Middle Name Ideas:
River Campbell
River James
River Sinclair
River William

As a Middle Name:
Florian River
Paxton River
Sebastian River
Vincent River

Girl Middle Name Ideas:
River Clementine
River Emilia
River Katherine
River Sophia

As a Middle Name:
Audrey River
Hannah River
Penelope River
Stella River

Do you like River more for a boy or a girl? What names would you choose to pair it with? Share your thoughts in the comment section or on Facebook!

Unusual and Quirky Middle Names for Boys!

All of us have a "guilty pleasure" list of baby names. Most of us aren't brave enough to actually use those types of names in the first name spot, but some of us are willing to slip them into the middle!

After all, middle names are rarely used or known to other people in day to day life. That gives us a great excuse to throw something exciting into the middle for our own enjoyment. Here is a list of some wonderfully quirky middle name ideas for baby boys!

Which of these might you actually consider? Keep reading for my Top 10 at the bottom of the list!

Boy:            Alasdair   Auburn Badger Bay Baylor Bloom Calcedon Caradoc Caspian Cirrus Cloud Clove Cobalt Copper Cordovan Cove Cyprian Danger Dante Dashiell Davey Django Dodge Equinox Escher Falcon Fate Finch Forest Fox Frost Garneau Hale Harvey Hawk Hawthorn Heath Indiana

Kite Knight Loxley Malachite       Marduc Maverick Mayhem Melchior Merlin Midnight Milan Monroe Northern Oleander Orchard Oriole Orion Orpheus Pegasus Rainier Reeve Rio Robin Rocket Rousseau Rune Samhain Samoset Sincere Stellan Sterling Tanner Theron Thunder Vega Venture Wiloughby Zeus

Unisex: Ash Bayou Cameo Caraway Cloud Crescent Crimson Fifer Garnet Kit Linden March Marvel Quenby Quill Rain Ramsey River Rowan Sage Seven Shadow Silver Sparrow Tatum Weaver Zenon

Don't forget to check out the list of Unusual and Quirky Girl Names too!

The following names are my personal favorites from the above list! I added some potential sibling name ideas as well as possible middle names that could be used!

1. Alasdair

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Araminta, Calixta, Cordelia, Elspeth, Fiona, Isla, Lorna, Rowena
Brothers: Callum, Duncan, Ewan, Keaton, Lachlan, Malcolm, Ramsey, Taggart

Middle Name Ideas:
Alasdair Campbell
Alasdair Mackenzie
Alasdair Ross
Alasdair Stewart

As a Middle Name:
Calder Alasdair
Douglas Alasdair
Fergus Alasdair
Kelvin Alasdair

2. Cobalt

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Avery, Cassia, Claire, Hazel, Ruby, Scarlett, Sienna, Violet
Brothers: Aleron, Blake, Flint, Greyson, Jasper, Jett, Sterling, Tobiah

Middle Name Ideas:
Cobalt Andrew
Cobalt James
Cobalt Lee
Cobalt Xavier

As a Middle Name:
Alex Cobalt
Lucas Cobalt
Mason Cobalt
Oliver Cobalt

3. Frost

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Blaire, Clara, Gemma, Jade, Lilac, Snow, Sonnet, Winter
Brothers: Auden, Cole, Emerson, Keats, Larkin, Moore, Nash, Wyatt

Middle Name Ideas:
Frost Alexander
Frost Calloway
Frost Donovan
Frost Oliver

As a Middle Name:
Blake Frost
Jackson Frost
Rowan Frost
Xavier Frost

4. Heath

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Audrey, Bethany, Carys, Hailey, Rowan, Stella, Tessa, Willow
Brothers: Blaze, Cashel, Dashiell, Grant, Jagger, Miles, Sayer, Weston

Middle Name Ideas:
Heath Andrew
Heath Connor
Heath Jacob
Heath Logan

As a Middle Name:
Derek Heath
Gabriel Heath
Jackson Heath
Michael Heath

5. Knight

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Alexandra, Diana, Harper, Ophelia, Paige, Poet, Piper, Wren
Brothers: Archer, Brewer, Clark, Ford, Gage, Mason, Sawyer, Tolliver

