[name_f]My[/name_f] latest boy name love is [name_m]Emmanuel[/name_m]. It’s been a favorite since I was a kid, and now it’s up to the top.
[name_f]My[/name_f] two kids have short, gender-neutral nicknames, and I am loving the nickname [name_f]Emmi[/name_f] for a little [name_m]Emmanuel[/name_m] (maybe shortened to [name_f]Em[/name_f] at times). To me it’s gender neutral, and it has a friendly sound. However, I am only seeing Emmi/Emmy/Emme squarely in the girl name category in the online world.
I live in a Latin American context, and here the most common nickname for [name_m]Emmanuel[/name_m] is [name_f]Emma[/name_f] (Manu is only for [name_m]Manuel[/name_m] here, typically), and I’ve known a few Latino men named [name_f]Emmi[/name_f] or some variation, so I do not think it will be a big problem here.
I wonder, though, if for USA family and friends it would be a shock to have a boy [name_f]Emmi[/name_f].
Is [name_f]Emmi[/name_f] as gender neutral as I think or would I be challenging precedents?
I think most USA families would presume a girl. [name_m]Manny[/name_m] is the usual nickname for [name_m]Emmanuel[/name_m] here (I grew up with someone with that name/nickname).
I’m not from the US, but I feel like since it’s a nickname it doesn’t matter? Yeah, someone with the legal name [name_f]Emmi[/name_f] would be presumed to be a girl in most English-speaking contexts, but more feminine nicknames for boy names aren’t that strange. I’ve heard of a [name_m]Lucien[/name_m] affectionately nicknamed [name_f]Lulu[/name_f] for example! I don’t think it’d be shocking or strange to use it as a nickname for [name_m]Emmanuel[/name_m], just a bit unexpected, and it’s not like he would only ever go by [name_f]Emmi[/name_f]. [name_m]Emmanuel[/name_m] is such a handsome name, I don’t think you should let a small hurdle like that stop you from using it!
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I’ve known Elliots called some variant of [name_f]Elly[/name_f], [name_f]Elle[/name_f], Ells etc which are typically used for girls where I am (UK), along with [name_f]Allie[/name_f] for [name_m]Alexander[/name_m], Addie/Addy for [name_m]Adam[/name_m], [name_f]Ruby[/name_f] / [name_f]Rue[/name_f] for [name_m]Reuben[/name_m], and an [name_f]Izzy[/name_f] for [name_m]Isaac[/name_m], so I don’t think it’s totally odd.
I’d say you’re good to use it
I’m not from the US but I think it totally works as a nickname 
I know one [name_m]Emmanuel[/name_m] who goes by [name_f]Emma[/name_f] as a nn and I’ve always found it very cool 
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While I do think girl almost immediately with [name_f]Emmy[/name_f], I do like the idea of [name_m]Emmanuel[/name_m] nn [name_f]Emmi[/name_f] more than [name_m]Emmanuel[/name_m] nn [name_m]Manny[/name_m]! I’ve come across the occasional [name_m]Alistair[/name_m] nn [name_f]Allie[/name_f] or [name_m]Alexander[/name_m] nn [name_f]Allie[/name_f] or whatever, I think [name_m]Emmanuel[/name_m] nn [name_f]Emmi[/name_f] works equally well. I know a little boy named [name_f]Izzy[/name_f] and it works so well on him! I think it might be a shock initially, but in the long run, people will adjust and it will seem normal to them.
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I also think for a nickname it probably doesn’t matter, especially when you don’t predominately live in an English-speaking area. Go for it! But yes, without any context, most [name_f]English[/name_f] speakers would assume an Emmy/Emmi is a girl (for example, [name_f]Emmy[/name_f] Rossum is fairly well known in the US and her full name is Emmanuelle).
Yes! I have a [name_m]Ruben[/name_m] who goes by [name_f]Rue[/name_f] and, playfully, by [name_f]Ruby[/name_f].
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I think as a nickname it is totally fine! Yes English-speakers would assume girl, but who cares? And [name_f]Emi[/name_f] Martinez is a pretty well known soccer player, which helps.
We almost named our boy [name_m]Emilio[/name_m] or [name_m]Emiliano[/name_m], and what was really selling me on those names was the idea of being able to call him [name_f]Emi[/name_f]!
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