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Baby names

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

Original poster

Aubrey?

66 replies

OpheliaBee · 23/11/2019 13:06

I love Aubrey for a boy but worry it’s too commonly used as a girls name now.

Would you automatically assume girl? Do you think it matters?

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PetraRabbit · 23/11/2019 22:52

Aubrey is a really great boys' name. Most definitely an excellent choice.

In honesty, I think less educated and very young people would assume girl, whereas more educated and older people would be more likely to assume boy. It's currently very popular for girls in the US so over there it'd be considered strange as a boys' name but girls over there are commonly called Peyton, Mason and Cameron so I wouldn't use that as any kind of benchmark!!

diddlediddle · 23/11/2019 22:24

Aubin is a nice alternative

diddlediddle · 23/11/2019 22:24

Aubrey is lovely. It's a boys name.

SuckingDieselFella · 23/11/2019 17:25

I have a relative with this name and he switched to another name as soon as he became an adult.

BertrandRussell · 23/11/2019 17:19

I don’t think kids are bullied for their names nowadays-except, I suppose, names like Dick or Roger or Fanny. Which I assume net even the “if you love it use it” camp would endorse.

RetreatingWeasels · 23/11/2019 17:16

It's a boy's name.

BlackSwanGreen · 23/11/2019 17:15

I know one Aubrey, he's a boy

Cbeebiesrehab · 23/11/2019 17:14

I would assume girl as it’s a ‘trendy’ girls name at the moment.
I think it’s a name that will become exclusively for girls, much like Evelyn.

NotTonightJosepheen · 23/11/2019 16:23

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NotTonightJosepheen · 23/11/2019 16:22

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basicwitches · 23/11/2019 16:21

Boys name BUT i am calling my girl aubrey, it is slowly becoming unisex!

Leopardprintboots · 23/11/2019 16:18

@OpheliaBee totally agree- that’s what I was trying to say above (less eloquently)

Original poster
OpheliaBee · 23/11/2019 16:12

It's a boy's name, but I wouldn't use it unless you're incredibly posh. I can see an Aubrey at the local comprehensive being bullied mercilessly

Definitely not incredibly posh! DS has a name that is a bit different (although a classic, it’s just not common in this generation) and I figure if he’s going to be bullied, he’ll be bullied. It won’t matter if it’s his name, his hair, or his trainers. Kids can just be dicks.

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Leopardprintboots · 23/11/2019 14:22

I cant see Aubrey as a name being picked on - I disagree with that. With all the unusual names around I really don’t think Aubrey is going to be bully material! Infact names rarely are. Unfortunately a child ends up being bullied and then everything about them gets picked on. I had a friend with surname similar to Prick and she was never teased. Yet another friend called Abi was teased mercilessly and called Abi National Bank. Another called Wendy was called Wendy House and bullied. Meanwhile Prick and other names were ignored!

DramaAlpaca · 23/11/2019 14:17

Yes, I'd assume old-fashioned name for a boy.

It's one of those names that's been adopted as a female name because of the 'y' ending, and it's a trend I really dislike.

Angie6868 · 23/11/2019 13:47

It's a boy's name, but I wouldn't use it unless you're incredibly posh. I can see an Aubrey at the local comprehensive being bullied mercilessly

BertrandRussell · 23/11/2019 13:45

Grin I have to say it because I aways do. There is no such thing as a unisex name- except possibly Frances/is. There are only boys names that are sometimes used for girls.

steppemum · 23/11/2019 13:38

Francis/Frances

er, you do know that Francis is a boys name and Frances a girl's nmae don't you?
Not a great example of a unisex name!

I think boy, but many girls are called it, like Jamie or Charlie, so if you like it go for it.
(love Auberon though)

Phillipa12 · 23/11/2019 13:38

I have an Aubrey, hes 11 on Monday. 😀

kittlesticks · 23/11/2019 13:36

I know one, a boy. It's a lovely name.

daisypond · 23/11/2019 13:33

Definitely a boy. It nothing like Francis and Frances, which are pronounced differently and are both old names.

BertrandRussell · 23/11/2019 13:30

“ It's a short form of Oberon”
Do you mean Auberon?

JenniferM1989 · 23/11/2019 13:30

I would say boy as I only know of one girl with that name but it's spelt Aubree. Aubrey does sound a bit masculine to me and Rey would be the nickname maybe. Pronounced Ob-ray sounds boyish to me and pronounced Ob-ree sounds girly to me

Leopardprintboots · 23/11/2019 13:26

Robin (boy) / Robyn (girl) I mean

Leopardprintboots · 23/11/2019 13:26

Just checked the stats for last year and it’s not 5:1 it’s more like 3:1
But it’s pretty rare anyway and traditionally a boys name so I think fine to use. Same with a name like Robin. Both pretty classic boys names I think.
You can never really predict what names will really take off for girls! I know a little baby girl “Noah”