Are these names unisex?

sadie890

My bf was playing family feud online (ahah) and I guess for the question about what names are unisex, the top two names were Sean (spelt like this, which is his name) and Billy.

 He texted me right away and asked if these are actually commonly used unisex names, so I had to post it here to see what all of you have to say!

 

thanks! 

EastCoastBride

They were the top two!?!  Sure, I've heard of women who go by those names, but I don't find them to be common by any means. I think "male" when I hear them.

dana1318a

I don't really consider them unisex, but I have heard of Sean and Billie being used on girls before.  Sean (reminds me of the female detective in Ace Ventura, so I think that was her real name lol) and Billie Holiday.

sadie890

EastCoastBride:

They were the top two!?!  Sure, I've heard of women who go by those names, but I don't find them to be common by any means. I think "male" when I hear them.

 

This is exactly what I thought! I have heard of them (but not Sean spelt like that, and I know a Shawna) but top two?? I told him something is wrong with Family Feud, haha. 

sadie890

ps, he guessed taylor and it wasn't there! ahaaah

anotheramy

I've known a Billie Jean and a Billie Ann. Not common names though. 

Leggadine08

Hmmm I cant believe Sean was on there. I do see how Billie was on the top as I personally know at least four Billie Jo's or Billie Jean's.

I think Taylor would have been a far more popular choice

Teffie

I have an aunt Sean, but she spells it Shawn.

sadie890

Leggadine08:

Hmmm I cant believe Sean was on there. I do see how Billie was on the top as I personally know at least four Billie Jo's or Billie Jean's.

I think Taylor would have been a far more popular choice

 

 This is what I thought. It was just wired that Billie was spelt "Billy". :P 

LyndseylovesHugh

To me Sean=Boy and Shawn=Girl or unisex.  Billy is a boys nn and Billie is a girls nn, but I would not consider either spelling for either sex a very common full first name.  Maybe that's just me.

alliejo725

I think Billy is a dated unisex name (it's not really being used for either sex now), but it definitely was at one time. Jazz singer Billy Holiday is a noteworthy woman with this name.

I've rarely seen Sean as a girl's name, especially spelled that way (usually it's Shawn). But 90's actress Sean Young (Stripes, Ace Ventura), spells her name this way.

maxtherat

I've heard the names as both before . . but they don't seem unisex to me either! They scream boys . . . although I know a guy named Hillary and another named Kim and I would have thought those were girl names so what do I know? I would have thought Taylor though too!!

four+leighf

No, they don't seem typically unisex to me at all.  I've never known a female Billy, and I've known one female Sean, but it seems like girls are usually Shawna.  

braveangel2

Family Feud is wrong.

https://www.behindthename.com/php/search.php?nmd=n&terms=Billy+Sean

Unless it's for a country that we don't have stats or info on, I only see boys names.