interactive version here: https://nameplay.org/blog/unisex-names-sankey
you can change start year, %male/female threshold, # names, and also view results combined by pronunciation (e.g. Jordan + Jordyn etc.)
Posted by Chronicallybored
![how the most popular unisex baby names in the US split by gender [OC]](https://www.byteseu.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/8sve8zrhupjg1-1536x1340.png "how the most popular unisex baby names in the US split by gender [OC]")
interactive version here: https://nameplay.org/blog/unisex-names-sankey
you can change start year, %male/female threshold, # names, and also view results combined by pronunciation (e.g. Jordan + Jordyn etc.)
Posted by Chronicallybored
16 Comments
data source: [Social Security Administration baby names dataset](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/limits.html)
tools: python/polars for data processing, d3-sankey and Svelte for frontend
pronunciation grouping relies on CMU pronouncing dictionary, manually-refined LLM-generated pronunciations, and a [custom grouping algorithm](https://nameplay.org/blog/how-we-group-names)
This is awful. Just do colored bars for each
Surprised Logan isn’t mentioned
Never met any male Angel in my life.
Payton is on twice, just with different spelling?
Surprised that Sam isn’t on the list.
As much as I love sankey diagrams this is a horrible use for them. Colored bars or individual donuts would be infinitely easier to read.
i wonder what would be the most neutral name, like the most even split of males and females
Would be difficult to go with worse chart decision than this one
Worst use of a Sankey I have ever seen
Angel is a mans name surely.
Angela would be the feminine form.
Yikes. Sankeys need to be banned.
This is such a confusing chart
I’m kind of amazed the name Alex isn’t in this list. I would have thought it more popular.
I’m bummed there aren’t any Robin/Robyn on there
I’ve never met a single person in my life named angel and stranger yet the majority of them are boys???