Boy names are popular with girls in America, primarily. And itās the result of sexism, unfortunately. A girl named Elliott is automatically assumed to be tougher, stronger, cooler, and more empowered than a girl named Ellie, thatās just how it goes. And so masculinity, in any and all forms is, not just encouraged for girls, but in some cases outright pushed. The subconscious mindset is that, in order for girls to be better, or in order for them to be more noticeable and special, or in order for them to be more like what you want them to be, they must emulate boys. Boys names on girls is a big part of that mentality, whether people want to admit it or not, and as such I really have come to dislike the trend.
There are plenty of girl names that donāt sound particularly feminine at all such as Rose, Hero and Astrid. But that doesnāt automatically make them suitable for boys, just as Ryan sounding āmore feminineā to you does not automatically make it suitable for girls. Also, whatās the reason for it? Are you using it because itās the name of a deceased friend or a beloved family member - and youāre pregnant with a girl (your last or only child), so you wouldnāt have the option of using it on a boy? Or, like most boy-names-on-girls lovers, are you claiming that out of literally billions of girl names, you couldnāt find a single one that you liked more than the masculine Ryan?
Sorry if I come across as a bit blunt. Itās just that Iām quite passionate about this particular topic. As a woman with a boy name myself, I will say that as it didnāt bother me as a kid, but as a teenager and now an adult, I resent the fact that my mother didnāt think for one second about how I would feel about the choice that she made. And I think that most people who like boy names on girls donāt ever consider their daughters potential feelings on the matter either, which is another big issue in and of itself.
Basically, regardless of how āfeminineā a boy name sounds, or how unpopular the name is question is for boys, or how much popularity it picks up with girls, at the end of the day itās still a boy name, and should be acknowledged as such. And as far as Iām concerned, if you wouldnāt name a son Elizabeth or Sophia, then naming a girl Ryan shouldnāt even be a consideration.