No. Some. people. just. like. unisex. names. Why is it a boys name in the first place? Whose to say if you like a name on a certain sex then you cant name your child that? Whose to say naming your daughter [name]Charlotte[/name] is EMPOWERING? And fyi it’s called a unisex name, is little [name]Avery[/name] going to cry because mommy and daddy just really wanted a girl? No, not according to you, why does a name have to automatically be a boys? Some names sound good on girls, deal with it and stop making so many assumptions. It’s just as strange to name your daughter [name]Apple[/name] or [name]Butterfly[/name] but it’s been done, and quite frankly I think those names look MUCH more hard to deal with. And it only shortens your boys list if you let it. My guy friend’s name is [name]Spencer[/name] and he isn’t questioning whether or not mommy and daddy actually love him, and neither is my girl friend [name]Elliot[/name].
[name]Spencer[/name] - I don’t like last name names.
[name]Elliot[/name] - To me, this is all boy. [name]Every[/name] person I’ve met with the name and every name association I have for the name is male. It’s actually on my list. For a boy.
[name]Owen[/name] - Another boys name. [name]Don[/name]'t like it on a girl.
[name]Winslow[/name] - Too last namey.
It makes me really sad to see people consider [name]Owen[/name] for girls. [name]How[/name] is that in the slightest bit feminine? I know at about 9 male [name]Owen[/name]'s (and [name]Eoghan[/name]/[name]Eoin[/name]'s), so to me, its all boy. [name]Elliot[/name] is one of my favourite boys names, as is [name]Spencer[/name], so I can’t see them on a boy. I don’t like [name]Winslow[/name] for either gender.
I have a friend with a DD named [name]Charley[/name], who is aged 10. Not [name]Charlotte[/name] or [name]Charlene[/name], just [name]Charley[/name]. Now, whenever [name]Charley[/name] is signed up for any extra curricular activities, unless mom mentions that [name]Charley[/name] is female in advance (ie on the phone), she gets put in with the boys. She recently tried to join a soccer team, only to find on arrival the organisers had assumed her male and sent her to the boys team by accident.
The boys in her class tease her, calling her [name]Charles[/name] and laughing at the fact that she has a boys name. [name]Every[/name] [name]September[/name], her new teacher gets a shock when she calls out [name]Charley[/name] during roll call, only to have a girl answer instead of a boy.
My point is, unless she specifies that she is a girl, she’s assumed to be a boy. This is not only embarrassing and humiliating, its also not great for her self confidence to have to constantly justify her own name. My friend now wishes she had gone for a longer version of [name]Charley[/name], but of course its too late.
I’m not saying that all girls need to have frilly, princessy, over the top feminine names. But there are plenty of girls names out there that don’t have an overly feminine feel. Purposely giving your child a name of the opposite gender can be cruel. What is little [name]Edward[/name] or [name]Johnny[/name] loves fairies and rainbows? Her name won’t suit her at all.
I just don’t understand the logic of it. I’m all for gender equality but this isn’t the right way to achieve it.
I think little things like that give a person substance. I feel like you’re almost saying their bullying is justified. I’m sure it isn’t humiliating, although I agree that some names definitely take it a little far. I don’t really like [name]Charley[/name] on a girl personally, it does sound male to me, as does [name]Owen[/name], and a lot of other names people have mentioned, but I am criticized for likely [name]Leighton[/name], [name]Greer[/name], [name]Luca[/name], [name]Emery[/name]. I’m also not trying to achieve gender equality by liking these names, to me they GENUINELY don’t sound like boy names haha. And also to your point what if [name]Edward[/name] (a girl) likes rainbows and fairies…what if [name]Esmerelda[/name] a girl liked trucks and playing in the mud…? That could also happen…
I love nameberry but the response to unisex names gets me a little upset on this board. I think people should be able to have their own style for names. If I ever post about a unisex name with a feminine middle it feels like the unisex gets slammed and I get comments like “WHY would you do this?!!” And the feminine middle gets glorified.
The truth is women will be successful in spite of their names. Whether they have a strong male-based name like [name]Quinn[/name] or [name]Greer[/name], or a frilly name like [name]Persephone[/name] or [name]Camilla[/name].
I like unisex names, they are my style. While I may not agree that all names are my kind of unisex (like [name]Thomas[/name] is “too boy” sounding to me personally), I see no issues if someone else wants to chose it! And I’m sure when the first few women picked the names [name]Whitney[/name] and [name]Ashley[/name] for their daughters were looked at like they were insane, but trends have to start somewhere, right?! 
Yes. Finally someone feels the way I do, I feel somewhat attacked, a lot of times people aren’t even nice about, they just say you wished you had a boy and you’re ruining your childs life. I just prefer the sound of unisex names over frilly or common names! Geez.
Well, the OP did ask for people’s opinions… I’m not going to say I do like male or unisex names if I don’t.
[name]Avery[/name] is originally a boy’s name though.
I love tom-boy NICKNAMES on girls, but I feel that every girl deserves a feminine name. [name]Little[/name] [name]Charlotte[/name] can always go by [name]Charlie[/name], [name]Andromeda[/name] can go by [name]Andy[/name], and little [name]Willow[/name] can go by [name]Will[/name].
And [name]Spencer[/name] is a guy name, so I’m sure your guy friend is okay with having that name.
