# What names are truly androgynous, so far as you can tell? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 20, 2006, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-truly-androgynous-so-far-as-you-can-tell/340918 "2006-01-20T23:05:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Zhai\_helleva\_ashke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecb155/32.png) [@Zhai\_helleva\_ashke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zhai_helleva_ashke)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-truly-androgynous-so-far-as-you-can-tell/340918/81 "2006-01-22T21:10:12Z")
The first name that came to mind pour moi was Blair, went to school with a Blair (female), and am totally enraptured with Blair Sandburg from “The Sentinel” _purrrs_. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-truly-androgynous-so-far-as-you-can-tell/340918/82 "2006-01-23T01:48:05Z")
> [@Peter Morris](#): > > I never heard of Quinn as a female name before. The only ones I know are Quinn Martin (creator of _The fugitive, The Invaders, Cannon,_ etc and Quinn Mallory from _Sliders_ and they are both male. > > Ronnie- male=Ronald, Female= Veronica. Quinn Cummings appeared in the 70s show “Family”. She is female. Robin ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-truly-androgynous-so-far-as-you-can-tell/340918/83 "2006-01-23T03:24:56Z")
> [@Peter Morris](#): > > I never heard of Quinn as a female name before. Not a [Daria](http://www.tv.com/daria/show/756/summary.html?q=Daria) fan, huh? Daria’s younger sister is a Quinn. ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-truly-androgynous-so-far-as-you-can-tell/340918/84 "2006-01-23T14:52:35Z")
Carrie (or Kari)/Kerry (F/M) Corey Also: My sixth grade teacher (male) was named Lynn. When I was growing up, a friend of mine’s dad was named Carroll. ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-truly-androgynous-so-far-as-you-can-tell/340918/85 "2006-01-23T21:02:30Z")
> [@kittenblue](#): > > Pat and Jamie are the first that come to mind. Ironically, I’m friends with a married couple with those two first names. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-truly-androgynous-so-far-as-you-can-tell/340918/86 "2006-01-26T15:31:38Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Not a [Daria](http://www.tv.com/daria/show/756/summary.html?q=Daria) fan, huh? Daria’s younger sister is a Quinn. My daughter’s middle name is Quinn, not for Daria’s sister, but for someone I knew. ---
**Author:** ![YaWanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/bbce88/32.png) [@YaWanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaWanna)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-truly-androgynous-so-far-as-you-can-tell/340918/87 "2006-01-26T18:17:03Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > My Grandfather’s name was Marion. So was John Wayne’s, before he became an actor. So is my aunt’s - she’s always said she had a hard time in school because her name was spelled like a boy’s (this being in the 1940’s). ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-truly-androgynous-so-far-as-you-can-tell/340918/88 "2006-01-26T18:29:09Z")
Maria and Kim. ---
**Author:** ![moonstarssun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@moonstarssun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moonstarssun)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-truly-androgynous-so-far-as-you-can-tell/340918/89 "2006-01-26T22:32:02Z")
I have four cousins with androgynous names: Pat, Chris, and Shannon are male (Shannon is in his 30s, BTW), and Robin is female. They’re all from Texas. Also, their stepmom’s name was Sydney and their mother’s name was Sandy. Maybe it’s a family thing because, sadly, my great-grandmother on that side was named Wilbur Alice. I grew up next door to a family with two boys–Pat and Kelly (both would now be in their late 30s). This was in South Dakota. I worked with a guy (also in Texas) named Dale Lynn. And my friend Trish (never call her Pat!) has a son named Lyn (Lynden, after her dad). ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-truly-androgynous-so-far-as-you-can-tell/340918/90 "2006-01-26T22:55:19Z")
Britt. When you have the same name as a swedish actress, the Green Hornet, and James Coburn’s knife throwing killer from _The Magnificent Seven_, you’re pretty much all over the place. ---
**Author:** ![Thirty-Nine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f0a364/32.png) [@Thirty-Nine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thirty-Nine)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-truly-androgynous-so-far-as-you-can-tell/340918/91 "2006-01-27T09:35:25Z")
Ashley and Ainsley are both ambiguous, at least in the UK. Ashley is more feminine, but Ainsley seems truly androgynous. ---
