What is your opinion on "unisex" names?

I know this is a very controversial issue.


I have my own opinion, and some exceptions to my opinion. But I do think that sometimes this can be taken too far.





Anyway, what's your opinion on unisex names?





Why is it that girl's have boy's names, like Ryan and Taylor (not saying I like those for a girl), but boy's not having girl's names, like Isabella and Ava?





Would you ever name your child a "unisex" name?





I'll share my opinion later.


Thanks in advance! :)

What is your opinion on "unisex" names?
In my opinion, there is no such thing as a unisex name, there will never be a unisex name. All these so called "unisex" names are nothing more than horrid, masculine, boy names been shoved on poor little girls.





Just look at he meaning of Unisex.





Unisex - not distinguishing between male and female; undifferentiated as to sex





When a name is masculine, that is distinguishing a sex...the name is male. When a name is feminine, that is distinguishing a sex...the name is female. So it cannot be "unisex".











As for why people cannot have girl names like Isabella and Ava...it is because people are ignorant and hypocritical.











[Edit] Person above, Francis and Blaire are both masculine names and perfectly fine on males. where they belong.





[Edit] Taylor is not a girl's name. It is masculine. Tailors were always male.





[Edit] Done. Sorry about that.





The only "unisex" names that I tolerate are as follows:








Lee - Unfortunately it is my middle name. I hate it. So filler. But I hate even worse is that people say that Leigh is the "feminine" spelling. I fail to see how it is feminine in the least bit. The 'gh' to me is harsh and masculine.





Vivian / Vivenne - My great Aunt was Vivian. I plan on using the Vivienne spelling as a middle name for one of my children, to honor her.





Ariel - I doubt I ever use it but I have it on my female's list. Only because as a child I watched The Little Mermaid so much that I actually wore out two tapes of it.
Reply:Well none of my kids have unisex names but I guess I would try to stay away from them just because in my opinion a girl should have a girl's name and a boy should have a boy's name. Also, names like Isabella and Ava are extremely feminine names and in the languages they come from they are considered feminine names with feminine suffixes so not only are they considered feminine but they actually are feminine, but it's not like that for Ryan or Taylor. And c'mon, if you met a guy named Isabella and a girl named Taylor which one would you think was the freak?
Reply:These are my views on common "unisex" names:





Addison-boy's name


Alexis-can be used for either


Ashley-boy's name


Avery-boy's name


Aubrey-boy's name


Bailey-can be used for either


Caden/Cadence-boy's nam


Cassidy-boy's name.


Carey-girl's name.


Cameron-girl or boy's name. Cameryn is feminine, Cameron is masculine.


Cecil-girl's name.


Kristin-girl's name.


Dana-boy's name.


Dallas-boy's name.


Dylan-boy's name.


Gabriel/elle-El-boys, Elle-girls.


Hailey-girl's name.


Harper-boy's name.


Harley-boy's name.


Hayden-boy's name.


Hunter-boy's name.


Jesse-boy's name. Although, Jessie is a feminine nickname for Jessica.


Jordan-boy's name, and Jordyn can be used on girls just fine.


Kendal-boy's name


Kasey-boy's name.


Kennedy-boy's name. Or, a girl's name on a doll. A doll. Not your child.


Leslie-girl's name.


Lindsay-girl's name.


Lee-Lee is feminine. Leigh is masculine.


Lynn-girl's name.


Mackenzie-boy's name.


Madison-boy's name.


Mallory-boy's name.


Micha-boy's name.


Morgan-girl's name.


Nicole-girl's name.


Olive-girl's name.


Paige-girl's name.


Paris-boy's name.


Parker-boy's name.


Peyton-boy's name.


Quinn-boy's name.


Ray-boy's name.


Riley-boy's name.


Robin-boy's name.


Ryan-boy's name.


Stacey-boy's name.


Sean/Shawn/Shaun-boy's name.


Taylor-boy's name.


Taryn-boy's name.


Tyler-boy's name.


Vivian-girl's name.


Whitney-boy's name.
Reply:In general, I don't like names that are gender-neutral.


