Are Ashley and Addison boys' names or girls' names? What makes a name feminine or masculine?

In my opinion there are "traditional" old classic boys names that have been selected due to their drop in popularity in boys and resurrected for girls.

You'll never see a boy being named Amelia or Lola, but you will see girls named Evan, Logan, Hayden and Riley. It's a double standard really, and one that i think we girls "get away with". ;)

((side car- personal opinion about someone calling Hayden gender nutral- i disagree insanely! it wouldn't be considered so if a certain actress never got a part on a certain show whose characters have super human powers....not to mention that Hayden to me is my husband's grandfather, a very strong and tough-as-nails WWII vet whom we named our youngest son after. i honestly cannot imagine the name Hayden on a girl, it's so masculine!))

It's more scocially acceptable for a girl to have a boys name, so long as it's not TOO masculine, Ashley fits this bill very nicely. As does Jody, Meredith, Courtney and Whitney...all origionally masculine boys names, that are now being used more so as girls names.

There are some boys names i like on girls, i find them spunky, fun and a bit tomboy-ish, (having been a tomboy myself i would have loved a more boyish name). these include Ryann (extra N on purpose to accent the -ann on it), Charlee (double ee instead of ie), Harper, Piper, and Payton (w/an a instead of an e).

But there are those that i find repulsive as girls names...two that you've listed i cannot stand. Madison and Addison. My reasons are more based on name meaning than "tradition" though they are both traditionally boys names. Madison and Addison have -son on the ends...which actually means SON OF, Madison meaning -son of Maud, and Addison meaning -son of Adam. I could never name my daughter something that means SON OF...how silly. As for the "current name books" giving a definition of "child of-" well chalk that up to the fact that since people are using this name on girls, they changed the meaning of the name so they could include it in both the boys and girls sections of their books. it has nothing to do w/true meanings, and more so to do w/following trends, not tradition. To me that's like if i decided to publish in a book that the names Josephine, Elizabeth and Roxanna really mean bubble butt, fish guts and used gum wad, but it would be TRUE just because i said so! oh please! Also Addison is the name of a disease and that's a bit of a turn off, but has nothing to do w/gender placement.

Emma is a very femenine name to me due to it's origions. It's a short form of the Germanic names that began w/the element Ermen...meaning "whole" or "universal". The name was introduced to England by Emma of Normandy who was the wife of King Ethelred II and later King Canute (and mother of Edward the Confessor), so it was indroduced into and Anglanized as feminine.

As for the names i consider "trendy" not unisex or "accepted" as girls names...these are names that rise in popularity over a few years to a decade, then fad away and become cliche fad. Names that were not feminized over a slower process or through softer sounding names, like Ashely or Courtney but because they are purposely wanting to go against tradition to be "unique" and "different". This is the same craze that lent itself to the flower child naming of the 60s, with names like Moonbeam and Rainbow, and such. Same concept different generation. Parents want very badly for their kids to be accepted and admired giving them a trendy or off beat name draws attention to them. having that cool name might score points w/their peers.

Either way, i think mostly parents have this picture of their baby in their head as an infant, then at 2 then at 4 then as a teen etc. and they want a name that reflects that image they have. Naming a girl w/a boys name is nothing new...but in the last 10 yrs parents have taken to a whole new level.

Edit:

I think names like Noah and Jonah and Micah are popular because they are considered the more "unusal" sounding bible names. People still want traditional names but w/a bit of flare.

the more common Matthew, John, Peter, Paul, Michael, etc. are becoming a bit overused, so alternative bible classics such as Simon, Noah, Moses, Jonah, Micah, Saul, Malachi etc. are gaining popularity. or at least that's what i think. lol :)

In the big picture, I know not much more than my own opinion. I heard the name Addison through a friend of a friend whos son had the name. But I love it for a girl, and also love Addie.

Ashley is debatable. I think it is one of those names that started being for one gender and is now used for both ie Cameron, Tyler, Rylie, Reese etc. When I think of Ashley, I think of girl also. My sister is "Elise Ashley Brooke".

What you've asked is really interesting. It'd be good to find out how names originate and as to what gender that are intended for. In my opinion, society has changed the names to be how they like. In the 21st century we now have boys named Jess and girls called Ryan (I have a female friend by this name)

There are so many names that these days are seen to be for either gender. What happened to the days where boys were Jack, William, Thomas and girls were Emily, Sarah and Kate. They may be common, but at least we know if theyre male or female.

Hope you find some answers Ashley :)

♥ Georgie

To me names like Ashley, Emma, Addison, and Madison sound "soft", and when I think of soft I think female.

Actually the name Addison is what I was going to name my new baby had he been a girl, I had it picked out long before I knew the name started out male.

I think names that are soft or sweet belong to females. I know that sounds sexist but it's how I honestly feel.

I know a boy who's name is David Ashley C, When people find out his middle name he gets picked on very badly even in his adult years. I also know a guy who's first name is Ashley he has gotten picked on so badly for his name being Ashley that he now goes by Ash so people think his name is Ashton not Ashley.

