# Name that sex. (And age.) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 28, 2007, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-sex-and-age/417287 "2007-08-28T22:57:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dervish\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Dervish\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervish_Jones)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-sex-and-age/417287/21 "2007-08-29T02:31:26Z")
Alexi - Boy 40’s Bailey - Girl preteen Beryl - Girl 40’s Chris - Boy any age Dakota - Girl 10 Dylan - Boy early 20’s Jewel - Girl 30s Jordan - Girl teens to 20’s Kyle - Boy 6 Remi - Boy (probably because of the movie Ratatouille. I was not familiar with the name previously). Age 30 Riley - Boy 60’s Pat - Boy 50’s Taylor - Girl teens ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-sex-and-age/417287/22 "2007-08-29T03:43:40Z")
Alexi - male (Russian) - no particular age Bailey - female - 30s Beryl - female - 50s Chris - 60% male/40% female - no particular age Dakota - female - young Dylan - 75% female/25% male - young Jewel - female - young Jordan - female - 30s Kyle - male - young Remi - male (French) - no particular age Riley - female - young Pat - 50% female/50% male - no particular age Taylor - female - young ---
**Author:** ![malkavia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malkavia/32/5621_2.png) [@malkavia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malkavia)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-sex-and-age/417287/23 "2007-08-29T04:03:40Z")
Alexi - F - 13 Bailey - F - 22 Beryl - M - 45 and an English sailor Chris - M - 32 and Mormon Dakota - M - 7 Dylan - 27 and cocky Jewel - If Male, then 85. If Female, 25 Jordan - M - 18 Kyle - M - 8 Remi - F - 16 Riley - F - 19 and emo Pat - F - 57 and smokes Taylor - F - 32 ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-sex-and-age/417287/24 "2007-08-29T04:25:39Z")
Alexi female, early 30s Bailey female, early 20s Beryl female, mid-50s Chris male, 24 Dakota female, 14 Dylan male, 16 Jewel female, 18 Jordan female, 16 Kyle male, 22 Remi no idea Riley male, 11 Pat female, 58 Taylor male, 15 ---
**Author:** ![Secret\_Volcano\_Lair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Secret\_Volcano\_Lair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Secret_Volcano_Lair)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-sex-and-age/417287/25 "2007-08-29T04:33:29Z")
Alexi - Female, 12 Bailey - Female, 15 Beryl - Female, 80 Chris - Male, 24 Dakota - Male, 16 Dylan - Male, 20 Jewel - Female, 5 Jordan - Male, 19 Kyle - Male, 23 Remi - Female, 7 Riley - Female, 6 Pat - Male, 40 Taylor - Female, 17 ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-sex-and-age/417287/26 "2007-08-29T04:58:10Z")
[QUOTE=malkavia] Jewel - If Male, then 85. If Female, 25 [/QUOTE] Good grief, you know the same Jewels I do! ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-sex-and-age/417287/27 "2007-08-29T05:07:35Z")
Alexi - Male, late 20s/early 30s Bailey - female, toddler Beryl - female, 50s/60s Chris - male, mid-30s Dakota - female, elementary school Dylan - male, infant/toddler Jewel - female, teen/20s Jordan - female, infant/toddler Kyle - male, elementary school Remi - male, ?? Riley - female, elementary school Pat - female, 50s/60s Taylor - female, elementary school ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-sex-and-age/417287/28 "2007-08-29T05:31:32Z")
[QUOTE=Shagnasty] If this is just casual interest, the best selling book Freakonomics has a whole section devoted to it with lots of interesting commentary. I was reading it this afternoon so I won’t answer because I think mine would be tainted. [/QUOTE] Iwish you had–I don’t care if the answers are tainted! This book is on my list. I’m moving it up since it seems to apply. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-sex-and-age/417287/29 "2007-08-29T06:07:13Z")
Okay, for those who asked. I’m naming a character. My character is 22 and female, but for plot purposes I needed a name that could easily be seen as male. But, going along, I realized that I don’t personally know a Chris of either sex who’s under 25. I also decided that Chris is usually a nickname, along with Pat (the other name I’d considered). I don’t know any very young Pats, either. So I compiled a list of names I thought older people would consider male (mostly) but which I would associate as female if they were younger. My criteria were that I must know personally know one of each sex. Here’s the ones I know: Alexi— male, 27—female, 3 Bailey— male, early 60s—female, 8 Beryl— male, 80s—female, 50s Chris— too many to list Dakota— male, 13—female, 12 Dylan— male, 25—female, 12 Jewel— male, 80s (or possibly 90s) —female, 26 (and a horse, age unknown) Jordan— female, 24—male, 13 Kyle— male, 55—female, 32 Remi— male, 70 (and French!)—female, 15 Riley— male, 12—female, 10 Pat— female, mid-50s, male, late 50s Taylor— female, 12—male, 4 Madison— male, early 60s—female, 23, female, 12, female, 7 I should have added Shannon. I used to work in the Denver office of a corporation where Shannon, female, was the office manager, while in our New York office the bureau chief was Shannon, male. They were approximately the same age. Thanks to all who helped me. Tabulated results to follow in a bit, if anyone’s interested. ---
**Author:** ![burundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3ec8ea/32.png) [@burundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burundi)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-sex-and-age/417287/30 "2007-08-29T11:48:10Z")
Interesting, **Hilarity**! Some of the names had definite class/background associations for me as well. Have you considered that with your character? For example, all of the Dakotas and Kyles I’ve met have been from more “country” families rather than WASP-y families. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-sex-and-age/417287/31 "2007-08-29T18:06:52Z")