**Author:** ![robinc308](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@robinc308](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robinc308)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2006, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-truly-androgynous-so-far-as-you-can-tell/340918/92 "2006-01-28T02:16:28Z")
My entire bloody name is gender neutral: Robin Lee Surname. I work in IT, and most people assume that I’m male before they meet me. I usually get asked if my parents were hoping for a boy :(. Also, I live alone, and get heaps of mail addressed to Mr Robin Surname. For the love of God, if you give your kid a gender neutral first name, at least give them a really feminine/masculine (as appropriate) middle name or vice versa. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2006, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-truly-androgynous-so-far-as-you-can-tell/340918/93 "2006-02-03T15:49:38Z")
I’m resurrecting this thread slightly because I’ve got a bit of hard data to apply to it. Last year I loaded a whole bunch of name info from the US census that’s available on the web into an access database. Just found it, and by correlating names that appear both on the ‘male names’ and ‘female names’ list, you get some interesting results. There were three names with absolutely identical frequency on both lists: Ariel: 0.007% Kris: 0.011% Hong: 0.004% The name with the least frequency difference, and frequencies of more than 0.02% on both lists was ‘Frankie’. 0.022% for females, 0.023% for males. If anybody has any interesting queries for me to try plugging into the database relating to androgynous names, go ahead and post them. I may look up the names listed on this thread and post the data for them a little later. PS: yes, I’m a database geek. I know it and love it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2006, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-truly-androgynous-so-far-as-you-can-tell/340918/94 "2006-02-03T17:29:31Z")
In French, names such as Claude and Dominique are androgynous. There is a smattering of androgynous Spanish names, such as Pilar (can be short for either María del Pilar or José del Pilar), although it’s much more common as a woman’s name. ---
**Author:** ![Interrobang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/interrobang/32/17463_2.png) [@Interrobang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Interrobang)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2006, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-truly-androgynous-so-far-as-you-can-tell/340918/95 "2006-02-03T17:31:42Z")
> [@chrisk](#): > > Ariel: 0.007% Ariel, eh? “Were you named after the prime minister or the little mermaid?” Of course, a particular year’s 50/50 gender splits are only one piece of the picture – 10 or 20 years ago, different names were evenly split, and lots of names trend over time from one sex to the other. Almost always male to female. ---
**Author:** ![35340](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/8baadc/32.png) [@35340](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/35340)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2006, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-truly-androgynous-so-far-as-you-can-tell/340918/96 "2006-02-03T17:49:04Z")
My neighbors are: Brian and Danny, Craig and Dave, Craig and Liz. All three couples are male/female couples and have or are in the market for sloshing their genetic code together (with their respective partners). ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2006, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-truly-androgynous-so-far-as-you-can-tell/340918/97 "2006-02-03T21:17:54Z")
> [@Interrobang!?](#): > > Of course, a particular year’s 50/50 gender splits are only one piece of the picture – 10 or 20 years ago, different names were evenly split, and lots of names trend over time from one sex to the other. Almost always male to female. I imagine it would take a long time for trends to make themselves felt over the entire population, instead of over just one demographic or the baby names of one particular year. By the way, the site I got the data from is here: [1990 Census name files](http://www.census.gov/genealogy/names/names_files.html) ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2006, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-truly-androgynous-so-far-as-you-can-tell/340918/98 "2006-02-03T21:40:43Z")
**Males I know** : Allison Beverly Blair Garnet Kelly Courtney Casey One guy I used to be friends with had the middle name of St. Claire. **Females I know** : Gerry (Geraldine) Ned (Nedra) Glenn (Glennis) Dale Georgie (Georgette) Davy Bobby (Roberta) Pete Bernie (Bernadette) **Male and female** : Terry Jean/Gene Chris Pat Morrie Ashley Leslie Sky(e) Taylor Reagan Devon Frances Jamie/Jaime Sage Tristan Aubrey ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-truly-androgynous-so-far-as-you-can-tell/340918/99 "2006-02-04T04:21:09Z")
Nope. Nuttin’. ---
**Author:** ![petalpusher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9e8a1a/32.png) [@petalpusher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/petalpusher)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-truly-androgynous-so-far-as-you-can-tell/340918/100 "2006-02-04T11:01:06Z")
Nobody mentioned Randy? My brother-in-law’s name is Jordan, but he goes by Jodie because he thinks Jordan is too girlie. Hmmm…and Jodie reeks of masculinity? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-truly-androgynous-so-far-as-you-can-tell/340918.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-truly-androgynous-so-far-as-you-can-tell/340918.md?page=6)