Mama's who chose a unisex name for their baby girl

CocoBrynne · February 2011

Do you deal with a lot of gender confusion when people see the name? Do they automatically assume your child is a boy? I am so torn on a name, we absolutely love Ashton and it flows beautifully with our last name and according to family we have in the south it is more common for a girl down there, but I don't want to deal with confusion all her life. For the most part the people I have polled that I know say the only male Ashton they know of is Ashton Kutcher. My mom suggested to spell it Ashtyn, which I don't like as much, I think it looks a little cutesy.

If we use it we will probably pair it with an ultra fem MN we are thinking right now Ashton Elisabeth or Ashton Claire

krissyh21 · February 2011

I don't know any Ashton's beside Kutcher, but because he has been the first and only one I know with this name I automatically think boy.

Changing the spelling will not help, not when introducing your daughter so if you choose to use this name, keep the spelling as is.

I do not have a girl, but I will tell you my thought. When she is young with a little amount of hair, unless you dress her ultra girly all the time, when introducing your daughter I would assume it was a boy. Eventually when I discover her bow or pink socks I will have an ah-huh moment.. This happened at my sons music class with a girl named Dawson, I thought she was a boy for the first 5 weeks until the week she wore a pink ruffly shirt.

TBLilyRose · February 2011

I think it does cause some confusion but if you love it that much, use it.

jacks123 · February 2011

My two daughter's, Harper and Emery, have unisex names, although I think they are more girl names than boy names. I've never had any issue with gender confusion. I also paired their names with very fem girl middle names. I say, if you love the name Ashton, than go for it. I also think that Ashton sounds better as a girls name than a boy name, but I also am someone who loves unisex names on girls. Good luck!

MStason · February 2011

I know of 6 Ashtons all under the age of 5 and all are boys. But DD is named Quinn and she has long blonde hair and wears dark pink and purple and hats with flowers on them because she loves hats and people still call her a little boy and say isnt he cute and how old is HE. So use any name you like, people will figure it out or they wont. DD even gets called a boy when people dont know her name,

BetchySprout · February 2011

I think Ashton as more of a girls name than unisex.

However, if you have any history of weight issues in your family I would reaaaally think long and hard before using it. I have 2 girl students named Ashton and one is very overweight. It has been really hard for her to have "ton" in her name. That isn't to say you should toss it out altogether, just mull over it. I am very overweight and always have been...my real name is Michelle but I also had a really bad nickname. Ashton just makes it easier on the bullies.

12bailey18 · February 2011

I've only ever known girl Ashton's. I have known of it being spelled Ashtyn and I think this is one case where the "y" does work. If you like it, I say use it! I grew up with a unisex name and I never remember there being any confusion. (There was some confusion with people thinking it was my last name.) I even knew a few boy Baileys but I never remember being bothered by it. It was my name, the only one I knew, so I loved it. Just something to think about.

brandywine2010 · February 2011

I live in the South and the only Ashton that I've met IRL is a boy. Good luck with your decision.

sweetface83 · February 2011

My name is Dana, so I get it sometimes. However when paired with my MN (Marie) you can tell I'm female. In my area, Dana is most commonly used for girls so I haven't had someone give me the eye in awhile. It's not the most horrible thing in the world. I'm actually more annoyed when ppl call me Diana or Donna than thinking I'm a dude.

When I see Ashton I think Kutcher so I would assume boy. However, if it's what you and DH love, go for it. It's your baby.

mlf625 · February 2011

krissyh21:
I do not have a girl, but I will tell you my thought. When she is young with a little amount of hair, unless you dress her ultra girly all the time, when introducing your daughter I would assume it was a boy.

I don't think a "girly" name helps with this. At all. My daughter is bald and lives in pink. Her name is Vivian and even AFTER I say her name, people sometimes will say "he" or "his".