But, I think it works with certain names. Riley, for example, sounds like a girl and I know a ton of little girl Riley's. When my sister named her son Riley, I thought it was weird, but it's grown on me and I really like it for a boy - and it is actually a boys name, I was surprised to learn.


I was also surprised to learn that Avery is really a boys name, despite the recent trend to use it for a girl. I wanted to name my girl this until my husband told me it's not a girls name.


Bottom line for me is if it sounds like a girl name and it's cute, I'm cool with it. I had a girl friend in high school named Kyle, and it really fit her.


If it doesn't fit, it's disturbing. I recently met a older gentleman named Lynn and a woman named Shawn. I had a hard time calling them by their names.


Personally, I stay away from unisex for my kids because it could end up being a mistake.
Reply:Not unless I really am in love with it, because if the kid ends up not fitting in and they have a unisex name, they will be made fun of almost for sure. But I think it's easier for girls to have boy's names because girls can lean more towards the masculine side and not be called lesbian, while boys with girl's names are always picked on and called gay. It's a guy thing I guess. Lol, I wouldn't know.
Reply:I dislike unisex names and I would hate my parents if they named me Ryan.





I'm all for parents naming their kids how they please as long as they stop to think of how the name will look in the future when the child is applying for a job. Christopher Smith could be a CEO but Kriztoefer Smith would look horrible on a company's annual report. If a girl was named Ryan Smith think of all the drama and teasing she would go through in her life.
Reply:I have two grown sons, and I didn't give them unisex names. I would have loved to name a son Robin, and that's not unusual in England, but in the US, I didn't want him to be teased.


I am not crazy about the unisex trend. I am not crazy about the "lets make up some weird-a*s name for our kid" trend.


And I have no idea why all these women think Brooklyn is a girl's name. I keep seeing that on here, and I don't get it.
Reply:They can work, only if they are truly unisex, meaning they have gained enough popularity on girls to consider it also a girls name. Bailey, Rory, Avery? Sure. I can see them on both genders. James, Ryan, Elliott? Um, NO. Just because some "uneek mommeigh" wanted to be special and pick a random BOY name for their girl does not make it a solid unisex or girl name at all.
Reply:Well, I personally think unisex names are nice for girls but so much for boys.





Frankly because girls can get away with names like Jordan, Alex, etc. and boys will get teased for a name like Leslie.





I'm actually planning on giving my girls unisex names when I have my babies =]
Reply:I like unisex names. My name is Kelly which is unisex. In my opinion their are a lot of boy names that I would never use on a boy because they sound too feminine. For example:


Tristan


Ashley


Lindsey


Madison


Aubree


Unisex or predominately boys names I love and would use:


Toni


Andie


Morgan


Dylan


Danni


Sam
Reply:Honestly I think they come in handy if the child decides to have a sex change in the future, as to mine, well, all my boys have traditional hispanic names, either way I don't see them as a bad or good thing.
Reply:Depends on the name. I love Morgan for a boy but hate it for a girl, same for Christian but some names for boys are just wrong, like Leslie and Shannon.
Reply:for me it depends on the name if its like jesse or something i don't mind but some of them sound like more of a girls name or more of a boys name for me it really depends on the name
Reply:I named my girl Jordan. So, yes.
Reply:I like SOME unisex names. But others, NOT AT ALL!
Reply:I prefer to put each name for one gender. As a girl who has (and was named after) a boy i believe each name should be labeled a gender. For example Taylor (girl) and Ryan (boy). We have a girl named Ryan (and 2 boys named Ryan/Ryan) at our school, she hates her name and goes by Ryan Lea (Ryan Lee) because Lea is her middle name. If her parents would have called her Rachel Lee her issue would be solved, but no her parents had to call her Ryan Lea. I also like knowing some ones gender so you won't be shocked when you meet them. Let's say my sister's friends are having a party (say they are Taylor Ariel Lancaster %26amp; Alexis Ryan Lancaster) my mom would go out and get them a dolls (my sister is seven) only to find out when my mom takes my sister to the party that "Tay-Tay" %26amp; "Lexi" are BOYS! What embarrassment. I remember that not to long ago my twin brother was invited to a birthday party (actually this was a few years ago) and the mom said (she was talking to my mom on the phone) "So Yarden is coming to Andy's party?....... Great.... If you want you can bring Tom, Andy talks about HIM alot.... Wait Tom's a girl?..... Yeah she can come.. I guess.." So it really annoyed me. My kids will be getting names that are not gender neutral for that reason.
Reply:I personally would NEVER call my child a unisex name. I love masculine names for boys and pretty girly names for girls. I know a lot of people who love unisex names, they are not for me though. I just don't see the point.





