# Most gender neutral given name in Western culture **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 20, 2013, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gender-neutral-given-name-in-western-culture/650876 "2013-02-20T12:50:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gender-neutral-given-name-in-western-culture/650876/21 "2013-02-20T15:54:58Z")
It’s Terry. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gender-neutral-given-name-in-western-culture/650876/22 "2013-02-20T15:56:57Z")
> [@FrankJBN](#): > > So you are saying you can tell gender when you read the name Chris Hankins? Nope. But some people tend to write a longer version of their name, like Christina or Christopher, when actually putting it on paper. IME, YMMV If they just write down “Chris,” without context, I will still have no way of knowing for sure. Regards, Carol ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gender-neutral-given-name-in-western-culture/650876/23 "2013-02-20T16:09:02Z")
Sydney ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gender-neutral-given-name-in-western-culture/650876/24 "2013-02-20T16:14:20Z")
> [@chrisk](#): > > Playing around with the [Names data from the 1990 census](http://www.census.gov/genealogy/www/data/1990surnames/index.html), (a great resource for popular US surnames and given names,) I found three name spellings that were exactly the same popularity for males and females, down to a thousandth of a percent accuracy: > > Kris - 0.011% frequency for both males and females > Ariel - 0.007% for both males and females > Hong - 0.004% for both males and females > > Kris and Hong seem about right to me. Ariel is a surprise; I think of that as a girl’s name. > > This data is by its nature spelling-specific. Still an interesting exercise Ariel is, on the whole, rare enough that popularity in the Jewish community could skew the results if used differently, and I’ll bet it’s mostly a Jewish **man** ’s name (it’s gradually becoming Unisex in Israel, but I suspect Jewish naming conventions in the US are probably lagging by a generation or two.) Speaking of Hebrew, Modern Israeli Hebrew has a butt-load of truly unisex names – Sharon, Chen, Ziv, Yuval, Adi, Noam… just off the top of my head. Almost anything non-biblical (and some biblical ones, like Ariel and Daniel) are fair game for either gender. ---
**Author:** ![ReticulatingSplines](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@ReticulatingSplines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReticulatingSplines)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gender-neutral-given-name-in-western-culture/650876/25 "2013-02-20T16:19:58Z")
I’d say “Dakota.” ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gender-neutral-given-name-in-western-culture/650876/26 "2013-02-20T16:27:24Z")
One name I’m partial to is Madison. It was used for a man in the novel _The 480_ and for a woman in _Splash._ Darryl can be either a man or a woman. Lee or Leigh, ditto. Lou, though Lew is definitely a man. Sidney/Sydney, man/woman. Kelly. Francis/Frances. Valerie/Valery. Valentine. Terry is a man, Terri is a woman. Those are the ones that immediately come to mind. I’m sure I’ll think of more later. I would, BTW, NEVER stick a child with a sappy diminutive by putting, say, “Bo” on his birth certificate instead of “Beauregard” or “Beaudine,” or whatever.\* My mother was named Betty; I made sure my daughter was Elizabeth. She’s now legally free to use whatever form she wishes (and does). \*I say this because I detest the name that’s on my birth certificate. I never use it, but I’m still obligated to have it on my driver’s license, passport, etc. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gender-neutral-given-name-in-western-culture/650876/27 "2013-02-20T16:34:31Z")
[It’s Pat](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110169/combined). ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gender-neutral-given-name-in-western-culture/650876/28 "2013-02-20T18:17:13Z")
> [@missred](#): > > Diminutive names for the most part, but Chris, Jamie and Pat. Back in the early 80s in Rochester NY I knew a couple both named Chris. [standard male - female couple that is.:p] ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gender-neutral-given-name-in-western-culture/650876/29 "2013-02-20T18:24:22Z")
For me, it’s Pat. That’s the only name for which I don’t have an instant gender bias towards. Someone mentioned “Joe” upthread, and I think I must know 100:1 guys:gals that are “Joe”. That would be waaaay down on the list for me. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gender-neutral-given-name-in-western-culture/650876/30 "2013-02-20T19:15:00Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Adrian, Alex, Andy, Aubrey, Billy, Blair, Bobby, Cameron, Casey, Charlie, Dale, Dana, Frankie, Gay, Georgie, Hayden, Jessie, Jody, Jordan, Lee, Lou, Madison, Michel, Morgan, Nicky, Jamie, Pat, Randy, Rory, Sam, Sidney, Terry, Tony, Whitney > > These are names that were once gender neutral but have probably crossed over to “likely feminine” — > > Alexis, Ashley, Ashlyn, Avery, Beverly, Carol, Christie, Courtney, Darcy, Evelyn, Francis, Ginger, Hilary, Jackie, Jill, Jocelyn, Joyce, Julie, Kelly, Kim, Lauren, Laurie, Leslie, Lindsay, Lynn, Marion, Meredith, Patsy, Robin, Sal, Sasha, Shannon, Sharon, Shelly, Shirley, Stacy, Tory, Tracy, Valery, Vivian Of those names, the only ones I’ve encountered in Spain in the forms listed are Carol, which is always a woman, and Alex, which is gender-neutral but always an abbreviation: any formal document will list Alejandro or Alejandra. I should bookmark this OP as an example of “saying ‘Western’ when one means ‘the US’”. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gender-neutral-given-name-in-western-culture/650876/31 "2013-02-20T19:18:25Z")
