Nina writes:
We are having a difficult time coming up with a baby girl’s name. I am due at the end of this month. We do not know if we are having a boy or a girl. We have a 2 year-old daughter named Ripley Anne. We plan to use the boy’s name we had chosen from two years ago when we didn’t know what we were having the first time around. Since we didn’t anticipate having more children, we did not think about additional girl names (or boys names for that matter). We would like a name that is unisex and unique that it is not on any major lists or within the top 1000 names, much like Ripley is not popular. We cannot decide if we should stick with a name that also begins with the letter R or not. We cannot seem to find another R-sounding name that is English that we both agree on.
So far, our possibilities include Ryder (too popular right now). I like Reverie but my husband thinks it’s too hard to say.
It’s been difficult and stressful to come up with a girl’s name that I’m seriously hoping we’re having a boy for the sake of not having to pick a girl’s name.
I’d love to hear your suggestions as you have helped a friend of mine in the past.
My top suggestion is Kiefer. It’s almost unused for boys, and unused for girls (which surprises me: the Kee- of Keelin/Keely/Kira, the -fer of Jennifer)—but I think the sound is very cute on either a boy or a girl, and excellent with your surname and with the sibling name. Ripley and Kiefer. Its popularity is similar to Ripley’s: in 2010, according to the Social Security Administration, 70 babies total were named Kiefer/Keifer; 47 babies were named Ripley.
Or Waverly: 61 babies named Waverly in 2010, some girls and some boys, though I’d use it for a girl.
The name Arizona isn’t unisex (47 girls in 2010, no boys), but I think it has an androgynous SOUND: I wouldn’t think, meeting a boy named Arizona, “But that’s a girl name!”—and in fact when I first thought of it, I was going to suggest it to you as a boy name candidate. The -a ending (and even the entire -ona of the ending, like Catriona and Fiona and Mona—and the Ari- beginning like Arianna and Ariel) is probably what tips it to girls. Ripley and Arizona.
Hollis is slightly more common (133 babies in 2010), but this is balanced, I think, by being the best so far in terms of being unisex: 47 girls and 86 boys. You could use it for either a boy or a girl: Ripley and Hollis.
If you can get past the Forrest Gump connection (and really, he was a VERY NICE boy and a good person), I think the name Forest works for either a boy or a girl. I think it works a little better for a boy (and the parents of the U.S. agree with me, giving it in 2010 to 81 boys and no girls, plus 160 boys with the Forrest spelling)—but when I picture it on an actual little girl I think it works just as well as Ripley, and calls up very pretty images of sunlight through the leaves. Ripley and Forest. I think it might not work with your surname, however.
The name Castle was given to 14 boys and no girls last year, but I think the sound of it works just as well for girls: it reminds me of Cassie and lass and Crystal, and the word castle can give a mental picture of princesses, knights, beautiful stone walls.
The name Jensen is more popular for boys (313 boys and 52 girls in 2010; the spelling Jensyn adds another 6 boys and 13 girls), but not common for either and would work for either. Ripley and Jensen.
I will mention one of my friend Mairzy’s favorite names: Sterling. It was given to 51 baby girls and 296 baby boys in 2010. I prefer it for girls; I am extremely fortunate that this has not caused Mairzy to ditch our friendship. (Mairzy: “Yet.”) But of course it also works beautifully for boys, so I suggest it either way: Ripley and Sterling.
My mother wants me to suggest the name Tylyn: she knew a Tylyn and said the name was surprisingly pleasing to use. In 2010, 25 babies (20 girls, 5 boys) were named Tylyn/Tylynn. For a boy, I would spell it Tylen (68 boys in 2010; no girls) (there were also 39 boys named Tylon, but I suspect that’s pronounced differently). Ripley and Tylyn; Ripley and Tylen.
The name Reeve was used for 21 boys and 7 girls in 2010. For me it has pleasing Christopher Reeve associations, and it sounds like Eve for a girl, and it’s an R name that goes well with Ripley for either a boy or a girl: Ripley and Reeve.
If you like Ryder, would you consider Ryker?
Reeve, Reese/Reece (not Rhys), and Reverie are my top picks for you! Reverie isn’t too hard to say, and it has a few built-in nicknames (like Reeve! and Eve) that might be beneficial down the road.
Please not Kiefer. It’s a smart choice in theory, but…real-life application? Not to be crude, but I think it’d easily be altered to “queefer” for a girl.
If you’re looking for non-R names, then I’d suggest Fallon, Storm/Stormy, Tatum, and Noa. Even Scout would work well for you, though it’s not my personal favourite name. I know two Scouts- a boy and a girl. Also, check out some other surnames for first name choices (like Ripley) that might be a good choice for a sibset- you could even look at family surnames, too.
I agree that Reverie is hard to pronounce even though it’s very pretty. What about Riva?