For example, my aunt is obsessed with unisex names - 3 of my girl cousins are called Courtney, Billie %26amp; Charlie. They are all male names to me. Now I think something like Olivia Grace, Ava Jade %26amp; Sophia sound much better???





Names help a persons individuality, why wouldn't a parent be proud of her daughter and want her to sound beautiful instead of like a man??? I just don't get it.
Reply:I generally do not like them.


There are some more traditional names that have historically been used for both, or names with unisex nicknames that I do like (Alex could be either Alexander or Alexandra, but I do prefer the longer name being the formal, legal name instead of just the nickname), but I despise the, "OMG, let's call our little girls Madison, Cohen, Holden and Logan! We're so unique and cool!" trend. It's gross.





My daughter has a largely unisex FN, Remy (funny that you mention it! It's so uncommon for either boy or girl in the US!), though we rarely use it. As the months have gone on, her middle name, Arabella and subsequent nicknames, has kind of just drifted in =P Mostly Belle or Bella (which I hate myself for, with all the -Bella names drifting around right now, but it's just become habit) Remy-Belle, Remielle/Remiel, Belle, Ari, Aria.





I wouldn't name my son Isabella or Ava, just as I wouldn't name a girl Logan, Elliot or Jack. Most names have gender connotations, and I think except in a few circumstances the genders should be respected.


Exceptions, as I said, are nicknames and HISTORICALLY unisex names, as in not recently just used by parents of girls. Names that have been well documented and widely recognized as both a male and female name.


Examples would be something like Terri, which is used both by males as a short form of Terrence and by females as a form of Teresa. It's long been given as a full name to both in various spellings and I think it's been so long enough to be considered an acceptable unisex name.


Merle has also been used by both males and females for many decades.
Reply:This is a really hard question... I'm not even sure what I think...





I agree, I do love Remy for a girl... And there are some names that I would seriously never use for a boy because it's been taken over by the girls, but I'm not sure what my actual views are.





I have a really close friend who has a daughter with an extremely masculine name... She was told that she wouldn't be able to have any children after this one, and her husband had just passed away. So, she chose to name her daughter after her husband. So I really don't know my opinions about unisex names... I love this friend of mine, and I love her daughter, and I think it's great that she wanted to honor her husband... But I can't say that I could ever be bold enough to do what she did. She's often looked down upon because of her daughter's name, and I'm definitely on her side... She's amazing... but I still try to stay away from unisex names (besides Remy).





I suppose I don't like the trend of girls' having boys' names. As weird as this sounds, I seriously think it makes it sound like women are taking over the country... Haha, this is a weird way to look at it, but women are getting more and more of what they want, and making it harder for men to be masculine at all... I mean, we hardly wear dresses anymore, we vote, we have jobs. I think that's great, but it just seems like people want to prove that women are just as good as men. That's obvious, I think we're great. ;) But it just doesn't seem fitting or right to have girls with extremely masculine names.





On a different note, I'm totally fine with boys AND girls named some certain names. Like Taylor, Aubrey, Lee... I would probably never use any unclear names, but I think they're fine for anyone else.





Okay, so maybe I have a strong opinion about names being after a person. For some reason, that's extremely important to me. So, I'm completely fine with parents naming their kids whatever they want...masculine or feminine. It doesn't effect my own love of names, and my own love of people. I guess my own personal use for unisex names is limited. I want it to be obvious about WHAT exactly I'm having, but I won't hesitate to consider a name that's after someone that I love. Though, I'd never be bold enough to name my son after a good friend named "Melissa" or something, but I would definitely consider "Mel" as a middle name for him. So, I guess I'm fine with unisex names used by other people. It doesn't bother me that much... but I have no intentions of following the masculine girl names trend...





