We all know boy’s names are used often for girls now, ([name_u]Blake[/name_u], [name_u]Parker[/name_u], [name_u]Ryan[/name_u], etc) and also that many names which used to be considered mostly or totally masculine have switched over to the girl’s side for good (like [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] and [name_u]Lindsey[/name_u]).
I posed the question one-sided, but you can answer either, or both. Which girl names do you like for boys, and which boy names do you like for girls? Which ones do you dislike? (to be clear, I’m not really talking about names that are widely accepted as unisex, but feel free to mention them).
I personally would love to see [name_u]Avery[/name_u] or [name_u]Casey[/name_u] on a baby boy, but feel like these names lean heavily on girls nowadays.
I love [name_u]Casey[/name_u] as a boys name! [name_f]My[/name_f] husband thinks the name is too girly but I don’t think so. I’ve met a few baby boys named [name_u]Casey[/name_u], and they suit their name so well.
I used to have a friend online who had named her son [name_u]Casey[/name_u]. She had some resistance from family members who thought it too girly, but she said he had no problems with it. But I think [name_u]Avery[/name_u] and [name_u]Casey[/name_u] are both still unisex anyway.
I still believe and hope that [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] and [name_u]Lindsey[/name_u] are still usable for boys if their parents wanted to use those names enough. But I understand the fear. [name_f]My[/name_f] real favorite boy name gone girl is [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] and I dream that one day I could use that for a boy.
I find myself preferring names that are more commonly used for girls on boys though in general and I think a lot are more usable than people think. [name_f]Virtue[/name_f] names like [name_f]Hope[/name_f], [name_u]Haven[/name_u], [name_u]Honor[/name_u], [name_u]Sage[/name_u]. [name_u]Nature[/name_u] names like [name_u]Brooke[/name_u], [name_u]Sky[/name_u]/Skye, [name_u]River[/name_u], [name_u]Lark[/name_u], [name_u]Wren[/name_u], [name_u]Eden[/name_u].
I try to be really positive towards names and so I don’t like to say that I don’t like certain names in general. I can’t ever imagine seeing a name like Arabella or Isabelle on a boy though, flourishing type names. Nor very common, very historically popular girls names like Jennifer or Catherine. But a Jen or a Cat or Kit, as an honoring name seems plausible to me. Emma is another story. Despite its huge popularity for girls I think its simplicity just makes it feel like it could work for a boy.
Not sure which names started out as girls names or are more common as girl names vs unisex but some names I’ve seen girls have that I like on boys are [name_u]Sky[/name_u]/Skylar, [name_u]Kai[/name_u], [name_f]Olwen[/name_f]/Olwyn, [name_u]London[/name_u], [name_u]Dakota[/name_u], [name_u]Mika[/name_u], [name_u]Paris[/name_u], Yukon, [name_u]River[/name_u], [name_u]Riley[/name_u], [name_u]Rey[/name_u], [name_u]Onyx[/name_u], [name_f]Ireland[/name_f], [name_f]Tauriel[/name_f], [name_f]Anwen[/name_f], [name_f]Arwen[/name_f], [name_m]Basil[/name_m], [name_u]Denali[/name_u], [name_m]Cyprus[/name_m], [name_u]Denver[/name_u], [name_f]Florence[/name_f], [name_f]Eowyn[/name_f], [name_f]Hazel[/name_f], [name_u]Sage[/name_u], [name_f]Lorelei[/name_f], [name_u]Rory[/name_u], [name_f]Lotus[/name_f], [name_u]Lark[/name_u]/[name_u]Larkspur[/name_u], [name_u]Rowan[/name_u], [name_u]Falcon[/name_u], [name_u]Kit[/name_u], [name_u]Peregrine[/name_u], [name_u]Blue[/name_u], and [name_u]Indigo[/name_u].
@Hypatia_Hellene (love [name_f]Hypatia[/name_f] btw!), I think [name_u]Avery[/name_u] and [name_u]Casey[/name_u] are unisex too.
I never knew [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] started as a boys name haha! It was also a long time before I found out that [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] and [name_u]Lindsay[/name_u] used to be boy names. The evolution of names is interesting!
I feel like I also prefer many names that are commonly used for girls or are unisex for boys. I think I just like softer or nature names and people prefer to use these types of names on girls.
I have never thought about [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f] being a boys name but now that you mentioned it, I can actually see it as a boys name now. I don’t know why. It should look only like a girls name like [name_f]Arabella[/name_f] but for some reason, I’m starting to like it as a boys name.
Hands down, [name_u]Arlo[/name_u] is my favorite ‘boy name’ for a girl. I’m probably going to use it if I have a girl (just found out I’m pregnant!) because it also doubles as a namesake for a very close relative of mine [name_u]Ardell[/name_u] [name_u]Louise[/name_u] [lastname].
