The Top 10 Unisex Names and Trends for 2012

General Name Discussion
1

Hello Nameberries, I thought you would be interested in these findings. According to Today’s Parent magazine (a Canadian publication), here are the top 10 new unisex baby names (from boys to girls).

1 [name]Aiden[/name]
2 [name]Aubrey[/name]
3 [name]Drew[/name]
4 [name]Elliot[/name]
5 [name]Finley[/name]
6 [name]Kaden[/name]
7 [name]Kyle[/name]
8 [name]Mason[/name]
9 [name]Maxwell[/name]
10 [name]Spencer[/name]

According to the same source, here are the 10 top trends for 2012.

1 Nature names (eg. [name]Hazel[/name], [name]Ivy[/name], [name]Olive[/name], [name]Willow[/name], [name]Sage[/name], [name]Gale[/name], [name]Wolf/name, Hawke)
2 Literary names (eg. [name]Emma[/name], [name]Darcy[/name], [name]Phoebe[/name], [name]Holden[/name], [name]Sawyer[/name], [name]Gray[/name])
2 Surnames as First Names (eg. [name]Cooper[/name], [name]Quinn[/name], [name]Mackenzie[/name], [name]Cassidy[/name], [name]Taylor[/name])
4 Superhero names (eg. [name]Clark[/name], [name]Logan[/name])
5 Combining Names (eg. [name]Brooklyn[/name], [name]Emmalee[/name])
6 Names from Pop Culture (eg. [name]Adele[/name], [name]Rue[/name], [name]Bella[/name], [name]Cato[/name])
7 Unisex [name]Baby[/name] Names (eg. [name]Ryan[/name], [name]Harper[/name], [name]Parker[/name], [name]Avery[/name], [name]Casey[/name], [name]Jordan[/name], [name]Rory[/name])
8 Vintage [name]Baby[/name] Names (eg. [name]Hattie[/name], [name]Beatrice[/name], [name]Oscar[/name], [name]Felix[/name])
9 Cowboy [name]Baby[/name] Names (eg. [name]Hunter[/name], [name]Chase[/name], [name]Weston[/name], [name]Colton[/name], [name]Bronson[/name], [name]Rex[/name] and [name]Wyatt[/name])
10 Colour-inspired [name]Baby[/name] Names (eg. [name]Violet[/name], [name]Hazel[/name], [name]Ruby[/name], [name]Indigo[/name])

2

Those unisex names aren’t unisex at all really are they?! They are all boy’s names and I’d be saddened to see any girls with those names.

I agree about the trends, sound about right to me.

3

Thanks for your reply, sheflieswithherownwings! Unisex names (or boys names on girls) seem to be a much more prevalent trend in [name]North[/name] [name]America[/name] than it is in [name]England[/name]. It’s almost become a competition on who can choose the most shocking one! Personally, I’m really tired of it. :slight_smile:

4

That’s exactly what I thought! Lol. [name]Jordan[/name] at a push but none of the others.

5

Hmm… I don’t see any of the names on that list as genuinely unisex. They’re just boys names being used on girls.

As for the other trends… I quite like the prevalence of nature names, and I’ll admit a weakness for cowboy names.

6

I agree with the previous posters, it’s just boys names and not unisex names.
Sadly that seems to be a major trend - boys names on girls, I hope it’ll pass soon because along with the ‘surnames a first names’ trend, it goes straight to the top of my annoyances when it comes to name trends.

7

Those are masculine, not unisex.

8

Ugh, who decides this stuff?! I don’t see a single unisex name on that list!

As for the trends? Well, I may happen to like some names listed, but not because I’m going out of my way to say something like, “[name]Hazel[/name]… hmm, that’s a nature name. Well, I like it now!” In other words, it’s just a coincidence if it happens to coincide with a current trend.

9

Yes, that’s a shocking list of “unisex” names! Thanks for the heads up, [name]Mischa[/name].

10

The only ones of those I would kind of consider unisex are [name]Aubrey[/name] (which I’ve only seen on girls) and [name]Drew[/name] (Though only because of [name]Drew[/name] Barrymore. I’ve only met male Drews in real life). The rest are definitely boy names. I mean, seriously, who’s naming their little girl [name]Mason[/name]?

11

I totally agree with this, well said!

12

@pansy - Actually, former Cheers and [name]Frazier[/name] actor [name]Kelsey[/name] Grammer has a girl named [name]Mason[/name]. He also has another daughter named [name]Spencer[/name] and another [name]Kandace[/name] [name]Greer[/name] who goes by [name]Greer[/name] Grammer (boy is that ever difficult to say). I don’t get how this magazine can say that a name like [name]Maxwell[/name] is now “unisex” just because a celebrity like [name]Jessica[/name] [name]Simpson[/name] choose it for her daughter this year. Go figure!

13

bahaha, I agree. The only one that I can understand being on that list is [name]Aubrey[/name]–it’s firmly in the girls’ camp here in the US, and I’m a bit surprised it’s just now crossing over in [name]Canada[/name]? I still wish it weren’t so, though–I never suggest [name]Aubrey[/name] for a girl, I’ve come to see it as such a handsome boys’ name. [name]Even[/name] though I’ve known a handful of girl Aubreys (with various spellings), I still can’t conceive the idea of [name]Aubrey[/name] as a girls’ name.

[name]Spencer[/name] and [name]Elliot[/name] make me particularly sad–they’re both on my short list, either as a FN or a MN!

I’m guessing they already count [name]Bailey[/name] and [name]Avery[/name] on the girls camp, which makes me even sadder. :frowning: