Interesting read: "The subconscious bias of 'unisex' baby name trends"

7 replies

TheNewStatesman · 23/02/2016 02:28

www.dailylife.com.au/life-and-love/parenting-and-families/the-subconscious-misogyny-of-unisex-baby-name-trends-20160119-gm9cay.html

I think this hits the nail on the head.

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TheNewStatesman · 24/02/2016 23:28

Apparently Douglas was once a woman's name. That is the only example I can think of where it went the other way round, though!

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manicinsomniac · 24/02/2016 13:40

moggle - I teach boys called Bailey and Morgan. I think of them as genuinely unisex names at the moment.

I get the point about it always being boys names that become girls names and none of my 3 girls have unisex names but I still really like many of them and don't have an issue with them.

badtime · 24/02/2016 12:39

The only girls' name that seems to be used a bit for boys these days that I can think of is Artemis (22 girls and 4 boys in England & Wales in 2014), and that is really because of a book.

It exists though, but perhaps shows that if you are using a traditionally female name, only a goddess's name is good enough for boys.

moggle · 24/02/2016 12:27

Maybe the recent clutch of boy -> girl names like Bailey, Taylor, Morgan, etc will go back to being boys names one day... (clutching straws)
I guess the only real truly unisex names are what one might term 'bonkers' names like Leaf, Moon, Aspen, Sage, Star, Stormrider, Perspex...

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TheNewStatesman · 24/02/2016 01:51

I was given a name which, at the time, was more popular on American boys (now super popular on girls in the US and UK) - I've never been made to feel like a "pale imitation of a boy".

That's the whole thing, though. There aren't really any unisex names. There are boys' names given to girls, but they almost always end up just becoming girls' names. It never goes the other way round.

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OvariesBeforeBrovaries · 23/02/2016 15:10

It's an interesting read, but not enough to dissuade me from giving DCs unisex names. It's more important how you actually raise them, I think - I was given a name which, at the time, was more popular on American boys (now super popular on girls in the US and UK) - I've never been made to feel like a "pale imitation of a boy".

Kuriusoranj · 23/02/2016 02:45

I was all prepared to dismiss that article, until I read it. On the contrary, it actually seems blindingly obvious when you think about it.

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