I don't think when it started getting used as male or female is what makes it either male or a female name. I think how it sounds.

I live in England and I only know one Addison, who's a man. I'd say that Addison is basically a boy's name. Any name that ends in 'son' is basically masculine. I know some people spell it differently to make it less masculine, like Addisyn etc. but I personally feel it's a boy name. Same with Madison, Emerson etc...

Ashley, though, I think can work for both. I know more male Ashleys than female Ashleys, but there's nothing about the name that makes it seem either masculine or feminine. It's not overly 'pretty' but it doesn't end in 'son' either.

But then again, if you take Evelyn Waugh for example... Evelyn is a name I automatically assume to be for a woman, but Evelyn Waugh was a man.

The whole unisex/male/female name thing is a total minefield - different people have different opinions on what name should be used for each gender I guess!

Ashley

Ashley didn’t appear on the top 1000 for girls unti 1964, but it was a rock star, jumping all the way to #1 in the early ’90s and continuing to hold strong today at #50. As a male name, it dates all the way back to the beginning of the list in 1880 and hit 282 in 1980. By 1994, though, it was off the top 1000 for boys.

Okay, I've been trying to put this off, but now I feel the need to answer this question.

I think that what makes a boys name a boys name and a girls name a girls name is modern usage and origin. Originally Madison and Ashley and Addison were boys names, even looking at the meanings you see some are male names (Addison means son of Adam). But, modern usage has made them cross the gender line.

Some names I find annoying that crossed the gender line. For example, I hate that Parker, Ryan, Tyler, etc. are being used for girls. They are too popular as boys names to be used as girls names. But, Madison, Addison, Ashley and others aren't as popular.

Examples:

Madison for a boy: no rank; for a girl: number 4

Ashley for a boy: no rank; for a girl: number 18

Addison for a boy: number 820; for a girl: number 12

Mackenzie for a boy: no rank; for a girl: number 65

So, I believe that modern usage has increased the female popularity of the names.

Plus, girls can "get away with it." Girls can get away with using boys names such as Madison, Addison, Mackenzie, and Elliot because they have cute girly nicknames. Maddie, Addie, Kenzie, and Ellie. Boys can't use girl's names because they are considered too "girly." Can you see a boy named Mia or Mary? No. But you can see a girl named Parker or Ryan because girls can be a tomboy, or whatnot.

But, I was going to also going to say that boys names can be used as girls names due to media.

Addison, for example, was used as a girl's name on TV shows Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice.

I also have some personal examples.

The name Remy (my favorite girl's name) I first heard of used on a boy, my old neighbor. Then, I got a book and the main character's name was Remy, and I fell in love with it as a girl's name.

Also, some names I didn't know were boy's names until I looked them up. For example:

I met this girl named Tristan, never met anyone before named Tristan, so I thought it was a girl's name. I looked it up, and low and behold, it was a boy's name. Same goes with Lindsey. My best friend's name was Lindsey, and I had no idea it was a boy's name. Thought of two more examples, ha ha. One of my elementary school friends name was Chandler, and I didn't know it was a boy's name until I met a boy with the name Chandler. My mom's name is Kelly and didn't know it was originally a boy's name until I had a teacher with that name.

So, sorry for the really long post, but that's just my input :)

I agree with you. It annoys me when people think names like Madison and Avery are boys names just because they used to be a long time ago. A long time ago, lots of girls names were boys names, and lots of boys names were girls name. The times have changed. Madison, Avery, Addison, etc. do not sound masculine and you wouldn't see them on a boy nowadays anyway.

Say someone thinks that Madison, Ashley and Addison are masculine names.

Then if someone asked something like "Do you think I should name my baby boy Ashley?", chances are they aren't going to say "yes". At least I hope they wouldn't, can you imagine being a boy and growing up with the name Ashley?

No offense but I think it's just plain annoying when people think that names that are girly today are masculine just because they once were a long time ago.

I feel that names are so varied and personal, gender-specific usage is often perceptive.

A name with solid, even obvious masculine connotations can be viewed as "feminine" simply due to recent cross-gendered popularity (like that of all the "son of -" names currently all the rage for BOTH boys and girls, with some leaning one way, some the other, but all having the same gender-specific meanings). Names go in cycles, and at the moment the -son, -ley, -lyn and Em- names happen to be on top. So it only makes sense you'll hear of dozens of little girls with the trendy Ashley, Madison, Addison, Emily, Emma, etc. type names. And that's including less common, but still sound-alike, spin-offs like Ashton, Ashlyn,Madelyn, Adelyn, Bailey, Hailey, Kaylie, Emerson, Emory and the like. It's not new and different. Just a predictable trend.

Likewise, just because a name is generally linked to one gender or the other doesn't necessarily make it an inherently feminine or masculine choice. There are plenty of softer male names, or stronger female ones, for example. In other words, rather than generalizing, it seems more prudent to look at an individual name in relation to the family and child in question.

Would I find it odd to meet a male Madison? Certainly not! Its masculine roots are right there in the meaning, and it was strictly on the male side until only quite recently.

