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Quirky and gender-neutral baby names more popular than ever

Research has found parents more likely to choose unusual monikers than a generation ago
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Gender-neutral names are becoming more popular, according to the latest list of popular Aussie baby names.

McCrindle Research, a consumer analyst group, has a released its list of top names for boys and girls so far in 2020.

And while Charlotte topped the list for baby girls, and Oliver for baby boys, names that could be for either gender were more common than ever.

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Quirky names are on the rise (Credit: Getty Images)

Charlie and Riley, traditionally male names, were among the top 100 for girls, with names such as Dylan, Ashton and Bailey also on the rise for girls.

But the biggest riser for girls was Luna, which jumped from 62 last year to 49 in 2020.

Meanwhile, quirkier names for boys included Harper and Mackenzie, traditionally more common for girls.

The research found that parents were much more likely to choose an unusual name than previous generations. In the ’80s, 22% of children were given names found in the top 10, while today just 10% do.

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But Charlotte and Oliver still hold the top spots (Credit: Getty Images)

Top 10 Girls’ Names

1. Charlotte

2. Olivia

3. Amelia

4. Isla

5. Mia

6. Ava

7. Grace

8. Willow

9. Harper

10. Chloe 

Top 10 Boys’ Names

1. Oliver

2. Noah

3. Jack

4. William

5. Leo

6. Lucas

7. Thomas

8. Henry

9. Charlie

10. James ​

Profile picture of Sarah Firth
Sarah Firth

Sarah is editor of that’s life! and has been a writer for more than 15 years after studying journalism at Sheffield College. She's written for the Nottingham Post, Chat magazine, that's life! in the UK, Kidspot and The Sun online. She loves cups of tea so strong they could stand up and is a very untidy Virgo.

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