Top unisex baby names on the rise in England and Wales - including Marlowe

27 September 2023 , 15:19

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Gender neutral names are on the rise according to a name expert (Stock Photo) (Image: Getty Images)

There are many baby names that will be trendy for some time, only for them to die out years later. Some parents will give their baby a traditional moniker, while others prefer to come up more unusual and unique names.

Interestingly, there has been a surge in unisex names being used in England and Wales - as parents are now choosing more gender-neutral names instead.

Names that once would have been considered a traditional boy's name have started to become unisex names - including River, Riley and Ronnie - as parents become less worried about typical gendered names.

Names that were never in the top 100 chart are now becoming top choices. Amongst the surge in unisex names, the most popular are Marlowe, Blair and Ronnie, along with other names such as Oakley, Noa, Ren, Ronnie, Ocean and Sunny.

Celebrity baby names, like Molly Mae's baby girl Bambi and Blake Lively's daughter James, are also inspiring parents to take the plunge on non gendered monikers.

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Data shows that the number of unisex names has increased by 56%, and Sophie Kihm, a name expert at Nameberry, shares why. "Gender neutral names are rising both because they give children flexibility should they not identify with their birth gender, but also because gender neutral names are modern choices with contemporary style," she told the Metro.

This developing trend means we're seeing gendered names that once surged in popularity now potentially becoming extinct - names such as Steve, Ellen and Gary.

Niamh Kirk