Inspired by seeing "BRADY" on a 'unisex' list...

[politicking.livejournal.com]

Not only is this inspired by reading the name Brady on quite a few "unisex" lists, but also the fact that I went to school with a girl named Timothy Maureen.

At what point does a name go from 'unisex' to "that girl has a boys name"? What names have you heard on girls that you would say are (or should be) exclusively male?

 

Comments

[cremepuff.livejournal.com]

Funny that you mention Brady, because a girl in one of my college classes was named Bradi. Personally I think that name--and Timothy, as you also mentioned--should stay on males.

In the long run, though, who's to say that they won't work as female names in the future? Keep in mind that many 'feminine' names like Shannon, Ashley, and Shirley were strictly male names a century ago. And it only took about 2 decades for Ryan to become a borderline unisex name.

[politicking.livejournal.com]

Very true.

I actually don't mind some of the more masculine names on girls- but then I wonder what kind of jokes a girl named Evan, Kyle or Kellan get soley because of their names.

I know the Timothy from my class got teased quite a bit. But, she kind of made it work for her, because she went by Timmie. In fact, I had no idea her full name was Timothy until we were seniors because she never went by it.

[arbus.livejournal.com]

i know a girl named brady, she is about 13

[duckduckcaboose.livejournal.com]

I don't really even know what would surprise me anymore. I mean, I don't like Brady on a girl, I like it on a boy, but I definitely wouldn't be shocked if I met a girl named Brady.

Diane Keaton has an adopted daughter named Dexter. I think that's a pretty masculine name, but at the same time... I could see it working on a girl, especially if her mother is a spunky woman like Diane Keaton who could definitely teach her daughter to kick anyone's ass that tells her she has a boy's name.

[politicking.livejournal.com]

I agree about Dexter lol. She could even go by Dex, which is cute, or Dexi. Either way, I totally see Diane teaching her to give people a piece of her mind if they don't like the name haha

[lind-saay.livejournal.com]

i disagree. i don't care who your mother is -- dexter is going too far.

[blueberrybumble.livejournal.com]

Talking unisex, I think I see as far as...Hunter or Logan. I don't like it, but I guess if I really tried, I could see them as unisex. I think I could see Brady.

Timothy is too far. James is too far. Arnold is too far.

[compulsivelyme.livejournal.com]

I've seen Morgan and Preston on girls, and I don't think they fit.

[blueberrybumble.livejournal.com]

I think Morgan on girls is fine, I actually like it for girls more than I do for boys, but Preston...ick. That's awful.

I really think my comfort level is according to what I was common when I was growing up, and I always knew more girl Morgans than boy.

[quitmyscene.livejournal.com]

Odd - I've never actually heard Brady on a boy, but I know a four female Bradys (Bradies..?), all around my age (18-20). Well, there's two spelled Brady, one Bradie, and one Braidy.

The only name I can think of right now that I've heard on girls that I think should stay male is Elliot - I mainly only think that because I really like the name and I haven't actually heard it on any girls but the girl from Scrubs, but I'm sure there are others out there (if only from being named after the character). I think with almost every name, I have a preferred gender preference - but I feel like these days, anything goes and even though I wouldn't like John/Michael/Matthew/Nicholas/etc on a girl, it wouldn't surprise me if it were to happen :/

[jordle.livejournal.com]

I used to have Braidy on my list and then...well, I grew up!

[florallove.livejournal.com]

Asher and Malachi (it may have been Malaki or something). I love both on boys, but girls? They are so masculine to me!

And yeah...Timothy and Brady are too masculine for girls.

[a-tergo-lupi.livejournal.com]

My friend has a yellow lab named Bradie. She loves her name. I wouldn't bestow it on a female human.

I think it's horrible that boys are losing all their names to girls while girls' names on boys still inspire nothing but jeers. Such a shame.

[yeishlitikvah.livejournal.com]

I knew a guy growin up named Shannon.

[lind-saay.livejournal.com]

It's actually a boy's name. It's like knowing a boy named Ashley or Lindsay. Originally a boy's name, but slowly became unisex as it was used more and more on girls to the point where it's more commonly used on girls now. Like Morgan.

[hemlockheart.livejournal.com]

I've seen a ton of names I don't think a girl should be stuck with, but the only one I knew personally and absolutely hated was John, nn Johnni.

