Unisex names / "boys" names for girls

[Afreshstartplease]

What are people's thoughts on giving girls what are usually "boys" names e.g. Dylan, Elliot etc ?

Or unisex names?

Have you given your dd a name like this and regretted it!

[DerelictMyBalls]

Rory for a girl is usually short for Aurora, I think.

[Nataleejah]

Kim -- you have Kim Basinger and there is Kim Coates
Kelly -- popular girls name, but there are Kelly's Heroes

[CordeliaFrost]

If a name that is traditionally male, ends up being used more for girls, then they can fall out of usage for boys.

That's what happened to Ashley in the U.S., as once it became a top name for girls, it rapidly all but disappeared for boys.

I think it's a real shame when that happens, but once people start seeing a name as being a girl's name, it puts parents of boys off.

However DH and I are considering Elisha for our third child, if we have a boy, because traditionally it's a Jewish male name. It's used more here in the UK for girls, as a variant spelling of Alisha, although the alternative E spelling isn't widely used. Elisha is also used for boys here, but even less than it is for girls.

Despite the fact it's not common for girls, a few (non-Jewish) friends have reacted in horror when we mentioned we might use Elisha for a boy, as "it's a girl's name." They were soon put right.

If we do have a son, he may be Elisha, he may not. If we don't use it, it certainly won't be that we've been put off by the fact it's used more for girls, it'll just be that we've found another name we like better!

[LadyAntonella]

That's funny Martha! It does sound like it could be a nice boy name doesn't it?

I meant to say earlier it's just the sound of Star I like (not kind). Typo.

[MarthaCliffYouCunt]

My first introduction to ruth (that i can recall) was babe ruth and i remember being really surprised to meet a friend's older sister who was called ruth. I thought it was a boys' name.

[LadyAntonella]

Also I would rather give the name Ruth to my DS (not that I have one) than to my DD. I prefer it as a boy's name.

Thanks Sadik! I love the name Star. A couple of people did suggest Seren as an alternative though so you are probably right about that. It's nice too but I'm not as keen on it as Star. Just the kind I think.

[MarthaCliffYouCunt]

Sorry, i first saw it written as a girls' name.

[MarthaCliffYouCunt]

so why use a boys name?

Because they like it.

[MarthaCliffYouCunt]

My son has, what is on paper, a girls' name. I saw it written as a girls' name. It is pronounced slightly differently than i have heard all the girls i know with the name. But written down it is "a girls' name" (which its not, because it is on him, a boy and therefore a boy's name)

[OneMagnumisneverenough]

The only limit is those people choose for themselves. The names continue to exist and are eternally available for use.

Yes they are theoretically but how many people would now choose a name for their son that has been used by girls to the point where people (including many posters on here) don't realise that it is actually a boys name?

[OneMagnumisneverenough]

So I go back to my original point, there is a huge variety of available girls names of many different types - they are not all frilly and girly if that's not what you like. so why use a boys name?

[MarthaCliffYouCunt]

"Names don't run out"

Well actually they do. There is already a lesser variety of boys names and maybe parents of boys dont want to use what is now considered a girls name for their son so it limits their choice even further.

Rubbish. The names havent run out! People just choose not to use them. The only limit is those people choose for themselves. The names continue to exist and are eternally available for use.

[Sadik]

I know a little girl Star, LadyAnonella, I think it's rather pretty. My only thought would be that Seren has become so popular (at least in Wales, but I think it's started to be used in England too) that Star might take over as an alternative.

[OneMagnumisneverenough]

This is why, for example, looking at the 2015 Scottish babies names list (using this one as includes all children not just those whose names have been used 3 times or more luke the E&W stats) there were 4474 different names used for girls and only 3359 different names used for boys.

[Sadik]

How long, Bertrand? Because I know men & women in their 50s called Rowan / Morgan, and both names would be equally acceptable for a baby girl or boy.

(Jocelyn as mentioned above ditto, though I'd more commonly expect a male Jocelyn to shorten to Jo rather than Joss, so perhaps that doesn't count.)

[LadyAntonella]

I had a thread on here a few days ago considering the name Star for either sex. Everyone else seems to dislike it though for either sex .

[BertrandRussell]

The pattern is always the same.
A name is a boy's name. People start using it for girls. People stop using it for boys. It becomes a girl's name.

There will be a period of time when it appears to be a unisex name, but that doesn't last long.

[LadyAntonella]

Probably not Bertrand, but then I wouldn't genuinely call my DD Rory either. I would be equally likely to do either one. But neither are my absolute favourite names so I won't.

[BertrandRussell]

"I quite like Ruth for a boy as well as the ones listed above. Why not?"

Would you genuinely call a son of yours Ruth? Genuinely??

[Whathaveilost]

If I had a daughter she would have been called Lee.
I know people of both sexes called Lee (spelt that way)
I also know a few that are spelt Leigh as well.

[JingsAndCrivens]

Stuartina!

Sounds like some kind of fungus.

[MiddleClassProblem]

I knew a Stuartina

[LadyAntonella]

jings. My DD would have a corker of a name in that scenario!

[Sadik]

"There's no such thing as a unisex name."

But then what about names where you genuinely would have no idea if the person was male/female without seeing them?

So, for example, Rowan or Morgan - I know equal numbers of men and women with both names, and if I was ringing a new client with either name, I'd have no idea which to expect.

[JingsAndCrivens]

In Scotland they used to stick an 'ina' onto the father's name and call their daughters awful things like Jamesina, Donaldina, Douglasina.

Poor sods!