Maxwell too masculine?

*You’ve obviously never watched Gilmore girls battleaxe. Also according to most baby name sites they’re all classed as unisex names.

Her name is Lorelei, not Rory.*

Actually the mother is Lorelei and the daughter is Rory. One is not a nickname for the other, they are separate people. As far as I’m aware Rory is the daughter’s given name but it’s been many years since I’ve watched that show.

I don’t have a strong feeling that boys’ and girls’ names need to be different, but your poor little DD is going to be sick to death of teachers, employers, and others assuming she is a boy/man from seeing her name before meeting her. My DS has an unusual name (cultural) that people sometimes assume is a girl’s name and he is at the age where he finds that very embarrassing. His name could go either way but Maxwell will always be thought of as a boy’s name.

The only name on your list I would even consider giving a girl is Blair, cf. Blair Warner from the 80s sitcom Facts of Life. I’m not sure if that show was popular in the UK as I didn’t grow up here but there was a female character named Blair. She was extremely posh.

Go with Maxine or Blair or go back to the drawing board. I get the desire to be different but don’t inflict a name on your DD that is going to cause annoyance throughout her life.

Like Jessica Simpson's daughter? I don't dislike the name but I think you will just look like you have no personality of your own and are a bit star struck!

A lifetime of having to explain when you apply for something or fill in a form yeh great!

Agree with Margaret. Can you imagine how Cameron Diaz would have suffered had she been a large girl? Very hard to pull off imo.

Being nicknamed something masculine is different than being named something masculine. Maxine shortened to Max is different from Maxwell. Jemima shortened to Jimmy is different from James.

This

Maxine, Maxima or Maximiliana are better imo and she can still be known as Max.

I think Mark Zuckerberg has a dd Max?

Maxine shortened to Max is better.

I think when parents give a baby girl a boy's name, at some sub-concious level they picture the name contrasting with her petite, feminine self and being adorable.

That don't seem to consider that she might end up six-foot two, or broad-shouldered, or a bit masculine-faced. And wear a lot of jeans & hoodies.
She might spend her life having people do a double-take when they meet her, and even having to correct people who think she's a man or transgendered

You’ve obviously never watched Gilmore girls battleaxe. Also according to most baby name sites they’re all classed as unisex names.

Her name is Lorelei, not Rory.

Being nicknamed something masculine is different than being named something masculine. Maxine shortened to Max is different from Maxwell. Jemima shortened to Jimmy is different from James.

Maxine

The names you have suggested are not 'gender neutral' , they're male. Maxwell is particularly strongly masculine, but I have seen Blair used for girls in the US.

A niece of mine has a baby girl known as 'Max' but in her case it's short for Maxima. (The name of the Queen of the Netherlands apparently). I don't see them much (they live abroad). She is referred to as Max by her parents, but I do find that very clearly masculine and try to fudge it a bit myself by referring to her as Maxie or Maxima. We will have to see what she prefers herself when she is old enough to have an opinion.

I’m in the US and Ryan isn’t particularly uncommon for a girl these days (bearing in mind that naming children after their Mother's maiden name is popular) however the “an” sound does make it less jarring as a unisex name.
Rory is used as a nickname in the (dreadful) Gilmore Girls, but I’m not personally aware of any female Rhuaridhs.

Obviously the OP and her partner can call their baby what they like but I think a lifetime of people saying at you name (and not in a good way) might be very difficult.

Having just googled apparently Jessica Simpson called her DD Maxwell. It doesn’t help endorse the name IMO, but I’m sure others will disagree.

Maxine is much cooler.

I think OP is pulling our legs.

Ryan or Rory unisex?

I think that’s not going to be an easy name for a girl to live with tbh.

I do prefer more unisex names (Ryan, Rhuaridh, Blair) but worry they might be too masculine

That's because they are. They're boys' names. But you knew that, didn't you?

Maxwell is quite masculine but max is lovely for a girl and you would usually call her max for short?

If you like the name go for it, it's a lovely name and it doesn't really matter what others think xx