View Message

I really like Ryan too. But on a boy ONLY.
On a girl, I find it tasteless and tacky.

I think I have seen it enough times on a girl at this point (usually with some spelling that the parents thought was more "feminine" like Ryanne or Ryann) to not question it. Doesn't mean I like it or approve. I understand names cross genders all the time, but for me this is a classically male name and is right up there with naming a daughter James or William.

I find it extremely boring on a boy, and I wouldn't dream of giving a child such a dull, overused name. It certainly lacks the pizazz that a gender-bending name should have.

It's been done, but seems out of place. It's super-common, but at least acceptable on a boy... So many lovely girl names out there it seems a shame to snag them from the boys' list. It sounds nice on a boy.

Ryan to me is a long nasal whine masquerading as a name. I can't stand it and never could. It's terrible on a boy and on a girl it is so self-conscious: "Oooh, look at me! I'm naming my daughter Ryan! It's, like, really a boyz name but it's like, soooo cute!!!!"

I knew a girl named Ryanne. I like it. I say go for it.

It's not bad. It's very 80s. My friend just had a baby named Ryan and I was quite surprised she chose it as we grew up with many of them. It's a decent name, though. Yeah, it's fine on a girl. I know two female Ryans and a female Ryanne.

I like Ryan for a boy only.

It wouldn't work on a girl. There are so many nice feminine names out there for little girls, why saddle her with one commonly used for a boy? I don't particularly like Ryan myself, but I like it a lot lot more on a boy than a girl.

---