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[Opinions] Ivory (M)
TLDR; What do you think of Ivory for a boy? Bonus: What about for a girl?Last week I asked about Jade on a boy, this time it’s Ivory, which I think I like even more. Both Jade and Ivory are unisex names but female-dominated.What would you think of a male Ivory?On a similar note, how do you feel about female Ivory?I posted a poll a while back about female Ivory (see: https://www.behindthename.com/polls/346576) and most people chose I dislike Ivory and it’s a bad name. On the rating scale it averaged out to about a 2.4.Here are some combos if you’re interested:Ivory Amir
Ivory Andrew
Ivory Anwar
Ivory Casimir
Ivory Cillian
Ivory John
Ivory Julian
Ivory Kieran
Ivory Luke
Ivory Micah
Ivory Oswald
Ivory Sebastian
Ivory Wilfred
Ivory Yusuf
Ivory Zion(Would love if anyone wanted to make double middle names out of these and / or the ones below!)And some that are OTT or too feminine that I also find pleasing:Ivory Jade
Ivory Oberon (or Auberon)
Ivory Odysseus
Ivory Shelby
Ivory Valentine
Ivory WestMy Ivory (M) poll includes some of these and some others if you’d like to vote on them (see: https://www.behindthename.com/polls/348134)Here are also some female Ivory combos that were included in my initial Ivory (F) poll:Ivory Colette
Ivory Grace
Ivory Gwyn / Ivory Gwyneth
Ivory Katherine
Ivory Miriam
Ivory RoseAnd also:Ivory Ygritte (a GP combo)Note: I know this is an awfully long post, so thanks if you read all the way through!

Please rate my lists. All of them are ratable except for the Main list and the Surname list. :)New names! PNL updated 5/29.https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/174843/136906

This message was edited 6/21/2021, 11:48 AM

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Seems very "manifest destiny" sort of sinister-Victorian-flouncy-explorer on a boy, a la Diamond and Meriwether. There's something very cold and almost cruel about it, which does give it some personality. Ives would be a neat nickname.I knew of a female Ivory once, I think her name was Ivory Tuesday....or maybe Ivory Wednesday? I remember thinking it was super cool, when I was 16. She was Indigenous.
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Ivan is better for a boy. I had a student named Ivorine
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I have met two Ivorys. They were both African American. One was a woman (nn Ivie), I think born in the 70s; the other was a man, maybe older than that.
I don't quite like it because it makes me think of poaching, similar to how I can't like coral because I think of destruction of coral reefs. I guess I also think of Ivory Coast, pianos, and "irie", so that could be positive. The sound is nice.It's like Ebony or Coral or Dove, for a girl.For a guy, it's like...idk, Tory? Yves? Emory? Sterling? Maybe a bit off-beat or old-fashioned, but it's fine, whatever. Strikes me as less wordy (or more namey/established) for a guy for some reason.Doubling up the MNs from the combos...
Ivory Sebastian Yusuf
Ivory Anwar Sebastian
Ivory Kieran Oswald
Ivory Odysseus Amir
Ivory Oberon Jade
Ivory Miriam Ygritte
Ivory Katherine Colette
Ivory Miriam ValentineI like it with Sebastian, Anwar, Valentine, Odysseus, and Miriam.
Others that came to mind...
Ivory Waldo

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This message was edited 6/21/2021, 7:59 PM

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Honestly, I can’t really picture it on a boy. I guess it’s okay fir a girl.
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I've seen it in old census records for males. These would be white Appalachian males. So that's how I mainly see it. There are very few names I personally see as unisex. But I think Ivory probably could be.

This message was edited 6/21/2021, 2:23 PM

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I do also like Ivor. :) Thanks for the combos! Ivory Cillian Phoenix is so cool! I also like Ivory Kieran Hal and Ivory Oswald Fox. Ivory Ygritte Storm is intriguing.
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I dislike both Jade and Ivory for boys. They have gone over too far to the feminine side. They sound super girly to me, along the lines of Tiffany or Crystal.I do like Jade for girls and Ivory isn't bad (but I prefer Idony).The problem is that Ivory looks even more girly next to really masculine names like John. Next to masculine names that are a bit softer like Amir it looks nicer but I think people could mistake it for a girls name. Maybe Ivory Amir Luke or Ivory Amir John?Ivory Miriam is nice. I like Rose and Colette but not so much with Ivory, it needs a more serious middle name (not that they aren't serious, but Miriam is sturdy which I like).Ygritte reminds me too much of the character and I didn't like her all that much.
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Like Mirfak, I've only heard Ivory used on African American women, so I would be surprised to encounter it on a white guy. I prefer Ivo or Ivor for a man.
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Did I write something specifying a white Ivory? Or is this just a thought that has come up in regards to the name? Sorry, just a little confused. I do have a few Arabic middle names listed that I thought sounded good with Ivory as well. Do you think an Ivory of any race besides black would seem odd? Either way, I’d never actually use Ivory for either gender so race seems kind of irrelevant here.Sorry if this came off as rude, I’m just a little lost!

This message was edited 6/21/2021, 2:23 PM

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You aren't coming off as rude, it's a legit question. I didn't think you were specifying a white Ivory but you do have a couple combos there that strike me as "white" usages (Cillian, Gwyneth), and so I was kinda picturing it on people of different ethnicities, and one of the thoughts I had was that I kinda expect an Ivory, especially a guy, to be black. It wouldn't be "odd" in a negative way if Ivory was not black, but it would strike me as a little bit out of the ordinary, and that seemed interesting. Well, it's the sort of thing I'd be interested in knowing, if I were posting a name I liked and asking about people's impressions of it. I tend to assume, unless people specify, that people are asking about opinions of names that are potentially for real people.
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UnderstandableI don’t really associate the names I post with potential spawn personally, because I’m not sure if I ever want any but I definitely get where you’re coming from. :)
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It is was a comment regarding usage. I was letting you know that, if you were thinking of using Ivory on a white guy, it might be a bit surprising. If you want to know what people think of a name or what associations they have with a name, then somebody is bound to mention who've they've encountered with the name IRL. After looking up to see if there have been any men named Ivory, I did encounter an old time African American singer-songwriter named Ivory Joe Hunter. So, I guess the name isn't strictly used on women. Ivory Joe Hunter has a pleasant voice if you're interested.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKLbIn8yx-o
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I know. It was just the second comment about it being odd used on a white guy, so I was curious if it was something I wrote. Thanks. :)
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I like the name, more for gals. I prefer Ivor for guys, myself, but Ivory (m) is not bad. I kinda like Ivry (contraction of Ivory) instead of Ivory for a guy - it has a more masculine vibe for me, and is less ... Ivor-ish.
I think of Ivory, esp. as a male name, as a black American usage. It wouldn't be bad on a nonblack American or anything, but it would raise my eyebrow for a split second, the first time I encountered it on a white guy. fwiw
I think Ivory Miriam is a good combo.
Ivory West isn't OTT or too feminine for a guy.
Combo off the top of my head that I like: Ivory Demetria
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Ivory West is just more of a GP, hence the placement. I like it enough to include but also feel like it sounds like some kind of resort
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I don't like it for either
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