Middle Name Ideas:
Knight Edward
Knight Harrison
Knight Nathaniel
Knight Xavier

As a Middle Name:
Henry Knight
Jonathan Knight
Orion Knight
William Knight

6. Marvel

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Avalon, Fable, Genesis, Harper, Lyric, Poet, Sonnet, Story
Brothers: Bodhi, Cash, Dax, Jett, Nash, Orion, Quinn, Wyatt

Middle Name Ideas:
Marvel August
Marvel Draven
Marvel James
Marvel Theodore

As a Middle Name:
Anthony Marvel
Breccan Marvel
Felix Marvel
Ryan Marvel

7. Orion

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Aurora, Cassandra, Hazel, Iris, Juniper, Portia, Rosetta, Solange
Brothers: Atlas, Beckett, Caspian, Desmond, Magnus, Phineas, Stellan, Thaddeus

Middle Name Ideas:
Orion Bennett
Orion Knox
Orion Quinn
Orion Rafferty

As a Middle Name:
Griffin Orion
Jack Orion
Spencer Orion
Vincent Orion

8. Quenby

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Alma, Dagny, Eloise, Fiona, Margot, Molly, Phoebe, Ramona
Brothers: Angus, Dante, Eamon, Fox, Miller, Patton, Ragnor, Tobias

Middle Name Ideas:
Quenby Drake
Quenby Nicholas
Quenby Oliver
Quenby Thomas

As a Middle Name:
Arthur Quenby
Hector Quenby
Matthew Quenby
Parker Quenby

9. Stellan

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Adeline, Camille, Harlow, Isla, Maisie, Simone, Tessa, Vienna
Brothers: Adler, Blaine, Dempsey, Frost, Howell, Kiernan, Orion, Troy

Middle Name Ideas:
Stellan Colt
Stellan Harley
Stellan Pierce
Stellan Wilder

As a Middle Name:
Cole Stellan
Eli Stellan
Maxwell Stellan
Tyler Stellan

10. Theron

Sisters: Aubrey, Clara, Fallon, Iris, Marina, Olive, Rhiannon, Willow
Brothers: Ambrose, Bennett, Heath, Leander, Oberon, Roman, Silas, Zander

Middle Name Ideas:
Theron Alaric
Theron Elijah
Theron Maximus
Theron William

As a Middle Name:
Cade Theron
George Theron
Lucas Theron
Quincy Theron

What is your favorite quirky name and what would you pair with it?

Remy

The four-letter name of the week is one that is being revived for both boys and girls. It has a modern feel to it and is certainly attractive on both genders, however I prefer it for a boy.

Rémy is a French name that comes from the Latin name Remigius which was derived from the Latin remigis meaning "oarsman".  It was also the name of a fifth century saint.

This name, when said in its French form, is pronounced ray-MEE. However you can get by with just REM-ee in the US, especially without the accent mark over the e. Another variant is Rémi or Remi. The Italians, Portuguese and Spanish prefer the name Remigio.

The name appears on French alcoholic beverages: Rémy Cointreau is the company and they have a brandy called Rémy Martin.

In pop culture, there is a band called Remy Zero; and the main character in the film Ratatouille is named Remy. There are also a few geographical locations with this name. As for famous namesakes who have Remy as a first name or a surname, the list is far too long for this blog. Take a look here if you want to view it.

Statistically, the name breaks down like this for the year 2012:
Remy (Boy): #891 with 233 births
Remy (Girl): #1237 with 195 births
Remi (Boy): #2074 with 66 births
Remi (Girl): #1036 with 242 births

So according to this data, it is fair to say that the Remy spelling is more commonly used for boys, while Remi is a bit more feminine. However, it is clearly very unisex overall.

Boy Remy and Boy Remi were used in the US well before either girl spelling.  Remy was first used on 6 boys in 1914 and Remi followed the next year with 8 births. Females began receiving these names much later. Remi appeared on the record for girls in 1963 with 5 births and Remy followed the next year, also with 5 births. At least these names seem to travel together!

