BOY Name Elliot - Is It Becoming Unisex?

I'm naming my daughter Ellie, and everyone keeps asking me if it is short for anything. I tell them, no. Definitely not Eleanor. If ANYTHING it would be short for Elliot. I like Elliot for a girl and I think it's on it's way to being unisex. The only reason she'll be Ellie Madelyn instead of Elliot Madelyn is my fiancee's grandmother.

My son is named Elliot. I would not name a girl Elliot, but then I wouldn't name a girl Madison or McKenzie, -son, and Mc- indicating masculine gender. Sadly, I don't think any boy's name is safe from being appropriated by the females. I'm amazed all the time by some of the things people name their girls. :)

Hi H.,
I think that Elliot is a boy's name, but it is tending to be more unisex these days. My brother and sister-in-law are having a girl next month and they are naming her Elliot.
Cyndi

I really don't see why people have such big hangups about what can and can't be a name for different sexes, or why it seems worse to most people to give a boy a "girl's name" than to give a girl a "boy's name."
I have known women named Michael, Christian, and George, but never a man named Martha, Claire, or Gretchen. Some names, for whatever reason, are considered unisex by popular consensus - Lynn, Evelyn, Leslie, Lou, Lee, Kris.

So, IMO, Elliott is just as good a name for a girl as for a boy.

Sure, there may be occasional girl Elliot's (just like I've seen a girl Spencer and a girl Connor!) but I would always assume that Elliot is a boy. Your child won't be living on a tv show, so don't base your naming on those kind of fictional trends.

To me Elliot is totally a boy's name. If I knew a girl with it, while I would accept it, I would think of it as a girl named a boy's name. I think you are good to go with Elliot for a boy, I like it!

I have never heard of it being used for a girl name. Very cute boy name though!!

I would say it is still very much a boys name, but my hubby and I just love it for a girl. We are expecting and it's on our name list for a girl. I've never heard it used for a girl before, so I think it's still a boys name.

Never seen it as a girls name.
I like it as a boys name only. =)

Elliott is a boys name, through and through. As long as people keep naming their boys Elliott it won't get taken over by the uber cool who use it for the cutesy nickname Ellie.

I think girls should have girl names. If you have a nickname that is unisex or boyish that's different. Ex. Danielle - Dani, or Samantha - Sam.

I had a friend who was named Marty because her Dad wanted a boy. Even in 4th grade you could tell that it was an issue for her.

To me Elliot is a boy's name and Elliotte just seems odd, no offense. If you go to the effort of changing Elliot to Elliotte, people will have a hard time pronouncing it. You might as well just name her Elle, cuz that will probably become her nickname anyway.

M.

I actually know more girls named Elliot than boys right now, and I'm a school teacher.

I think most names can be unisex now. My daughters name is a unisex name, and I've only heard it for boys (I actually thought I made it up, til I googled it, because I had never heard of it before lol).

Go with what you like, and don't worry about what others think or say...because in the end...it only matters what you and your husband think!! :)

My son's name is Eliot!
LOVE THE NAME :) Go for it.

I've never heard of a girl being named "Elliot," but it doesn't surprise me if that's becoming more popular -- it seems a common trend, for parents to take a boy's name and turn it into a girl's -- Ashley, Leslie, Shannon, Beverly, and many, many other names used to be only/mostly boy names, and now are mostly girl names. From what I've read, once a name "goes girl" it never goes back to "boy." So, I would cast my vote in the "becoming unisex/girl" category (although it may be another 20-30 years before that is evident).

The way you & your husband pick out names sounds like mine -- we want masculine boy names and feminine girl names. (Although he would like to name a girl "Shannon," but I steadfastly refuse, because I know several males named Shannon, so it's not feminine enough to me.)

I agree that Elliot is and should be a boy's name (although I can understand how some people hear the "Ell" part and think girl, with Elle, Belle, and other feminine names/endings), but it doesn't sound like it is going to retain its masculine status for very long. I could be wrong, though! It's hard to tell what names will trend in which direction. One of my nephews is named Jackson, and before he was born, I scarcely had heard of a kid named Jackson; and now it's ranked #25. So, it's a toss-up, in my mind, whether it will be enough of a boy's name for your son's life.

I think it is unisex. But, I know a girl child named Elliot. I think you are going to have to choose a middle name that is definitely male sounding to balance this out.

It's funny I just went through your previous answers and I know a Reese and an Avery that are girls. But, I am a teacher so I am exposed to a lot of names. The other name I have encountered is Montana; I actually know a boy and a girl with that name.

I don't see this as a problem. All of these names are great nomikers; so go with it if you like it. Our daughter's name is Samantha but most of the time we call her Sam. It sounds like we have a third son. She is only a year and a half; at some time in the future she can decide whether she is a Samantha, Sammy or Sam.

My first instinct would be to think of boy, when I hear Elliot. However, I'm a big fan of boys names for girls (Daughter Alexandra/Alex). That's just my thing, I guess. My friend has a boy (Payton) and a girl (Bailey). Both of which could be used for the opposite gender. She never says her kids are teased or that it's any issue.

If you want it for a boy, use it. I don't think it will be super common for a girls name, like Payton, Bailey, Jamie, Chris, etc., are.

Congrats

So if it were spelled Elliotte you wouldn't have a problem? It would be pronounced the same in English...think about Charlotte.

I love the name Elliot and had it on my name list...girl or boy. I also had Owen on my list.

Names don't BELONG to one gender or another as they have in the past.

My question to you would be...why do you care and don't you have something more serious to get irritated about?

You should care what you name your child. YOU might think it is cool, hip, or trendy, but your CHILD has to live with it. I dislike unisex names, surnames as first names, masculine girl names (boys names give to girls), stupid misspellings of traditional names, and all around horrible names some people saddle their children with. Some of these poor kids have to be called stupid names their whole lives.

