Ashley was a boys’ name: in the 1930s, 2% of the babies given it were girls. By the 1990s, 100% were. Social Security records since 1880 show 30 names given to at least 50,000 babies that went from mostly boys to mostly girls, and only 3 that went the other way. This guide shows when the biggest ones switched.
The rule used here: a name switched if one decade had 500 or more babies with the name, at least 75% of them one sex, and a later decade had 500 or more, at least 75% the other sex.
Names That Went From Boys to Girls
The share of babies given each name who were girls:
| Name | 1930s | 1970s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashley | 2% | 83% | 99% |
| Leslie | 11% | 86% | 93% |
| Kelly | 9% | 89% | 76% |
| Lynn | 40% | 88% | 81% |
| Madison | 0% | 6% | 99% |
| Taylor | 0% | 22% | 74% |
| Morgan | 0% | 32% | 72% |
| Aubrey | 4% | 53% | 96% |
| Avery | 9% | 14% | 80% |
| Riley | 1% | 6% | 76% |
The year girls first outnumbered boys came early for some and late for others: Leslie in 1946, Kelly in 1957, Taylor in 1990 and Riley in 2003. Madison was almost only a boys’ name until the 1970s, then went to girls almost all at once.
The Full List
All 30 names that switched from boys to girls, from the most babies to the fewest: Ashley, Kelly, Lauren, Taylor, Madison, Leslie, Tracy, Courtney, Morgan, Riley, Avery, Lynn, Sydney, Stacy, Lindsey, Shelby, Aubrey, Addison, Sidney, Skylar, Whitney, Kendall, Kennedy, Ariel, Quinn, Payton, Sandy, Harley, Reese and Emery.
The Rarer Switch: Girls to Boys
Jean was given to girls 98% of the time in the 1930s. The switch came from girls leaving the name: 94,189 girls got it in the 1930s and 461 from 2020 to 2025, while boys went from 2,049 to 878. Frankie has swung both ways: mostly boys from the 1950s to the 2000s, and 71% girls in the 2020s.
Names That Are Shared Now
Some names given to both boys and girls in large numbers today may be switching, or may stay shared. See gender-neutral names that are trending for the names closest to even.
Check a Name’s Gender Split
- Type the name in the search box on the home page.
- Its page shows the share of babies given the name who were boys and girls, and a chart of babies by year.