Gender-neutral names have become increasingly popular. Some parents don’t want to pigeonhole their children and some just like particular names – and America has always been creative when it comes to naming people and things. You’re probably familiar with traditional gender-neutral names such as Sidney and Robin, but there are a whole lot more to choose from. 

To determine the most popular gender-neutral names in 2020, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on names from the U.S. Social Security Administration. Names that have a male-female ratio between 3:4 and 5:4 were ranked based on the total number of U.S. babies given that name in 2020. Supplemental data on the percentage change in the number of male and female babies who received a given name in 2011 to the number of male and female babies who received that name in 2020 was calculated using data from the SSA.

It turns out that the No. 1 gender-neutral name in 2020 was Charlie. It was traditionally a masculine name, and often a familiar form of Charles, but in 2020 there were more female babies named Charlie (2,219) than male (1,853). (This was America’s most popular baby boy name in 2020.)

Click here to see the most popular gender-neutral names in 2020

Now there are an increasing number of well-known females with the name, too, including actresses Charlie Brooks and Charlie Murphy. One possible influence might have been the widely promoted Revlon perfume called Charlie, widely promoted in the 1970s. The singer Charli XCX, born Charlotte Emma Aitchison, and the Tik Tok superstar Charli D’Amelio go by a variation. ((This was America’s most popular baby girl name in 2020.) 

The next two most popular gender-neutral names are Finley and Dakota, respectively. Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Lockwood named one of their twin daughters Finley. There are several well-known actresses named Dakota, as well as : Dakota Blue Richards, Dakota Fanning, and Dakota Johnson. There are also males named Dakota who have been in the public eye, including Medal of Honor winner Dakota Meyer and furniture designer Dakota Jackson.