"Girlified" names that you think are redeemable for boys?

General Name Discussion
1

I came up with a list (you can add to it or mention your opinions if you like) of names that became more popular for boys in years/decades past, but now that their popularity on girls has declined or is declining might be usable on a boy again. This list does not include names which are currently being contested on their gender usage (e.g. [name]Peyton[/name], [name]Riley[/name]). Some of these [name]Pam[/name] and [name]Linda[/name] don’t even consider “unisex” anymore (absence on either or both the unisex list in Beyond [name]Ava[/name] and [name]Aiden[/name] or when using the name search feature on this site with the unisex option), but I think still at least belong in the “unisex” category. Here is the list as of right now (I might think of some more later), some of which I would not rule out for naming a DS of mine in the future if one comes along:

[name]Alexis[/name]
[name]Carey[/name]/[name]Cary[/name] (differentiated from more feminine spellings like [name]Carrie[/name])
[name]Dana[/name]
[name]Jamie[/name]
[name]Jody[/name]
[name]Kelly[/name]*
[name]Kerry[/name] (see above on [name]Carey[/name]/[name]Cary[/name])
[name]Morgan[/name]
[name]Robin[/name]
[name]Shannon[/name]
[name]Sidney[/name] (with that spelling)
[name]Taylor[/name]*
*Have been used on celebrity sons in recent years (although [name]Kelly[/name] was spelled [name]Kelley[/name] in that case, but both spellings are legit for a boy [name]IMO[/name]).

ETA: The above list might be like a list opposite that of [name]Pam[/name] and [name]Linda[/name]'s “Geezer Names for Girls” list, in that many of the above names sound fresher to some of us when applied to boys.

On the other hand, these names might be tougher to redeem for boys, either because they were never really popular for boys or got very popular for girls at their peak (or both):
[name]Ashley[/name] (in the U.S. or other places where it got really popular for girls but remained low in popularity for boys)
[name]Madison[/name]

2

[name]Courtney[/name] and [name]Casey[/name] have always sounded masculine to me. I would like to see their return to baby boy names of the future. Also [name]Kim[/name], I had a male neighbour named [name]Kim[/name] when I was little and know another one now. From your list:

[name]Alexis[/name] - I can see for either although I prefer this for girls and the Russian [name]Alexei[/name] for boys

[name]Carey[/name]/[name]Cary[/name] - This sounds masculine to me. I think [name]Carey[/name] [name]Hart[/name] or [name]Jim[/name] [name]Carrey[/name] who are both very manly. Also an old Hollywood star, [name]Carey[/name] [name]Grant[/name]. Having said this though, I still love [name]Carrie[/name] for a girl but that’s pronounced differently so it’s fine.

[name]Dana[/name] - This seems all girl to me

[name]Jamie[/name] - Still a boys name but I prefer it as a nn for the classic [name]James[/name]. I prefer the French [name]Jaime[/name] over [name]Jamie[/name] for girls

[name]Jody[/name] - ditto [name]Dana[/name] on this one. Especially since the author [name]Jodi[/name] Picoult

[name]Kelly[/name]* - Not a fan of this for girls although it still seems like a girls name to me. I like the [name]Kelley[/name] spelling for a boy. I also love [name]Kelsey[/name] for a boy but definitely not a girl.

[name]Kerry[/name] - this is the same as [name]Jodi[/name] and [name]Dana[/name] for me

[name]Morgan[/name] - I would love to see this make a return to the boys! It feels dated on a girl but would seem fresh and dare I say it, spunky on a boy lol

[name]Robin[/name] - This IS a boys name. [name]Robyn[/name] is the girls name.

[name]Shannon[/name] - I can see it as both but I’m not really a fan for either

[name]Sidney[/name] - I love the nn [name]Sid[/name] for a boy but [name]Sydney[/name] is all girl (and city in Aus) for me. The [name]Sidney[/name] spelling seems more masculine though…

[name]Taylor[/name]* - ALL boy! I love this on a boy! Not keen on it for a girl but it’s one of my favourite boys names.

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Re: Charliehotsox: I agree that [name]Kim[/name] could also be a name worthy of putting on the list. [name]Courtney[/name] I wasn’t sure whether to put on the “redeemable” or “too far gone” list, but I agree that since it’s falling on the girl’s side it might be reclaimable at some point. I didn’t include [name]Casey[/name] because it never really got “taken over by the girls”; since the 1980s its been closely used by both genders (although it now appears to be on the overall decline).

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From your list I think [name]Carey[/name], [name]Jamie[/name], [name]Morgan[/name], [name]Sidney[/name] or [name]Taylor[/name] are “redeemable” in my eyes. I like [name]Jamie[/name] best.

5

[name]Morgan[/name] is one of my absolute favorite boy’s names. I love it so much, I don’t care how popular it is for girls. Haha.

Other possibilities:
~[name]Mackenzie[/name]: Sure, this has been really popular for girls recently, but I think boys could reclaim this for themselves. Plus, the nickname [name]Mac[/name] is a good name for a boy.
~[name]Whitney[/name]: I definitely think this could make a comeback for boys. The nickname [name]Whit[/name] is pretty cool, and it’s really declining in popularity for girls.
~[name]Kennedy[/name]: I truly despise this name for girls, and I definitely think this is redeemable for boys. It was last in the top 1000 in 2005, at #995. It could definitely come back.
~[name]Jordan[/name]: Although this is one of those unisex names that could go either way for me (I have a good girl friend named [name]Jordan[/name]), I can definitely see it becoming more popular for boys again.