I had a post on the general baby names board to critique my favorite boy’s and girl’s names, and it seems that I’m getting a lot of backlash on my girl’s list. My style for girls tends to be surnames/unisex, which I think rubs people the wrong way, in favor of more feminine names. The following are my current faves:
Yeah, not a fan of your list overall. There is unisex and then there are names that scream one sex a lot more than another, and I think most of your names belong on a boy more than a girl. [name]Leighton[/name], [name]Waverly[/name], and [name]Penelope[/name] are ok. [name]Penelope[/name] is really throwing me off, though, because it’s so different than your other names. Are there any other names that are more girly like [name]Penelope[/name] that you like?
Here are some other ideas that maintain the more unisex style that you like, but are unisex towards the female side [name]IMO[/name].
[name]Rowan[/name]
[name]Emery[/name]
[name]Marlowe[/name]
[name]Avery[/name]
[name]Blaire[/name]
[name]Evelyn[/name]
[name]Piper[/name]
[name]Romilly[/name]
[name]Sloane[/name]
I think [name]Waverly[/name] is very girly and beautiful, [name]Greer[/name] is nice as well. [name]Penelope[/name] is a girl name, and even though I’m not a fan, it’s a real name & she was [name]Odysseus[/name]'s wife and quite cool. I think [name]Quinn[/name] can work well on a girl.
I think [name]Hadley[/name] and [name]Harper[/name] are sweet on girls.
[name]Elliott[/name] – It’s ok. I don’t really love it.
[name]Quinn[/name] – Ok.
[name]Connelly[/name] – Hmm. Like a lot.
[name]Greer[/name] – Personal negative associations with this name.
[name]Bellamy[/name] – Dislike for a girl. Sounds like an English butler’s name.
[name]Leighton[/name] – Like. But, will it be pronounced [name]Lay[/name]-ton or [name]Lee[/name]-ton?
[name]Waverly[/name] – Like.
[name]Penelope[/name] – Like a lot. Dislike the nn [name]Penny[/name]. What about [name]Nell[/name]?
Suggestions:
[name]Calliope[/name] nn [name]Callie[/name] or [name]Calla[/name]
[name]Calla[/name]
[name]Skylar[/name]
[name]Delaney[/name]
[name]Lane[/name]
[name]Ellery[/name]
[name]Willa[/name]
[name]Sadie[/name] or [name]Zadie[/name]
[name]Sawyer[/name]
[name]Clove[/name]
[name]Cora[/name]
[name]Avalon[/name]
From your list, I like [name]Waverly[/name], [name]Leighton[/name], and [name]Penelope[/name]. The rest are all boy. I feel like [name]Penelope[/name] is very different from the rest of your names, but I really like it! Some other suggestions are [name]Hadley[/name] and [name]Harper[/name] as [name]Ottilie[/name] said, [name]Marlowe[/name], [name]Kendall[/name], [name]Addison[/name], [name]Sage[/name], [name]Chelsea[/name], [name]Cadence[/name].
I love [name]Bellamy[/name]. I also like [name]Waverly[/name]. Some other suggestions: [name]Kennedy[/name], [name]Anniston[/name], Taullah. Perhaps [name]Greer[/name], [name]Quinn[/name] could be a middle name?
A lot of people on baby-name boards don’t like the ‘trends’. They prefer the classics that have risen and fallen over the years. I’ve been a ‘namer’ for 9 years now, and I really like unisex names for girls.
From your list, my favorites are:
[name]Connelly[/name]
[name]Penelope[/name] (prefer nn [name]Lola[/name])
[name]Waverly[/name]
other ideas:
[name]Penelope[/name] by a long shot. Most of those aren’t unisex, just straight up masculine and not attractive on a girl at all - especially [name]Elliot[/name].
I’d appreciate any feedback on these, and 2. I welcome any other name suggestions that feel similar but are maybe a tad more feminine.
Thanks so much!
– [name]Nicole[/name][/QUOTE]
[name]Elliott[/name] A shame to use for a girl as it is such a gem for a boy. If you are going with nn of [name]Elle[/name] then something like [name]Eliana[/name] would be pretty.
[name]Quinn[/name] Not bad our [name]Governor[/name] [name]General[/name] a refined lady is named [name]Quentin[/name], most unusual
[name]Connelly[/name] Too boyish
[name]Greer[/name] A lovely name
[name]Bellamy[/name] [name]One[/name] of my favourite unisex names and love the nn of [name]Belle[/name]
[name]Leighton[/name] Reminds me of famous tennis player [name]Leighton[/name] [name]Hewitt[/name] so it is all boy to me
[name]Waverly[/name] This name seems to be popping up but if I was to see this name on a list of children I would assume it was a boy
[name]Penelope[/name] ([name]Penny[/name]) I think [name]Penny[/name] is very cute and the other nn options that people love are [name]Nell[/name] and [name]Lola[/name].
A gorgeous unisex name is Airlie, it is the name of a beach in Queensland, Australia. I think that this is a very good choice
or you may like the name of another famous Australian beach - [name]Avalon[/name] with the gorgeous nn of [name]Ava[/name].
[name]Do[/name] you like girl’s names that can be shortened to boyish names eg [name]Georgina[/name] nn of [name]Georgie[/name]?
Or these which I feel are a little dated and would not use.
[name]Chelsea[/name] or [name]London[/name] again slightly dated.
What about a spunky girls name like [name]Camilla[/name] with the nn of [name]Milly[/name]?
