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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Gender neutral names/nicknames

107 replies

CheesyMother · 02/10/2019 12:11

I’m just wondering if anyone has some ideas of names that can be used for both girls and boys, or where the usual nickname is one that can be for both boys and girls.

So names like Leslie, Evelyn etc but also names like Charles/Charlotte which would both be Charlie, Henry/Harriet which would both be Harry.

Thanks!

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Original poster
CheesyMother · 04/10/2019 14:17

Ok @BertrandRussell - I understand your point better now. I think that is why I’m finding it difficult to find a neutral name (or name with a neutral nickname) that I like for a girl - because I do see a lot of them as male names. And the few that there are that are genuinely used for both boys and girls are out because there are already close family members with that name. I don’t actually even know if I am having a boy or a girl yet...

@5zeds - I do get what you are saying. But if I decided to call a daughter Charlotte, let’s say, then she would be perfectly free to use that name and it would be completely in keeping with her heritage. But if she wanted to use Charlie then she could. I do not see how calling a baby Charlotte is teaching them that the only important thing is their employability.

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5zeds · 04/10/2019 13:35

Yes possibly I should have said “hide her sex”, either way it’s not something that I would be looking to promote. I actively resisted suggestions to name my children names that were “used in both cultures” when my children were born too, because I saw it as an attempt to hide their heritages. Undoubtably they would be better off with European names as far as CVs go but people are more than their employability and I think teaching them that is FAR more important than any advantage they would get from hiding their sex or heritage and the damage suggesting that as a way of managing things would cause.

Imicola · 04/10/2019 13:34

Laurel

BertrandRussell · 04/10/2019 13:31

“Our friends have kids called Charlie and Max, ones a boy and ones a girl.”
And the overwhelming majority of people would assume two boys. So they aren’t gender neutral names.

KronksSpinachPuffs · 04/10/2019 13:29

Our friends have kids called Charlie and Max, ones a boy and ones a girl.

I also have a friend called Max who is a Maxine.

I think the reason you gave about discrimination in the workplace is a good point!

BertrandRussell · 04/10/2019 13:29

“The example you give of a gender neutral name isn’t - the spellings are different!”
Yes- that’s ny point. It’s the nearest to a gender neutral name there is. The others are all boy’s names used for girls.

TheDarkRoom · 04/10/2019 13:26

Also, in America I think Kelly and possibly Kerry are used for men as well as women. In the uk though, they're definitely womens names.

TheDarkRoom · 04/10/2019 13:25

I like gender neutral names and I think they do exist actually. Especially when you include nicknames.

Leo (Leonora / Leonard / Leonie)
Lou (Louisa/ Lewis / Louise)
Nat (Nathaniel / Natalia)
Roo (Rupert / Rufus / Ruby / Ruth)
Kim
Sacha (could be short for Alexander but I know a boy with just Sacha on its own)
Rowan
Robin / Robyn
Bertie (Robert / Roberta)
Jazz (Jasmine / Jasper)
Pat (Patrick / Patricia)

Also letters as a shortening for the first and middle name. AJ, RJ, CJ, CT, CB etc. You get the picture!

Original poster
CheesyMother · 04/10/2019 13:20

@drspouse - was this something that your friend looked into out of interest or something they published somewhere? I do find the evolution of names and what we think about them (or rather, the people who have been given them) fascinating.

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Original poster
CheesyMother · 04/10/2019 13:16

@Sparklypurpleunicornsaremyfav - that’s exactly why I posted. To see if anyone had a suggestion that I liked!

And I’m not going to be encouraging my daughter to “pass” as male (or that men are inherently better) @5zeds. I just want her to have the opportunity to avoid some of the unconscious bias that exists. Interesting that you clearly see all these names as inherently male...

@BertrandRussell - I’m not sure I understand what you are saying. Some names are clearly not gendered in the same way that others are. And some names are one gender in one culture and different in other cultures. The example you give of a gender neutral name isn’t - the spellings are different!

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FishCanFly · 04/10/2019 12:32

my favourites are Kim and Kelly

BertrandRussell · 04/10/2019 10:10

Serena and Poppy are lovely for boys.

MarshaBradyo · 04/10/2019 10:04

Bertie for Elizabeth

SoftBlocks · 04/10/2019 10:01

Alex

LadyCarolinePooterVonThigh · 04/10/2019 10:00

My Mum was baptised Elizabeth but when she was a child was always called Kitty. As an adult she was called Kit. Being also short for Christopher, it seems it could do for either?

daisypond · 04/10/2019 09:54

Names like Simone - which is male in Italian or female in English. Or Laurence- which is female in French but male in English. A name like Laurie could be either.

DirtyWindow · 04/10/2019 09:48

Ali (Alice, Alistair)
Leo (Leo, Leonora)
Bertie (Albert, Alberta)
Stevie (Stephanie, Stephen)
Jody (unisex)
Loren (male, but v similar to Lauren)
Jo

SuchAToDo · 04/10/2019 09:39

usefulenglish.ru/vocabulary/unisex-names

Plenty on here op

VenusClapTrap · 04/10/2019 09:35

Sasha

Sparklypurpleunicornsaremyfav · 04/10/2019 07:50

But what names do you like? It's all very well looking for gender neutral names but its worthless if you don't like any of them unless you call your daughter one of them just for the sake of it

Lemonchorizo · 04/10/2019 03:47

Kim - heard of a few older men 50s ish called this obvs Kimberley is the female version. It is not a popular name at the moment though.

ObtuseTriangle · 03/10/2019 08:13

Billie / Billy
Peyton

BertrandRussell · 03/10/2019 07:57

Annabel
Violet

Fifteenthnamechange · 03/10/2019 07:34

Bailey

5zeds · 03/10/2019 07:19

I would imagine almost ANY name could be made into a nickname to disguise which sex you are. I can’t imagine why you’d want to do that, and wouldn’t be teaching my daughters to “pass as Male” on paper.

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