SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – A recent study indicates that Louisiana tops the nation in giving babies gender-fluid names.
The study from names.org reveals that while 91% of American babies receive distinctly male or female names, only a small percentage receive names that are gender-neutral. Historically, in 1880, most babies were given names that aligned with traditional gender roles.
In 2024, 17.5% of babies in Louisiana are given gender-fluid names, the highest rate in the U.S. This is significantly higher compared to Rhode Island, where only 9.1% of babies receive gender-neutral names.
One reason for this trend in Louisiana could be the state’s substantial gender pay gap. Women in Louisiana earn about 77% of what their male counterparts make, with an annual pay gap exceeding $14,000.
During the 1900s, Mississippi had the highest percentage of gender-fluid names at 10.9%, while Rhode Island had the lowest at 3.2%.
Gender-neutral names are more commonly given to girls than boys. For instance, “Charlie” was primarily a boy’s name until the early 2000s but is now more popular for girls in the U.S. Similarly, “Leslie” was mostly a boy’s name until the 1940s, after which it became more associated with girls.
Names like “Whitney,” “Blair,” “Emery,” “Quinn,” “Harley,” and “Kendall” have transitioned from being masculine to feminine. Conversely, names such as “Ashton,” “Jaime,” “Kerry,” and “Carey” have shifted from feminine to masculine.
Today, popular gender-fluid names include Charlie, Terry, Jamie, Eddie, Bobbie, and Jackie. Over the past decade, names like Logan, Avery, Carter, Dylan, Riley, Ryan, Cameron, Parker, Hunter, Angel, Jordan, Sawyer, Skylar, Rowan, Kai, Nova, Quinn, Peyton, Micah, Blake, River, Hayden, Emery, and Emerson have gained popularity.
The most popular unisex names of all time include Willie, Kelly, Jordan, Terry, Jean, Taylor, Alexis, Leslie, Jamie, Angel, Shannon, Shawn, Robin, Cameron, Francis, Tracy, Dale, Lee, Courtney, Jessie, Adrian, Hunter, Morgan, Jayden, Marion, Dana, Lynn, Riley, Eddie, Kim, Casey, Stacy, Sydney, Jackie, Chris, Shelby, Aubrey, Carmen, Addison, Mackenzie, Billie, Gene, Harper, Dakota, Bailey, Tristan, Patsy, and Micah.