It wasn't until the late 70s and early 80s that these 4 names were regularly used every year, and it is only in the past decade that they've gained a boost in usage. Despite this, none of the spellings have ever been in the Top 1000 except for Boy Remy who cracked the barrier in 2009. Girl Remi may be next!

I favor Remy for a boy over all of these. While I love the French spelling and pronunciation, I can't help but like the Americanized REM-ee a little bit more.  However, for Francophones, I definitely recommend Rémy paired with a French middle name.  Which spelling do you prefer for which gender and which pronunciation do you like best?


Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Amelie, Benoite, Claire, Eloise, Helene, Jovie, Lydia, Nadine, Odette, Sophie, Vivienne
Brothers: Armand, Bastien, Dashiell, Eben, Finn, Jasper, Lucien, Pascal, Rupert, Soren, Thierry

Middle Name Ideas (Boy):
Remy Alexandre
Remy Benoit
Remy Gervais
Remy Laurent
Remy Olivier
Remy Sebastien

Middle Name Ideas (Girl):
Remy Alaina
Remy Beatrice
Remy Diane
Remy Isabelle
Remy Nicolette
Remy Simone

Name of the Week: Rowan

In honor of Monday's post about names that are considered unisex, I thought I'd choose my favorite of the bunch. I'm not personally a fan of unisex names, I prefer to keep things gender-specific and obvious, however, I do like Rowan and cannot decide which gender I like it better for. What do you think?

The name Rowan comes from an Irish surname. It is an Anglicized form of Ó Ruadháin which means"descendent of Ruadhán".  Sometimes this name is associated with the rowan tree which has red berries. It is also said to mean "little redhead".  This name is said to have been used for both genders since the middle ages, most commonly in Scotland and Ireland.

In 2012, this name ranked #301 for boys with 1,138 births. On the girl side, there were 678 births which ranks the name at #455 in 2012. It isn't quite a 50-50 split, but it is more evenly distributed than some of the other names that are considered unisex.  Additionally, there were 234 baby boys who spell it Rowen instead of Rowan, and the 97 female Rowens.

Source

Overall, Rowan first appeared in the states as a male name. It dates back to 1916 for boys, and it wasn't used for girls until 7 births in 1942 and then more regularly in 1975 after that.

The most famous Rowan is Mr. Atkinson who is well-known for his persona Mr. Bean. There is also Brooke Shields' daughter who is named Rowan.

I would pair Rowan with very gender-specific middle names like:  Rowan Isabelle or Rowan Alexander.  Which gender do you prefer this name on? Do you know any little Rowans?

Sibling Name Ideas:
Unisex: Alexis, Avery, Charlie, Dakota, Emerson, Finley, Hayden, Marlowe, Riley, River, Sawyer, Skyler, Taylor
Sisters: Caitlin, Fiona, Matilda, Laurel, Olivia, Sarah, Willow
Brothers: Aiden, Ethan, Dylan, Lucas, Mason, Nolan, Xavier

Middle Name Ideas (Boys): 
Rowan Alexander
Rowan Isaiah
Rowan Nicholas
Rowan Matthew
Rowan Oliver

Middle Name Ideas (Girls):
Rowan Isabelle
Rowan Grace
Rowan Elizabeth
Rowan Alexandra
Rowan Sophia

As a Middle Name (Boys):
Daniel Rowan
Anthony Rowan
Chase Rowan
Elliott Rowan
Thomas Rowan

As a Middle Name (Girls):
Scarlett Rowan
Violet Rowan
Juliet Rowan
Cassandra Rowan
Michaela Rowan

Unisex Names and Their Boy/Girl Ratios

Here is a list of names that are considered unisex today. I am only including those that have a good amount of births for both genders.  There are some names that have a couple hundred births for a boy and several thousand births for a girl (or vice versa). That's pretty much a landslide so I'm not including them. To be included, the names have to have at least a 90/10 split.

Name:  Percentage of use per gender (Boy/Girl) in 2012. (Example: 77% of all babies named Alexis in 2012 are female.)

