Useable for a boy? Means [name_u]Sun[/name_u] gift. I love it. Suggestions for something similar otherwise please.
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I wouldnât do it. I just feel that in its original language it is feminine so⌠I am trying to suggest:
[name_u]Sol[/name_u]
[name_m]Norman[/name_m]
[name_m]Silas[/name_m]
[name_u]Elliott[/name_u]
[name_u]Theo[/name_u]
Aymeric
[name_u]Nev[/name_u]
[name_m]Theodore[/name_m]
[name_m]Aurelius[/name_m]
[name_u]Vyvyan[/name_u] / [name_u]Vivian[/name_u]
[name_m]Matteo[/name_m]
[name_m]Soren[/name_m]
[name_m]Nevin[/name_m]
[name_m]Aurelio[/name_m]
I donât find it usable, it sounds really feminine to me, and itâs similar-sounding to other female names like Savannah and Serena. And maybe not the most respectful to gender bend a Saintâs name, especially if youâre not from that culture (which you may be, I donât know!). What do you like about Sunniva? Thatâd help me offer you suggestions!
For example, if youâre looking for a name with a beautiful meaning like Sunnivaâs, maybe Leander, Aurelian, Beckett, Oscar, Marin or Roscoe! Or if youâre looking for something that feels equally mystical and unique, Ambrose, Cosimo, Endymion, Evander, Finlo, Finnegan, Isidore, Leonidas, Nicanor, Oleander, Oberon, Peregrine, Somerled, or Zephyr could work! Or for something with a similar sound, Sullivan, Solomon and Stellan come to mind!
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Definitely not.
Heliodoro is a masculine name meaning âsun giftâ. The Italian form [name_m]Eliodoro[/name_m] is a little more wearable.
[name_m]Sorin[/name_m], [name_u]Sol[/name_u], [name_m]Hefin[/name_m], [name_m]Samson[/name_m], and [name_m]Elio[/name_m] mean âsunâ.
[name_m]Anatoly[/name_m] (and variants) means âsunriseâ.
[name_u]Kiran[/name_u] means âsunbeamâ.
[name_m]Theodore[/name_m] and [name_m]Isidore[/name_m] retain the âgiftâ meaning, as do [name_m]Matthew[/name_m] and [name_u]Jesse[/name_u].
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I think itâs just too established as a girls name. I do like the name [name_u]Sol[/name_u] (means sun) for either gender-prefer it on a boy though. Maybe you would like that?
I think [name_f]Sunniva[/name_f] is too much of a girlâs name. [name_u]Sunny[/name_u] or [name_u]Sonny[/name_u] work better as a male version. Iâve heard of so many people named [name_u]Sunny[/name_u] or [name_u]Sonny[/name_u]. Both are gender-neutral as well.
It could work, though itâs not my favourite. I also the suggestion of [name_u]Sol[/name_u]! Also maybe [name_u]Solstice[/name_u] or just [name_u]Sunny[/name_u]? I find this very cute on a boy.
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nope, no, absolutely not
i think itâs much too feminine for a boys name, but seconding the previous suggestions of sol!
Thank you. Gosh thats a pretty resounding no 
Honestly Iâve only just heard of it and think it sounds great. I love the meaning too. I suppose some names end up gender neutral when parents use them for the other sex. Really do love [name_u]Sunny[/name_u]. I love nature themed names in general.
I think it works. Obviously itâs more established as a feminine name so there might be some teasing. The thing with gender-bending names from other cultures is more nuanced than most people say, I think. It depends on what relationship the cultures have to each other. A colonial force changing the gender of a name from the colonized culture is way more disrespectful than the other way around. So wether itâs useable for you depends on what relation you have to [name_u]Ireland[/name_u]. However, I think a boy called [name_f]Sunniva[/name_f] would be super cool!
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Iâm all for putting girl names on boys (we certainly do enough of it the other way around), but I just donât think the sound of [name_f]Sunniva[/name_f] is gender neutral at all. Itâs like naming a boy [name_f]Priscilla[/name_f] to me.
Thank you. [name_f]My[/name_f] maternal grandmother is [name_u]Irish[/name_u] but moved to [name_u]England[/name_u] when young
Hm, I dunno. I like it. Itâs so uncommon a name that I wouldnât be surprised by the gender of someone I met with this name, if ever I happened to meet one. Why not!
I honestly think it works - and Iâm saying that as a Scandinavian person myself. I completely agree with everything that @Foulbaubleofmansvani discussed in their message. While yes, it is established as a feminine name, it would not be the first nor the last time that a name is genderbent from its original position.
However, if you do decide it may be too feminine, I absolutely love @heartwings suggestions of [name_u]Sol[/name_u] and [name_m]Aurelius[/name_m]. They are my favourite masculine/neutral alternatives Iâve read in the thread. Same vibe, without the risk of sounding âoverly feminineâ. 
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I just wouldnât use that because I have no ties to Scandinavia and I feel like it might be insensitive and disrespectful. But if you are from Scandinavia and say that it is fine than this changes everything.
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I think itâs honestly subjective! Personally, Iâm not too sensitive about how people use names from my Scandinavian culture. However, I definitely cannot speak on behalf of all Scandinavian people. I also have not lived in a Scandinavian example country in almost twenty years. Perhaps I would feel differently if that wasnât the case.
I think itâs a complex topic though, whether itâs insensitive or disrespectful to do so, and definitely hard to delve into here on Nameberry without straying into geopolitical territory⌠To give a non-Scandinavian example from the other half of my ethnicity: I feel I would raise an eyebrow if someone non-MÄori was to use a MÄori name gender bent, especially if it was a name of great cultural significance. Certainly murky waters, and a case-by-case situation!
edit: grammar
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I am not sure. I feel comfortable enough using generally European names from [name_u]Germany[/name_u], [name_u]France[/name_u], [name_f]Italy[/name_f] etc since I am from Europe myself, and these cultures are more or less open cultures. I like Polish names but I am not sure if I would use them, I am scared it would be cultural appriopation. I already feel a bit more uncomfortable with some [name_f]English[/name_f] names that sound too Anglo because they feel like a bit too far from my situation. While there are some non-European names that I like, for example [name_f]Mei[/name_f], that I would use because it is part of my heritage, since my family is multicultural and has that part of heritage too. It just depends on the person.
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Iâm also Scandinavian (Swedish) so it might be how we interpet a name vs other countries? I was thinking this yesterday, because I was so surprised at how people thought [name_f]Sunniva[/name_f] is super feminine. Maybe because it sounds so similar to [name_m]Sune[/name_m]?
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[name_u]Sol[/name_u], [name_m]Samson[/name_m] or [name_u]Solstice[/name_u] sounds better for a boyâŚ
Genderbent names for boys arent there yet, im afraid. I also cant understand people who name their daughter [name_u]Tristan[/name_u] or similar other boys name. Its not really a feminist thing to say femininity is bad.