I am not sure if I can ask this question here(also apologize for poor English).
I’m Chinese, and I’m currently trying to choose an English name for myself. In Chinese, my first name is haozhe, which is pronounced as /xɑʊ̯˥˩ ʈʂɤ˧˥/ in IPA. You can pronounce it like “how juh” — “Hao” rhymes with “how”, and “Zhe” sounds kind of like the “juh” in “judge”, but softer.
I’m looking for a name with a somewhat similar sound, and so far I’ve chosen ‘‘Hazel’’, which I personally like a lot.
However, there’s something else I’m concerned about. I was assigned male at birth, and although my gender identity differs from that. However, I’m not yet ready to share this secret with everyone around me. So I’m worried that the name Hazel might feel too feminine which may cause confusion. I previously thought that it was a gender-neutral name, but form some forum posts I have read, it seems most people associate it strongly with women.
I’m wondering whether I should continue using Hazel, or if there might be other names that sound somewhat similar — ideally gender-neutral, since I’m also a bit uncomfortable with names that feel too masculine.
Apologize again for poor English. And if this question is not appropriate to raise here, I apologize, too.
[name_m]Welcome[/name_m] to the forums!
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Hazel[/name_f] is a beautiful name, but most people will think of it as a girl’s name only. Historically, it has also been used for boys! But in modern day, it’s not really seen on boys, and it’s very popular for girls.
[name_f][/name_f]If you want something more unisex, maybe [name_f]Hadley[/name_f], [name_m]Harley[/name_m] or [name_f]Harlow[/name_f]?
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Or[/name_m] you could do [name_f]Hazel[/name_f] with the nickname [name_m]Haze[/name_m] / [name_m]Hayes[/name_m] which sounds a bit more masculine, to balance it out!
Well hello there fellow Chinese person 
[name_f][/name_f]Firstly, Nameberry standards on whether a name is masc/femme/neutral or usable is… different from the rest of society, to say the least. In other words, masc!Hazel, for the most part, is best reserved for imaginary babies/people. Obviously, if that’s what you want, then by all means, go for it, but I also have some alternatives for you:
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Harlow[/name_f][name_f][/name_f]: This is my favourite for you. It sounds similar to Haozhe/Hazel, is mostly femme, but not nearly as overwhelmingly[name_f][/name_f] femme as [name_f]Hazel[/name_f]. I’ve seen at least a couple of male Harlows on social media, so I’m pretty sure it won’t cause too much confusion. (also this name is just underrated)
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Harley[/name_m][name_f][/name_f]: From my experience, I think [name_m]Harley[/name_m] used to be more masc, and then swung femme in recent years (idk because of [name_m]Harley[/name_m] Quinn?). Anyway, nobody is going to bat an eyelash for either gender.
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Hayden[/name_m][name_f][/name_f]: I think at this point, [name_m]Hayden[/name_m] is pretty split down the middle on either gender. I’m not sure if this is too masc for you-all Haydens my age (young adult) that I know are male-but if not I think this will lead to the least confusion. (Also I don’t know where you live rn but I think [name_m]Hayden[/name_m] will be the most recognizable in [name_f]Asian[/name_f] countries)
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Hollis[/name_m][name_f][/name_f]: This is for if you want to go with something rarer. The cool thing about [name_m]Hollis[/name_m] is that the money is still out on whether it’s masc or femme but I personally think it’s femme
[name_f][/name_f]Good luck on your name hunt!
Thank you for your suggestion. I actually quite like the name [name_f]Hadley[/name_f], but I still want something that sounds closer to my Chinese name. [name_m]Haze[/name_m] seems like a good option—and as that it is a nickname for [name_f]Hazel[/name_f], I could use [name_f]Hazel[/name_f] privately with close friends. [name_f]My[/name_f] only concern is whether a nickname can stand alone as a full name—would it feel weird to others if I just went by a nickname?
No i think [name_m]Haze[/name_m] might get a few raises eyebrows due to its uniqueness. But it very much works as a stand alone name.
I love [name_m]Haze[/name_m] for you. That way, if or when you’re ready to share your identity with those around you and want to adapt a more feminine name, you can change it to [name_f]Hazel[/name_f] which is really similar.
[name_m]Haze[/name_m] is a word that means murky or disorienting so I wouldn’t use it for a name. I would spell it [name_m]Hayes[/name_m] for sure. Sorry if that isn’t what you want to hear.
[name_f][/name_f]Other ideas:
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Haven[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Holland[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Harland[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Arlen[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Avery[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Jordon[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Hal[/name_m]
Hazel does lean more feminine in English speaking countries, and though it does have history and current use as a masculine name, it is more popular for girls. It is highly likely people would read the name as feminine on paper but could probably adapt to using it as a unisex name too? I’ve known boys called Star and Willo (like Willow) for example, and people did just get used to it - but they were read, on paper, as feminine.
