A reader named Kelly e-mailed me this afternoon about the name Shay for her son. Kelly asked if I knew any girls or boys named Shay, and if I thought the name was “girly.” I’ve already sent her a reply, but my answers were basically:
1. Yes, I’ve met babies/kids of both genders named Shay/Shea/Shae. And the stats tell a similar story–if you look at the top 1,000 baby names in the U.S. over the last 50 years,
- Shay ranked 15 times for boys and 3 times for girls,
- Shea ranked 35 times for boys and 31 times for girls, and
- Shae ranked 0 times for boys and 1 time for girls.
2. Shay doesn’t sound girly to me, but it doesn’t sound masculine either. More like androgynous. (I’d say the same about Peyton, Avery, Dakota, Riley, Jordan, and about a dozen other names.)
What’s your take on Shay: Girl name? Boy name? (Does the spelling make a difference?) Is Shay too girly for a boy?
4 Comments
I think it sounds a little bit girly, but not overly so. I think it could work better as a nickname for Seamus or Sheaffer. One of my friends in school was named Sheaffer, which was his mother’s maiden name. He always went by Shea. I think this might be a bit better of a way to get to Shea. I would only go with Shea or Shay, but I strongly lean towards Shea as being the most masculine of the group. Shae is definitely too girly looking.
I’d say yes if – and only if – the middle name is clearly masculine. Shay William, sure. Shay Alexander, definitely. Shay Peyton? Not so much.
It might just be me, but I think Shea has more of a masculine vibe – probably because of the legendary stadium.
My name is also Kelly (but I am male). In general I’m a fan of using gender-neutral names (especially those that were once masculine) on boys, and I think that Shay is great for a boy!
I think Shea brings up the Stadium more than anything. If that’s what the parents want to invoke, then go for it.