Gender Neutral Names
For the next writing project (because a contract-bound author never rests :-) ), I need a character name that can be either male or female, for most American readers. Ideally, the name will be as gender neutral as "Chris" or "Pat" - where each of us (or at least, I, sitting alone at my computer) can rapidly think of equal numbers of men and women with the name. Unlike "Chris" or "Pat", though, I'm hoping for a full name (not a nick-name.) Something that feels exotic, even middle-eastern, would be even better.
Names that I've considered and discarded are Hil(l)ary (almost always female in the States), Trac(e)y (ditto), and Morgan (tritto.)
Your suggestions, smart people?
Mindy, pondering...
Names that I've considered and discarded are Hil(l)ary (almost always female in the States), Trac(e)y (ditto), and Morgan (tritto.)
Your suggestions, smart people?
Mindy, pondering...
Kim
Sydney/Sidney
Jordan
http://www.yeahbaby.com/popular-baby-na
Chris is a nickname? Why didn't anyone tell me?!?!
Regards,
Chris.
:)
Corey/Kory/Korey/Cory
Codie/Kody/Kodie/Cody
Jamie/Jaime/Jayme
Jess/Jesse/Jessie
Jodie/Jody/Jodi
Peta/Peter (nah, that one's a spelling thing!)
Lindsay/Lindsey/Linsey
Charlie
Bailey
I went through my class rolls - kids names these days... :)
Lesley
Michael can also be a woman's name, in some cultures.
Sasha apparently is male or female too (Russian?)
Brooklyn
Paris
Dakota
(places often go both ways)
Jesse/Jessie
Lee
Dominique (more female here though I have seen it used for both.)
Sorry I can't do middle-eastern, don't know enough names from there. There are a lot of diminutives that work, but not so many full names. For example you could also use Sandy, Ricky (Ricki), Danny (Dani) though I think differential spellings are something you would want to avoid.
Alex
Corin
Evelyn (I've always loved that name)
The only kind of Middle Eastern I really know is Hebrew, but there are several names that seem to be used for both genders -- Ariel(le), Barak, Amit, Liron, Shai, Zohar, Tal, Raz, Gal.
Kelly (Yes, it can be a man's first name, especially if from a very Irish family)
Lorne/Lauren - if you say it fast they sound alike
More modern names might be Taylor or Tyler, Ashton (like Kutcher, but I know a girl named Ashton), or Sam.
Montana. Not kidding, I had a boy in my class named Montana last week. Same for Dakota.
That's all I can think of off the top of my head.
Others: Alex, Andy, Sam, Leslie (old-fashioned now, but used to be quite popular for men).
Also, there are last names that are sometimes used as first names for both men and women. Trying to think of them . . .
I've heard Fairleigh used for both men and women.
Addison, Kedall, Cameron, Skylar, Jamie, Carson, Quinn, Dakota, Drew, Emerson, Kennedy, Hunter, Jordan, Logan, Madison, Parker.
Does that help?
Ami
Amrit
Cain
Diya
Ira
Jaya...
I just went to http://www.babynamesworld.com/advan
Micky - though the spelling tends to change for the male/female versions.
In the UK "Leslie" is male, "Lesley" is female, but I do know that in the US the difference isn't usually noted.
"Sean" is a male name here, but I do know of US girls called "Sean". Jamie is always male in Scotland.
Also, my kids both have friends named Jo-el (pronounced as two syllables Joe El, not one-syllable Jole), and one is male and the other female.
If you need a name that sounds (i.e., when spoken) like it could be either, I've noticed that I can't tell the difference between Erin (girl's name) and Aaron (boy's name) unless I see it in writing.
But neither are exotic...