My husband has a uncle named [name_u]Monroe[/name_u], and we would like to use it for a boy, but I am wondering if it is a name going to the girls now. What do you think? Also, is this name likely to explode in popularity over the next few years? Thanks for the feedback.
It’s a surname. But if used as a first name, it’s all masculine to me.
Good question - I’d accept it on either, but on a girl I’d assume it was inspired by [name_f]Marilyn[/name_f] whereas I would just see it as a name name on a boy.
To answer your question though, I think this one is going to the girls, particularly in the last 3 years. It’s hard to tell if it’s a lasting change or just a trend, however [name_u]Monroe[/name_u] has a long, steady history as a boys name so I think that will endure.
I personally prefer it on a boy, it feels rugged and charming 
It’s firmly a surname to me. I don’t think it will explode in popularity. It was in the top 100 last year, but in the low side. It was ranked #949 in popularity.
I feel [name_u]Monroe[/name_u] is going towards the girls. With the popularity of old Hollywood names like [name_f]Harlow[/name_f], it seems like this is the next big thing. [name_m]Even[/name_m] if you look at it from a presidential name perspective, it seems more like a [name_u]Madison[/name_u] than say [name_m]Lincoln[/name_m]. You could try a different spelling perhaps (ex. [name_m]Munroe[/name_m]) but it still rings more for the girls in my ears.
[name_m]Male[/name_m]… xx But could be Female as mariah carey used it for her daugher
I know several people like it for a girl, but to me it looks and sounds like a boy name
I like it for either. I’m leaning more towards masculine, though, because it sounds more like a boy’s name to me. I wouldn’t be worried about it going to the girls - I think it’s one of the few names that really can work for either gender. I’d love to meet a little boy named [name_u]Monroe[/name_u].
Like other posters, I believe [name_u]Monroe[/name_u] is strictly a last name. But if you were too use it as a first name, it is very masculine to me.
To me, the questions of whether it’s a feminine name and whether it’s going to the girls are completely different. It is a surname, but also a strictly masculine Scottish first name. In terms of whether it’s going to the girls, I would lean towards no, but I can see it becoming popular for girls in coming years as a tribute to [name_f]Marilyn[/name_f].
There’s nothing feminine about [name_u]Monroe[/name_u], so I vote male.
I agree with southern.maple. There’s nothing feminine about it. It’s very manly to me. I love it on a boy!
[name_u]Monroe[/name_u] sounds masculine to me. but of course you could still use that name on a girl and have it work just perfectly. last names do have a unisex quality oftentimes. oh, and just because some people might use a name for their girls doesn’t mean the whole name is “going to the girls”!! Mama, you can still use the name you love!
To me, it’s very masculine.
Thanks for the feedback. We are wanting to use this name strictly for a boy, as we see it as a masculine first name. Probably because this name is a family first name for his uncle. I just don’t want any confusion about gender when one sees or hears the name. We will use a middle name that is 100% male! Thanks again.
To me it sounds like a female name in honor of [name_f]Marilyn[/name_f] [name_u]Monroe[/name_u]. I think it will be the next [name_f]Harlow[/name_f] as an up and coming old Hollywood name.