Has the tradtional boy's name Sidney been ruined by the US trend to use it on girls?

Sidney has always been a unisex name to me - the Mitford example has been noted above and I worked with a female Sidney who must be in her 50s by now.

Ashley is still a unisex name still (think Ashley Peacock in Corrie), and, going the other way, Big Daddy the wrestler was Shirley and I was at school with a male Tracey.

Hilary. Joyce and Vivian were all originally boys names. And Evelyn too, and probably a great many more.
They are all accepted now.
I like Sidney very much.

I know a 2 year old Sidney girl in the UK actually.

Just been Looking up my DS name Sidney and found this thread!

Lottoluvin.....made me comment. We were considering Ned, Stanley, and Sidney when our son was born. I secretly thought Stanley would be the chosen name though...but one look at him and I knew he was a Sid! AND the name top of our list for our next baby IS.....Victor! LOL Your post made me wonder if i'd wrote it in my sleep?!?!?

Cameron Diaz didn't have an effect on the name in the UK in should have said. Surely Finley is far too popular on boys in the UK to suddenly be taken over by girls? It hasn't increased in popularityfor a girl but has for a boy. I find it very funny that some people seriously think Stanley will be a girls name?!
I've never met a girl called Ryan, Sean, Finlay, Stanley or Rory. Met plenty of females with surnames though like Bailey, Mackenzie and Taylor.

And I've now noticed that this thread is over two years old!

Sydney, spelled like the Australian city, (with two Ys) became very popular in the US as a girls' name at the time of the Olympics.

Spelled with an I, it's a boys' name, imo.

Cameron is very much a unisex name in the US, and there are variants in spelling, like Camryn (Manheim).

Stanley Ann Dunham was Barack Obama's mother's name, btw. However, I think it has such 'old man' associations in the UK and also the US (where it's an old-fashioned blue collar Polish name) that it won't become a popular girls' name. Finley I can see crossing over though, maybe with the E spelling, leaving the A spelling to boys. Ainsley has made the transition. Anything with an EY ending will end up in the girls' camp eventually (except Stanley will take longer, if it goes there at all) imo.

Ryan and Sean/Shawn are already used for girls in the US, but I think there's enough Irish influence in the UK to prevent that particular plague from breaking out.

Never say never, though, when it comes to names. Ashley and Madison/Addison were originally boys' names.

I like it as a boys name and don't think of it as a girls name at all.

I see it as unisex, in fact I think it's pretty equal on the national statistics website. The girls are normally Sydney though. I think it's still fine to use for a boy as it's so well known as a boys name.

I disagree about Stanley. Stanley will never be a girls name.Cameron Diaz had very little effect did it?! Finley/Dylan/Noah/Rory on girls is just an American thing. It will not cross over to here.

Nothing wrong with Unisex names anyway. I wouldn't feel sorry for a boy Charlie because it's now popular with the girls!

Back to Sidney, go for it - my friend has just had one actually.

Love Sidney for a boy and don't think its been ruined at all.

I don't mind it for a boys name but I do love the name Cyd (as in Charisse) for a girl.
x

BTW - next son I have (in my dreams) - I want to call him Victor. Class boys name!

Hey ,

This topic has made me chuckle, I have a 5 year old ds called Sidney. Never heard of Sonny, but he is called Sid at school and Sidders at home.

We named our son after Sid James, yes we are Carry on Freaks! and also after my great uncle Sid. He was a cockney but what's wrong with that - apparently Henry VIII had a cockney accent lol!

He is the only Sid in the class and school, we were tempted to call him Stan or Ned (but too many people kept bringing up Ned Flanders), but as soon as we saw him we knew he was our Sidders!

I always associate the name with humour and hilarity and happiness, think of Sid and you never think grumpy!

I personally don't like the girls name Sydney, and some people have sent cards with it spelt that way, but hey it's not really one of life's big problems is it - like world hunger or poverty...

I would ignore US name trends. Makes it too complicated.

I think Sidney is a great name, but have to say Wilf is cool too.

Isn't it strange that girls get given boy's names, but it doesn't seem to work the other way round. Not too many boys called Charlotte or Bridget.

(Bridget - there's a name due for a revival!)

I'm on a heroic names kick at the mo.
I had a great uncle Wilf. He was lovely. Also, showing my age, remember Wilf Lunn form vision on? He was great.

How about Cid? As in El Cid?

I wonder if it started the transition to girls' name in the US because of the place-name-as-girls'-name trend.

I like it as a boy's name but I know several girl Sidneys in the US and that has spoilt it for me.

I think you should take a stand and use it for a boy.

(btw, I only know boy Finleys)

I was going to say Betty MacDonald's mother was S - thank you Rusty! - but so also was the mother of the Mitfords and it would have been towards the end of the 19th century when she was born. Perhaps the female version has more traditionally been Sydney? But has certainly been in use in the UK for more than 100 years.

Sidney is a fab name. someone at baby massage had named her son Sidney and everyone there liked it too.

I love Sidney for a boy, totally diff than it would be for a girl.

no offers here artichokes . am fed up of whole caboodle. keep finding gorgeous places to buy in devon.... luckily dp is more patient than me!

oops meant to say, I really like the nickname Sonny. I'd say go for it!

I don't like Sidney at all for a girl, it's not an attractive name at all. For boys I wouldn't choose it myself, but Sid is quite cute I think for a boy as a shortening.