OP, I like it. If you use it, do NOT take your mom's advice. Ashtyn doesn't look girlier, it just looks dumbed-down.

alliejo725 · February 2011

I went to college with a girl named Ashton (she was brilliant, double majoring in Biology and English, and graduated with honors in both). I love this name on a girl.

I don't automatically think one sex or the other when I hear it, since I've known a girl with this name and know of Ashton Kutcher.

Bride7-7-07 · February 2011

I don't deal with a lot of gender confusion with DD who is named Remington. I think only once or twice has there been confusion when the person had not known DD and known that she was a girl. Otherwise, once you meet her, you know how well her name fits her. If it's a name you love - go with it. Everyone has different opinions but in the end - your baby - your name choice.

mljohnson · February 2011

The only Ashton I know is a little 2yr old girl. and mom spelled it Ashtyn.

BecauseICan · February 2011

DD's name is Avery and we've had some confusion, interestingly enough mostly w/ hospital workers. But overall, it hasn't been bad, and it's just one of those things I choose not to be offended by if someone does make the mistake.

And fwiw, someone mentioned above that people still make mistakes when it's obvious, and she's right--I had DD at the pedis when she was about 2 months old--dressed head to toe in pink, she had a TON of curly hair with a bow in it, and a purple pacifier--and a nurse asked how old 'he' was...so yeah. LOL.

Anyway, I kind of like Ashton as a girl's name. I don't know any Ashtons either way though, so maybe that's part of it?

tct1219 · February 2011

ChoicesMom:
I grew up only knowing a girl Ashton until Ashton Kutcher came along. Honestly, I think girl first when I see the name even though I know more boys nowadays with the name.

I think both Ashton Elizabeth and Ashton Claire are beautiful. Good luck!

this. i didn't give my daughter a unisex name, though. it's a male name/ surname that is rarely used so it's not like many people are that familiar with it anyway. the nurse at the dr office has said he a few times [that bothers h but i don't care] but that's because she was wearing blue or white at the time.

we don't usually call her by her full name, although it's uncommon enough that i don't think there will ever be a problem for her as far as knowing boys with the same name.

TyrinM03 · February 2011

my third little girl will be reese....

i get a lot of crap about this is not spelled correctly and it's a boy name yada yada yada....

my name is tyrin and i get the same thing! i love the name and that is all that matters! go with what you love!

i have to say i like ashton better than ashtyn....your middle name choices are beautiful!!

GL Smile

bsmead · February 2011

aside from Ashton Kutcher, ALL the Ashtons I know are girls!!!! I think its a little to "girly" to be a boy name!

lisa5201 · February 2011

DD is Schuyler which is traditionally male, but even if her name was princess girlyface, she would still get called a boy. Like pp's said, she's been in a pink dress wearing a bow and people have commented that she's a "handsome little guy"

Ashton is unisex, I think your fine

P.G.&A.M. · February 2011

Wasn't there a female character from North and South named Ashton?

robnnoel · February 2011

I have a friend who loves the name Ashton, but didnt go with it because of Ashton Kutcher, so they went with Ashlyn.

KeriMichaelMarie · February 2011

My DD's name is uncommon and I'm always asked "Girl or Boy". There are worse things. Spelling it Ashtyn will cause spelling issues on top of gender issues.

MarxieVonTrapp · February 2011

P.G.&A.M.:
Wasn't there a female character from North and South named Ashton?

Yes. She was a horrible character who schemed and plotted and was, in essence, a total bish. She tried to steal her sister's boyfriend away, slept with 7 men on her cousin's graduation night from West Point to prove a point to him, cheated on her milquetoast husband with her brother's mortal enemy, smuggled guns to help her and her lover overtake the Confederacy once they knocked off Jeff Davis, and made her brother's wife leave him after she blackmailed her (and they were star-crossed lovers, so it took them FOREVER to get together in the first place).

Uh, I really love this miniseries.

jiffy-pop · February 2011

I'm from the South and know a couple of Ashton's (don't know how they spell it). They only boy Ashton I've ever known of is Kutcher. I think I like it better for a girl.