Unisex names as in boys names on girls is not so new, but over the last 2-3 years I feel like there has been a subtle shift in attitudes towards unisex names being used for boys, in terms of people who post on forums such as these at least. It’s all very subjective I know, but it seems like there are more people saying they would consider using more unisex names (even so-called more feminine names for boys, or re-using those historical boy names that had shifted to the girls). I wonder if this is a cultural thing, changing with the times, or whether it’s an age thing and those “younger” parents who are having their first child are more open to this than say even those just a short time back. Could it be even that the more vocally opposed are of a different generation to those who are more in favor of using such names irrespective of the baby’s gender? Interested in others thoughts and how they see the trends going in the future.
Yes, I’ve noticed that too - even over the past several years I’ve seen a growing group willing to use “unisex” names for boys. (Actually I think it’s a growing sentiment against unisex names in general, but the idea is to preserve tradition - meaning using those names on the “proper” gender.) I do think there is a generational trend at work (for example in recent years, although still a small number compared to stay-at-home moms, the number of stay-at-home dads has doubled - then again with the economic problems we’ve had in some cases a lot of those SAHDs might be in that position because of a job loss or financially the best option if the wife has a greater earning potential). In addition, at least in terms of names, I’ve noticed the generational trend is not linear either - a lot of the negative comments I get against using a “girlified” name on a boy seems to be from the so-called “Generation [name_m]Jones[/name_m]”* (roughly the late [name_u]Baby[/name_u] Boomers and early Xers), while those who are older seem to be more lukewarm about the idea of sharing names equally between the genders. (When [name_f]Pam[/name_f] and [name_f]Linda[/name_f] wrote their early books that was the cohort doing much of the baby naming, so their thoughts on the issue may have been valid then - but less so now, hence why we have numerous members that have expressed dissenting opinions against what the authors have said.)
*“Generation [name_m]Jones[/name_m]” is also responsible for a lot of political disagreement between them and people of my generation (I was an '80s baby), but since the Nameberry founders don’t like political discussions I’ll leave that for discussion elsewhere (Hint: One generation is the largest supporter of one type of protest in recent years, while the other most largely supports the opposite protest.)
Disclaimer: I’ve generalized with generational descriptions - no offense to any outliers.
I think actually, political leanings have a great deal to do with it also, probably more so than age. [name_m]Just[/name_m] check out the maps and compare to red vs blue states in [name_u]Baby[/name_u] Name [name_m]Wizard[/name_m].
Softer names in general are popular for those that prefer more traditional boy names: [name_u]Emmett[/name_u], [name_u]Elliot[/name_u], [name_m]Adrian[/name_m], [name_m]Asher[/name_m], [name_m]Sebastian[/name_m], [name_m]Theodore[/name_m]. I think this shift is mostly that a softer more gentlemanly male ideal is popular. Compare it to the names popular for boys during the 60’s and 70’s, very rugged. [name_m]David[/name_m], [name_m]John[/name_m], [name_m]Scott[/name_m], [name_m]Todd[/name_m], [name_m]Paul[/name_m], [name_m]Eric[/name_m], [name_m]Chad[/name_m], [name_m]Troy[/name_m].
The groups that believe gender differences are innate (girls are talkative and like pink, boys are rough and tumble and play with cars) aren’t necessarily the same people that like traditional names. In fact I’d say it’s more often the opposite.