Alexis (23/77)
Angel  (83/16)
Avery (19/81)
Casey  (61/39)
Charlie (59/41)
Dakota (48/52)
Devon (89/11)
Drew (84/16)
Elliott (84/16)
Ellis (65/35)
Emerson (39/61)
Emery (20/80)
Finley (34/66)
Harley (33/67)
Haven (18/82)
Hayden (69/31)
Jordan (85/15)
Jules (49/51)
Justice (46/54)
Kai  (87/13)
Kendall (12/88)
London (87/13)
Marlowe  (12/88)
Morgan (89/11)
Parker (84/16)
Payton (17/83)
Peyton (32/68)
Phoenix (61/39)
Quinn (32/68)
Reese (16/84)
Remy (54/46)
Riley (37/63)
Rio (66/34)
River (64/36)
Rory (69/31)
Rowan (63/37)
Sage (34/66)
Sawyer (83/17)
Scout (33/67)
Sky (24/76)
Skyler (41/59)
Skylar (12/88)
Taylor (15/85)
Teagan (20/80)
Toby  (79/21)
Valentine (47/53)
Zion (81/19)

These names were for the year 2012. For an updated list, take a look at this article:

Boy to Girl Ratios of Unisex Names in 2013

Can you think of any other names that might fall in this category?

I was surprised to see that there were more-females-than-males named Justice, Finley, Harley, and Taylor. In fact, only 15% of all Taylors are boys now. I thought it was a bit more even.  I was also a bit surprised that Charlie was 59/41. I figured most would be named Charlotte (or the like) and be nicknamed Charlie; I didn't expect so many females with Charlie as a given name.

Did any of these ratios surprise you?  Might you change your mind about using any of these names now that you see the ratio? Let me know in the comment section below!

Boy Name of the Week: Chandler

The Boy Name of the Week is one of my favorite occupational names and I chose it in honor of yesterday's name list. It is derived from an Old French name that took form as a Middle English occupational name meaning "candlestick maker" or "candle seller."  Have you guessed? Yes, its Chandler. A chandler was the head of the chandlery in medieval households, responsible for wax, candles, and soap.

There are some parents who will give this name to their daughter but it is more popular for boys. The most popular example in recent memory is funny-man Chandler Bing on the TV show Friends which aired from 1994-2004. However, despite fitting right in with the "-er" trend and the occupational name trend, Chandler has lost its popularity since 2004. In fact, the most usage this name has seen was indeed during the airing of that show. It more than doubled between 1994 and 1995, (from 704 births to 1,856). Its highest peak occurred in 1999 with 2,394 births and a ranking of #151.

But lets back up a bit. Chandler first appeared on American baby boys in 1900 with 5 births. It took 62 years for the name to hit the girl market with 10 female births in 1962. Yet, before Friends even aired, the girl-Chandlers increased from 90 births in 1991 to 437 births in 1992 with its highest peak of 744 births occurring in 1995.

The name has declined in usage for boys over the past decade, but it has actually increased for girls. In 2016, male Chandlers ranked at #466 with 650 births, whereas the females made a leap onto the Top 1000 chart, returning for the first time since 2002 for a rank of #995 and 264 births. It is almost time for this name to be fresh again.

What do you think of this name and do you prefer it on a boy or a girl?  Here are some ideas for sibling names and middle names:

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Avery, Delaney, Jessica, Matilda, Savannah, Willow
Brothers: Carter, Ethan, Harrison, Landon, Lincoln, Taylor,

Middle Name Ideas (Boy): 
Chandler Michael
Chandler Ellis
Chandler Adrian
Chandler Scott

Middle Name Ideas (Girl):
Chandler Isabelle
Chandler Lillian
Chandler Elise
Chandler Sophia

Which gender do you prefer for the name Chandler? What middle name would you pair with it?

Revised: 5/18/17

Boy Names on a Girl?

We have all heard of names that were originally masculine but slowly became taken over by the girls.  Classic examples are Shannon, Kelly, Tracy, Stacy, Leslie, Ashley, Aubrey, Meredith, Dana, Caroll, Shirley, Shelby and so on.