Overall, I guess I don't totally think it's a big deal as long as the baby's loved. The parents are welcome to do whatever they want, that won't change how I feel about unisex names...and I'm totally unsure what that is...





Sorry if this makes absolutely no sense... But this was an interesting question. I really did find it extremely hard...haha, I can't think right now.





-- Amy
Reply:I've been very outspoken on the subject.





For the most part, I heartily dislike unisex names. Most of them are masculine names co-opted (stolen!) by women in this country to be "yoo-neek" or creative, or some other dumb thing.





Now we have males with what used to be masculine names having to explain that this time (Taylor, Hayden, Peyton, Riley, etc) is a GUY!





I think it's unfair to the guys.





It's also unfair to just about everybody else. Teachers initially bear the brunt of hurt feelings when they put the female Jordan in the boys' line. It continues through all departments in the school setting from nursery school through post-graduate work.





Then it spreads like ripples in a pond.





Pretty soon the confusion spreads to anyone in customer service like pharmacists and other medical personnel, government agencies, and the financial sector.





I think it's unfair, uncalled for, and extremely rude not to mention narcissitic and ego-centric. These parents think they are so cutting-edge, cute (or cuteeee as it appears on Y!A), unique, or whatever but in the long run their self-centered ideas make things miserable for many who come in contact with their children as well as causing emotional confusion to the child.





I would say that's a basic explanation of why I would never, never, NEVER give my child a gender-bender of a name.





BTW, all of my children have expressed thanks that I made their names gender-specific. They told me it was one less thing to aggravate them in school.
Reply:It depends on the name. I don't like girly names for guys, but some boyish names are ok on girls. I think its like clothes. Both girls and guys wear pants, but it's practically social suicide for a guy to wear a dress. I like these unisex names for girls:


Dylan


Rory


Remy


Payton


Taylor


Aidan


Tegan


Regan


Riley


Leslie


Jordan





I know some of those names are pushing it, but I think names like Aidan for a girl are cute, if the girl can pull it off. Variations in spelling can make a name more feminine/masculine, too, like Jordan/Jordin or Remi/Remy. Also, I think that names like Leslie, Regan, Tegan, and Taylor sound odd on a guy.





I think unisex names are cute, though, and I may name my child a unisex name.
Reply:Taylor is a girls name and it sounds just plain stupid as a guys name.





And what idiot would call a girl Ryan?





If a boy was to be called Isabella it would have to be Isabello because it is Italian and Bello is for a boy, Bella is for a girl, which is why that is only a girls name.





As for Ava, i don't know...





Sometimes unisex names are OK, like Kris or Chris, or Jordan, because Jordan sounds cool and can be short for Jordana.


But majority of the time they are just plain wierd....
Reply:I've seen girls named Drew, Riley, and Quinn and liked those names and I've seen the same names on boys and I don't like them as well.





It's personal preference. I think it can go too far sometimes but for the most part I'll take unisex names over made-up BS names like Nevaeh.
Reply:In my opinion it depends on the name your trying to give your child. Like Isabella is definitely a girl name but, if you like a unisex name for your child then so be it; its your child. Be unique and fill free to name your child what ever you like the most! But nonthing bizzare lol(laugh out loud)
Reply:Not if I could help it.It would get embarrassing like the Johnny Cash song-"A boy named Sue".I have a male cousin named Clare and a great grand father named Francis.I also had two male teachers named Jan and Blair.
Reply:i like logan and jayke for a girls name :)





isabella and ava are VERY feminine.
Reply:I personally like trendy unisex names on girls like Peyton, Sydney, and Avery.





I don't like traditional boy names like Michael and Joseph for girls (and yes there are some out there!!!)
Reply:I think that it is fine as long as they are spelled differently


for example:


Adrian and Adrienne


Joel and Jole


Rory and Rorie


Sammy and Sammi


Jaime and Jamie





Hope This Helps!
Reply:its depends yes i guess i would i like the name kris if it stands for kristine or krista etc
Reply:As long as i like the name %26amp; it goes w/ its sex, who cares
Reply:yes, I like Kyle and Kris as girls names =]