Ainsley for a girl?

[TotorosOcarina]

I think its cute. WDYT?

[MentalFloss]

I like it, think its slightly different but not too OTT iyswim?

[horatia]

I know it's officially a unisex name, but I think of it as a male name because of Ainsley Harriott (haven't heard of any other Ainsleys). It also sounds like a surname or place name.

[thisisyesterday]

makes me think of Ainsley Harriet

[deemented]

Yes - my midwife when i had dd and then ds3 was called Ainsley and she was a lovely, fantastic lady.

Definate yes

[minipie]

Unfortunately I just think of Ainsley Harriot. So it's a no from me. nice name apart from that though.

[amberleaf]

Makes me think of an Ainsley i knew as a child-total bitch sorry! can still see her mean face [shudder]

[TotorosOcarina]

meh, I'm not super keen anyways

[sweetnitanitro]

I know an Ainsleigh who is lovely :) I think it's more popular in Scotland where she's from. She's about 30 I think, don't know of any children named Ainsley/Ainsleigh, boys or girls.

[SirBoobAlot]

Ainsley Harriot from me too, I'm afraid.

How about Astrid if you want a slightly different "A" name?

[hatebeak]

It's okay but I do remember there was a great(if Republican) character in The West Wing called Ainsley, which makes it seem more appealing.

[AinslieWithTwoXChromosomes]

It's mostly known as a girl's name where I come from (I grew up in New Zealand and am in my 30s - and female). But here in the UK, people do, amusingly, expect me to be tall, male and able to cook.

Having said that, it wasn't widely known when I was growing up, and I hated it because I constantly had to enunciate it and contend with people calling me Angie/Ashley/Anneliese (go figure the last one).

I found that it was better-known in Australia (as a girls' name), thanks to the quasi-notorious Ainslie Gotto (some grand old men of politics attributed her influence on the PM of the day to her being hot stuff rather than her grey matter - but that was all before my time!)

At least people here in the UK are familiar with the name - I just have to say 'just like Ainsley H but different spelling and I'm a girl' and they usually go 'oh right'.

As for the spelling, I think the first name spelling variants are along regional (Scots vs English) rather than gender lines.

Oh, and I have met three other Ainsley/Ainslies (all female). One was nice, two were bitches! :o

[LadyBee]

I'm also a New Zealander and my best friend growing up was an Ainsley (not you Ainslie though..spelt with a 'y' she was). Her parents were English though. I liked it. My name is also unusual and we liked being the only ones in our classes with our names..unlike the 5 Rachaels, 4 Nicolas and 7 Michaels

[Psammead]

I know an Ainsley and she's lovely. Have nothing but positive associations with this name. She was always a bit shy about her name though and would introduce herself as 'Ainsley, but I 'ent a big black chef'.

Always get a lovely, whimsical feeling about the name.

[BalloonSlayer]

I know an Ainsley who is lovely. I think it is a beautiful name.

She is in her fifties now; she told me it was always a girl's name when and where she grew up but became popular as a boy's name in the West Indian community.

I'd have happily called DD Ainsley.

[seeker]

Never choose a name because it's 'cute". Teenagers and adult women don't want to be "cute"

[Kathleen123]

no, IMHO Ainsley is a boys name.

[TotorosOcarina]

Well thats the basis of my other 3 kids names seeker so I guess they are in for trouble, lol!

[pinkthechaffinch]

Really nice and there's a strong female character called Ainsley in 'The Edible Woman' by Margaret Atwood.

[WillowFae]

I'd assume the child was a boy.

[MoominMymbleandMy]

I know an Ainslie from NZ and she is lovely. So it is now a girl's name to me and a pretty one too.

[AinslieWithTwoXChromosomes]

LadyBee, cor, another one! Wouldn't it be funny if I'd met your Ainsley (and I'm sure they're all nice, really, just misunderstood by me) - but the ones I knew had Kiwi or Aussie parents, rather than English parents, or, in the case of the nice one, Samoan parents. Funnily, I got the impression that it was becoming popular as a name for a girl among Maori and Pacific Islander families!

Um, sorry about the hijack, OP - potted summary, I hated my name as a kid because nobody could pronounce it, but now that it doesn't give me trouble, I don't mind it. If you like it, I reckon you should go for it :)

[MoominMymbleandMy]

Are you my Ainslie who has sneakily name-changed then? I just assumed it must be popular in NZ!

[AinslieWithTwoXChromosomes]

Er, yes - Gidday to ya, Moomin' - and aw, shucks! :)