Gender neutral names

[Ellie2023]

What are your favourite gender neutral names? What are your thoughts on the names below? Please can you rank them from your most to least favourite?

Rowan
Wren
Robin
Frankie
Stevie
Sidney

Thank you!

Rowan - like it for either boy or girl.
Wren - not keen and feels more of a girls name.
Robin - like for both but prefer the spelling Robyn for a girl.
Frankie - love for a girl, not as keen for a boy but it's fine.
Stevie - ok as a nickname for either but wouldn't use as a whole name.
Sidney - a bit dated (and I think Sydney is a better spelling).

Can’t stand Sidney for a girl, it’s so ugly. Wren is a girls name and I really dislike it. Don’t like Robin either.

Alex/Ashley/Elliott however are nice, for both.

Every middle class kid seems to be called Rowan nowadays.

Rowan - no
Wren - girls name
Robin - like for a girl, not for a boy though
Frankie - nice
Stevie - reminds me too much of steven (which i really dislike)
Sidney - fave

others i like:

Ellis/Ellice
Dylan (first heard it on Ed Sheeran’s support act on his tour last year! - love it more because i like her music)
Avery
Shay
Lenny/Leni
Morgan
Rory/Rori

It spelled Sydney for a girl and Robyn. Not with an i

Rowan and Dylan are bith male names. People do use them for girls but they are still boys names.

Samantha/Sam
Billie

Agree with this.

I like Stevie for a girl, less for a boy. I like Sidney/Sydney. Less keen on the rest.

I like Jules.

Asa
Jesse/Jessie
Robin/Robyn

Rowan - know if both a boy and girl with this name - ok

Wren - seems very popular on MN so will definitely be in the rise, not my bag

Robin - nice, Robyn for a girl maybe? Though I do know girls with both spellings

Frankie - ok if short for Francesca

Stevie - chavvy (sorry)

Sidney - nice for a boy, Sydney for a girl? Not keen.

Other choices might be:

Cameron
Teddy
Ezra
Spencer

These are rather dated, but you could try

Hilary/Hillary
Jocelyn
Evelyn
Vivian/Vivienne

Or there is Lindsay/Lynsey

Billie

No it isn’t. Tell the actress Robin Wright that. Or the character Robin in Stranger Things. I much prefer Robin for both sexes.

Rowan - prefer for girl, find it a bit old fashioned for a boy
Wren - don’t see this as a boys name at all, love it for a girl
Robin - excellent name for both sexes
Frankie - prefer Frank or Francesca
Stevie - love it for a girl - Stevie Nicks - but would have it short for Stephanie.
Sidney - like it for both sexes

I also like Jamie for both. There’s also Jordan, Ashley, Riley, Bailey - I’m not keen myself but they have a unisex vibe to me.

Balonz

(Pretty sure it's gender neutral, and of Surrey heritage)

Jo/Joe
Peta/Peta
Adrienne/Adrian

I only like Rowan( I have one) sorry

Those are essentially boys names given to girls. And nicknames. That’s not really gender neutral. Leslie was a popular one. Dated now.

Proper gender neutral is Elon Musks and Grimes ( gender neutral name) child; X Æ A-12 .

Fair point about Leslie/Lesley.

Elon sounds like pylon, and Grimes sound grimy.

Frankie is for a girl.
Stevie could be for a boy if short for Stephen.

I like Rowan and know both m and f.
I know a male Wren, who is in his seventies. Hope that helps.

I don't like any of them.

I find the idea of specifically choosing a gender neutral name because it's neutral (most aren't really either) a bit strange. It's not like the child isn't going to have a sex that they'll be read as any way outside the early years. It's a bit like when parents want a boy, but gets a girl, and called her Jamesina, only it's more wishy washy. That's how I read the names on your list in the context you've given.

But you've asked on an internet forum from a bunch of strangers so you'll have opinions you disagree with - probably mine! - and it's ultimately doesn't matter. We're not a random sample as we've self-selected to answer having chosen to read you post on Mumsnet. Just choose what you like!

Love Wren and Robin! Also Noa/Noah, Aspen and Cedar.

Anna
Kate
Rose
Eve

Intriguing.

Rowan
Robin

Sidney
Stevie
Frankie
I see as girls.

Wren
Not keen on this one.

I don't think Robin is really gender neutral as it's usually Robyn for a girl so most people would assume one way or the other depending on spelling. Quite a lot of names are like this and people will assume based on spellings.

Things like Rowan or Quinn definitely work for both.

How about using a full traditional name which has a neutral nickname instead? There are a lotnif names which have male and female variants but share a nickname.
George/Georgia, Georgina or Georgiana
Charles/Charlotte
Joseph/Joanna or Josephine
You've already alluded to Francis/Frances though I really don't like Francis/Frankie for a boy as that somehow feels more dated (same category as Keith and Raymond for me)
Alexander/Alexander