Kelly for a boy?

LindsayLoehner · December 2013

We don't know what we're having...but we already have a girls name pretty much picked out, which will be Greta. Boy names are so much harder for us. My husband and I LOVE Kelly for a boy! I know it's different but not unheard of...What are your thoughts?

DaisyDuck40 · December 2013

I personally associate Kelly as a girl name...so for me it's hard to picture it as a boy's name.

MusicFanatic · December 2013

I know two Kelly's.. a male and female. So to me, it's not crazy to see on either and I associate it with both male and females. I don't care for the name, though.

82Sonia · December 2013

I knew a guy named Kelly in college. I like it.

strawberrytree · December 2013

I really like it! It is my husband's fave boy name too and one of our top choices for this baby. It is so dated as a girl name to me but I think it sounds fresh as a boy name. I've never met a woman under the age of 25 named Kelly so I don't think kids our children are growing up with would have the same associations we do. I would pair it with a pretty traditional male middle name so it's clear he is a boy...we would do Kelly Patrick.

erjarv · December 2013

So funny, I posted a thread earlier today about using the name Kelly for a boy too! It's one of our top two options right now. If we don't use it as a first we're going to use it as a middle.

Personally I LOVE it for a boy. I think it's a strong, bad ass first name. The only reason I haven't 100% decided on it is because I'm worried about how other people will react to it.

Big+Lil · December 2013

Kelly Slater is the coolest surfer ever. It's an awesome name.

mtm0109 · January 2014

I know multiple kellys, both boys and girls. I like it on boy, I like it on boys way more than girls!

SidraJedi · January 2014

Yes! It's a great name for a boy!

SidraJedi · January 2014

Also you could do Kellan and maybe NN Kelly?

lifeonthehill · January 2014

I love Kelly for a boy!

orangecrush32 · January 2014

My sister's name is Kelly so I have a hard time seeing it as a boy name.

rattlecanqueen · January 2014

My uncle's name is Kelly. My son's middle name is Kelly. I've known girl Kellys as well. I primarily associate it with boys though.

dogperson11 · January 2014

Grew up with a boy named Kelly, except his full name is Kellen. He went by Kelly until he hit Jr High then switched over to Kellen. My vote would be to name him Kellen so he's got a bit of a choice.

COgirl29 · January 2014

Grew up with a boy named Kelly and he was teased all the time for his name. He hated it.

macska3 · January 2014

Love Kelly on a boy!!!!

blu-eyedwife · January 2014

Kelly is a fantastic boys' name. And it's about time it came back to team blue!

sulsa78 · January 2014

I think Kelly is better on a girl IMO. I would be afraid that he would be teased...kids are cruel.

saham07 · January 2014

I love love Kelly for a boy!

Jags8 · January 2014

Nope, it's a girl name to me. An 80s girl name.

diamondduck13 · January 2014

All my associations are girl. I've known it was originally a boy name, like Ashley, but before this board if I heard Kelly I'd assume girl. The vast majority of people your son will encounter are outside this board.

Sam Buttons · January 2014

While I love it on a boy, he will likely get teased for it.

I'm in the camp of "do no harm" since kids are cruel enough. So, we can all sit around and say how nice and refreshing it is, but that won't help him at school when kids can use his name for ammunition.

==N== · January 2014

It's a nice name for sure but I think it's gone too far girl.

rockopera · January 2014

Love it! Take it back for the boys!!!

I think it's been long enough since it was a trendy girl name that you don't have to worry about "being cruel."

stahlop · January 2014

I don't think Kelly is as big for girls any more. I'm a teacher and I know one little girl Kelly. I know a few people with baby boy Kelly's through.

LindsayLoehner · January 2014

I don't know how I can love Kelly so much for a boy and absolutely dislike for a girl?!

FrecklesInside · January 2014

I like Kelly on a boy. But then again, I like a lot of names originally for boys that have turned girl, on boys. Cary is on our boy list for future LO.

Coconuthead · January 2014

I know a Kelly who is a man. I like it on a boy.

Y I Oughta · January 2014

I like it on a boy. It's in the 300's on the 2012 ss list for girls so it is being used less. I don't think he would run into too many girls named Kelly.

I know a 7yr old boy named Kelly. He doesn't seem to have any problem with it. It's usually adults that think it's strange.

KStar21 · January 2014

I agree that since Kelly isn't so common for girls anymore it would probably work easier than it did when most of us were kids.

coopsbaby · January 2014

I know plenty of guy Kellys, so it's way more a man's name to me. I've always thought it was just awful for a girl.

naflmj · January 2014

Where do you live? I think it's more common in the south. Personally I like it but I'd probably assume it was a girl on paper.

brooksidebride · January 2014

I love it. I do feel like it will be a great name to have in high school and beyond into adulthood, but anytime before that (grade school) would come with a lot of teasing from peers in school because "it's a girl's name".

queenbone · January 2014

I like Kelly on a boy. Growing up Kelly was unisex to me because I knew boys and girls with that name. And it has definitely fallen from favor for girls since the 70s. Use it if you like it.

~Says Francis' mom

LindsayLoehner · January 2014

I live in Illinois. I don't personally know any guy Kellys. I have to admit, it's come into light for us because of 'Kelly Severide' the character on the TV show 'Chicago Fire.' Before that I've only heard of Kelly Slater the surfer. It's #1 on our boys list right name, because my husband is the one who REALLY likes it. It's definately growing on me!

daisy662 · January 2014

I can think of 12 Kelly's that I know just off the top of my head very quickly. All girls. I like the name a lot but for a girl.

NerdyLucy · January 2014

Y I Oughta said:

I like it on a boy. It's in the 300's on the 2012 ss list for girls so it is being used less. I don't think he would run into too many girls named Kelly.

I know a 7yr old boy named Kelly. He doesn't seem to have any problem with it. It's usually adults that think it's strange.

This. I've wondered if kids growing up with boys named Kelly will have much of an issue with it. To me, it seems that it's more of the adults that grew up with 80s girls named Kelly that see it more as a feminine name, if that makes any sense.

LindsayLoehner · January 2014

I don't know any little girls names Kelly. Just girls in their early to late 30's mostly. I think if we decide to name a boy Kelly, which it looks more and more like we might, the kids he grows up with will only know it as a boys name then. Or at the very least they may have an aunt named Kelly and will just know it as a unisex name.

MrsCase1 · January 2014

I like it better for a boy, actually.

LindsayLoehner · January 2014

We'll probably offset it with an overly masculine middle name ;o)

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