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Baby names

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What are your thoughts on these unisex names...

59 replies

PickettWhiteFences · 05/12/2020 04:57

Having a girl but quite keen on a unisex name...here is our list

  • Darcy
  • Indiana
  • Jessie
  • Aspen
  • Harlow
  • Kennedy
  • Parker
  • Sage
  • Quinn
  • Sasha

My favourite are probably Darcy, Kennedy and Indiana, DH loves Harlow and Jessie but also Darcy too.

Would love your opinions!

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Boxofpinot · 08/12/2020 09:24

Ashley is also nice and unisex

Boxofpinot · 08/12/2020 09:24

Love sasha, in fact it's the only name on your list I like. Really don't understand how Indianna could be pronounced any other way than indi-anna

MercyBodle · 08/12/2020 08:55

My favourites are Quinn and Sasha - I like both very much.
I don't mind Darcy (except that it has become very popular) and Sage.
I'm not keen on the rest.
How about
Juno
Cleo
Regan
Romilly
Cassidy
Indigo
Winter

Coolerthanapolarbearstoenails · 08/12/2020 03:51

I know a guy called Stacey and one of my old male teachers was called Lesley.

I like Billie as a unisex name.

But out of your list I love Sasha, it's fierce.

Userzzz · 08/12/2020 03:46

Those are all female names to me.

HeadPain · 08/12/2020 03:37

Layne, Noa, Stevie, Dylan, Devin, Adrienne, Forrest ?

Cindie943811A · 06/12/2020 20:24

I think the two pronunciations referred to for Indiana are
Indi—ANNA and Indi— ARNA. (Had to capitalise because lower case the latter could be misread a AMA)
With Parker I always think of Nosey Parker, which I think is still a current saying though it originated about 300 years ago.
I didn’t come across Darcy as a girl’s name until the 1960’s or latter. Darcy Bussell is, I think the reason it became a popular name for girls.
As a surname usually spelt D’Arcy.

namochangoro · 06/12/2020 19:19

Rowan
Georgie
Robin
Sam
Jo

BiBabbles · 06/12/2020 19:03

Of those, Sasha and Quinn are nice.

Others are okay if not my cup for tea (at least for a girl or a first name).

Strong no on Indiana. Like ShyTown said, isn't a place I would name a child after, and the very crude joke on being "In" girls with names like Anna, Deanne, Diana, or anything remotely close was common when I grew up in the Midwest, before getting into the dog jokes.

Avery is a lovely recommendation. I also like Amery, Alexis, & Davri. Sheridan (Sheri) would match your surname-as-given name listing as would Harlyn, Kacey (and all the variant spellings), Kelley, Kelsey, Keller, Merit, Merrill & Adilet.

HeadPain · 06/12/2020 18:31
  • Darcy - dislike, and I've never known a male version, lots of little girls with this name
  • Indiana - ok, like in a girl, but I can't see it on a boy.
  • Jessie - like, or Jesse
  • Aspen - dislike, only because gerbil bedding is called Aspen
  • Harlow - ok, never been to the place
  • Kennedy - like
  • Parker - like
  • Sage - ok
  • Quinn - hate
  • Sasha - like this, and really like it on a male, although I've never met a male Brit with this name unless they had a different background, like Russian?

Shannon is another one that is unisex, I only found out when discovering Shannon Holtzapffel who is a man, a very good-looking man, LOL. Although I know a lovely cool girl with this name of kind of has negative connotations in the UK, I actually prefer it on a male.

Cameron, Billie, Ariel (prefer it on a boy, only because of little mermaid, popular Jewish boys name), Sam, Joss, Blake (sounds v masculine but there is Blake Lively, who has a daughter called James), Alex, Alexis, Avery, Jesse, Indi, Rowan, Riley, Jamie, Robin/Robyn, Brogen/Brogan, Reese, Drew, Kit, Scout, Diesel, Pax (I like actually, meaning Peace in Latin), Lux/e, August, River, Rain/Reign, Eden, Phoenix, Silver is a cool name imo. There was a girl called Red in my school. I know of girls and boys called Blue. Then there's a bit more "out there" celeb kid's names like Arrow, Sparrow, etc.
Place names: Milan, London, Sydney

lemonsquashie · 05/12/2020 16:36

It's very trendy at the moment to name children surnames : Parker, Kennedy, Hunter etc

Fashionable names could date and become naff in the future

Harlow is synonymous with the Essex town.