Or
[name]Tessa[/name]
[name]Brigid[/name] nn [name]Bridge[/name]
[name]Isla[/name]
[name]Evelyn[/name] (traditionally a boy’s name now over to the girls)
[name]Rowan[/name] a soft name that is becoming very popular
Thanks for the responses! Some of the suggested names I’m digging are
[name]Emery[/name] (Too many “[name]Em[/name]” names out there?)
[name]Emerson[/name] (see above)
[name]Marlowe[/name] (This has been growing on me, but our last name starts w/ ‘M’. Not sure I like the alliteration)
[name]Hadley[/name]
Corrigan
People seem to like [name]Penelope[/name] most out of the list… truthfully, I’d probably rarely use the full name. I love it for the nn [name]Penny[/name]. I think it feels spunky.
It seems as though I gravitate toward surnamey names, and would love something unusual but not weird…
I like your list a lot! I once wrote a similar list myself of surnamey names for ladies. Bold are my favorites.
[name]Elliott[/name] – no no no [name]Quinn[/name] – I love this short spunky name! Twice a cheerleader (Glee and [name]Daria[/name]) she’s got a lot of pep.
[name]Connelly[/name] - I love this, seems very literary
[name]Greer[/name] – This is great one too! I’ve met one [name]Greer[/name], and I thought she was drop dead cool soon as she said her name.
[name]Bellamy[/name] – i love this! [name]Leighton[/name] - I think this name is so beautiful and unique but sadly too tied to one actress (whom I love, no doubt). Once met a little girl [name]Anniston[/name] and all I could think of was the mom must love friends. [name]Don[/name]'t used unless married to Gossip Girl (XOXO) [name]Waverly[/name] - I love this soft feminine name. It’s so pretty.
[name]Penelope[/name] ([name]Penny[/name]) - Kardashian katastrophe.
I like your list a lot! My favourites are [name]Waverly[/name], [name]Elliott[/name] and [name]Quinn[/name]. Other pp suggestions that I like are [name]Hadley[/name], [name]Winslet[/name] and [name]Emory[/name].
Good luck!
I don’t think there are too many “[name]Em[/name]” names, but [name]Emery[/name] isn’t my favorite. I just think of emery boards like for your nails. I prefer [name]Emerson[/name]. Still like [name]Penelope[/name], and [name]Penny[/name] is definitely spunky and cute! I was the one who suggested [name]Marlowe[/name] and I love it, but if you don’t want alliteration (though I don’t mind it), what about [name]Harlow[/name]? Other suggestions: [name]Ainsley[/name], [name]Reese[/name], [name]Maren[/name], [name]Amity[/name], [name]Verity[/name], [name]Devon[/name], [name]Auden[/name], [name]Blythe[/name].
I’m not a big fan of unisex names, or boy names being used on girls (which is what I feel that some of your choices, like [name]Elliott[/name], are), but I don’t mind [name]Leighton[/name], [name]Greer[/name], and [name]Waverly[/name]. I like [name]Penelope[/name].
Not a fan of [name]Quinn[/name] really for a boy or a girl. I dislike [name]Elliott[/name] very much on a girl as it is a fabulous boy name and there are so many better ways to get [name]Ellie[/name] as a nickname. [name]Connelly[/name] and [name]Bellamy[/name] are far too surname-y to be nice girl names for me.
[name]How[/name] about [name]Arden[/name], [name]Adair[/name], [name]Linden[/name], [name]Tatum[/name], [name]Fallon[/name], or [name]Sloane[/name]?
[name]Elliott[/name] - I know an [name]Elliott[/name] who’s an accomplished artist and a stylish, feminine person. She has made me love this name.
[name]Quinn[/name] - I love that Q, but [name]Quinn[/name] doesn’t do it for me. I find it cold. I think [name]Quince[/name] could be wonderful.
[name]Connelly[/name] - I immediately think of [name]Jennifer[/name] [name]Connelly[/name]. It’s not exactly like Aniston, but it’s a surname that has a pop-culture association.
[name]Greer[/name] - I like [name]Greer[/name]. Makes me think of [name]Pam[/name] [name]Grier[/name]. I think it’s tough and cool.
[name]Bellamy[/name] - Something about this sounds like Cockney slang to me… I feel like it must mean something rude when said with a British accent.
[name]Leighton[/name] - I know two male Leightons, both lovely people. I’m fond of the name, but it IS surnameish, a bit hard-edged, a bit cold.
[name]Waverly[/name] - Sounds like a hotel to me.
[name]Penelope[/name] ([name]Penny[/name]) - YES we have a winner. [name]Penny[/name] is so frickin cool. I knew a [name]Nell[/name] in college. Everyone wanted to be her friend. She was cool, gorgeous, talented, and so mysterious. [name]Penelope[/name] is beautiful and versatile.
[name]Elliott[/name] - [name]LOVE[/name] know a darling little girl with this name
[name]Quinn[/name] - ok but nms; more boyish
[name]Connelly[/name] - dislike; very boyish and doesn’t have a nice sound to me
[name]Greer[/name] - ditto - sorry!
[name]Bellamy[/name] - ok but nms
[name]Leighton[/name] - is this pronouced lay or lee? If the former, I see a lot of teasing; if the latter, I don’t love the sound
[name]Waverly[/name] - [name]LOVE[/name]
[name]Penelope[/name] ([name]Penny[/name]) - nms but it’s a great name; not a huge fan of [name]Penny[/name] as a nn though.