Some other favs are:
[name_u]Logan[/name_u]
[name_u]August[/name_u]
[name_u]Evan[/name_u]
Though I like lots of gender neutral and traditionally male names for girls.
ooooooh YAY I love “switching genders” (and I put that in quotes because most of these are actually unisex and I don’t really see why a boys name that sounds like a girls name to you or a girls name that sounds like a boys name to you isn’t acceptable.)
’Girls’ names for Boys
[name_u]Vivian[/name_u]
[name_u]Cass[/name_u]
[name_u]Aubrey[/name_u]
[name_u]Ashley[/name_u]
[name_u]Leslie[/name_u] - YAY sounds way fresher on a boy
[name_u]Avery[/name_u]-I actually know a boy and a girl avery of about the same age
[name_u]Brooke[/name_u]
[name_u]Sparrow[/name_u]
[name_u]Lark[/name_u]
[name_u]Winter[/name_u]
[name_u]Skylar[/name_u]
[name_u]Larkin[/name_u]
[name_u]Piper[/name_u]
[name_u]Ember[/name_u]
[name_f]Avalon[/name_f] - cause why not?
[name_u]Quinn[/name_u] - I don’t usually even like this on a girl but on a boy it is perfection!
[name_f]Bronwyn[/name_f], [name_u]Gwyn[/name_u], any wyn names- actually a masculine suffix
[name_f]Hazel[/name_f]
[name_u]Penny[/name_u]
[name_u]Willow[/name_u] - yes please
[name_u]Raven[/name_u]
[name_f]Valerie[/name_f]
[name_u]Ever[/name_u]
Camille - yay so many famous Camilles who are men as well
[name_u]Dove[/name_u] - this needs to be for a boy too. I am tired of people not using boys names because it doesn’t sound masculine. Masculinism is a problem too.
[name_u]Bellamy[/name_u]
Kim - I do not like this on a girl but LOOOOOVe it on a boy
Sasha - same as Kim
[name_u]Robin[/name_u] - I don’t even like this for a girl that much but LOVE it for a boy
ones that could definitely work, but I would probably keep as middles:
[name_u]Sky[/name_u]
[name_f]Grace[/name_f]
[name_f]Jade[/name_f]
[name_u]Day[/name_u]
’Boys’ names for Girls
[name_u]Evan[/name_u] - a double barreled name like [name_u]Evan[/name_u]-
[name_f]Joy[/name_f] or something would be SO CUTE and also really strong
[name_u]Peregrine[/name_u] - [name_u]Love[/name_u] the nicknames too, [name_u]Perry[/name_u], [name_u]Penny[/name_u], [name_u]Reggie[/name_u]…
[name_u]Kai[/name_u]
[name_u]Arrow[/name_u]
[name_u]Forest[/name_u]
Soren - yes I actually did know a girl Soren and Loved her name
[name_u]Willoughby[/name_u] - yay
[name_u]Hero[/name_u] - super beautiful and powerful
[name_m]Cadell[/name_m] - woooooow super pretty
[name_u]Collins[/name_u] - I literally can’t put the vibe into words!!
[name_u]Porter[/name_u]
Wendell
Will
Bennett
Everett
Jasper
Eddie (probably as a nickname for Elodie or smthg)
Andie
Logan
ones I would use, but probably just as middles:
Wyatt
Chase -love this!! I had Ella Chase on my list at one point
I know boys called [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] and [name_u]Lindsey[/name_u]! [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] is still very unisex to me. I also really like [name_u]Casey[/name_u] for a boy.
Girls names for boys:
[name_u]Sasha[/name_u]
[name_u]Izzy[/name_u]
[name_u]Harper[/name_u]
[name_u]Sky[/name_u]
[name_u]Aubrey[/name_u]
[name_f]Branwen[/name_f]
Boys names for girls:
[name_u]James[/name_u]
[name_u]Elliot[/name_u]
[name_m]Reuben[/name_m]
[name_u]Logan[/name_u]
[name_u]Rory[/name_u]
[name_u]Freddie[/name_u]
[name_u]Andy[/name_u]
I have been meaning to post this for a few days. I have been emailing with a [name_u]Leslie[/name_u] for the last few months on and off for work and had assumed [name_u]Leslie[/name_u] was female. [name_f]My[/name_f] bad, just last week I found out that [name_u]Leslie[/name_u] is in fact a man, probably in his late 20s or early 30s. Not that it had affected in any way how I had been dealing with him, but I was a bit disappointed in myself that I was both surprised and that I had even made that assumption in the first place.
And KIM I was planning to make a post about [name_u]Kim[/name_u] in the next day or so. I am crushing on [name_u]Kim[/name_u] for a boy at the moment too and wanted to get some feedback on that.
Wow, I loved reading all your replies! In case anyone got the wrong idea, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the gender bender names, and I know there are so many names out there considered unisex now, maybe even more than I realized!
@Hypatia_Hellene I had no idea that [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] was originally given to boys! & I agree about the virtue names. I like most of the ones you listed but I was pleasantly surprised that you mentioned [name_f]Hope[/name_f]- never thought about it for a boy but now I would love to meet one!