You can't quite predict what will happen in naming trends after you name your baby. It's possible the name Elliot could start heading to the unisex side. Think of this possibility, it's 5years in the future, you had named your son Elliot. Your at the playground and and mom sitting next to you, introduces her darling baby girl sleeping in the stroller, her name is Elliot. How would it make you feel? How bothered would you be knowing before you choose the name this was a concern of yours. No amount of looking or telling the community board that Elliott in your opinion should remain a boys name due to it's derivatives or past rankings, its going to make difference in what could happen in the future for baby naming.
I do like the name Elliott for a boy better, but do think it's cute for a girl too. :) If you want strong masculine name and it's of top importance then, I'd sadly but honestly say skip Elliott

I always think of a boy when I hear "Elliott" and I've never encountered a girl named that. I wouldn't think it problematic if I did, but I think it still calls to mind a male for most.

Definitely a boy's name for me... "Elliot" on Srubs (if I recall the backstory correctly) was deliberately given a boy's name b/c her father only wanted boys. There was some quirky reason like that as a story line.

I have worked with children for years and while many "boy names" are great unisex names, I have never met a girl named Elliot!

It can be fun trying to come up with something new and different, but we're talking about people here, not just names.

To me, Elliot is a Mr. name! And to add a feminine ending would make it "Elliotte" - huh?

A middle name is something else again. You can do almost anything with a middle name! But if you have a daughter, let her first name be something she can handle happily from cradle to grave - including ballet school, the soccer team, the art exhibit, the pre-med department, and the chair of the local Cancer society.

I have only heard of one Elliot as a girl...and that was on Scrubs.

I think you are safe, in my mind it is still a strong masculine name for a boy!

~Isn't it nerve racking trying to come up with the perfect name? So much to worry and think about?

Congrats!

I like it as a boy name. My son's name is Reese, it is a more common name for boys but is also gaining popularity for girls. It is the only name we liked so we went with it.

I would definitely use Elliot as a girl's name if I liked it and my DH agreed. You could feminize it by changing the spelling if wanted ("ette" instead of "ot'), esp as it is typically pronounced with an -et or -it, as opposed to an -aht as written. Additionally, "Ellie" has been an incredibly popular girl's name in the past, and would make a cute nickname.

I love Elliot for a boy! But I agree that a strong masculine middle name would help. We named our son Logan Kristopher and then lo and behold, I hear of girls being named Logan. Really?!?

Good morning H. seen to me you are right elliot is more of a boys name to me elijah would me more of a grils name ,i know a few elijah.

How about Elliette with a super fem middle name like Rose
Otherwise Elliot, dislike

I see it as a boy name.

I very much appreciate "different" names BUT I don't like Elliot as a girls name.

I have a good friend with a 5 yo girl named Elliot. I think it is unique and beautiful for a girl.
Lord knows I have heard MANY more "odd" girls name suggestions than Elliot!

Quite honestly I don't find Elliot to be a particularly masculine name, but that's just me. I think something like Emmett, Eaton, or Everatt might be 'very much a boy's name'.

Could you change the spelling to show feminine form?

It is definitely a boy's name, but the trend nowadays is to give girls boys names. I understand where you are coming from with not wanting your son to have a feminine name. It's hard to predict which names will remain mostly masculine versus those which will become truly unisex. Elliot does lend itself to the super popular girls nickname of Ellie - so that may make it go even more in the feminine direction. Right now though, it appears to be a strongly masculine name (according to ssa.gov) but it is hard to predict what the future holds for this one!

I think of Elliot as a boy's name.
Elly is a girls name and I liked Elly May (from Beverly Hillbillies).
Ellen is a great girls name, too.

your title is misleading I completely undesrstood you were naming your baby girl Elliot. to me that's a 100% boy name.

My sons name is Avery. I rarely heard that name and thought it would be original; three and a half years ago. Now, every time I hear it, its a little girl who has the name. Its kinda disappointing.

i would definitely say it's more a boys name than a girls name. although i wanted to name a baby girl that if i had one with my last. my husband didn't because he said it was a boys name :). just think Elliot Ness.

My name's Bobbi. I don't get upset over gender "specific" names. It will fit your son if you name him that. I've also seen Elliette as the spelling, though pronounced the same way. Name your son the name you like. It will fit him.

I think Elliot is very much a boy's name and then you can even call him Eli which absolutely a boy's name. I have never heard of Elliot as a girl's name but I guess it is pretty if someone spelled it Elliette (otte) and then they could call her Ellie. I would not worry at all about anyone thinking that is a feminine name. Our son's name is Parker and we think that is a very masculine name but apparently there is a little girl in our town with that name. doesn't bother us at all. Even with a name like Bobby or Alex which are very popular girls names now, if I meet a boy with those names I never think that it is a girl's name too. Congrats!

Elliot is a boy name. Stay away from it if you want to use a feminine name. I used Victoria and Andrea for my daughters. Then my family went and nicknamed them Tori and Andi. Go figure.
Good luck and congratulations.

Elliot is a boy name......Some names become unisex and are used for boys and girls, but even so, I think Elliot belongs to little boys and if you like it, by all means, keep it! We like Emerson and would love a little boy to name that one day......In the past few years I have noticed little girl Emersons, and had the same issue that you do.....I decided that it was OUR name that we were going to name our son (because it is a boy name) and we're not budging just because some people decided to name their daughters Emerson.......Boy/Girl at this point doesn't matter as much to me as does the fact that it is a name we love and that we've chosen to use....I can't imagine not naming any little boy that blesses us with his presence Emerson because we've been in love with the name for so long.......Might change, stranger things have happened, lol.....but in the end I say go for what you like and what suits you regardless of trends, etc.