This whole thread is ridiculous! If people are asked their opinions, other people shouldn’t get worked up when those opinions differ from theirs. I, personally HATE boys names on girls. I wouldn’t name my son [name]Elizabeth[/name] and I wouldn’t name my daughter [name]Scotty[/name]. Or [name]Owen[/name]. Or [name]Spencer[/name], for that matter. But that is just my opinion, which I am entitled to, just like everyone else here is. If you want to name your daughter [name]Ryan[/name], I don’t care. But if people say that sounds sort of butch on a girl, don’t get your feelings hurt. [name]Chloe[/name] belle, not everyone is going to agree with you, sorry.
Please I beg you to stay away from [name]Spencer[/name]. It was hard enough finding a boys name I liked that wasn’t clearly in the girls camp.
I realize [name]Spencer[/name] is to most a guys name, what I’m saying is since it is used by girls he doesn’t feel feminine.
^ Agree with this bit. Unisex names are unisex, to be used on both genders. Unisex names ARE NOT “boy’s names on girls”. Sorry.
Exactly. Unisex names I don’t mind. [name]Avery[/name], [name]Harper[/name], [name]Hadley[/name], [name]Reese[/name], [name]Riley[/name], [name]Sage[/name], [name]Bailey[/name] ([name]Bailey[/name] is feminine to me though). But I don’t like distinguished boys names on baby girls. [name]Just[/name] NMS.
Until 1990 [name]Riley[/name] never ranked in the top 1000 for girls, only ever for boys. So why is that name okay to be unisex and not some other name? [name]Sidney[/name] perhaps? This is just one example. At some point though a unisex name probably started on one gender or the other (most male to female) and then got taken up by the other gender. I doubt there are many examples of unisex names that were always unisex names.
I see what you are saying. I just think giving a girl a fuller, more feminine name gives her more options. If she is a girly-girly named [name]Charlie[/name], she can’t go by [name]Charlotte[/name]. If she is a tom-boy named [name]Charlotte[/name], she can always go by [name]Charlie[/name] as a nickname, ykwim?
Well, this is clearly not 1990, and today the names I listed are considered unisex. And [name]Sydney[/name] I consider unisex too. Yes, I know it is traditionally boyish, decades ago, but today, it is unisex. [name]Spencer[/name] and [name]Owen[/name] and Elliet however are still BOY names. You are entitled to your own opinion also though and if you want a daughter named [name]Oscar[/name] or [name]Connor[/name] or anything else that reeks of manliness, then be my guest. I have opinions, and so do you. No reason to get all statistic on me. [name]Kay[/name], thanks.
I am sorry you feel attacked in some way by my citing some stats. I guess that’s my nature working with numbers. It wasn’t even directed at you in particular, just the broader point that what some people consider as unisex now were probably once considered too boyish for girls when they were first started to be used for girls. People who first used [name]Riley[/name] on a girl probably were met with the same reaction people who suggest [name]Spencer[/name] for a girl today meet. I guess my point is that names and gender are fluid as much as some people suggest they are not or should not be.
This whole thread is pretty silly in my opinion. I didn’t even want to comment but I feel like i should. Lets keep it simple - pick whatever name you love for your child. It doesn’t matter if its a boys name on a girl, or a girls name on a boy, just choose the name you adore.
Sure, a little miss [name]Owen[/name] might have to answer a few questions, and explain her name time and time again, but so will a little miss Mikhaeylah, or little miss [name]Apple[/name]. It’s all relative.
We have experience with this, as our youngest son has a name that I know many girls share with him. His name is [name]Miller[/name]. But there is also a little miss [name]Miller[/name] in his play group. And guess what, no one thinks anything of it! I’ve written about this on here before. The two [name]Miller[/name]'s actually [name]LOVE[/name] that they share the same name and giggle about it a whole lot, and is probably the reason they remain close friends. Kids are kids. It’s mainly the other parents, i’ve noticed, that show they have a “problem” with this.
I mean, as our world and societies evolve, having people named [name]Apple[/name] and [name]Pilot[/name] Inspektor and [name]Wren[/name] and [name]Rigby[/name] and [name]Miller[/name] and [name]Eloise[/name] and boys named [name]Sidney[/name] and girls named [name]Elliot[/name], and boys named [name]Elliot[/name] and girls named [name]Sidney[/name] is just going to become the norm. So please, just pick a name that you and your partner love and just go with it. As long as you believe and have confidence in your childrens names, your children will pick up on that and love their own name too - even if there is an opposite sex classmate sharing the same name as them.
xo [name]Viv[/name]
Sorry for overreacting. I guess you’re right, about people having the same reaction back then as people do today. I went to school with a [name]Scotty[/name] and a [name]Ricky[/name] who were both girls, and they loved their names. So, I guess it isn’t really that big of a deal. Again, not my cup of tea, but I can see the appeal to some extent.
Well [name]Rhia[/name], I am not asking anyone to agree with me, if someone says unisex names aren’t their style, that is just fine. What makes me mad is when people seem to attack anybody who DOES like them. I’ve been told on here that I must have wanted a son, that my child is going to think I didn’t want them, that she will be teased. I, and I know many others, don’t like names like [name]Agatha[/name], or [name]Blythe[/name], but I haven’t seen many people saying Oh your child is going to think you wanted to give birth to a 100 year old woman.