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Baby names

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

Original poster

Picking a non gender name

58 replies

HelenofaccringtonX · 12/06/2022 18:04

Me and my SO are so excited. I just want to be a mum right now! Lol. Baby is due in Feb and we don't want to know the gender before their born. Do you think I'll regret picking a name that could be for a boy or girl? Like when my baby comes do you think I might want it to have a name that feels more girly or manly and it will make the experience not as amazing as it could be?

We really like the name Casey as it can be for a boy or girl but we live in Accrington in the UK and I worry that people will judge us because it sounds American, but I really like the name.

What do you all think? 🤔

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passport123 · 15/06/2022 11:56

Why don't you just wait til the baby is here then choose a name?

Hoowhoowho · 15/06/2022 11:54

Unisex names advantage girls, especially if perceived to be male

they disadvantage boys because they lose their male privilege in situations when people only know their names. I thought that was a good thing so I gave my son a unisex name.

ancientgran · 15/06/2022 11:35

babyjellyfish · 15/06/2022 10:23

Unisex names all become girls' names before too long.

Not always, I have my father's name so it was unisex 70 years ago, it still is but seems more popular for boys than girls now.

SummaLuvin · 15/06/2022 10:29

CP2701 · 14/06/2022 19:40

I have a daughter called Brodie, it's predominantly a boy's name here in Scotland but definitely unisex.

Weirdly, I like it for a girl but dislike it for a boy. No idea why, it's the same name! 😂

Similarly I only like Sacha and Robin for boys, and Claude and Andy for girls. Can't explain why.

babyjellyfish · 15/06/2022 10:23

Unisex names all become girls' names before too long.

CP2701 · 14/06/2022 19:40

I have a daughter called Brodie, it's predominantly a boy's name here in Scotland but definitely unisex.

Weirdly, I like it for a girl but dislike it for a boy. No idea why, it's the same name! 😂

DPotter · 13/06/2022 16:42

HelenofaccringtonX

It's early days - so don't get too worried about coming up with the perfect name straightaway.

The only thing I would suggest - don't open your thoughts to family and friends - everyone will then say their piece and want you to take their ideas on board. keep your discussions between you and your partner and when people make suggestions / ask if you have names, say something like - we haven't made any decisions yet

DPotter · 13/06/2022 16:38

notangelinajolie
I would think of Casey as a boy’s name.
’Casey Jones steamin and a rolling’
He was a train driver.
And now the theme tune is playing in my head and I’ll never get to sleep 🙃

Glad to see several of us from the same vintage, although that song is really going to be annoying......

Irishfarmer · 13/06/2022 16:34

@Pieceofpurplesky being a teacher must make it both easier (you hear lots of names) and harder (a lot of name association)!!

TheQueensMarmaladeSandwich · 13/06/2022 15:29

Alex

Charlie

Georgie

Kim

Sam

Joe

Kenzie
Bobby

Remee

EmmaGrundyForPM · 13/06/2022 15:24

In the nicest possible way, if your baby is due next February it is very early days to be thinking about names.

PinkButtercups · 13/06/2022 15:23

Out*

PinkButtercups · 13/06/2022 15:23

You will probably change your mind lots through out the pregnancy.

I never found out with my son and had names in mind, when I saw him I just knew what name he was.

Due twins in January and not going to find their sex either.

Pieceofpurplesky · 13/06/2022 15:23

@Irishfarmer I am a teacher so see all varieties of names! Have taught boy and girl versions of all the names mentioned - although some nicknames (Teddy was a Thea)

iwantedtobethea · 13/06/2022 15:22

I've taught the most lovely girl called Casey. I think it's fab. If you love it then you should use it. Smile

CheshireCat1 · 13/06/2022 15:18

You’ll know the perfect name when you first see your baby after they’re born, I have three, all grown now, they all kind of brought their own names with them. They all have middle names too.

angieloumc · 13/06/2022 15:10

SpaceJamtart · 12/06/2022 18:21

I like shortenings that are unisex more than whole names, just because there are not many truly ambiguous ones and people tend to have assumptions anyway, like I would assume Casey was a girl until I met an obviously male Casey.
So its easier with full names that are gendered that are shortened neutrally, like
Alex
Ash
Ro
Addie
Lex
Sam/sammy
JJ
Tig

Whatever is Tig short for?

Irishfarmer · 13/06/2022 15:08

Also it's not American, it's an Irish surname.

Irishfarmer · 13/06/2022 15:05

Pieceofpurplesky · 13/06/2022 00:32

I like unisex names like Teddy, Billie, Mickey - that can be nn for with traditional boy or girls.

@Pieceofpurplesky I would think Teddy or Mickey were very boy names. I would probably think Billy/ Billie was a boy too but wouldn't be as surprised. But a lot of that comes down to who we have meet with those names before. For me Lesley is a girls name, DH thinks it is a man. We each had one in school mine was a girl his was a boy.

I would probably think Casey was a boy but I did recently watch Chicago Fire

Blue2022 · 13/06/2022 11:49

There's also Casey Affleck. In the UK I would say its more common as a female name

AssignedSlytherinAtBirth · 13/06/2022 10:42

I also remember Casey Jones (American man) but would now think of it as a girl's name. I don't like it though - I like names with a bit of history. But it's not terrible.

My advice is to think about other names, don't tell anyone your thoughts, and name the lo when they arrive. They may or may not be a Casey. Congratulations!

RoseslnTheHospital · 13/06/2022 10:34

I'm not wild about the name Casey whether it's for a girl or a boy.

Regardless, you can surely choose a girl's name and a boy's name in advance, it doesn't have to be the same name for both sexes!

yumscrumfatbum · 13/06/2022 10:26

My son is called Casey he is 23. There's a site where you can view name stats and you can see that from around the 2000's it started to be used for girls more than boys but it has begun to switch the other way. It's of Irish origin and means brave warrior. The whole gender ambiguity of the name has never really bothered my son, teachers would initially assume he was a girl which he found amusing. It does get shortened to Case which I'm not mad keen on. We somehow managed to give all our children names that are hard to shorten so they all have weird variations!

etulosba · 13/06/2022 10:21

It’s a steamin and a rolling for me too.

The only female Casey I have known was a stereotypical Essex girl. Bleached blonde with white stilettos. It was a while ago though.

IstayedForTheFeminism · 13/06/2022 10:20

I'm not a fan on Casey, but it's not my baby.

Personally I'd have a short list of girls names. A short list of boys names. And one of gender neutral names if that's your thing. Then see which suits baby best when it's here.