Top Unisex Names in Every US State
Avery? Parker? Noah?! It depends where you live...
Welcome to a data-fest! The most popular unisex names in the USA in 2021 were Logan, Avery, and Riley. But were they top in every state? We crunched the numbers to find out…
In short, no. These names are popular across much of the country, but when it comes to the number one unisex name, some states have different ideas. Parents in some areas prefer occupational surnames like Carter, Parker, and Sawyer, while other states have unique favorites like River and Finley.
We analyzed the most popular names by state and found out which unisex names — which we define as those used for at least 10 percent of the minority gender — are given to the most children in each state.
Trends and Favorites
Avery is the top unisex name across the most states (23 of them), followed by Logan (top in 10 states), then Parker (5 states).
River is the top unisex name in three states, and Cameron, Carter, Riley and Sawyer in two states each. Unisex names in the top spot in only one state are Charlie, Ezra, Finley, Harper, Noah, and Remington.
If you’ve done the math and it doesn’t add up, you’re right! In 2021 there was an astonishing five-way tie for the top unisex name in West Virginia: Logan, Parker, Remington, Riley and River were all given to 49 babies each. What were the odds?!
States in the South and Northwest were most likely to diverge from the national favorites. This is partly down to local style, and also because in areas with lower populations, just a few babies can make a big difference to the rankings. In Alaska it came down to literally one child: the top unisex name, Charlie, was used for 19 babies, while the runner up, Parker, was given to 18 babies!
Gender Differences
You may be looking at the map and thinking, “Is Noah really unisex?”
Well, yes and no… it depends where you live.
In the whole USA, only 2 percent of babies named Noah in 2021 were girls — not enough to meet our “at least 10 percent” rule. But it counts as unisex in Nebraska, where 10 percent of baby Noahs were girls, and in North Dakota, where it was 13 percent female.
Harper is unisex in Mississippi, where 10 percent of baby Harpers were male (it’s just under 2 percent nationally). And Ezra makes the unisex list in Indiana, where 10 percent of baby Ezras were girls (compared to 5 percent nationally).
In future years we may see Noah, Ezra and Harper becoming more gender-equal in other states.
Logan is now the top unisex name in the US as a whole, but there are huge local differences. It’s still less than 10 percent female in 22 states… but it’s over 20 percent female in South Dakota, South Carolina, DC and Maryland.
All-round favorite Avery was given to more girls than boys in every state. It’s most strongly female in Alaska, DC, Montana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming, where there were no recorded boys named Avery. (Only names given to five or more children of the same gender make the charts.) And it’s most gender-neutral in Vermont, with 55:45 girl:boy split, followed by Hawaii, with a 57:43 split.
Parker is one of the most gender-balanced names. It’s slightly more male in most states, but has a female majority in South Dakota and Vermont.
Top 3 Unisex Names in Every US State
What are the most popular unisex names where you live? Here is the Top 3 for each US state, ranked by the total number of children who got each name in 2021.
The numbers in brackets are the girl:boy ratio of the name. For example, of all the babies named Riley in Alabama in 2021, 69 percent were girls and 31 percent were boys.
