There’s a rise in gender-neutral names for children—especially among celebrities who welcomed little ones. This is a good thing: Gender and sexuality are fluid for many people, so it only makes sense that more parents consider a unisex name for their kids. A name can put someone in a box just as much as an all-blue room or closet full of frilly pink dresses. And aren’t we past that? Aren’t we ready for the next generation to decide who they are without the pressure of a gendered name? Androgynous names are where it’s at.
While the trend of giving traditional baby boy names to baby girls has been happening for a while, it seems more and more parents are avoiding gendered monikers altogether. The use of gender-neutral names is at an all-time high, according to research from sociologist Philip Cohen at University of Maryland at College Park, and has been rising quickly in the past few years. Some of last year’s most popular baby names? Charlie, Blake, Emerson, and Finley.
If you’re hoping to give your little one a unisex name but need inspiration, pop-culture is a good place to start. You could name your child after a favorite musician—see: Dylan, Taylor, or Lennon—or a beloved fictional character like Jamie from Outlander or Rory from Gilmore Girls.
Our favorite source, however, is from celebrities themselves. They’ve given their kids some beautiful gender-neutral names over the years—like Lincoln, Bingham, and, yes, Chicago. In fact, the Kardashian-Jenners are particularly great at giving their children gender-neutral names: North, Saint, Psalm, etc. Kim and the gang are really onto something.
As are the stars in this gallery, below, whose children all have gender-neutral names.
