Having some trouble with baby #3’s name. His 2 siblings have unusual names but our surname is very normal. [name_u]Halley[/name_u] (as in [name_u]Halley[/name_u]’s [name_f]Comet[/name_f]) is in the top 3 shortlist but we are wondering if it works on a boy? Written down I think it looks boyish but does the girls name [name_u]Halle[/name_u] mean it sounds too girly when spoken? [name_f]Do[/name_f] you think it would get mispronounced as [name_f]Hayley[/name_f]? Thanks 
I like it. But it definitely may be pronounced wrong sometimes. And I think most people would initially think it a girl’s name. Those don’t have to be deal breakers… But if that would drive you nuts, I don’t think it’s right for your family.
I’ve only ever heard [name_u]Halley[/name_u]'s comet pronounced like [name_f]Hayley[/name_f]. I like [name_u]Halley[/name_u], but mispronunciations would be inevitable.
Would you consider something like [name_m]Halston[/name_m], nicknamed [name_u]Halley[/name_u]? The “[name_m]Hal[/name_m]” sound in [name_m]Halston[/name_m] might make the nickname pronunciation more intuitive.
I like it, but it will definitely be mispronounced. But, honestly, that’s not that big of a deal. It’s easy to say once you tell someone the correct way. I think it’s unique and fun, and I say go for it 
I’ll be honest, until I got to the part in your post where you said “do you think it’ll be mispronounced as [name_f]Hayley[/name_f]” I WAS pronouncing it like [name_f]Hayley[/name_f]. I’m still not 100% sure if you’re pronouncing it like it rhymes with [name_u]Cali[/name_u] (as in [name_u]California[/name_u]) or like [name_f]Holly[/name_f], but I’m leaning towards like [name_u]Cali[/name_u]. I personally love “feminine” names on boys, names like [name_u]Ashley[/name_u], [name_u]Lindsay[/name_u], [name_u]Darcy[/name_u], [name_u]Bailey[/name_u], etc. are all much nicer on boys in my opinion, so I think [name_u]Halley[/name_u] on a boy is super, super cute. That being said I think you have to absolutely be prepared for it being mispronounced (and misspelled) and people thinking it’s a girls name. Those things would be a deal breaker for me personally because they sound like a big hassle, but it’s totally up to you to decide if you love it enough to deal with that. I love the sound though! (And the super cool comet connection).
Like others, I thought that [name_u]Halley[/name_u]'s [name_f]Comet[/name_f] was pronounced just like [name_f]Hayley[/name_f]. I think it is rather evident that pronunciation issues would be highly at play here. [name_m]How[/name_m] much of a dealbreaker that is remains up to you. I was born in the early 90s and grew up with several friends named [name_u]Haley[/name_u]/[name_f]Hayley[/name_f]/[name_u]Hali[/name_u]/etc, so I do firstly think of the name as feminine. However, there was also [name_u]Haley[/name_u] [name_m]Joel[/name_m] [name_m]Osment[/name_m]…so…it could work.
Maybe [name_u]Hollis[/name_u], Hallis/Halis, or @sulpice’s brilliant suggestion [name_m]Halston[/name_m] “[name_u]Halley[/name_u]” could work?
I really like [name_u]Halley[/name_u] for a boy! I too have always heard the comet pronounced as “HAY-lee”, but both pronunciations are attractive to me. I do think there might be male/female confusion and pronunciation and spelling issues, however.
I agree with @namegirl3 and @sulpice
I think it will be pronounced HAY-lee and assumed to be a girl’s name. Others have said that it depends how much that would bother you, but I think the bigger question is how much it is likely to bother your son. I would assume that he would rather have a name that reads male and I do like the suggestion of [name_m]Halston[/name_m].
Thank you so much for all the replies, really helpful. I have only known Halleys [name_f]Comet[/name_f] to be pronounced [name_m]Hal[/name_m]-ee so it is very interesting to know how many people don’t actually pronounce it like this - maybe it’s a regional thing (I’m from south [name_f]England[/name_f])? Tbh it puts me off the name somewhat as I don’t want to cause mispronounciation hassle for my son throughout his life…
For what it’s worth, I’m from the US and have never heard [name_u]Halley[/name_u]'s [name_f]Comet[/name_f] pronounced any other way besides [name_f]Hayley[/name_f] either, and I 100% thought that’s how you were pronouncing it too until I got further in your post. [name_f]Hayley[/name_f] is such a feminine name that I think your son would frequently be mistaken for a girl (which would thoroughly bother me, but may not be as big a deal for you). And I do think the vast majority of people would pronounce [name_u]Halley[/name_u] as [name_f]Hailey[/name_f].
