There was a teenage boy I came across the other day named [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u] and it fit him very well. What are your thoughts on the name [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u] for a boy? What names would you give to siblings?
Interesting. It’s not something I would expect to see on a male- I’ve always seen it as a female name. Google seems to think that for every 100 Aubreys, 80 are female and 20 are male, so perhaps it’s not as feminine as I originally had thought. As time progresses, it seems more names are becoming more and more gender neutral. I’m not a huge fan of it, but some names definitely suit particular people. The name appears to be useable for a male, my only concern would be teasing, but that’s yet another thing that seems to be changing with time… I’ve noticed people get picked on for their names less and less.
Here are some names I picture as siblings to [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u] (b)
[name_u]Dakota[/name_u]
[name_u]Sydney[/name_u]
[name_u]Avery[/name_u]
[name_f]Grace[/name_f]
[name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]
[name_f]Jillian[/name_f]
[name_f]Alyssa[/name_f]
[name_u]Brayden[/name_u]
[name_m]Landon[/name_m]
[name_m]Preston[/name_m]
[name_m]Wyatt[/name_m]
[name_u]Jessie[/name_u]
[name_u]Casey[/name_u]
[name_u]Shannon[/name_u]
[name_u]Robin[/name_u]
[name_u]Mackenzie[/name_u]
[name_u]Aubrey[/name_u] was actually originally a boys name and it wasn’t until the 70’s that it began being more of a girls name. It comes from an old Germanic name, according to Behindthename.com. It’s probably because of [name_f]Audrey[/name_f] that [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u] was given more to the girls’ side. I really, really love [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u] for a boy, to the point where if I lived in an English speaking country I’d probably use it.
So while I personally really like [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u] for a boy, I do think it could be problematic. Yes, the boys had [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u] first, but since it ranks #36 for girls and is not ranked in the top 1000 for boys (in the US in 2018), I think the girls have firmly taken control of it (especially with partner in crime, [name_f]Audrey[/name_f]).
Not saying that you couldn’t or even shouldn’t, just observing that it wouldn’t be dissimilar to naming a boy [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] in 2019. Yes, [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] belonged to the boys first, but 10/10 people will think “girl” when they hear it.
So while I personally really like [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u] for a boy, I do think it could be problematic. Yes, the boys had [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u] first, but since it ranks #36 for girls and is not ranked in the top 1000 for boys (in the US in 2018), I think the girls have firmly taken control of it (especially with partner in crime, [name_f]Audrey[/name_f]).
Not saying that you couldn’t or even shouldn’t, just observing that it wouldn’t be dissimilar to naming a boy [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] in 2019. Yes, [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] belonged to the boys first, but 10/10 people will think “girl” when they hear it.
Other names like [name_f]Carol[/name_f], [name_u]Meredith[/name_u], [name_f]Beverley[/name_f]/[name_f]Beverly[/name_f], and [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] were also given to boys or were boys names switched to girls. I agree with you that I would think [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u] could be problematic. It could also cause potential embarrassment or embarrassing situations all his life (teachers, bosses, doctors, etc assuming a girl and the awkward situations that can happen for all). I personally do not care for [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u] on either gender. I don’t dislike the name, just feel neutral about it.
I really love [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u] on a boy! It seems so much fresher than [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u] on a girl.
Unisex names are more common than ever these days. My sister had a male [name_u]Aidan[/name_u] and a female [name_u]Aidyn[/name_u] in her class in elementary school and everyone survived. I went to school with a boy named [name_f]McKenna[/name_f] when I was in elementary school and he was never teased about his name as far as I know. While teasing is a possibility, it’s not inevitable. It’s a possibility with any name.
[name_u]Aubrey[/name_u] is far too popular for girls to work on a boy. It was most likely less common when [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u]'s parents named him. What about [name_u]Toby[/name_u]? It has some similar sounds.
I agree that [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u] sounds fresher on a boy then a girl these days… to me it is less [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u]/[name_u]Courtney[/name_u]/et al. and more [name_u]Taylor[/name_u]/[name_u]Dylan[/name_u]/[name_u]Ryan[/name_u]… has trended into gender neutrality but still recognizable and unshocking on a boy.
I also don’t think that a girl being named any name makes it suddenly unacceptable to give it to a boy, I think it is something we should get over being uncomfortable with.
I like [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u] for a boy! My actually favorite gp name is [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] for a boy, which is very similar.
I would pair it with other gender neutral names, but I think any name would work fine as a potential sibling…
[name_u]Devon[/name_u]
[name_u]James[/name_u]
[name_u]Noah[/name_u]
[name_u]Cassidy[/name_u]
[name_u]Emory[/name_u]
[name_u]Jackie[/name_u]
[name_u]Peyton[/name_u]
[name_u]Darcy[/name_u]
[name_u]Quinn[/name_u]
[name_u]Sydney[/name_u]
[name_u]Charlie[/name_u]
[name_u]Reese[/name_u]
[name_u]Casey[/name_u]
[name_u]Leslie[/name_u]
[name_u]Dakota[/name_u]
[name_u]Chandler[/name_u]
[name_u]Riley[/name_u]
I think it works because I associate the name most with the rapper [name_m]Drake[/name_m] since that’s his legal name. I think that helps sell it back to the boy side.
I much prefer [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u] on a boy. I think the tables are turning on some of the “used to be boys” names. Maybe not as drastic as [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u], but many unisex names ([name_u]Riley[/name_u], [name_u]Peyton[/name_u], [name_u]Morgan[/name_u]), IMHO, will start heading back to the boys.
Exactly what I was going to say!