Alexi - M Bailey - F Beryl - M Chris - M Dakota - F Dylan- M Jewel - F Jordan - M Kyle - M Remi - M Riley - M Pat - M Taylor - M Although Taylor and Jordan immediately strike me as both I believe the masculine is more common. ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-sex-and-age/417287/32 "2007-08-29T18:21:25Z")
I’d put Sydney on your list, too, although its switchover to being a girl’s name may be a little too recent. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-sex-and-age/417287/33 "2007-08-29T18:37:45Z")
Alexi - F Bailey - F Beryl - M Chris - M Dakota - M Dylan - M Jewel - F Jordan - F Kyle - M Remi - F Riley - F Pat - Either Taylor - M ---
**Author:** ![tbdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@tbdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tbdi)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-sex-and-age/417287/34 "2007-08-29T18:52:42Z")
Alexi - female, 6 Bailey - female, 14 Beryl - female, 9 Chris - male, any age Dakota - female, 17 Dylan - male, 12 Jewel - female, 13 Jordan - male, 18 Kyle - male, 24 Remi - male, 27 Riley - female, 13 Pat - either, any age Taylor - female, 16 ---
**Author:** ![Walkabout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/46a35a/32.png) [@Walkabout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walkabout)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-sex-and-age/417287/35 "2007-08-29T18:56:30Z")
[QUOTE=Hilarity N. Suze] This is kind of an informal survey. For the following names, please list whether your first thought is whether the name belongs to a male or a female. In some cases, the age of the person will be pertinent, so add that, too. Thanks to all who participate. [/QUOTE] \*\*Alexi \*\* - girl \*\*Bailey \*\* - girl under 30(a friend of my daughter’s) \*\*Beryl \*\* - girl \*\*Chris \*\* - boy (my husband’s name) \*\*Dakota \*\* - boy? \*\*Dylan \*\* - boy (a co-worker) \*\*Jewel \*\* - girl \*\*Jordan \*\* - boy (maybe a girl under 20) \*\*Kyle \*\* - boy (a friend of my son’s) \*\*Remi \*\* - girl?(never heard that one before) \*\*Riley \*\* - boy? \*\*Pat \*\* - girl, but I’ve know boy Pats, too \*\*Taylor \*\* - girl under 30, even though I know two boy Taylors ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-sex-and-age/417287/36 "2007-08-29T19:06:08Z")
(Not looking at wnswers until I post) Alexi: Stocky Russian guy, mid thirties. Bailey: Hot chunky rehead, female, in mid thirties. Beryl: Elegant white-haired lady in her mid-fifties. Chris: Skinny surfer-dude guy, soul patch, shorts, mid-twenties. Dakota: Nine-year-old girl, dark hair, part-Hispanic or Native. Dylan: Redhead guy in mid-twenties with dreads, pale skinn, and freckles. Jewel: Airheaded blonde girl. Straight hair, unattractively-shiny makeup, early twenties. Jordan: Eight-year-old boy. Kyle: Another eight-year-old boy. Remi: No idea. Riley: No idea. Might be a cat’s name. Pat: Middle-aged 55-ish aunt with blonde curly perm. Taylor: Yet another boy, a little older than Jordan and Kyle. I just realised that a lot of these are based on actual people I’ve met. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-sex-and-age/417287/37 "2007-08-29T19:14:08Z")
[QUOTE=Hilarity N. Suze] This is kind of an informal survey. For the following names, please list whether your first thought is whether the name belongs to a male or a female. In some cases, the age of the person will be pertinent, so add that, too. Alexi-Girl Bailey-Girl Beryl-Guy Chris-Guy Dakota-Girl Dylan-Guy Jewel-Girl Girl Girl Jordan-Girl Kyle-Guy Remi-Guy Riley-Guy Pat-Guy Taylor-Guy Thanks to all who participate. [/QUOTE] No opinion on age ---
**Author:** ![Zahava424](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/76d3ee/32.png) [@Zahava424](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zahava424)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-sex-and-age/417287/38 "2007-08-29T19:38:38Z")
Not reading the thread until after I anwer. Alexi- female, young, probably under 25 Bailey- male, under 10. Or dog. Beryl- older Jewish man, European. Chris- male, any age; or female, over 30. Dakota- female, under 12 Dylan- male, any age under 60. Jewel- female, any age under 50. Jordan- either male or female, under 45. Kyle- male, under 30. Remi- I honestly don’t think of this as a name at all. Riley- male, under 10. Pat- female, aged 40-70. Taylor- either male or female, under 30. ---
**Author:** ![Zahava424](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/76d3ee/32.png) [@Zahava424](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zahava424)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-sex-and-age/417287/39 "2007-08-29T19:45:36Z")
I once knew a girl named Jody who was accidentally assigned to male housing at a summer program because of her name being spelled the guy way. The additions: Madison- female, under 30 Shannon- female, aged 10 to 45 The first thing I thought while reading the thread: Wow, when I look at it for too long, I become convinced that “female” is spelled wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Cyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@Cyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyn)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-sex-and-age/417287/40 "2007-08-29T20:21:22Z")
Alexi-male, 25 Bailey-female, 22 Beryl-female, 40 Chris-male, 37 Dakota-female, 4 Dylan-male, 6 Jewel-female, 22 Jordan-male, 5 Kyle-male, 20 Remi-male, 30 Riley-male, 40 Pat-female, 50 Taylor-female, 6 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-sex-and-age/417287.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-sex-and-age/417287.md?page=3)