I think your husband has a point about Reverie, although my perspective is skewed by an NPR experience. Anyway, I imagine reverie getting mangled into a “can’t say your Rs” version of revelry. (Then I start thinking, “A dweam within a dweam . . . )
Everly? Male-ish because of the brothers, female-ish because the -ly ending, and you’d have an association with the meaning of “Reverie.”
I like all of Swistle’s suggestions and Reverie, but Ryder sounds like “Ride her” to me, and I think it works better as a boy’s name.
I love Sterling for a boy! In fact I have been strongly considering it. I knew a wonderful man named Sterling.
On second thought, saying Ripley and Reverie together gets my tongue twisted. I keep saying “Ripley and Reverly.” Reverie also looks girl, and not entirely unisex. I like Bailey and Devon for you. Phoenix? Sloane? I LOVE Hollis.
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How about River? Ripley and River. Too matchy?
I think River is beautiful for a girl and rugged for a boy.
My first thought was Riley. Ripley and Riley.
I love the suggestion of River! I’ll also add for girls: Ree and Yardley. For boys: Eben, Sadler, Fowler, Ronan. For either: Perri?Perry!
I like Hollis, and Holland is similar too. Holland was used for slightly more girls, but isn’t popular for either.
How about Sawyer?
Colby/Kolby
Thayer
Tate
Tenley
good luck!
I love Swistle’ suggestion of Waverly.
I suggest:
Embry
Phoenix
Quincy
Romilly
Good luck!
Unisex names that I think would work well for a girl (you said you already had a boy’s name, right?):
Berkeley
Ellery
Remy
Rory
I’ve never heard Reverie as a name before- It’s pretty, but I think it would get confusing with Ripley. Ryder for a girl doesn’t sit well with me, I think it’s too established as a boy’s name.
There’s a girl in my daughter’s preschool named Riana. It’s not in the top 1000, and reminds me of Rhiannon, which is but just barely (935). I also like Rory (938) and Raven (610).
I really like this challenge, so I’ve thought of a few more; Cadogan, Raleigh, Tallis, London, Calyx, Arden.
River and Auden are my favorite unisex names. Reverie doesn’t seem to hard to pronounce to me and is pretty, although I never thought of it before.
I love the name Waverly. Swistle’s suggestion of Tylyn made me think of another wonderful name : Trevelyan. It is a boy’s name that would sound natural on a girl, too, I think.
I love Lynette’s suggestion of Raleigh. Ripley and Raleigh go very nicely together.
I’d also suggest Rowan to you.
Not sure if these will be your taste, but I’ve always liked Darby and Darcy for a girl too.
Good luck with your bundle, whether it be pink or blue.
Funny, without reading any comments, I was going to suggest Raleigh too.
I also think Sage goes really nicely with Ripley.
How about //Rowena// or //Ryland//?
I love Sterling, but I have to say that it sounds feminine to me.
In this unisex name time that we live in, I find myself assuming that a “genderless” name is a girl’s name, and often the name actually seems feminine to me. Now, there are probably a number of cultural and sociological factors at play that influence that assumption. And I for one would like to do my part to encourage the genders to escape needless, socially imposed barriers on gender identity (and this is coming from a woman who works in a male dominated profession and faces these issues on a somewhat regular basis).
Not sure if I actually made a contribution, so for good measure I should say that I’m surprised how much I’m liking Jenson/Jensen/Jensyn for either gender.
To me, Tylon/Tylen is satisfactory for neither girl nor boy. It seems like its trying to be neutral and it reminds me of Tyler and Tyrone, both of which I personally do not like.
Ripley and Corbin?
Ripley and Ramona is stuck in my head, but I know you want a unisex name – they just sounds so cute together ;)
for girls:
Ripley and Rowan
Ripley and Rumer
Ripley and Rylie
Ripley and Rayne/Rayan
Ripley and Ricci
Ripley and Reese
Ripley and Ryo
For boys:
Ripley and Ronan/Rohan/Rogan
Ripley and Rigg
Ripley and Rafferty
I want to second the above “R” suggestions; Rafferty, Rumer, River, Remy & Ryker. I also want to add Roxy. Not unisex, but it has a lot of spunk and I love it. I know someone who has a gaggle of girls with R names, Ryleigh, Raelin, Renna & a baby named Restyn. Some of these might work for you. I also like the above non-R suggestions of Jenson, Darby, Waverly, Tenley and Stormy. Good Luck! I can’t wait to hear your choice!
Tylyn/Tylen/Tylon, to me? . . . Tylenol.
Sorry, but I was just about to say what Anonymous just said. Tylen? As in Tylenol? It’s a no-go for me.
I love Revelle for you. Ripley and Revelle. Later, if they want to use more feminine nicknames, they can use Leigh and Elle.
Coming back to this question because I just remembered a name of a little girl I met a few years ago named Malone, which I think is fabulous with Ripley.
Ramona?
R name, familiar, yet not popular by any means.