@KaiLun I love a lot of the more unisex names you mentioned like [name_u]Sage[/name_u], [name_u]River[/name_u] and [name_u]Indigo[/name_u] for boys and girls, but I particularly like [name_f]Anwen[/name_f] for a boy! and I think [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f] is a feminine spelling, but I think [name_f]Isobel[/name_f] would be fabulous for a boy.
@TaylorW0811 I might squeal with joy if I ever met a little girl named [name_u]Drew[/name_u], maybe partially because of the [name_f]Nancy[/name_f] [name_u]Drew[/name_u] series. I also think [name_u]Artemis[/name_u] would be so handsome for a boy and has always sounded more masculine to me.
Since thinking about this thread I am also wondering about:
Dana
[name_u]Cassidy[/name_u], [name_f]Erin[/name_f], [name_u]Clare[/name_u] and [name_u]Shannon[/name_u] all with an Irish theme
[name_u]Willow[/name_u]
[name_f]Lauren[/name_f] to me has always sounded like it could work for both genders.
[name_u]Tatum[/name_u]
[name_u]Kerry[/name_u]/Keri
[name_u]Kenzie[/name_u]
[name_u]Darcy[/name_u]
[name_f]Brynn[/name_f]
@broberry congratulations! I think [name_u]Arlo[/name_u] for a girl is adorable! it is always refreshing to see a girl whose name ends in “o”, and part of the reason I love [name_f]Juno[/name_f] so much. & I am actually surprised that [name_u]Evan[/name_u] isn’t used more often for girls- at least from what I’ve seen. I love it as a simpler option to [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u].
@EJpuddlejumper wow! What you said about people not using names that aren’t “masculine” enough for boys, is something I’ve thought often about. I think everyone is allowed to have preferences, and some people simply like more girly or more masculine names, but there are certainly ties to toxic masculinity as well (hence why boy names have a much easier time crossing over to the girl’s side nowadays, and not the other way around; although it seems like in the past it may have been different considering names like [name_u]Lindsey[/name_u] or [name_u]Madison[/name_u]. I’m not very educated on this subject so I’m mostly inferring.) anyway, you listed a lot of great ones, in particular I think [name_u]Willow[/name_u] and [name_u]Dove[/name_u] would be stunning for a boy. and don’t even get me started on [name_u]Sasha[/name_u]!! It is perfection!
[name_u]Peregrine[/name_u] is a name I learned on NB and have come to really like. I think [name_u]Perry[/name_u] is adorable for a girl. I’m curious what you think about [name_u]Percy[/name_u] as well? Although [name_m]Percival[/name_m] is masculine to me, DH and I really like [name_u]Percy[/name_u] for a little girl, maybe as a nickname for [name_f]Persephone[/name_f].
finally, I am with you on [name_m]Cadell[/name_m]! I am almost surprised it isn’t considered unisex? It would make a stunning name for either gender!
thanks for all your input!
I’m a little two-faced in this area, because I have a soft spot for feminine names on a boy, but I really can’t stand boys’ names on girls - even most unisex names rub me the wrong way. Maybe because my birth name was exclusively used on boys (I’ve only met one other woman with that name), and I dealt with a lot of harassment from classmates and even teachers.
For boys:
[name_u]Ashley[/name_u] (I’m an Evil Dead fan so this really screams boy to me)
[name_u]Vivian[/name_u] (One of my all time favourite names for a boy, as I really love guitarist [name_u]Vivian[/name_u] [name_u]Campbell[/name_u]!)
[name_u]Casey[/name_u]
[name_u]Aynsley[/name_u]
[name_u]Addison[/name_u]
[name_u]Madison[/name_u]
[name_u]Bailey[/name_u]
[name_u]Kimberly[/name_u] (Met a little boy at my old job with this name and oh my God, sweetest little kid ever and whilst I never actually like the name on either gender prior to that, he completely changed my view of the name)
[name_u]Lindsay[/name_u]
[name_u]Courtney[/name_u]
[name_u]Shannon[/name_u]
[name_u]Everly[/name_u]
[name_f]Jade[/name_f] (Like the 10th music based name I’ve thrown in this list thus far but I heard this on [name_f]Jade[/name_f] from AFI and have loved it ever since)
[name_u]Raven[/name_u]
[name_u]Meredith[/name_u]
[name_u]Cassidy[/name_u]
[name_u]Brooke[/name_u]
[name_u]Emery[/name_u]
[name_u]Emerson[/name_u]
[name_u]Avery[/name_u] (Would totally use it if it weren’t so overly used in my family. 46 males and 2 females have it in my family. That’s too much for me lol)
[name_f]Valerie[/name_f]
[name_u]Whitney[/name_u]
[name_u] Winter[/name_u]
For Girls:
[name_f]Olwyn[/name_f]/Olwen
Arwyn/Arwen
[name_u]Evelyn[/name_u]
