Babies called Alex, Billie and Cameron could be set for successful careers, as research finds girls with gender-neutral baby names are more likely to excel in male-dominated fields.
Deciding on a baby name is a tough decision for parents - many want something that's going to fit with and reflect their little one's personality as they grow older. But have you ever considered how your baby name might reflect your little one's future career? Well, research has found that the rise of gender-neutral baby names could be of particular benefit to baby girls.
Studies suggest that girls with a unisex baby name are more likely to reach higher levels of success in fields that are traditionally male-dominated - such as maths, science, and the legal profession. So, if you're looking for a successful baby name for your little one, you might want to pick a gender-neutral moniker.
For example, researchers at the University of Florida found that girls with gender-neutral names are more likely to complete higher levels of math and science courses. This was even true for sisters and twins - a twin sister named Alex is twice as likely as a twin sister named Isabella to take math or science at a higher level.
Elsewhere, research from Clemson University in South Carolina found that females with more masculine names were more likely to achieve leadership positions in the legal career, such as judgeships.
Despite this difference in achievement, it's important to note that girls with more feminine names do not actually show worse performance in science and maths subjects, they are just less likely to pursue them. Researchers have suggested that the effect might be due to expectations - teachers might be more likely to expect a girl with a gender-neutral baby name to excel at math due to negative (and untrue) stereotypes about girls' ability in the subject. In addition, this may influence girls' own opinion of their ability to excel in male-dominated fields.
When choosing a baby name, settle on an option that feels right for your baby and your family. But if you're a fan of gender-neutral names, we've picked out a few popular options:
Gender-neutral baby names
- Addison
- Alex
- Ashley
- Billie
- Bobby
- Cameron
- Casey
- Charlie
- Eden
- Frankie
- Harper
- Jesse
- Jude
- Kennedy
- Leslie
- Micah
- Morgan
- Robin
- Sage
- Tony
- Wren
If you're still searching for that perfect baby name, why not give our baby name generator a whirl or this Tinder for baby names app? You can also find inspiration in the oddest of places, from country music to these priceless millionaire baby names!