I have only heard the comet pronounced as Hay-ley, but I have only seen it spelled [name_u]Haley[/name_u]. I would pronounce [name_u]Halley[/name_u] as [name_m]Hal[/name_m]-lee. I think either work on a boy and mispronunciation would ber easy to correct
When I was a little girl I was fascinated w/[name_u]Halley[/name_u]'s [name_f]Comet[/name_f] & thought the name was pronounced Hail-ee (but not Hay-lee)…but I’m fairly certain it’s pronounced [name_m]Hal[/name_m]-ee. One of the things I’ve noticed in reading through the responses is how easy it is to see [name_u]Halley[/name_u] as [name_f]Hailey[/name_f] if I’m not looking closely, so I do think that [name_u]Halley[/name_u] will be both mispronounced & misspelled an awful lot. When I think of [name_m]Halston[/name_m] I hear it in my head as [name_m]Hall[/name_m]-stun, not [name_m]Hal[/name_m]-stun, so I don’t know if that would produce the [name_m]Hal[/name_m]-sound if [name_u]Halley[/name_u] was used as a nn.
For other options, it would be good [name_f]IMO[/name_f] to think about whether it’s the science connection you like w/[name_u]Halley[/name_u], or the sound of [name_m]Hal[/name_m]/[name_u]Halley[/name_u], or the meaning (hall or woodland clearing, according to Nameberry). NB’s name generator came up w/(among others) [name_m]Haldor[/name_m], [name_m]Hadden[/name_m], [name_u]Halsey[/name_u], & [name_m]Kelvin[/name_m]; perhaps [name_m]Edmund[/name_m]/[name_m]Edmond[/name_m] (as [name_u]Halley[/name_u]'s first name) would be an option too.
Other astronomy-related names (the name in parentheses is just the other part of the astronomer’s name, not the suggestion, but I thought it would be helpful to have the full name in case you wanted to look up the astronomer):
[name_m]Tycho[/name_m] (Brahe)
([name_m]Johannes[/name_m]) Kepler
([name_m]William[/name_m]) [name_m]Herschel[/name_m]
([name_m]Edwin[/name_m]) [name_m]Hubble[/name_m]
([name_m]Carl[/name_m]) [name_m]Sagan[/name_m]
Nicolaus (Copernicus)
([name_f]Henrietta[/name_f]) Leavitt
[name_f]Harlow[/name_f] (Shapley)
([name_m]Frank[/name_m]) [name_m]Drake[/name_m]
([name_m]William[/name_m]) [name_m]Hartmann[/name_m]
([name_m]Stephen[/name_m]) Hawking
Good luck!
I had a book when I was younger about [name_u]Halley[/name_u]’s [name_f]Comet[/name_f] and it clarified that they pronounced it [name_m]HAL[/name_m]-ee not [name_f]Hayley[/name_f] so I’m also surprised everyone is saying they would say it that way! I’ve never heard it differently till now. I’m from the Midwest USA so I’m not sure if it’s a regional thing. I’d definitely say [name_u]Halley[/name_u] how you want if I got a good look at the name but I have a good friend named Hailley and I’ve met many other girls named [name_u]Haley[/name_u] and [name_f]Hailey[/name_f] so I might misread it.
I really like softer names for boys so I think [name_u]Halley[/name_u] would be really sweet. I do think it will often be misread or thought to be a girl’s name. The right boy could really pull it off and make it his own but I’d be worried about the potential issues.
If [name_u]Haley[/name_u] [name_m]Joel[/name_m] [name_m]Osment[/name_m] were still popular I think it would be easier to pull off.
When I saw your post title I immediately thought [name_u]Halley[/name_u]'s comet! It might sometimes be mistaken for [name_u]Haley[/name_u] but generally people know that two Ls should make “hal” and not “hail”. I think it’s a great name as long as you don’t mind that people may need to be corrected sometimes.
I always thought the comet was pronounced [name_f]Hayley[/name_f] as well! I do like [name_u]Halley[/name_u] though! I agree with the poster who said it will be whether or not it bothers your son, not you, to have a more feminine sounding name. I think the Starbucks test could work well here- have the baby’s father or maybe a male friend of yours go to Starbucks and place an order using that name and ask him how he felt saying it!
This is such a great idea, totally doing this tomorrow lol! Might also have to drive around to a couple of other coffee shops and test out [name_u]Zephyr[/name_u] and [name_m]Tallis[/name_m] too, see what unusual looks we get (if any) haha…thanks for the tip!
I have always pronounced the comet like [name_m]Hal[/name_m]-lee, but I’ve read that all pronunciations are correct because the original astronomer often wrote his own name different ways.
I really like the idea of [name_u]Halley[/name_u] on a boy, but I like [name_u]Zephyr[/name_u] and [name_m]Tallis[/name_m], too, and they might be easier to deal with.
Agree but I’ve always pronounced his name as [name_f]Hayley[/name_f]!
I love the name, but I would spell it [name_u]Halle[/name_u] or just name him [name_m]Hal[/name_m] just for ease and clarity. I have a friend [name_m]Hal[/name_m] he’s a sweet guy ^^