Avery

[xx-alicia-xx.livejournal.com]

I'm usually just a lurker, but a few posts back I noticed the unisex name list. I'm pregnant with my first baby and I had intended on Natalie for a girl (its due in January) and Avery for a boy. However, I never even thought Avery would be used as a girl's name. Then I went and checked the SSA list of 2007 popular baby names. Much to my shock, Avery was #52 on the girls' list and nowheres on the boys. Now, I'm wondering if my poor boy (if it's a boy that is) will be teased with a girls name? I always thought Avery was a strong name for a boy. Should I start looking more deeper for a boy's name that isn't "girly"? I'm sad.....

Comments

[dosequisgirl.livejournal.com]

I was sad when I found out Avery was being used on girls.
I've always thought of it as a boys name.

[xx-alicia-xx.livejournal.com]

i feel better that im not the only one who got sad lol.

[hotchpot.livejournal.com]

Avery is originally a boy's name. Don't let people who are using it incorrectly keep you from using it if you love it. Smart people will know the truth.

[heatherejc.livejournal.com]

My husband really liked the name Avery for our (coming soon) boy, but I kept veto-ing it because I knew that girls were being named it now days. A daughter of one of my co-workers is named Avery (her other daughter is Ainsley, which is now unisex, too.)
My husband goes by Kacey (nickname his family gave him as a baby, since he's named the same as his dad and grandfather), so he doesn't particularly care whether a name is boy or girl. He's dealt with his fair share of being assumed to be a girl and is fine. He just kept telling me about how masculine the actor Avery Brooks is.
Nonetheless, we've narrowed our names down to a few other, less unisex names.

[ironqueen.livejournal.com]

I think you should name your son Avery. Personally, I think it is much nicer as a boy's name than a girl's. I've actually never heard of a girl called Avery. I really don't think anyone would make fun of him though. If you love the name, use it! :D

[bornto-fly.livejournal.com]

It's a boy's name. Just because other people are using it incorrectly doesn't mean you shouldn't use it.

[zeezatara.livejournal.com]

Avery is Fern's brother in Charlotte's Web; that's what I usually think of when I hear the name.

I'm sure it will be fine, but I would give him a definitely boys' middle name:
Avery Clark
Avery Joseph
Avery Michael

[threnody.livejournal.com]

Avery is a wonderful name. Use it if you like it. Just because some people use it for girls doesn't mean you can't use it, y'know, the way it's been used for ages and ages and ages. Some people name their girls 'Michael', are we going to have to stop naming boys that one, too? We've already lost Ashley and Jocelyn. Time to stick it to the man.

Or, y'know. Something.

[heyitsrebecca.livejournal.com]

I love Avery for a boy! (hate it on girls)

Honestly, I wouldn't use it if I were you, if you're worried about your son being confused for a girl. it's not like Evan, which is given to far more boys over girls. I'd be afraid people would automatically assume he was a woman.
would he live? of course. But I'd be hesitant to put that on a kid.
Natalie is lovely too. both gorgeous names, really. =D
good luck to you!

[rorylareina.livejournal.com]

I think Avery hasn't moved completely into the female camp, so it's still fine to use for boys. I prefer it on boys, as one of my favorite children's books is Charlotte's Web, in which Avery is Fern's brother.

[rebl1969.livejournal.com]

I can't believe that no one has mentioned that Avery was the name of the baby on Murphy Brown...back when Dan Quayle said Murphy Brown had no business being a single mom and got criticized for confusing TV with Real Life. Am I the only old person on this list?

Avery is a fine boy's name, no matter what the girls say. So is Aidan, but the girls are taking that one over as well. Ashley was originally a boy's name, as was Shannon, Robin, and Whitney. So don't worry about it. :)

[kitchen-poet.livejournal.com]

I like Avery as a boy's name.


But I hate to tell you, I have been a nanny for six different Averys over the last few years....ALL of them little girls. It has become a very popular girls name.

[krosp.livejournal.com]

Avery is definitely a boys' name that is now much more common on girls. Kind of like Ashley.

If it was me personally, I'd use it as a middle name. Because, although I agree in theory with some of the people on this thread who have posted that you should use it anyway... I would rather find a less "unisex" name if I had a boy... I figure that just because I like the name, it doesn't mean my son will like having it if it's considered a girls name by his peers. Lots of boys would be embarrassed by that and to me it's not worth it to fight the battle of the naming trends using my child.

But all that being said, it's a legitimate name and if you really want to use it, then do. I'd just use it as a middle name if it were me.

[krosp.livejournal.com]

PS - I know a guy whose middle name is Allison... and he's embarrassed about that but not many people know it anyway so it's not like it's affected his life much

[mandy-23.livejournal.com]

I love the name Avery on a boy. I know a little boy with that name and he is adorable. I didn't even realize people where using it as a girls name until this community so I would definitely go ahead and use it for a boy if you like it. :)