I’m a non-binary person in my late twenties and thinking about kids sometime in the next five years. I’ve always loved names, and have been on here a bunch of times since my literal teen years. I have loved a wide variety of names, but I think in order to be in line with my adult values I want to give my kid a name that won’t type cast them. Basically, I don’t want them to have a common name, because then their name is likely to feel a lot more gendered. As one of a million “women” named Sarah, I changed my name in order to feel more gender affirmed. I still picked a typically feminine name, but because it is not common it feels more like my own name which I can fit my own gender. My question is, do you think any of these names below give you the vibe that you know the kind of person who would have them? That’s what I’m trying to avoid! Any other suggestions that fit this description and vibe would also be appreciated.
Edit:
I feel like I didn’t explain clearly that I am not opposed to feminine names at all! I just want the names to not be overly common so that people have a lot of associations with them. For example, when I went by Sarah I always knew a ton of women with that name. My chosen name is feminine but not common at all so there is nobody else in my life with that name.
Not sure where you are, but as a [name_u]Brit[/name_u], they all seem very typically feminine names with the exception of [name_u]Lorien[/name_u]. I would assume [name_f]Siobhan[/name_f], [name_f]Roisin[/name_f], and [name_f]Orla[/name_f] had some connection to [name_u]Ireland[/name_u], and that [name_f]Siobhan[/name_f] was older in age (50s or 60s). [name_f]Eilidh[/name_f] I would assume was Scottish.
[name_f]Cressida[/name_f] is blonde, leggy, & comes from a posh, old money family!
I dont have any preconceptions about [name_u]Lorien[/name_u].
[name_f]Siobhan[/name_f] ~ I know just one I think and don’t find the name especially fem. In fact, the person I’m thinking of uses they/them pronouns and I think [name_f]Siobhan[/name_f] is their chosen name.
[name_f]Roisin[/name_f] ~ I don’t know any and never hear this name - I’m in [name_u]England[/name_u], BTW. Although I’m aware it’s traditionally a name for girls, I don’t find [name_f]Roisin[/name_f] brings much fem imagery.
[name_f]Orla[/name_f] ~ i find this very fem.
[name_f]Eilidh[/name_f] ~ as above.
[name_u]Lorien[/name_u] ~ brings no assumptions about who [name_u]Lorien[/name_u] may be.
[name_f]Cressida[/name_f] ~ as with [name_f]Orla[/name_f] and [name_f]Eilidh[/name_f].
[name_u]Lorien[/name_u] feels the most non-binary leaning to me, but the others do feel more gendered. Perhaps it’s because I’ve known/known of women/girls with those names so I do have specific, personal associations.
[name_f]Roisin[/name_f] would be the second most neutral leaning to me, since is sounds like [name_u]Rowan[/name_u], [name_u]Rosen[/name_u], [name_m]Oisin[/name_m], and has nn [name_f]Ro[/name_f]. I could see [name_f]Eilidh[/name_f] working too myabe - possibly [name_f]Siobhan[/name_f] and [name_f]Orla[/name_f]. Outside the UK, perhaps even more so.
Hello, [name_f]Orla[/name_f] is also a masculine name in [name_m]Danish[/name_m] if you did not know. [name_u]Lorien[/name_u] has gender neutral usage as well.
All the other names are traditionally femenine though - but [name_f]Siobhan[/name_f], [name_f]Roisin[/name_f], [name_f]Eilidh[/name_f] give me neutral vibes.
Agree with pretty much all of this! Definitely all feminine except Lorien. I have known an Eilidh who was Welsh and a millennial-age Siobhan who was Irish (she’d be about 29 now). Lorien makes me think of the forest in Middle-earth and is entirely nb to me (I actually love it!)
I’d assume someone with a child called [name_f]Siobhan[/name_f], [name_f]Roisin[/name_f], [name_f]Orla[/name_f], or [name_f]Eilidh[/name_f] was [name_u]Irish[/name_u] or had [name_u]Irish[/name_u] heritage, since they’re all quite noticeably Irish/Gaelic names. They’re absolutely beautiful—but they definitely all feel very feminine to me.
[name_f]Cressida[/name_f] also feels very very feminine. I think first of the Hunger Games character, who’s blonde and bold.
[name_u]Lorien[/name_u] feels utterly neutral to me. I’ve never heard it before! It’s the only one I have no associations or preconceptions for.
