This weeks naming obsession for me has been Boys names on girls. My name is a traditionally male name and I’ve always found it a little empowering. I’ve interviewed with a woman named [name]Bruce[/name], and one of my vendors I met Friday is a woman named [name]Devon[/name].
Names I’ve added to my girls list this week:
[name]Spencer[/name]
[name]Elliot[/name]
[name]Owen[/name]
[name]Winslow[/name]
What do you think?
I really love and prefer unisex names. Some I can’t see myself using however, if they sound exceedingly masculine I wouldn’t consider it. For example, [name]Winslow[/name], [name]Spencer[/name], and [name]Elliot[/name] don’t sound extremely manly to me, the “win” in [name]Winslow[/name], the “en-ser” sound in [name]Spencer[/name], and the “ell” in [name]Elliot[/name]. I can’t imagine a woman named [name]Bruce[/name] though, it kind of makes me laugh.
I know a lot of people don’t like this trend, but I love it providing the name is not too masculine. I love [name]Elliot[/name] for a girl 
[name]Spencer[/name] and [name]Elliott[/name] are nice on girls.
I also like [name]Mason[/name], [name]Darcy[/name], [name]Brady[/name] and Tobyn on girls.
I have a boyish name myself, and increasingly so, as it is gaining popularity as a boys name on it’s own and as a nn for several recently trendy/fashionable boys names that were not in style when I was born (1984). I have a love hate relationship with it. I love my name in general and have always gotten tons of positive responses to it, however, I sometimes wish I had a more feminine name. It irritates me when little kids meet me and say “but, that’s a boys name” (this happens a lot because there is a popular male cartoon character with my name). As a girl, in part because of my name, I felt like my parents wanted me to be a tom-boy, and it took years to realize and be OK with the fact that I am naturally rather girly. Because of all this I am probably going to use super feminine names for my own daughters.
[name]Owen[/name] and [name]Winslow[/name] on a girl? Really? I don’t see how adopting male attributes is empowering. It’s actually reinforcing the stereotype that femininity is weak. Sad.
What about Harold, Bennet, Dennis, Peter, Edward. I can’t see anything wrong with using those on girls… Infact maybe you could even call her Male or Masculine. Just to really emphasize the point.
So many of the names tagged “boy” names are surnames. As such, they have a familiar ring to them that makes them seem more doable. I love surnames on boys or girls, esp. when there is significance or history attached to them. They sound strong because they are established in society as, at least somewhat common, last names. Strong is a female or male attribute
[name]Ellis[/name], [name]Rooney[/name], [name]Tatum[/name], [name]Ryan[/name], [name]Tyler[/name]
OH my gosh. It is not reinforcing stereotypes just simply liking a boys name for a girl. Some people just genuinely like it better. I like unique names. I like the sound of the popular girls names like [name]Ella[/name] and [name]Emma[/name] but they are too popular, all the eccentric girls names like [name]Blythe[/name], [name]Primrose[/name], [name]Agatha[/name], I can’t stand. So I like surnamey-unisex-boyish names on girls, like [name]Collins[/name] and [name]Harper[/name]. IT isn’t reinforcing anything.
If we are to be truly equal genders one day than there will be no such thing as boys and girls names. Sigh. Maybe. [name]Elliot[/name], [name]Winslow[/name] and [name]Spencer[/name] definitely yes for girls. [name]Owen[/name] I’m not sold on.
There are very few unisex/surnames that I like on girls. My personal style is feminine, dainty, cute, vintage girls names. It also makes me sad to see great boy names lost to girls. [name]Elliot[/name] and [name]Spencer[/name] are 2 of my favorite boys names.
[name]Spencer[/name] is at the top of my girl name list, and I hate it for boys. To me it isn’t gender stereotyping at all, I simply like what I like…
I really like unisex names for girls. They are strong, and work well in a professional context for women. My two favourites are [name]Alex[/name] (and of course this can be short for many feminine names) and [name]Morgan[/name]. Out of your list I like [name]Elliott[/name] the best. I went through school with a girl named [name]Owen[/name], so I don’t think it’s all that unusual, but I don’t really like it for either gender.
I love this trend! I’ve had a female OC named [name]Spencer[/name] for the longest time, and it annoys me when people freak out over it. I, myself, have a male name, and I find it suits me quite well. I like the names that are still considered for men but sound nice on girls like [name]Thomas[/name], [name]Ian[/name], [name]Sylvester[/name], and such.
I am of two minds on this one. I just bought a house that has a kid’s room with light and dark blue stripes. My family has commented “Oh, hopefully you’ll have a boy or you’ll have to paint!” Really? No, it will be blue regardless.
But am I going to name my (hypothetical) son [name]Elizabeth[/name]? No. Would I name a girl a masculine name like [name]Elliott[/name] or even [name]James[/name]? Not my style, but I would be more likely to go with that option than the former. What does that say about our society?
Sorry, I’ve been taking too many Sociology classes
Completely agree with you! Very sad.
Also when I hear a little girl with a boys name I naturally assume that the parent’s really wanted a son but got stuck with a daughter (and I’m not the only one with this thinking). Especially when most or all their girls have male names. A girl named Charlotte, for example, is far more empowered than a little girl named Owen who wants to ask if mom and dad were truly happy to have a daughter but is afraid of the answer.
It also shortens the already to short list of boys names that moms pregnant with boys can pick from. Give a little consideration to them before every name but Micheal is turned into a girls name.
There’s my two cents.
I absolutely agree, as well. I cannot stand boys names on girls. I would never do that to my daughter.
My kids go to school with girls of the following names:
[name]Hunter[/name]
[name]Dylan[/name] (2)
[name]Jayden[/name]
[name]Ryan[/name] (2)
[name]Holden[/name]
[name]Mattie[/name] (full name, not a nn)
[name]Brady[/name]
I know of a girl [name]James[/name] and a girl [name]Levi[/name].
While I don’t gush over frilly names, I do like a bit of a distinction! [name]Just[/name] MHO
I agree completely! 
I would love to use [name]Spencer[/name] for a son someday, but if this continues, I’m not sure how comfortable I would be using it…