# Girl names that used to be boy names **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 2, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371 "2009-10-02T17:35:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/1 "2009-10-02T17:35:27Z")
I read a magazine article years ago that basically claimed that some girl names have always been girl names, some boy names have always been boy names, and some cross genders over time. In the case of crossing genders, the trend is almost without exception from boy to girl. What are some names that have crossed over? I’ve noticed: Taylor Tyler Courtney Casey Leslie Um… Quinn? Harper? A couple of months ago I met a youngish woman named Michael. A few years ago I met an older man name Laurie. ---
**Author:** ![Mahna\_Mahna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Mahna\_Mahna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahna_Mahna)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/2 "2009-10-02T17:37:10Z")
Don’t forget Ashley. It’s exclusively a girl’s name now. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/3 "2009-10-02T17:42:04Z")
Okay, when’s the last time you met someone named Harper? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/4 "2009-10-02T17:44:22Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Okay, when’s the last time you met someone named Harper? Last year. She was a she. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/5 "2009-10-02T17:45:44Z")
Does she have a sister named Eunice? ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/6 "2009-10-02T17:47:53Z")
Friend of mine just named his baby girl Harper. And isn’t one of Demi’s girls a Harper too? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/7 "2009-10-02T17:48:17Z")
She has a brother whose name I can’t remember, but it’s much more traditional. I’m pretty sure it’s not Eunice. Or Mildred. ---
**Author:** ![Electric\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/8 "2009-10-02T17:57:06Z")
Harper Lee’s been around a while 😛 The name Kelly came up the other day because a friend was surprised to see that a Facebook app called her name a male name. There are probably still men named Kelly, but none under forty or fifty. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/9 "2009-10-02T17:59:36Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Taylor > Tyler > Courtney > Casey > Leslie > > Um… Quinn? Harper? I find it interesting that nearly all the names you mention in the OP started out as surnames. ---
**Author:** ![Kalypso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/df705f/32.png) [@Kalypso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalypso)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/10 "2009-10-02T17:59:51Z")
Not a very common name, but my grandfather was Francis, after St. Francis. All the younger Fran’s I’ve met have been female. ---
**Author:** ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/11 "2009-10-02T18:00:14Z")
I went to law school with a boy Ashley and I don’t really think it sounds terribly untoward. I grew up with some but it was definitely going to the girly end Beverly Kimberly Josslin Marion Dana All used to be boys name’s believe it or not. Actually, I work with a boy Kim. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/12 "2009-10-02T18:00:52Z")
Ah yes, Kelly. Also Kerry/Carey. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/13 "2009-10-02T18:02:36Z")
Didn’t Vivian used to be a boy name? ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/14 "2009-10-02T18:02:54Z")
The yuppie douchebags are trying to feminize “Emerson” now, and I won’t have it! Do you hear me?! ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/15 "2009-10-02T18:04:25Z")
Morgan and Jordan are used interchangeably. I knew a man named Kim, and two men named Dana. Also, I think Franc **i** s = boy, while Franc **e** s = girl. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/16 "2009-10-02T18:05:26Z")
> [@Kalypso](#): > > Not a very common name, but my grandfather was Francis, after St. Francis. All the younger Fran’s I’ve met have been female. How many Franks have you met though? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/17 "2009-10-02T18:06:24Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > How many Franks have you met though? I know of one Frank that was a Model! ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/18 "2009-10-02T18:07:01Z")
The father of a friend of mine in high school was named Allison. I have a male friend named Kelly. Growing up, I knew a guy named Leslie. ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/19 "2009-10-02T18:14:46Z")
Sydney ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/20 "2009-10-02T18:15:02Z")
> [@Electric\_Warrior](#): > > Harper Lee’s been around a while 😛 But her first name is Nelle. Vivien Leigh was born Vivian, and changed the spelling when she signed a movie contract. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371.md?page=2)