Alabama: 1. Riley (69:31) 2. Avery (80:20) 3. Parker (41:59)
Alaska: 1. Charlie (63:37) 2. Parker (28:72) 3. Finley (42:58)
Arizona: 1. Logan (12:88) 2. Avery (76:24) 3. Riley (80:20)
Arkansas: 1. River (26:74) 2. Avery (85:15) 3. Carter (10:90)
California: 1. Avery (82:18) 2. Ryan (10:90) 3. Riley (82:18)
Colorado: 1. Avery (85:15) 2. Logan (13:87) 3. Carter (10:90)
Connecticut: 1. Cameron (12:88) 2. Avery (77:23) 3. Riley (89:11)
DC: 1. Logan (22:78) 2. Angel (40:60) 3. Ari (47:53)
Delaware: 1. Avery (81:19) 2. Logan (19:81) 3. Parker (42:58)
Florida: 1. Avery (75:25) 2. Riley (83:17) 3. Jordan (11:89)
Georgia: 1. Logan (15:85) 2. Carter (10:90) 3. Avery (70:30)
Hawaii: 1. Avery (57:43) 2. Riley (64:36) 3. Ocean (35:65)
Idaho: 1. Parker (35:65) 2. Blake (18:82) 3. Sawyer (25:75)
Illinois: 1. Avery (79:21) 2. Cameron (11:89) 3. Parker (40:60)
Indiana: 1. Ezra (10:90) 2. Avery (76:24) 3. Parker (41:59)
Iowa: 1. Avery (85:15) 2. Sawyer (28:72) 3. Hayden (32:68)
Kansas: 1. Parker (41:59) 2. Logan (17:83) 3. Avery (83:17)
Kentucky: 1. Sawyer (24:76) 2. Avery (74:26) 3. River (32:68)
Louisiana: 1. Avery (80:20) 2. Parker (46:54) 3. Sawyer (29:71)
Maine: 1. Avery (83:17) 2. Blake (48:52) 3. Charlie (50:50)
Maryland: 1. Logan (21:79) 2. Avery (76:24) 3. Ryan (16:84)
Massachusetts: 1. Avery (79:21) 2. Riley (79:21) 3. Rowan (33:67)
Michigan: 1. Logan (11:89) 2. Avery (79:21) 3. Riley (74:26)
Minnesota: 1. Avery (81:19) 2. Rowan (28:72) 3. Quinn (85:15)
Mississippi: 1. Harper (90:10) 2. Avery (85:15) 3. Taylor (81:19)
Missouri: 1. Avery (85:15) 2. Parker (37:63) 3. Logan (15:85)
Montana: 1. Finley (71:29) 2. Oakley (68:32) 3. Sage (68:32)
Nebraska: 1. Noah (10:90) 2. Avery (83:17) 3. Carter (13:87)
Nevada: 1. Avery (84:16) 2. Kai (11:89) 3. Riley (68:32)
New Hampshire: 1. Logan (11:89) 2. Rowan (15:85) 3. Riley (84:16)
New Jersey: 1. Cameron (11:89) 2. Avery (83:17) 3. Jordan (16:84)
New Mexico: 1. Avery (64:36) 2. Angel (19:81) 3. River (46:54)
New York: 1. Avery (73:27) 2. Riley (84:16) 3. Jordan (11:89)
North Carolina: 1. Carter (11:89) 2. Avery (74:26) 3. Logan (11:89)
North Dakota: 1. Sawyer (36:64) 2. Noah (13:87) 3. River (37:63)
Ohio: 1. Avery (80:20) 2. Logan (11:89) 3. Parker (38:62)
Oklahoma: 1. Avery (82:18) 2. River (32:68) 3. Parker (50:50)
Oregon: 1. River (30:70) 2. Rowan (28:72) 3. Carter (11:89)
Pennsylvania: 1. Avery (82:18) 2. Cameron (12:88) 3. Riley (85:15)
Rhode Island: 1. Avery (86:14) 2. Quinn (71:29) 3. Charlie (52:47)
South Carolina: 1. Logan (22:78) 2. Riley (76:24) 3. Avery (70:30)
South Dakota: 1. Parker (55:45) 2. Avery (81:19) 3. Logan (27:73)
Tennessee: 1. Carter (10:90) 2. River (33:67) 3. Parker (38:62)
Texas: 1. Logan (12:88) 2. Avery (86:14) 3. Parker (42:58)
Utah: 1. Avery (89:11) 2. Charlie (50:50) 3. River (38:62)
Vermont: 1. Avery (55:45) 2. Rowan (33:67) 3. Parker (69:31)
Virginia: 1. Avery (75:25) 2. Logan (10:90) 3. Carter (10:90)
Washington: 1. Logan (12:88) 2. Avery (72:28) 3. Riley (73:27)
West Virginia: =1. Logan (12:88) =1. Parker (37:63) =1. Remington (16:84), =1. Riley (78:22), =1. River (37:63)
Wisconsin: 1. Avery (82:18) 2. Parker (37:63) 3. Sawyer (21:79)
Wyoming: 1. Parker (36:64) 2. Charlie (62:38) 3. River (42:58)
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