One of today's naming trends that I personally dislike is "boy names on girls" but I realize that this is not a new thing. Girls have been stealing names for decades! It is a wonder there are any legitimate boy names left!


While there is nothing necessarily wrong with bending the gender rules, I think it only leads to confusion for children. Possible identity issues, and having to correct people who assume the wrong gender based on the written name, etc. I mean no disrespect to those of you who enjoy this phenomenon, but I personally like gender-specific names more than the gender-neutral names.

That being said, I thought I would list some more modern examples of names that switched sides or can be considered a "gender-bender" in which both sexes use them equally.

Boy Names that are now seen mostly, if not exclusively, on girls today:

Madison
Addison
McKenzie
Aubrey
Lynn
Courtney
Lane
Brooke
Vivian
Evelyn
Clair
Emory

Newly-Appointed "Uni-sex" names (Names that Girls are trying to steal but Boys still primarily use):

Blake
Jordan
Taylor
Quinn
Harley
Camden
London
Bailey
Sawyer
Emerson
Elliott
Morgan
Austin
Tyler
Dylan
Ryan (?!)
James (?!)

Gender-Benders (Frequently used for both genders. These are the names that may cause confusion and lead to " Is that a boy or a girl?" questions.)

Rowan
Riley
Avery
Finley
Spencer
Skylar
Jayden/Jaidyn
Sidney/Sydney
Peyton
Reese
Hayden
Cameron
Devon
Micah
Rory
Parker
Sascha

Click here for even more unisex names and see their boy-to-girl ratios!

Perhaps certain sounds are just more acceptable on a girl. Vowels like A and E as well as soft letters like L, and names ending in -ie or -y usually seem more feminine.  Yet the opposite hardly ever happens, where a boy is given a name that is primarily associated with females.

What do you think of this trend? Would you name your daughter Hunter or Levi? Would you name your son Vivian or Evelyn?   Do any of the names above need to be switched to a different category? Let me know!

Name of the Day: Larkin

Today's Name of the Day is Larkin. It is Irish in origin and means "rough or fierce."  While "Lark" is a bird name that is generally used for a girl, "Larkin" is considered a masculine surname name.

Just over 1900 boys have been named Larkin since 1880, which is an average of 15 baby boys every year. It has steadily been used, but it has never been popular. Even though it was technically in the Top 1000 in the late 1800's, very few boys were given the name. 

The early data and ranks aren't comparable to today's data. For example, in 1880, Larkin was ranked at #454 with 16 boys carrying the name. In 2012, 20 boys were given the name Larkin and it ranked in at #4757. While the charts vary over the years, the amount of babies given this name is very steady.

Starting in the 1970's, parents began regularly giving this name to baby girls. Just over 1000 girls have ever been named Larkin, or an average of 25 girls every year. This rare name is classified as unisex. While more boys have been named Larkin overall, the name is vastly more popular for a girl, (55 girls to 20 boys in 2012).

But enough with the numbers and stats! Larkin is defined as Irish today, but it seems to also have Medieval English roots. One site says that it is a diminutive of Laurence. Most associate it as a relative of Lorcan, which is Irish and also means "fierce."

Either way, this is a steadily used but rare name that may appeal to baby-namers today! It can fall into the "nature" category because of "Lark", but also into the "surname" category. It would make a great sibling to both Daisy and Cooper.

What do you think of this name? It was suggested to me by a baby-namer on Facebook named Stephani. (Let me know if you have any names that you'd like to see featured for the Name of the Day.)

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Dagny, Daisy, Harper, Kylie, Piper
Brothers: Cooper, Jasper, Parker, Titan,

Middle Name Ideas:
Girl:
Larkin Hesper
Larkin Marina
Larkin Bellamy
Larkin Willow

Boy:
Larkin Isaiah
Larkin Justus
Larkin Maris
Larkin James

As a Middle Name:
Girl:
Hadley Larkin
Eloise Larkin
Ava Larkin
Molly Larkin

Boy:
Philip Larkin
Max Larkin
Jeremy Larkin
Evan Larkin

Would you use Larkin for a boy or for a girl?