Unisex names are nothing new, and many of the most popular names for girls today were once boys-only picks. (Think: Addison, Lindsay, Riley, Harper, Kendall, and Madison.) And vice versa. But still, you might be surprised by which monikers had a moment — however brief — when their popularity crossed gender lines. Here are just a few that we found particularly fascinating.
James
Though this one has been trending for girls recently, it's not the first time: It was given to scores of women born in the 1890s, then it peaked again in the 1920s, and stayed in the top 1,000 until 1989.
Charles
Who needs Charlotte? If James gets overused, parents can always bring back this unusual pick, which peaked for girls in 1927 but stayed popular through the 1970s.
Mary
Believe it. The name of Jesus' mother was the most popular female name in the English-speaking world for centuries. Literally, centuries. It wasn't dethroned until 1966, when it slipped to 3rd place for the first time ever. But it was also relatively common for men in the early 1900s and again in the 1930s.
George
The British prince has certainly sparked a spike for this boys' classic. But in the late-1800s, it was the 350th most popular name for girls. (It was actually far more popular than more feminine-sounding derivatives like Georgette or Georgina at the time.)
Elizabeth
As long as the Social Security Administration has kept data, this biblical classic has also been popular for boys. It's been on the charts since at least 1900 — long before the birth of Queen Elizabeth II — and was in the top 1000 male names as recently as 1989. If only Johnny Cash had written a song called "A Boy Named Betty"...
Ashley
Despite being one of the most enduring top girls' names since the 1980s, all you have to do is watch Gone with the Wind to know Ashley was once a common male name. (In fact, it was exclusively male from the 1500s until the 1960s.) Perhaps what's most shocking is that it stayed relatively popular for boys up until 1994.
Meredith
Generations of Welsh men were dubbed Meredith. It wasn't until the early 1900s that girls started taking this moniker over. It finally came off the boys' chart in 1955 and has been the domain of the fairer sex ever since.
Vivian
As of 2014, this name that means "life" broke the top 100 at spot 98. But it was a solid choice for boys until 1933 when it dropped off the list completely. (Historically, Vivian was the male form and Vivien the female. Go figure.)
Kim
Thanks to stars like Kim Novak, the name was all the rage in the 1960s. But it also broke the top 100 for boys in 1955 — and remained popular for the next 30 years. (Interesting fact: In Rudyard Kipling's 1900 novel Kim, the hero was given this nickname for Kimball.)
Matthew
This one's a head-scratcher. In 1972 through 1989, Matthew (not Mattie) was on the charts for girls. That said, it's been a top-20 choice for boys for 45 years (and has stayed in the top 200 for more than a century.)
Michael
And here's another one: From 1938 to 1994, baby girls across the country were given the name Michael. But in an unusual twist, Michelle was on the boys' charts from 1966 to 1983. Guess that makes it even.
Joan
Who'd have thought? Evoking great dames such as Joan Crawford, Joan Collins, and Joan Baez, this moniker (meaning "God is Gracious") dropped off the girls' charts in 1993. But it also saw a decade of popularity for men in the 1930s and 1940s. Even more surprising: It jumped back on the charts for boys in 2000 and stayed there through 2007. What's not surprising is that 2007 was also the year when Mad Men debuted featuring the feisty, female character of Joan Harris. We'll call that the final nail in the coffin.
Pearl
Currently climbing the charts, this old-fashioned girls' name was also very trendy in the 1880s through 1920s. But it also held steady for men up through the 1930s, peaking in 1901 as the 283rd most popular boys' name.
Carol
Yes, it sounds like your mother or grandmother. But it could also be your grandfather: Boys were often given this Christmas-y badge as recently as the 1950s.
Donnie
Typically a nickname for Donald, parents have also just named their babes Donnie outright. But up through the 1920s, it was far more popular for girls. Then, the trend switched and it's been a boy moniker ever since.
* All data courtesy of the Social Security Administration.
