Why is that Americans like unisex names but the British don't?

Just wondering why Americans like to name girls Avery, Casey, Emerson, Dylan, Hayden etc but those names are pretty much unheard of in Britian? Do you think it's cultural differences, or do you think the UK is just behind the trend and it will soon catch on there?

Why is that Americans like unisex names but the British don't?
I don't know if it's possible to make such a broad statement; I would argue that it all depends on taste. I'm an American and I can't stand unisex names, personally. I have never lived in the UK, nor closely studied naming trends there, so I can't be too authoritative.





However, my educated guess, as a generalization, would be that the British have usually tended to be more traditional, reserved and conservative in most aspects of life; this extends to baby names as well. While Americans may tend to go all-out and then regret it later on, the British are usually more cautious- it's a well known cultural difference. The British are famous for their reserve, a major cultural difference; my prediction is that this is reflected in their naming choice. Also, the British have always been more mature and ahead of the US, in all ways. We may have money and glitter, but England has all the class, and they usually don't follow these immature ideas and trends of the U.S. I think they prefer more established things, names included.





Unisex names have only become common in the last 20 or so years; that makes them fairly recent. Even before five years ago, nobody knew of the name Hayden, for a girl or boy. The more recent popularity of the actress Hayden Pannetiere has, I think, brought the name to the spotlight. Names like Emerson and Dylan in America are viewed as fair game; in England, since they're generally more traditional, Emerson and Dylan fall straight into the boys' camp, and since the British use their common sense, the concept of turning it into a girls' name is just not there; just as we wouldn't consider naming a boy say, Jessica. It's technically the same idea, you know.





Great question!
Reply:Well, I find Britain to be more ahead of Americans in names. Americans are stuck in this silly and immature phase of using boys names on girls and mispelling names while Britain tends to use nicer and classier names. I hope the horrid American trend does not make its way to anywhere else in the world (for the sake of the children). I am an American and I don't like any unisex names, boys names for girls, mispelled names, made up names, etc. So I wouldn't classify all Americans into this category of liking unisex names.
Reply:It very well could be that they are just behind the trend, but I think it is more likely just a cultural thing. I think the British are more into keeping traditions.





Additional: I always loved the name Morgan, for a boy, which it is the traditional Irish use, but since I am American and it is now more commonly used for girls, I do not even like the name for my (possibly future boy) and will not be using it anymore. I like Colin for a boy as well and want to use it, but watch that will soon become a girl's name too... ugh!
Reply:ugh... I'm american and i HATE unisex names! even the more "normal" ones like "taylor", "jordan", "logan", etc.


yeah and its really confusing because sometimes there will be two kids in a class, both named "logan", but one is a boy and one is a girl!


i love classic, traditional names and British names too! they sound beautiful and pure. they are good for babies, tots, students, adults, and senior citizens.


ex) jayden is pretty cute for a baby boy, and can even work thru high school. but can you imagine a successful businessman or CEO introducing himself as "jayden"? or a grandpa named "jayden"?!
Reply:That's weird. I'm inclined to think it's not a catchy trend purely because, having lived in both, Britain seems to ahead of America in a lot of things. Especially fashion. When I came home from school the trends and songs that had been popular there months earlier were just arriving.





I certainly hope the trend doesn't catch. I really dislike unisex names.





I read this brilliant article on the cultural difference between American and European parents in naming their children. It said the prevailing attitude in North America was "my child, my choice". Which I see a lot of here as well. People always say "well its your kid, do what you want". In Europe it's not THEIR name - they're just the parents entrusted to make the choice of the name. But they'll never have to live with that name, so they're quite concious of picking something that they think the child will love. It's less selfish in my opinion. They get to pick it, but it's quite engrained that this is the child's name - what would they want best. They have an obligation to chose a name that will not hinder them in life. So they tend to pick more classic names instead of things like Neveah and Avery or Harper for girls.
Reply:Hopefully the UK will not catch on with the trend... unisex names are HORRIBLE. The British are SMART for not doing that. Girls should have girl names, boys should have boys. And i also wonder why parents dont name their boys girls names...





next thing you know, we'll have little boys running around with the name Olivia Marie and Grace Elisabeth.


and there will be girls with the names William Joseph and Zachary James!!



Reply:I very much hate how people are very stereotypical like that. I know Americans who hate unisex names, and I also know British people who love them. You should know that even though each are thought of as a whole, it doesn't means they think like a whole.
Reply:People in Britain still have sense. It's a tremendously ugly trend that I hope dies here and never catches on anywhere else.





I live in America and don't believe in unisex names. We have different names for different genders for a reason.
Reply:My husband HATES unisex names, and he's american. I like them and am american. I don't think it has anything to do with being American or British.
Reply:Here is Australia unisex names are used very frequently as well as America. I don't understand why British people don't. Maybe they are just behind the times.
Reply:come on man, who calls people hayden or avery, thats a last name,





i wouldnt even call a pet dog casey or emerson, wtf
Reply:I think Brits are more traditional


Like Prince Charles a few years ago, said America is killing the English language. I think it's cultural






Reply:I don't know, but I'm an American and personally I HATE most unisex names on a girl.
Reply:There are very few unisex names I like other than Rylie, but I am hoping that they go away instead of spreading.
Reply:Unisex names are confusing.
Reply:The Brits are a bit odd.
Reply:idk