Cassidy still a boy's name?

[decemberbluess]

I adore this name and just recently brought it up to my DH as it being one of my guilty pleasures. This will probably be our last child and so I am really overthinking everything and wanting it to be the perfect name. I am aware it is more common for girls now but is there any chance this is still a boy's name?

It's a surname. Only ever heard of David Cassidy!

Oh yes, forgot about Butch. Definitely a connection in the U.K. BUTCH Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Big film, never seen it but have heard of it - Robert Redford I believe?

I really like the name Cassidy, (like you, a guilty pleasure) but hadn’t heard of it being used for a boy. Can’t see why not, though. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is one of my favourite films, so for me, it’s not a negative association. It’s a cool, stylish film. Butch Cassidy was played by the impossibly beautiful Paul Newman. I worked with a guy who everyone called Butch. No one seemed to know what his real name was. I think Butch is a great nickname!

It's just another Irish surname which has been adopted as a girls' first name in recent times. I think it is a girls' name, rather than a boys'. It has quite a feminine sound to it.

Before I clicked on the title I would of said it was a boys name but from pp’s it’s obviously not.

I wouldn’t worry about the surname issue. Lots of surnames are now used as first names, Jackson, Carter, Jenson, Harrison, Grayson and Oakley are all surnames that are in the top 100 boys names.

I've never met a girl with this name. Obviously there are some but it sounds very masculine to me (although I don't like it at all for either gender).

As I'm ancient it reminds me of Hopalong.

I have seen it mostly used on girls but very occasionally boys.

Are you thinking of Casey? That is unisex but predominantly male.

It's one of those like Taylor, Tyler or Morgan, it's suitable for both sexes.

It's one of those like Taylor, Tyler or Morgan, it's suitable for both sexes.

I don't think any of those are good as first names.

@MikeUniformMike neither do I to be honest, but I was just using them to illustrate my point!

Only one I know is a boy, he is about 12.

I think they are ok if you are american but surnames as first names are considered a bit downmarket in the UK.

They are nice surnames.

They date badly as first names - think of Shirley, Kelly, Warren, Lindsay, Leslie, Tracy etc

Just read your second post. Yes, absolutely fine as a middle name.

@MikeUniformMike

It's funny because surnames as first names was very much an upper class trend at one point. Using the mother's maiden name for sons in order to show off their lineage à la Fitzwilliam Darcy in Pride and Prejudice.

It’s still fairly common for right proper posh people to use surnames as first names. Some people might look down their noses at it, but people who are so interested in perception of class never seem particularly ‘posh’ themselves. Snobbery is so boring.

It's not snobbery on my part. It's an observation.
People make assumptions based on a name. I know perfectly nice people with the names Shirley, Kelly, Warren, Lindsay, Leslie and Tracey, but none of them are under 45 yrs of age.