Is Kelly a girl or boy name to you?

rider5344 · August 2013

I absolutely ADORE the name Kelly for a boy (he would be Kelly James InsertIrishLNhere). DS is Donald Greig. While I find it highly masculine and know that older generations do also (think 50+) A lot of our generation does not. What is your take? Too socially accepted now as a girl name for a boy or time to take it back

I personally find nothing feminine about the name at all. So what are your thoughts, and please feel free to add comments one way or the other, Thanks!

WashingtonQueen · August 2013

I prefer it for a girl but, I don't mind it on a boy.

Scarlett&Gatsby · August 2013

When I hear the name I assume girl, but I like it on a boy.

coopsbaby · August 2013

It's all boy to me, I've always thought it was too masculine for a girl.

baloneydisc · August 2013

The only Kellys I know are my Grandpa & my Uncle. I assume boy, but am not surprised either way.

stahlop · August 2013

I'm an 80's child so I knew a lot of female Kelly's growing up. But I've also known a few male Kelly's, so it works on both in my opinion.

queenbone · August 2013

It is unisex to me since it trended so high for girls in my generation. But it has fallen quite a bit in use for girls since the 70s, I think the trend is over. Meanwhile it has been consistently used as a boy name, just not super popular. I think it probably won't be considered unisex for future generations, it will resume being predominately an under used boy name.

I voted time to take it back.

RedBird11 · August 2013

I am a Kellie so naturally I say girl.

ramoseecology · August 2013

I'm a Kellie as well, one of my husband's female relatives is a Kelly and also growing up in the 80's/90's (kelly kapowski) feel like it's a girl name now. I was just explaining to one of my international student's last week that it used to be a boy's name but now is used for girls. I don't think it's bad on a boy, I just think people would assume it's a girl from the name.

oneblessedmess · August 2013

I always think girl first. Growing up, the only Kellys I knew of were a girl in my class, Barbie's little sister, and Kelly Kapowski. FWIW, my husband actually has a brother named Kelly and he still considers Kelly to be primarily a girl name now.

ETA that while girl is always my first thought, I wouldn't side eye you for naming a boy Kelly.

aimeern623 · August 2013

My dad's name is Kelley!

LadyXaverian · August 2013

It's 100% unisex to me. If I had a Kelly on my class roster, I would make no assumptions. The first Kellys I knew were boys (2 of them growing up), but over all, I have known more girls than boys with this name.

macska3 · August 2013

Love Kelly on a boy!

mh89 · August 2013

Don't like it strictly because it is so unisex and could lead to confusion and annoyance for the child in question. That said, if I HAD to use it, I'd use it on a girl.

Boys tend to be teased more over having "girly names" than the other way around (which the feminist in me really hates, but its the sad truth).

Soap1 · August 2013

I think it's unisex, but I don't like it because it feels too 80s to me.

strawberrytree · August 2013

If this was 20 years ago I might assume a Kelly was a girl, but it peaked in 1977 has fallen steadily since then. In fact I think it is so dated on a girl I might guess boy first. I think it is time to take it back. If this baby is a boy Kelly Patrick is on our short list.

austenfan919 · August 2013

I think girl first. I don't know if I have ever met a male Kelly, personally. But I don't think it is an awful choice for a boy.

JuniperGaze · August 2013

My name is Kelly, so of course I always think of girl first. I work with a couple of female Kellys and went to school with only female Kellys. I believe I have only known 2 male Kellys in my entire life. I think that it could easily go both ways. I've never really thought too much about my name being unisex because I just haven't met too many male Kellys. I think it is refreshing that you want to bring this name back, boy or girl! I have always loved my name.

However just a warning... a lot of unpleasant words rhyme with Kelly: smelly, belly, jelly which has always irritated me, not that any of them were used in a demeaning way towards me, but it is possible.

redshoe95 · August 2013

I like it a lot better on a boy

ho11yday · September 2013

My mind goes automatically to girl name; but I know plenty of men named Kelly, Shannon, Dana, and Linn that I don't actually say "she/her" without finding out if it is a man or a woman.

However, it is NMS for a boy or a girl; it just seems really dated. Girl = 80s, Boy = 50/60s

Kellybeth124 · September 2013

It can go either way. Within my age group, the majority of Kellys are female, so the only confusion I experience is based on spelling. I still have to spell it for people as they always ask, Kelly with a -Y, -EY, -IE, or -I??

ramoseecology · September 2013

JuniperGaze said:

My name is Kelly, so of course I always think of girl first. I work with a couple of female Kellys and went to school with only female Kellys. I believe I have only known 2 male Kellys in my entire life. I think that it could easily go both ways. I've never really thought too much about my name being unisex because I just haven't met too many male Kellys. I think it is refreshing that you want to bring this name back, boy or girl! I have always loved my name.

However just a warning... a lot of unpleasant words rhyme with Kelly: smelly, belly, jelly which has always irritated me, not that any of them were used in a demeaning way towards me, but it is possible.

Only one person ever teased me with these names repeatedly (actually used these specific ones all in one go---smelly kellie belly jelly roll) but it wasn't fun at the time. It really does rhyme with a lot of awful words to tease someone with.

KStar21 · September 2013

I think it's a great name for a boy - and since Kelly is much less common for girls now than when you were growing up I think a boy with that name would have it easier now than back then (plus there are more names that are successfully being used both ways now). It may be a bit dated either way, but that's not necessarily a bad thing to me.

MMason12 · September 2013

I know at least two males who have the name Kelly. I have always thought it was a girls name until I met these two guys. It is not a name I would ever consider for a boy, but I would no longer side eye seeing it used on a boy.

aeh72 · September 2013

While these days I might assume girl if I saw the name Kelly on paper, I wouldn't be totally surprised if it was the name of a boy. I voted that I like it either way.

Cheekers2010 · September 2013

My name is Kelly, but I grew up knowing a couple of male Kellys as well. So, while I identify it more as a female name, I really like it for boys, too.

annabelle.27 · September 2013

My husband's name is Kelly so for me it is boy. I admit when I met him though it seemed like a girl's name. But I also come from the era in which Kelly was a popular girl name. I think now, as a girl's name, it is very dated (like Tiffany, Jennifer) and so probably could be reclaimed as a boy name. I doubt a male Kelly will have many female Kellys in his school today. But I could be biased