[name_f]Vivian[/name_f] or [name_f]Evelyn[/name_f]
They both are gender neutral see [name_f]Vivian[/name_f] [name_m]Wilson[/name_m] [name_m]Henderson[/name_m] and [name_f]Evelyn[/name_f] [name_m]Ashley[/name_m], both are male.
Here are some names I think would be be great (and coming from someone who would also not use a name b/c of the Ellie nickname):
Hollis
Blair
Rainer
Dillon
Ever
Piper
Romy
Fable
Jude
Remy
Harlow
Emery
Sloane
Vesper
Fifer
Micah
Kit
Sunday (can nn Daisy)
Bellamy
Morgan
Robin (not sure if it & Morgan to similar in pattern to Arden)
Holland
Shiloh
Holiday
Wow, you really nailed it - thank you. [name_m]Rainer[/name_m] is my all time favourite, but unfortunately my partner vetoed it. We’re not US-based, so I appreciate that a lot of these work in many countries.
There are many names here that we’ve actively considered but didn’t quite feel right (Hollis, [name_m]Jude[/name_m], Vesper) and others that we love but are already in the family (Remy, Emery).
[name_f]Sunday[/name_f] and [name_m]Sloan[/name_m] are great suggestions. They’re now on the list!
I’ve gone through every top 1000 since the 1870s (from multiple countries) and still struggling. So, thank you again, this was really helpful. [name_m]Feel[/name_m] free to come back if any others pop into your head. You may well name our child
Thanks for your reply! Some really great names in here and you’ve definitely understood our taste.
[name_f]Alva[/name_f], [name_m]Elliot[/name_m], [name_f]Darcy[/name_f] and [name_m]Sidney[/name_m] all appeal, but still don’t quite hit the mark. [name_f]Arden[/name_f] is such a strong and versatile (yet gentle) name and we really want to find something we feel is equally great.
While traditionally masculine, my partner has just suggested [name_m]Cyrus[/name_m], which is an interesting option. Thoughts on this if the baby is a girl?
[name_m]Jules[/name_m] or [name_m]Joss[/name_m] would be great match. I think the answer probably lies in the surname category but leaning toward the rarer side of usage as a first name.
I love Rainer - super swish and nn Rainy is so sweet!
I’llet you know if any more pop in my head, but a quick riff: Torin, Rylan, Briar, Starling, Rowan, Meadow, Solenne, Rhodes, Seren, Tierney, Quinn…
I also love Lumi, Eisley/Isley, Imogen, Tindra, Lisbeth or Elspeth, Gwyneira/ Gwyneth, Willow, Delphine, Cressida, Leonor & Bryony - not unisex but has the same vibe to me as Arden. I also heard the name Narcisse the other day - probably unusable but I like the sound.
Would it help to know country? Or not? (Am non-US too.)
I’m glad I got your taste right with my suggestions! I understand that nothing feels quite right though.
As far as [name_m]Cyrus[/name_m], I do have a hard time imagining it as a girl’s name. That said, I suppose it’s not totally “out there”? If you and your husband love it, that’s what matters. Although I do think basically everybody would assume a [name_m]Cyrus[/name_m] was a boy. Maybe something like [name_m]Cyrille[/name_m], [name_m]Rivers[/name_m], [name_m]Floris[/name_m], or [name_m]Cypress[/name_m]? [name_f]Maris[/name_f] and [name_f]Carys[/name_f] / [name_f]Cerys[/name_f] might also appeal to you, though I’d say they lean more feminine.
A few more ideas I’ve thought of since I posted, unrelated to [name_m]Cyrus[/name_m]:
[name_f]Sasha[/name_f] / [name_m]Sacha[/name_m] / [name_m]Sascha[/name_m]
[name_m]Emlyn[/name_m]
[name_m]Shai[/name_m]
[name_f]Shay[/name_f] / [name_f]Shea[/name_f]
[name_m]Jules[/name_m]
[name_f]Ember[/name_f]
[name_m]Kai[/name_m] / [name_f]Kairi[/name_f]
[name_f]Micaiah[/name_f]
[name_f]Juniper[/name_f]
[name_m]Amory[/name_m]
[name_m]Onyx[/name_m]
[name_f]Misha[/name_f] / [name_m]Micha[/name_m]
[name_m]Tobin[/name_m]
[name_f]Noa[/name_f]
[name_m]Leone[/name_m]
[name_m]Ezra[/name_m]
[name_m]Salem[/name_m]
[name_f]Indigo[/name_f]
[name_m]Roan[/name_m]
[name_f]Seren[/name_f]
[name_f]Senna[/name_f]
[name_m]Elisha[/name_m]
[name_f]Nikita[/name_f]
[name_m]Just[/name_m] commenting that [name_f]Ellery[/name_f] (we used the [name_f]Ellory[/name_f] spelling) is my daughter’s name so I’m following along this thread because we have very similar styles! I love [name_f]Arden[/name_f] - [name_m]Alden[/name_m] was another favorite of mine in pregnancy.
As a note - we thought the [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] nickname would be natural and guaranteed with the name [name_f]Ellory[/name_f] (we actually liked the nickname as one perk of using the name), but as it turns out, we don’t call her [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] at all really - and it seems people gravitate more toward [name_f]Elle[/name_f] or Ells as a go-to with [name_f]Ellory[/name_f]. Not sure that would be your experience, but just wanted to share as a pitch for sticking with [name_f]Ellery[/name_f]
A few on my list (apologies for repeats) you may find appealing:
Finding a unisex name with history for girls is tough; [name_f]Arden[/name_f] leans modern but was in the top 1000 briefly in the late 1920s. It’s also too bad [name_m]Hollis[/name_m] and [name_f]Darcy[/name_f] are out because they would’ve been perfect sister names.
How about:
[name_f]Billie[/name_f]
[name_m]Charlie[/name_m]
[name_m]Ellis[/name_m] (mix of [name_f]Ellery[/name_f] and [name_m]Hollis[/name_m], and ranked in 1883)
[name_f]Greer[/name_f] (after [name_f]Greer[/name_f] Garson)
[name_f]Raven[/name_f] (a modern classic)
[name_m]Rory[/name_m] (filmmaker [name_f]Kennedy[/name_f], born 1960s)
[name_f]Scottie[/name_f]
[name_f]Scout[/name_f] (main character in To Kill a Mockingbird)
[name_f]Shiloh[/name_f] (Biblical place name)
[name_f]Stevie[/name_f]
[name_f]Wallis[/name_f] (Simpson, 1896-1986)
I think you could be right - I’ll do some more digging through surname lists to see if anything jumps out. Your list is great too, thank you. [name_m]Penrose[/name_m] has been a front runner for the middle name for quite a while, but a lot of these are new ideas!
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