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?
Related post: Shea, Shae, Shay – Girl Names or Boy Names?