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Baby names

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

Original poster

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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user1495884620 · 05/12/2020 10:08

Have you ever been to Harlow? It's a concrete jungle new town. Maybe take a look on google street view if you are seriously thinking of using it.

(I'm also curious how Indiana can be mispronounced!)

Nell96 · 05/12/2020 10:05

I don't think it sounds ridiculous at all - I understand why you might want to avoid overly girly, frilly, floral names, but I'm not sure that going for a unisex name is the only answer. I think there are lots of girls names that sound strong - they're just a bit harder to find as the current trend seems to by for quite feminine names (Sophia, Ava, Isabelle, Evie, Lily etc.) A few which spring to mind:

Juno
Matilda
Frida
Erin
Trudy
Beatrix
Fern
Thora
Ida
Bridget
Nina
Cleo
Scout
Ruth

MikeUniformMike · 05/12/2020 09:50
  • Darcy - very popular for girls, I don't like it
  • Indiana - Jones
  • Jessie - fine if short for Jessica, Jessamine or Jessamy. Jessie is an insult for boys
  • Aspen - Colorado, Aften is similar and prettier
  • Harlow - Harlot with a silent t?
  • Kennedy - too closely linked to JFK
  • Parker - Coat
  • Sage - too covid19
  • Quinn - kids will join the ns to make an m
  • Sasha - fine
Original poster
PickettWhiteFences · 05/12/2020 09:42

I think people are talking a lot of sense when it comes to Harlow. Sounded good in my head but the more I think about it, its a no.

Also I have known a few boy Darcys over the years so interesting too see it known as a female name.

OP posts:
Original poster
PickettWhiteFences · 05/12/2020 09:40

Thanks for the opinions, Sasha is growing on me now, glad to hear good vibes.

Indiana would be pronounced: Indie-anna. Indi would probably be a nickname.

I didnt realise Kennedy, Jessie or Parker were that dated. Still like them though.

I have a really girly first name (along the grounds of Rose esque type name), and I loathe it because I have always been a tom boy, I know it sounds a bit ridiuclous but I dont want my child to be burdened with a name association with connotations of a certain gender.

OP posts:
Bummsbet · 05/12/2020 09:37

Darcy- Regardless of Mr Darcy, I wouldn't consider this unisex. It's a girls name to me and most of the UK.
Indiana - Same as above. Indiana Jones' names was a nickname, named after his female dog.
Jessie - I would use this only for a boy.

Aspen - I like it but again it's a boys name to me
Harlow - I wouldn't use this name for any child. It's a dump!
Kennedy - Girls name.
Parker - I actually secretly really like Parker!
Sage - a herb. But a girls name if you must.
Quinn - I feel this is probably the most unisex name on your list apart from Sasha
Sasha - see above.

I think a lot of your names aren't that unisex any more. I do like a lot of them but apart from Quinn & Sasha, I'd consider most of them a certain sex.

HotGlueGun · 05/12/2020 09:14

Why do they need to be unisex?

Chocolateandcarbs · 05/12/2020 09:05

Love Jessie. What about Jude?

ShowOfHands · 05/12/2020 08:59

I wanted to call DS Sacha. In French speaking Europe and some other places, it's almost exclusively a boys name. In fact, at the time we were thinking of using it, you couldn't register it for a girl in a couple of countries. Sadly, people had started using it for girls more and more in the UK and America so we decided against it.

I really don't like surnames or places used as names so a lot of your list aren't my thing. And Quinn will only ever look like "quim" to me and every child who likes the Avengers will know the line "mewling quim" eventually.

Sausagedog1 · 05/12/2020 08:53

Indie is such a cool nickname!

Sausagedog1 · 05/12/2020 08:52

Eden?
I like Indiana and Jessie and Darcy. I have to admit I wouldn't like to be called Quinn. It sounds fine on a boy though. Avery is gorgeous.
I'm not keen on the rest.

Caspianberg · 05/12/2020 08:38

They are quite American sounding.

Sasha is my favourite

Maybe:
Andie
Billie
Bobbie
Frankie
Rae

Shayisgreat · 05/12/2020 08:10

I like Sasha.

Kennedy, Parker, and Quinn are all surnames (so is Darcy but is now widely used as a first name) and I like them as surnames but not as given names.

I wouldn't use any of the other names.