So I guess it depends what matters to you - would you mind it being read as feminine on first glance? Would people who already know you find it strange that while it can be used as a unisex name, it does very much lean more feminine? Or would they accept it just as the name you chose, given its similarity to your Chinese name?
Some options:
Hayes (or even, Hazel with nickname Hayes - since Hayes leans masculine - so this would give you the best of both?)
Harley
Hayden
Hollis
Hadley (leans feminine but I’ve known male Hadleys)
Honor (has leant feminine in the past but was used fairly evenly last year)
Azure
Bowie
Thank you so much for all your suggestions. I guess if I let go of my weird fixation on matching pronunciation, Hadley might actually be the best choice. I really like both its sound and its meaning, and I might end up going with it. But I’m still torn, since Haze could also be a great option—especially as you mentioned it can stand alone as a full name. The only drawback is that its meaning feels a bit gloomy. At the same time, Hayes is also a good choice. However, I know I’m being needlessly picky—but Hayes feels too masculine. In any case, I truly appreciate everyone’s enthusiastic help. Sorry for being so picky T_T.
Oh, and by the way—is Hazen a usable name? It seems unisex and could work as an alternative to both Hazel and Hayes. I haven’t found much info on it, though, and I’m not clear on its meaning. Some sites say Hazen means “hare,” while others claim it means “sweet”, “smooth”, or “beautiful”. Does anyone know what Hazen actually means, and is it a appropriate name to choose?
What about:
[name_f][/name_f]Howser [name_f][/name_f]- pronounced How-zer or How-zah (depending if rhotic or non rhotic). It would seem to sound the most similar.
[name_f][/name_f]But [name_m]Hazen[/name_m] could work [name_f][/name_f]- it’s very rare but has a cool and artsy sound, and easy to pronounce. I think it works better than [name_f]Hazel[/name_f] though [name_f]Hazel[/name_f] nickname [name_m]Haze[/name_m] is a good option too.
[name_f][/name_f]I think [name_m]Hollis[/name_m], [name_f]Harlow[/name_f] & [name_m]Hayden[/name_m] nice options too, [name_m]Hayden[/name_m] would work esp well.
[name_f][/name_f]Three gender neutral names you otherwise might like: [name_m]Micah[/name_m], [name_m]Asa[/name_m] or [name_f]Sasha[/name_f].
[name_f][/name_f]Finally, would it be so bad to use the phonetic/anglicised version of your name: Howja?
Thank you! As for “Howja,” my main goal is to pick a name that fits [name_f]English[/name_f] naming norms—something that won’t strike native speakers as odd or confusing. “Howja” has no real [name_f]English[/name_f] meaning; it’s a made-up word. Honestly, matching the sound is just a personal preference—my real priority is choosing a name that doesn’t strike people as odd and carries a great meaning.
[name_f][/name_f]By the way, for native Chinese speakers, names like [name_f]Hazel[/name_f] usually carry no gender connotation, but I’m thinking about how they’ll come across to [name_f]English[/name_f] speakers.
[name_f][/name_f]Also, I haven’t been able to find much on “Howser”—it appears to be a surname. Does anyone know what the name Howser actually means?
Yeah [name_f]Hazel[/name_f] is definitely feminine in [name_f]English[/name_f] speaking contexts. And Howser is the Anglicised last name Hauser (meaning householder in German). Good luck!
[name_m]Hywell[/name_m] (how-well) is a Welsh male name [name_f][/name_f] meaning eminent, prominent.
[name_f][/name_f]Hazeldene or Hazeldean is a placename as in the song, [name_m]Jock[/name_m] o Hazeldean (Eddi Reader version)[name_f][/name_f]. Hazeldean is in the Borders, on the [name_f]English[/name_f] side.
[name_m]Hosea[/name_m] is biblical.
Thank you all for your suggestions. After so much discussion, I’m now leaning toward Hazen, but I still don’t know if it’s suitable as a given name—maybe someone can help clarify.My main concern isn’t that it’s rare, but whether it will seem odd.
If Hazen isn’t appropriate, I might abandon the similar pronunciation and choose Hadley instead—I really do love its sound and meaning
@Rosa_Alba_Mac By the way, sorry I may use the wrong English phrasing—I meant to say that I’m looking for a name with a beautiful (maybe this words, I’m not sure) meaning.
i have hayes, haysen, hayze, haze, and hazen on my list and i think they’re all so cool! 
hazel does read more feminine to me, but it is a lovely choice. 
I’m not from an English-speaking country, but from what I know, I think English-speakers would find it unusual / unexpected but not weird? Most people will be hearing Hazen for the first time because it is not a common name. But it has a lot of familiar, “normal” sounds. Hazel is popular, Hayes is also popular in the USA, and names that end in -en are generally popular too (mostly for boy names, but also for unisex names like Wren and Eden). So I don’t think anyone would find Hazen too weird, maybe a little bit!