> [@ReticulatingSplines](#): > > I’d say “Dakota.” That’s a good one…my cousin’s wife has 3 grandkids, two boys and a girl. One of them is named Dakota, and I can never remember if it’s a boy or girl. Worse yet they call the kid “Koty” which sounds like “Cody” which to me is a boy’s name. (it’s a girl) ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gender-neutral-given-name-in-western-culture/650876/32 "2013-02-20T19:56:37Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Adrian, Alex, Andy, Aubrey, Billy, Blair, Bobby, Cameron, Casey, Charlie, Dale, Dana, Frankie, Gay, Georgie, Hayden, Jessie, Jody, Jordan, Lee, Lou, Madison, Michel, Morgan, Nicky, Jamie, Pat, Randy, Rory, Sam, Sidney, Terry, Tony, Whitney I would assume male for Alex, Andy, Billy, Bobby, Charlie, Dale, Randy, Rory, Sam, and Tony. I would assume female for Aubrey, Dana, Jody, Madison, Morgan, Sidney, and Whitney. I would say wtf about Georgie, because who is named that in the US? And I don’t know the name Michel. ---
**Author:** ![Cowboy8467](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@Cowboy8467](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cowboy8467)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gender-neutral-given-name-in-western-culture/650876/33 "2013-02-20T20:12:43Z")
Corey ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gender-neutral-given-name-in-western-culture/650876/34 "2013-02-20T20:23:31Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > I should bookmark this OP as an example of “saying ‘Western’ when one means ‘the US’”. I have to say, I consider this comment kind of dickish. I didn’t ask you to limit yourself to the names I used. Feel free to contribute your own. If I am making a list of examples from my own perspective, of course they’re going to come from American culture. This thread is a solicitation of opinions in a forum about opinions. Contribute your own opinions about gender neutral names. Why do you expect an American poster to come up with Spanish examples? ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gender-neutral-given-name-in-western-culture/650876/35 "2013-02-20T20:34:55Z")
Jamie is probably the most gender-neutral name I know of, in my frame of reference. ---
**Author:** ![Telperion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telperion/32/509_2.png) [@Telperion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperion)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gender-neutral-given-name-in-western-culture/650876/36 "2013-02-20T20:38:46Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > I should bookmark this OP as an example of “saying ‘Western’ when one means ‘the US’”. Right, because none of those names exist anywhere else in world, such as Britain or Australia. Just get over yourself, please. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gender-neutral-given-name-in-western-culture/650876/37 "2013-02-20T20:44:59Z")
> [@Blackberry](#): > > I would say wtf about Georgie, because who is named that in the US? When I was in high school, I knew a girl named Georgette who was a real babe. Usually, we just called her George. There was the film _Georgy Girl_ back in the '60s, though it was made in the UK. Here’s the theme: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/eSVfLNCW4Fs/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AG-AoAC8AGKAgwIABABGGEgYShhMA8=&rs=AOn4CLDnoeVhXGS9lA_4KIvvWVV1MRpt8w "The Seekers - Georgy Girl-1968") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSVfLNCW4Fs) ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gender-neutral-given-name-in-western-culture/650876/38 "2013-02-20T21:14:09Z")
> [@Noone\_Special](#): > > Ariel is, on the whole, rare enough that popularity in the Jewish community could skew the results if used differently, and I’ll bet it’s mostly a Jewish **man** ’s name (it’s gradually becoming Unisex in Israel, but I suspect Jewish naming conventions in the US are probably lagging by a generation or two.) It’s also a not-uncommon male name in Latin America, and I’d suspect that many of the baby-boy Ariels in that list were Hispanic. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gender-neutral-given-name-in-western-culture/650876/39 "2013-02-20T21:19:47Z")
One of the longest gender neutral names has to be Mackenzie (as in Phillips and Astin). ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gender-neutral-given-name-in-western-culture/650876/40 "2013-02-20T21:30:44Z")
> [@Telperion](#): > > Right, because none of those names exist anywhere else in world, such as Britain or Australia. Just get over yourself, please. To be fair: as Filbert already mentioned, many of the names in the OP aren’t gender neutral in Britain or Australia - or are vanishingly rare (such as Randy, which means horny to us and so isn’t often bestowed upon people’s newborn babes). Haydn, Sydney and Rory are names I think of as unambiguously male, Hollywood starlets notwithstanding. Spelling often differentiates the genders - for instance, Francis is always a man’s name while Frances is always a woman’s name. Adrian/Adrienne. Jo/Joe. Tony/Toni. The last two Robins I encountered were both male, as was the last Lesley. I would say Pat is more often male as Patricias frequently go by Trish here, and that seems less common in the US from my observations. We don’t have the exact patterns of name/gender distribution as the US and therefore it’s going to be more of a US-centric discussion than a broadly Western one. But that’s OK, it’s the nature of the board, which is primarily made up of US members. Chris was still the first thing that came to mind when I read the subject of this thread. I met three generations of a family who went by the gender neutral, shortened versions of their names: Chris(tine), George(ina) and Max(ine). Max was a newborn and her great grandmother was complaining that her name was gender neutral! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gender-neutral-given-name-in-western-culture/650876.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gender-neutral-given-name-in-western-culture/650876.md?page=3)