Kelly as a boy's name?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting. We all associate Kelly as a girls name because of the boom of Kellys in the 70s and 80s. However, I am pretty sure your son would be the only Kelly in his class or even school (obviously if overseas, but even here). I doubt this next generation will have heard the name Kelly much at all, unless the parents are named Kelly. If you both really like it, I say go for it. You have Kelly Slater on your side.

I agree with this. For all we know, this generation will trend the name back towards boys.

[Anonymous]

I know about a dozen Kellys - all girls. I think it would lead to way too much confusion for your son.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really hate girls names as boys and vice versa. It sounds like you wanted the opposite sex.

Kelly was traditionally a boys' name. I like it as a boy name, but I wouldn't give it to my own son, knowing that he'd probably be called a girl.

[Anonymous]

I love Kelly for a boy. (I also knew a hot guy named Kelly growing up so that helps) Kelly's out of style for girls nowadays, so your son's peers won't think he has a girl's name.

[Anonymous]

I'm all for family and unisex names. I did know one male Kelly growing up...and I always felt really sorry for him. It's not a unisex name anymore.

[Anonymous]

I know a Kelly in his 40s, and I think it's a fine name for a boy. Better to have a name that you both like than to be rejecting good options because of a fear of bullying.

[Anonymous]

OP here -- Wow! Thanks for the rapid responses! Looks like it's about 50/50 so far, maybe a little more in favor? Not everyone who meets him would have to love the name; I'm just hoping to avoid relentless teasing or universal scorn Also, it seems that whether a kid gets teased depends more on him/her than the name -- my DH Michael got teased ("Michael Michael motorcycle," of all things!), but his buddy Ragnar never, ever did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really hate girls names as boys and vice versa. It sounds like you wanted the opposite sex.

So you're in favor of it, then? Since it's a boy's name that was given to girls.

[Anonymous]

I agree with a few PPs, Kelly was once unisex name but is now very much a girl's name. He would definitely get teased, even in college, but on the bright side he might not care at that age.

[Anonymous]

I really like it. It conjures up an image of a handsome, confident, athletic man.

Anyone remember the TV show Bad News Bears? I think the heartthrob boy on the team was named Kelly.

As for teasing... BS. Of all the things we teased other kids for, their first name wasn't one of them. And I went to school with a kid named Humphrey. I also have an adult male friend named Ashley, and he reports never having had a problem with it.

[Anonymous]

An academic's take: "he found that boys with feminine names were more likely to get in trouble for misbehaving during middle school (although not in earlier years) and to do worse in school." (Probably most relevant in schools where the kids would see the name as feminine, so less important in an internationals setting, perhaps?

http://tierneylab.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/18/a-different-view-of-boy-named-sue/

[Anonymous]

I say go for it. If it were Avery or Riley I might hesitate since they are so popular for girls. But nobody names their baby girls Kelly anymore, so I think the name's pretty much up for grabs for boys.

[Anonymous]

Love it! I immediately thought of Kelly Slater when I read your title. Maybe your little man will turn out to be stud muffin (pre-bald days) like KS!

[Anonymous]

I like it too. Our neighbor boy is kelly and he's so cute.

[Anonymous]

Love it. One of my best friends growing up had a significantly older brother named Kelly, and it's always been near the top of my list. DH wouldn't go for it though, and it doesn't work with our last name anyway as we have the l, k, any y sounds in our last name.