ShyTown · 05/12/2020 08:04

-Darcy - nice for a girl but I do know a few, I’ve
never heard it for a boy
-Indiana - have you been to Indiana? I have and it’s not somewhere I’d consider naming a baby after
-Jessie - ok for a girl, bit dated, boys version is Jesse but I don’t think I’d use it in the U.K. as people would likely assume girl
-Aspen - quite nice for a girl, definitely sounds feminine, I’d assume you’re a keen skier
-Harlow - definitely a girls name, I used to live nearby and think of the not particularly nice place in Essex
-Kennedy - dated and I’d think girl, I know one who is American and in her 40s
-Parker - this is the only one on your list that works for a boy but I think it’s dated
-Sage - stuffing
Quinn - I know loads, all American girls under 5 but I do like it
-Sasha - really like this for a girl but I personally wouldn’t use it for a boy

Nell96 · 05/12/2020 07:59

I'm really not a fan of any of them to be honest. I also see Darcy, Jessie, Harlow, Sage and Sasha very much as female names, rather than unisex.

As pp has suggested, Rowan is a lovely unisex name. There's also -

River
Billie / Billy
Reese
Marlow(e)

emilybrontescorsett · 05/12/2020 07:26

I like Darcy but have only ever heard it on a female. Sasha and Jessie are good too. Harlow and Quinn are awful.

Morechocolateneeded · 05/12/2020 07:23

A lot of them sound very American.
A lot of them may in theory be unisex but are in practice girls' names (in the UK anyway). So whatever.

Dontforgetyourbrolly · 05/12/2020 07:21

Morgan

BrianWankum · 05/12/2020 07:19

@HeronLanyon

Indiana will be mispronounced all her life. Uncertainty about how to pronounce it will be a pita. I have family in south bend so am painfully aware of U.K. inability to say this.
I've only ever heard Indiana pronounced one way. It may be wrong, but it's consistent, from U.S. and UK speakers, so don't understand this comment.

QuiM is female genitalia, not QUINN.

Jessie is only a boy's name spelt Jesse, isn't it? I like Jesse a lot.

I've only come across girls called Darcy. I like Sage, Quinn and Sasha from your list. Don't like Aspen or Harlow. Rowan and Avery as suggested are nice as well.

SleepingStandingUp · 05/12/2020 07:16

@HeronLanyon

Indiana will be mispronounced all her life. Uncertainty about how to pronounce it will be a pita. I have family in south bend so am painfully aware of U.K. inability to say this.
How do you say it that's different to the UK pronunciation? Also chances are DC won't be emigrating to America so a standardised UL pronunciation is fine surely
Sittinbythesea · 05/12/2020 07:16
  • Darcy - ok, v common atm, not a boys name
  • Indiana - no
  • Jessie - a bit 80s
  • Aspen - no, rather an ugly sound
  • Harlow - good lord! No.
  • Kennedy - no, it’s a surname / dated US name
  • Parker - see above
  • Sage - I like this but sadly agree re stuffing jokes
  • Quinn - I know a boy Quinn, it’s not too awful
  • Sasha - love, wish I had called dd1 Sasha.
LunaNorth · 05/12/2020 07:13

Quinn isn’t genitalia - that’s quim. And it comes from the era of Pepys, so I wouldn’t worry too much.

Some nice names on that list. I’m wondering how anyone could mispronounce ‘Indiana’?

SleepingStandingUp · 05/12/2020 07:07

I don't think Quinn as genitalia is that widespread op and certainly the kids on school are unlikely to know it

Darcy - lovely

  • Indiana - lovely but I'd assume girl
  • Jessie - not keen for a boy
  • Aspen- don't like but I love Avery
  • Harlow.- nope
  • Kennedy - nopr
  • Parker - eugh nope
  • Sage - stuffing jokes so no. Ok for middle name
  • Quinn - we have it as a middle name and a friend as a first, I like it
  • Sasha - love
Original poster
PickettWhiteFences · 05/12/2020 07:04

Ive never heard of Quinn as slang for genitals! I am Australian but have lived in the UK for years, a couple of those names are popular over there.

Avery is lovely! Jamie seems a bit dated tbh, I went to school with a few. I worked with an awful woman called Robyn so that taints it for me, and I cant say I am wild about Rowan but will think about.

OP posts:
OffredOfjune · 05/12/2020 05:44

I like Aspen and Darcy the most. Although you won't get much love here OP as MN doesn't like surname names or names not in the top 100