[lind-saay.livejournal.com]

Brady is unisex to me. I graduated from high school with two Bradys - one boy and one girl. I actually prefer it on girls.

I don't know if there's a hard and fast RULE for what is a unisex name and what names are boy names being used on girls, but I can always tell when I see one.

Avery - unisex
Taylor - unisex
Morgan - unisex
James - BOY
Elliot - BOY
Ashley - unisex
etc.

[politicking.livejournal.com]

See, I only have known one Brady, and it's a boy... but the more I hear it, the more unisex it sounds.

I am really trying to find some names my fiance likes, and he seems to like a lot of unisex names (Brady, Peyton, Avery, etc.) My son has a name that's pretty common on both sexes (Ryan), so I'm unsure of if I want to use another unisex name on our daughter.

[lind-saay.livejournal.com]

If you do, I would use one that is more often feminine than masculine on a girl and one that is more masculine than feminine on a boy. Ryan, for example, is generally used on boys, although it's been used on girls lately (which I HATE. It's SO masculine!); Morgan, although originally masculine, is more common on girls.

I think it's difficult when you use "unisex" or unisex-sounding names on siblings of the opposite sex, because it makes it even harder for people to assume which child is which gender. So if you named your daughter, like...Peyton...you might have people who know your children's names and sexes assuming that Peyton is the boy and Ryan the girl. Or assuming that both children are the same sex, if they only know one of them.

Avery could work on a girl, maybe, but Brady and Peyton are so masculine that I would only use them on another boy.

[laminy.livejournal.com]

Brady is definitely not unisex to me. Another person said that they don't know if there's an actual rule, but they can tell when they see it. Same with me. Timothy is not unisex, that girl just has a boy's name.

[queenfinn.livejournal.com]

I went to school with a girl named Jonnie Leigh, named for some relative. I would never name my girl that, but it worked for her. I've never known a Brady and because of the way things are now I consider Lindsey, Morgan, Ashley, Shannon (my own name) as girl names. I would feel bad for a boy with those names (except for maybe Shannon). I also new a girl named Kyle. She got teased for other things, not really her name. I think that one is definitely a boy's name, as well as some of the other that have been mentioned like James, Elliot, Malachi, Timothy, Matthew, as well as Benjamin, Christopher, Thomas, Caleb, Nicholas, David, Greg, Patrick, Oscar, William, Michael, Jack, Robert...

[shortbutfast.livejournal.com]

to me, brady is clearly male while brandy is clearly female.
i generally don't mind unisex names or switching genders and while i wouldn't necessarily do this myself, i think it's a reflection of the times we're in.

[how-obscure.livejournal.com]

Brady is masculine to me. I don't like most of the boy names on girls. The exceptions are the ones I grew up with: Ashley, Lindsay, Shannon. I'm okay with hearing them on girls, although I love when I hear them on boys! I hate hearing Maddison, Ryan, Quinn, etc. on girls. Quinn has apparently become unisex (or even purely female on some sites!) and I think that's ridiculous. Boys will run out of names at this rate.

I recently glanced at a book whose main character was a girl named Reed! Further research reveals girls named Taylor and Kiran (prn. like Keiran).

In answer to your question, I think names become unisex when a decent percentage of the time it is being used on the opposite gender as well as the original. If Ryan is used 35% on girls and 65% on boys, while not equal, I could see it being considered unisex because it wouldn't be uncommon to hear it on a girl. Eventually, names may become "girl names" but would still technically be unisex. Of course, there will always be those of us refusing to submit to the idea that they don't belong on boys. ;)

[awoodnymph.livejournal.com]

I work with a girl named Kiran! But she's Indian and Kiran is unisex in that culture (according to Behind the Name).

KIRAN किरण m & f Indian
Derived from the Sanskrit word किरण (kirana), which can mean "dust" or "thread" or "sunbeam".

[how-obscure.livejournal.com]

Oops, you know, I haven't read the books so I suppose it is possible the girl is Indian, not just another girl who's so cool with her boy's name.

[falls2climb.livejournal.com]

I think I've read that series. :) I'm a teacher though, and I actually had a female Reed, Kiran, and Taylor last semester. Of those, I'd only consider Kiran to be a female-exclusive name, as I've also had a male Reed and a few male Taylors.