Unisex names?

[sparklewater]

We currently have a Jaime Sky and new baby (sex unknown) is due in first week of Sept.

I really like having a unisex name and it suits our daughter/family perfectly - so I'd quite like to continue the 'theme'.

Any suggestions?

Winter, I think you'll find that by tradition and historically it is. Some people assume it is a female name, some to feminise it put an extra e on it. Not my style tbh, but OP asked for suggestions.

I tend to think of either American style names, nature names and nicknames when I think unisex.

So:

Aubrey, Ashley, Ashton, Brooklyn, Brogan, Brynn, Braelyn, Casey, Cassidy, Courtney, Cameron, Dylan, Dakota, Elliot, Eden, Emery, Emerson, Farrow, Fallon, Genesis, Harley, Hayden, Jaelyn, Jordan, Jayden, Kennedy, Marley, Morgan, Mason, Madison, Mackenzie, Presley, Quinn, Riley, Reese, Sutton, Spencer, Sydney, Sayler, Tyger

Blue, Beau, Journey, Jay, Meadow, Ocean, Phoenix, River, Red, Rain, Rowan, Robin, Raven, Storm

Andi/Andy, Charlie/Charley, Danni/Danny, Nikki/Nicky, Alex, Frankie, Harri, Stevie, Billie/Billy, Bobbie/Bobby, Mikki/Micky, Ally

Jerry and I once knew a Tommi.

DS1 would have been Dylan if he was a girl.

And I love Stevie too

The name Rowan IS male and originates from old Norse. It became popular during Victorian times to name girls after nature/gems. So, it may have been used since then but it is still a Male name.

Dylan; From the Welsh elements dy 'great' and llanw ' tide flow'.
In Welsh Mythology Dylan was a god or hero associated with the sea. HE was the SON of Arianrhod and was accidentally slain by his uncle Govannon. It's a male name.

I thought Jaime was a Spanish name, pronounced "Hay-mee" and was exclusively male?

Apart from Leslie/Lesley and Francis/Frances, most of the other unisex examples given here seem to fall into four categories:

1. Surnames - Maddison, Cassidy etc. I blame MAcaulay Caulkin's parents for that one.
2. nouns, rather than proper nouns (wren, sky etc). Not especially new - Ione Skye is a classic example - but looks strange when taken to extremes like Moon Unit Zappa.
3. Pet names - e.g. Alex for Alexander or Alexandra, Billy for William or Wilhemina, Stevie for Stephen or Stephanie.
4. Names that are boys names, but then a celeb gives to their child, e.g. Dylan Penn (daughter of Sean) and people then claim is unisex, because a tiny minority of children called Dylan are female.

Funniy enough, there are no examples of people calling their boy baby by a name that is traditionally feminine - like Lucy, or Penelope or Catherine.

Billie
Jude
Frankie
Sam
Harry

I agree with waterinmycoffee, most unisex names are boys' names for girls and there are a lot of reasons for that!

Berry

I thought Jaime was a Spanish name, pronounced "Hay-mee" and was exclusively male?

No, it is used for girls too and is pronounced something like 'Zhuh-may'

It's not used for girls in Spain, is it?
Our Spanish friends pronounce their sons name Hay-Mee, but they are Catalan and Basque heritage, so perhaps that makes a difference?

Kay

Agree with ancientbuchannan that Esme was originally a boy's name. It is a French word meaning 'esteemed' and is in the masculine form - if were female it would have been spelled differently, with an extra 'e' at the end. In the UK Esme was first recorded as a name in Scotland (where nobles had close links with France) in the 16th cent. And it was for a man - the Duke of Lennox.

It's been used for girls recently, without the extra e,though am not sure why.

I personally love very strong unisex female names like Ryan, Reese, Bryn. My DP's sister is married to an American and lives out in California. Their son is currently dating a girl Bryn (spelt Brynne) and I really really like it.

Each to their own, and I am absolutely not criticising any individual name choices, but just making a general point, which is:

I really don't think that giving a traditionally male name to a girl makes that name 'unisex'. Rather, as the previous poster's message suggests, it's often seen as a specially 'strong' name. Even if not consciously intended, there is an implied, unspoken, contrast with other, 'weaker', female-only names.

Wouldn't it be good, perhaps, if we could associate strength (which is of course a female quality as well as a male) with women's names, as well? There's Boudicca, but that's hardly mainstream... Any others?

Darcy, Parker and Morgan and years' ago, Kim.

Blaise

Kim

Robin/Robyn
Carter
Jamie
Rowan

Not heard the Spanish version of Jaime before, but it makes sense, as that's the pronunciation they use! Names are like language though, they change and develop and that's great. I just wanted a slightly different spelling of Jaime - and it means 'I love' in French which is nice as well!

The point about strong names for girls is a good one, and I think that's probably why I favour unisex names in general. They just feel more dynamic - whether that's right or not is a whole other issue.

Loads of names here that I hadn't even considered, so thank you all!

the French for I love is j'aime, not Jaime.
It's pronounced totally differently to Jamie as well, more like zh-em.

Adrienne/Adrian
Reese/Reece
Cameryn/Carmeron

Jordan (female in The Great Gatsby but can also be male).
Jude - mostly male but also can give a female impression because of Judy/Judith.
Ellis.

Also - Shannon.
There was a storyline in Neighbours about 20 years ago when Lou's wife Cheryl and Brad Willis's sister Gabby had their babies on the same day and both wanted to call them Shannon. One was a boy and one was a girl.

Logan
Kerry
Kelly
Perry

I love Rowan for a girl.

I also offer Blair, Sloane, and Ainsley.