riley or bailey???

[excitedfornumber2]

hello, your thoughts please on either Riley or Bailey for a little boy.

Neither.

Assuming similar is happening here as in the US, they are now also used as girl's names (as happened with other surnamey names like Mackenzie & Taylor) which can be hard on a boy, especially at school if there is a girl of the same name in the same class.

Heated-very true.i know a girl bailey.would be odd for boy and girl bailey in same class but then i suppose theres girl and boy sams etc.

Neither for me I'm afraid.

I really don't like the 'surname as a first name' thing.

prefer bailey I would have loved bailey but dh is very traditional with names and thinks chloe[dd2] is modern

both 'surnames as first names' which I hate personally, but if you don't, go for Riley.

Neither

These are both cat names.

No way, Jules! They are dog's names. more specifically, Labradour retriever names.

Both surnames in my opinion - I don't like either for a first name.

Bailey's definately the nicest. When I worked in a shop, a chav mum used to come in and shout 'RILLLLLLLLEEEEEYYYYYY' at her son and it put me right off the name forever.

It's your choice though. We listened to no one about our favourite names and if anyone slagged them off, I chose to totally ignore it.

Plus loads of people feel the need to call their children things like Edward and William and more royal, traditional names for fear of being dubbed chavvy.

I think Bailey's nice.

NOT THAT I'M SAYING ANYTHING AGAINST EDWARD AND WILLIAM BEFORE PEOPLE PANIC.

at least edward and william are real names and not some fool made up business or surname as first name foolery.

again, not insulting Edward or William. Both nice names. Just saying people tend to go for traditional rather than new ones.

but bailey and riley have been surnames for centuries.

Yes but she is only asking which you prefer for a first name.. bailey or riley.

Hayley was a surname for centuries, and then it was a first name and now it's quite a common name.

and it's naff, too!

cheers

I dislike any surname as a first name. My surname is a used as a girl's name and it sounds peculiar, my last surname is also used as a girl's name!

Both ugly names I think.

I think they are both girls' names in America.

I have a cousin called Bailey.

I would go for Riley.

Actually I would choose neither for my child as I don't like either of them, but Riley is the best of the two.

I take your point Cheesesarnie but your example of Sam comes from two distinct names in their own right, Samuel & Samantha, whilst Riley or Bailey are unisex names and it can be tough on a boy if there are girls school of the same name.

On a girl it might be perceived as quirky, tomboyish but a boy called Hilary is always going to be in for a rough ride.

If the OP likes American surnamey names, I'd avoid ones ending in -ie or -y sounds as they tend to get feminised & go for more masc sounding ones like Tate, Tanner, Rider, Hunter etc

If I was pushed out of the 2, I'd choose Riley over Bailey.