Macblondie · 05/12/2020 14:41

My favourites from your list are Darcy, Sage and Quinn. Smile

OffredOfjune · 05/12/2020 13:43

@HarryLimeFoxtrot

I don’t think Harlow, Kennedy or Parker work as unisex names. They’re definitely male to me.

How about Devon, Casey, Eden, Mackenzie? I know people of both sexes with these names.

I literally only know women with those three names Grin
Theforest · 05/12/2020 13:40

I like Ainsley as a unisex girls name. Know a lovely Australian woman called Ainsley.

HarryLimeFoxtrot · 05/12/2020 13:39

I don’t think Harlow, Kennedy or Parker work as unisex names. They’re definitely male to me.

How about Devon, Casey, Eden, Mackenzie? I know people of both sexes with these names.

CakeRattleandRoll · 05/12/2020 13:32

With the exception of Parker, I would see all those names as more girl's names than unisex.

Other suggestions (most of which sound quite American to me):
Marley / Marlow
Aubrey
Bailey
Riley
Cameron
Frankie
Blake
Cody
Ariel
Quincy
Charley
Casey
Cassidy

M0rT · 05/12/2020 12:28

I like Darcy and Harlow, not in the UK so associate it with Jean Harlow rather than the place.
Kennedy, Quinn are quite common surnames where I am but maybe in the UK they would work?
Parker just makes me think of Parker Pens.
I understand not wanting a particularly one thing or another name, she should be free to be whoever she is.
Good luck 🍀

Audreyseyebrows · 05/12/2020 12:25
  • Darcy my favourite
  • Indiana bit meh
  • Jessie lovely
  • Aspen school catering
  • Harlow Essex
  • Kennedy least favourite
  • Parker pen
  • Sage covid
  • Quinn not keen for a girl
  • Sasha pretty
IaltagDhubh · 05/12/2020 12:19
  • Darcy - meh. Okay on a girl, bit daft on a boy.
  • Indiana - “the dog was called Indiana”
  • Jessie - only half a name to me, and pretty dated.
  • Aspen - likely to get shortened to Ass.
  • Harlow - alright, not my taste, but probably the best on this list. Again, more for a girl than a boy.
  • Kennedy - no.
  • Parker - makes me think of the chauffeur from Thunderbirds.
  • Sage - meh.
  • Quinn - everyone will think of quim, especially if they see it written down where the two ns run together.
  • Sasha - I know an utter bitch cow called Sasha, so for that reason, no. It also feels like it should be short for something much nicer, such as Alexandra.
HeronLanyon · 05/12/2020 11:57

U.K. and US say it differently. Even BBC news readers during the election kept stumbling and getting wrong !
It is pronounced as if
Indy-Anna - emphasis on that third syllable.
U.K. - there is awful indecision and usually wrongly said as if Indy-ahna and some indecision about where stress lands.

ArtieFufkinPolymerRecords · 05/12/2020 10:53

@HeronLanyon

Op. You may think you know how Indiana will be pronounced. Promise you if you are in U.K. it will be all over the place. The problem is the first a.
I'm another one confused about how Indiana can be mispronounced, surely it's totally phonetic - what's the problem with the first a?
HeronLanyon · 05/12/2020 10:44

Totally agree if you are keen to avoid ‘frilly’ girls names go for one of the strong classics which are beautiful. Just because things you may not conform to the far ends of stereotype spectrum doesn’t mean you need to become gender neutral !

HeronLanyon · 05/12/2020 10:41

Op. You may think you know how Indiana will be pronounced. Promise you if you are in U.K. it will be all over the place. The problem is the first a.

BatleyTownswomensGuild · 05/12/2020 10:09

Darcy

  • Indiana
  • Jessie
  • Aspen
  • Harlow
  • Kennedy
  • Parker
  • Sage
  • Quinn
  • Sasha

Most of these are not really that unisex imo. I have never come across a boy named Darcy, Indiana or Sage.

Darcy and Sage are the only ones I like.

Quinn would be a definite no-no. Sounds too much like Quim which, where I grew up, was slang for ladyparts!

Nell96 · 05/12/2020 10:08

Oooh, how about Rudy?? German origin, means 'famous wolf's - boy's name, but often nn for Ruth. Really like it.