And what about a little girl named Madison? Just par for the course ... not surprising in the least. It's been a popular choice for baby girls for some time now. To the point of overuse, in fact. And THAT would be my main concern with such a choice. Because while bucking the trends and naming a boy something currently popular for girls can still be seen as a surprising, interesting choice, "just another female Madison, Addison or Ashley," to use the names exampled, comes across as exactly that. They aren't interesting, unexpected, "boys names for girls." They're just more of the same. Nothing intriguing about it at all.

If parents really want something "different," as many using these same names tend to claim, there are plenty of others that would fit the bill. I've known women and young girls with names ranging from Jeffrey to Dara to Gregory. All for different reasons. All with masculine roots. And none top 20 "gender-benders." ;)

I'm not saying to go out and name all your daughters Jeffrey. Just that I tend to find the female usage of something like Eliot, Finley or Harper a far more interesting study than just tossing another Addison into the mix. That's just an expected, easily explainable trend. Same old, same old. ;)

ETA: It's been interesting to note how people's perceptions of a name and its origins (whether correct on not LOL) play into how they view its current, or expected, gender usage. Obviously all the "son of" names have been touched on (including the Celtic Mc-/Mac- types). And poor Alison, errantly thrown in there a few times -- not so, etymologically speaking. ;) Not to mention the surname comments regarding disliking them as given names or thinking them inherently masculine, just because they "originated" as last names. Again, not necessarily so. Most Celtic surnames were FIRST names to begin with. And not all of those were masculine. :) Likewise, just because a name designated a certain occupation doesn't necessarily imply a specific gender. Could a female have been a candle-maker or harpist? Certainly! So Chandler or Harper on a woman isn't exactly a masculine choice to begin with.

Seeing the basis for people's views on certain names can be nearly as interesting as the history and origin of the names themselves. ;)

They'll always be boy's names, but modernization has just changed people's opinions on which names sound masculine and which ones sound feminine. To me, Addison sounds really masculine because I know two male Addison's and I read a book in which the lead character was a male and named Addison. Does that mean Addison isn't cute on a little girl? Certainly not, if you can get passed societal sexism and name your daughter something that means "son of" because you believe it sounds feminine, more power to you. I think naming a child is all about personal taste and it's a shame people feel that they can be so critical of something a person put so much thought into just because it's over the internet. My aunt loved Emma Grace for a daughter but never ended up using it because people on forums told her it was "a generic name she put no thought into."

Ashley can work both ways, if I met a boy named Ashley I wouldn't think anything of it, it's masculine enough, if I met another girl named Ashley, she'd be another girl named Ashley, no big deal. Overall this name for me is unisex but I can see the feminine side of it that would sway one to believe it belongs solely on girls.

Emma has always been a girl's name, and it'd be a stretch of the imagination to call it masculine in any respect of the word, but then again, I feel that way about feminizing Noah. We'll just see where it goes.

I like some unisex names, really, but some I don't think should be altered, Kendall is a family name for men, so the fact that it's really popular for girls now is a little shocking, but I will still be using it for my first born son's middle name. I love it and nothing is going to stop me from using it.

I also plan to name my little girl (if I have one :p) Rowan Elisabeth, Rowan is masculine originally but I like it for a girl :)

ETA: Sorry, I don't really know how to put into words what makes a name masculine or feminine, to be honest I think it's just about personal taste and association. My name is Alison, which most people think was a deminitive of Alice but in reality it means "Alistair's son"

I think that it has to do with where we heard it first. Did the name belong to a boy or a girl and how we feel about the English language with loose ties to masculine and feminine words. We decided, not a grammatical rule like in Spanish.

Ashley can be for both and I know both genders with the name. I first heard it on a girl, but the male I know it seems to fit. Not because I see him as girly but because it seems like a Southern name for man, and an all over name for a woman. Maybe because he lives in the deep south in L.A., that Lower Alabama.

Addison although it was originally a boys name (my mom told me that about a year ago when I mentioned the top names), I feel it is more feminine. I've never known someone named this, which maybe my age has something to do with that, but I do feel it leans to the feminine side of things.

Madison, well I've only known one and that was a girl. I do see it as a "girly" name. I'm sure the name started with Pres. Madison, but other then a last name it does seem to lean on the Feminine side to me.

We tend to think of "a" ending names to be feminine. Like the female version of the name Eric is Erica. So I feel like that explains Emma, it's like the female version of Emmett.

But saying that makes me wonder how you (and others) feel about names like "Dana" which end in an "A". Do you see it as more feminine or Masculine? Or Jada, another unisex name that ends in an "a". I feel they're feminine because of the ending in an "a".

I think Ashley can go both ways. Ashley Parker Angel, for an example. They can get called Ash, after all. But its always been more of a girl name to me

Now Ive never heard, nor seen, nor met, or anything about a boy being named Addison. And Addison seems like a purely feminine name to me. I cannot imagine a boy being named Addison o.o

I believe Emma is a girls name becuase its been popular for girls ever since it was created. And I do lvoe the baby girl name Emma ^^

I respect everyones opinion here though, and thank you for respecting mine ^^