What are people’s thoughts on this name?
Is it too feminine for a boy or man?
I have always liked it and was surprised to see it listed as ‘Cowboy name’ in a blog post a few months ago… It made me wonder if it’s more usable than I thought.
(I also love really like [name_f]Gem[/name_f] for a girl)
I love [name_u]Jem[/name_u]! I know one or two little Jems, actually.
[name_f]Jemima[/name_f] is one of my favourites for girls, but I don’t think [name_u]Jem[/name_u] is ‘too feminine’ at all for a boy.
My #1 association is [name_u]Jem[/name_u] in To Kill a Mockingbird (I believe it was short for [name_m]Jeremy[/name_m]).
I like it. I think it’s becoming more popular right now (don’t know if you’d class that as good or bad).
If you’re a bit uncertain you could give a longer name that can be shortened to [name_u]Jem[/name_u] like [name_u]James[/name_u] or [name_m]Jeremy[/name_m]?
To Kill a Mocking [name_u]Bird[/name_u] wast first thought. I like it as a nn but would stick to [name_m]Jeremy[/name_m] for a full name.
First thought was To Kill a Mocking [name_u]Bird[/name_u]. That’s not bad though; [name_u]Jem[/name_u] was a good character. I like it, would use as a nickname though.
Honestly it reminds me too much of jam, I think about toast and breakfast every time I hear the name 
It’s a sweet nickname for [name_u]James[/name_u], [name_m]Jeremy[/name_m] or [name_m]Jeremiah[/name_m]. I like the TKAM association, and [name_f]Anne[/name_f] [name_f]Shirley[/name_f] from the [name_f]Anne[/name_f] of [name_u]Green[/name_u] Gables series has a son named [name_u]Jem[/name_u]; can’t remember what it’s short for!
I used to babysit my cousin in the 80’s and she was crazy about a female cartoon character on TV called [name_u]Jem[/name_u] (and the Holograms). Her real name was [name_f]Jerrica[/name_f] but her singing alter-ego was named [name_u]Jem[/name_u]. I also knew a girl named [name_f]Gem[/name_f]. I find it a bit feminine, a bit short and lacking in substance to use for a full first name. Something like [name_m]Jeremiah[/name_m] or [name_u]James[/name_u] nn [name_u]Jem[/name_u] would be fine.
I love the idea of [name_u]James[/name_u] nn [name_u]Jem[/name_u]. I think it works well with a somewhat serious full name. I think it has a certain sweet, old-fashioned charm, and it’s cute and unexpected.
[name_u]Jem[/name_u] on it’s own is a bit too short for my taste but it’s straightforward, uncommon and everyone will (probably) know how to pronounce it.
[name_u]Jem[/name_u] to me does have sort of a western feel, I think it sounds like something that would come out of a cowboy’s speech patterns. Not really sure how to better describe that, but the association is there. As to whether [name_u]Jem[/name_u] feels feminine, it does, a little, but not overtly. I personally like that it is a bit more fluid since that’s something I like in boy names - one of my favorite guilty pleasure names is using the nickname [name_u]Ruby[/name_u] for a boy (w/ the full name being [name_m]Ruben[/name_m] most likely).
To sum up, I like [name_u]Jem[/name_u], and I find it perfectly wearable. Perhaps more as a short form of something like [name_m]Jeremiah[/name_m], but the right child could work [name_u]Jem[/name_u] on its own, I believe.
I absolutely love [name_u]Jem[/name_u], but only as a nickname to [name_u]James[/name_u], [name_m]Jeremiah[/name_m] and [name_m]Jeremy[/name_m]. It’s actually my chosen nickname for [name_u]James[/name_u]. I do agree that it is a bit feminine, but I don’t mind feminine nicknames. 
I adore [name_u]Jem[/name_u] on a boy. Only as a nickname. I’ve loved it since I was a little girl reading the [name_f]Anne[/name_f] books. It’s certainly on the softer side of the boy name world, but that’s okay. Not sure I get a cowboy feel from it, exactly. More a jeans rolled up to his knees, feet in the water, looking for pollywogs vibe. A [name_m]Huck[/name_m] or [name_m]Tom[/name_m] [name_u]Sawyer[/name_u] kind of name. Rural, yes. Cowboy, no.
I don’t think it’s too feminine -it can be used as a nickname for many very masculine names - [name_u]James[/name_u], [name_m]Jeremy[/name_m], [name_m]Jeremiah[/name_m] so you could use one of these with the nickname [name_u]Jem[/name_u] if you’re worried about it.
I have two associations with the name [name_u]Jem[/name_u]:
Thanks to everyone for the responses!
If I were to use would just be as a full name, not a nickname…
Not sure I’d be able to get it past the DH though… He thinks of [name_u]Jem[/name_u] and the Holograms… Child of the 80s!!
In [name_f]Anne[/name_f] of [name_u]Green[/name_u] Gables, [name_f]Anne[/name_f] and [name_m]Gilbert[/name_m]'s son had [name_u]Jem[/name_u] as a nickname. It was short for [name_u]James[/name_u] [name_m]Matthew[/name_m]. I love it!
[name_f]LOVE[/name_f] [name_u]Jem[/name_u] for a boy! Would use it as a nickname for [name_m]Jeremy[/name_m] though. I don’t think it’s too feminine at all, in fact I hate [name_f]Gemma[/name_f]/[name_f]Gem[/name_f] on a girl (seems dated to me!), though [name_f]Jemima[/name_f] is cute! x
OOH I love the name [name_u]Jem[/name_u] so much but my DH doesn’t like it at all. I would use this if I could I think its such a lovely boys name.
I’ve loved it ever since reading ‘[name_f]Jamaica[/name_f] Inn’ byt [name_f]Du[/name_f] Maurier, so it’s not a new name or a fad, its wonderful.
I would have been happy with jem as a first name, although I do know someone called [name_m]Jeremy[/name_m] who goes by [name_u]Jem[/name_u].
Good luck!
In [name_f]Anne[/name_f] of [name_u]Green[/name_u] Gables, [name_f]Anne[/name_f] and [name_m]Gilbert[/name_m]'s first son is [name_u]James[/name_u] [name_m]Matthew[/name_m] nn [name_u]Jem[/name_u].
I love the nn [name_u]Jem[/name_u] as a nn for [name_u]James[/name_u].