Its Sooo Hard to Decide on a Baby Name...

Updated on September 27, 2010
M.!. asks from Boulder, CO
43 answers

So yesterday I asked if you guys thought Riley was a girl or boy name b/c we are still trying to find the "right" boy name. Well, someone said the name Greyson and I just fell in love with it for a girl name. Now my dilemma is, from day one our girl was going to be name McKenzie Rose. But, I haven't stopped thinking of the name Greyson since I heard it yesterday. I just think it sounds soo feminine and pretty.

Which name do you like best? McKenzie or Greyson?

BTW.. we do not know the sex of the baby and I have an Ian and Hailey at home already.

Thanks!!

UPDATE - Also, I think I would do Greyson Mae if it was a girl. I just thought of the middle name. I still really like it even with the thoughts and opinions you guys have expressed. Thanks!

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So What Happened?

I really liked seeing it spelled Gracyn as well. It looks feminine this way as well. Thanks again everyone! :)

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C.V.

answers from Los Angeles on

How about Gracelyn? That's my daughter's middle name and i love it!! Sounds more feminine but still the same sound that you like. You could also spell it like Greyslin or Greyslyn. Then it takes the whole 'son of' thing out of there!
Oh and even though i've known of 2 little girls named Riley it still sounds boyish to me.

3 moms found this helpful
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L.D.

answers from Los Angeles on

Is Greyson becoming popular now?

A Mom I know named her baby girl Grayson Faith!!! She also has a daughter named Quinn.

I've heard the name before but it doesn't sound gender specific to me so I think it's super pretty name for a girl.

3 moms found this helpful
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V.J.

answers from Phoenix on

The literal translation of Greyson is "son of Grey" so for me, it would be tough to see it as a feminine name. Greyson would be a nice name for a boy though. Grace has a similar sound so maybe that or some form of it would work. Riley could be spelled Reilly to be more masculine or Rylee/Ryleigh to be more feminine.

3 moms found this helpful

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G.M.

answers from Indianapolis on

As a female G., I just thought I would chime in with my 2 cents worth...

To address some of the previous posters' "fears":

1) I, as a child, never experienced any malicious teasing solely on the basis of my name. My close friends called me "Gracie," but everyone else called me "G.." The only alteration on my name I have ever experienced is when a boy in junior high called me "Gray-daughter" as a misguided flirtation. 

2) I never had any problems learning to write or spell my name. I am sure kids with more socially accepted names like Samantha, Elizabeth, and Victoria would be more likely to struggle because of the length and letter structure. For what it is worth, my 4 year old (Owen) can easily write and spell his name while classmate Elle cannot. 

3) I have and still do receive mail for Mr. G.. I also received a draft registration reminder when I turned 18. So, yes, it is assumed quite a bit that I am male. 

4) The traditional meaning of the name is "Judge's son." But, I honestly have never cared. The name "Claudia" means "lame/crippled" and "Mary" means "bitter," but that has not drastically affected popularity or name choice. Oh, and the usability of "Madison" for a girl has not plummeted because of the -son ending. 

Now, that I have gotten those issues addressed, I do think that the name you choose will depend on what characteristics you desire. 

McKenzie - a popular, mainstream name that will probably have to be spelled aloud in many situations and that might warrant your last initial being attached as an identifier (i.e.: McKenzie A., please give this paper to MacKenzye B.). 

Greyson - an uncommon name, typically used as a surname but will be mistaken as a boy's name in many social situations

To sum it up, I am particularly partial to using Greyson, although I think it looks a tad bit more feminine with an -a instead of an -e. I hope you will pick the name that feels best to you and your partner. :) Good luck with your little one!

3 moms found this helpful
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D.S.

answers from Fort Wayne on

Greyson Mae is too cute!!!! I like Greyson way more than McKenzie. Also, on the boy name...personally I think you could do Riley or Grayson for boy or girl. I love both names. Riley was on our list as well :o) Good luck...we had a heck of a time picking out names too!!!

I just read some of the posts and I really like Gracelyn!!!! You could do that for a girl and Greyson for a boy...how cool!!

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E.B.

answers from Houston on

At least here in Texas there are a THOUSAND McKenzies. Maybe a million. Greyson is darling but I only know boy Greysons. Then again, I have an Ellery which is a boy name-and she is definitely a girl.
And I named my third Kinsey-not even thinking of McKenzie- and of course, everyone asks her if it is McKenzie or just calls her that. So she mostly goes by her initials since she is Kinsey Kay. (Kaykay)
I have a niece with a girl baby named Rylee, but my daughter also goes to school with a boy Riley. But I really like her spelling of Rylee for a girl. Reagan is another girl or boy name.
And I went to school with a girl Alden but now I hear it as a boys name, although to me it will always sound girly! And my son is Austin but so is the dental assistant and she's a girl....
Good luck!!! Lots of fun names out there.... Wish I had more children to name.(not necessarily to raise, just to name!!)

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A.C.

answers from Cincinnati on

Could you spell it differently? Because Greyson means "son of Grey," but maybe if you spelled it differently, you could still have the pretty sound without the odd meaning. Either way, good luck deciding.

2 moms found this helpful

L.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I really like Greyson... for a girl or a boy! I know it might be typically a male name, but I can definitely picture a little girl with that name. I don't personally know any Greyson's, so it's not hard for me to see a girl with that name. I think it's lovely. If you want it to be more feminine, maybe adjust the spelling, maybe "Graesen" or "Graesyn" or "Gracin" - just it doesn't have the spelling "son" at the end...

Never really liked the name McKenzie... sorry, just my humble opinion...

But I do think Greyson is a lovely and unusual (but not weird) name. Greyson Rose even sounds nice!

Best wishes!

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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

Greyson is a nice name... but to me, it sounds masculine.

McKenzie is also nice. My Daughter's friend is name that.
To me, this sounds like a 'girl' name.

2 moms found this helpful

E.S.

answers from Asheville on

As a teacher I have seen many McKenzies but no Greysons. I like unusual names (one of my girls is Brennan which is traditionally boy), but knowing that Greyson means "son of Grey" just as Masterson, Henderson etc are "son of Master", "son of Hender" etc always makes me think boy. Sorry, guess its just me. I really wanted to name one of my girls Emma Rose, but Emma and Emily were the top names on the popularity list. I didn't want them to start school and be in a class with five other Emilys.

In the end its up to you. I've had female students named: Hunter, Brayden, Ashtyn, Danica, Charlie, Taylan. Go for what you want. I wanted an Aurora Layotae (dawn prairie flower) and Talon Creek, but as I got older I thought," would they hate me when they got older? Would is cause problems at school?"
We ended up with Victoria Rose and Brennan E.. (Tori and Bren)

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J.H.

answers from Lincoln on

Well I am all for the unique names so id go with Greyson I tried to pick names for my 3 kids that are not very common and mine are Demetri, Hailey and Silas I have 2 boys and 1 girl and I love the names I chose for them!

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R.J.

answers from Seattle on

Greyson is one of my *favorite* names, and IMO it's as ambi as R.. I grew up with a little blond girl whose nickname was Grey (Greyson was a family name in her family), so I may be biased.

DO remember: Whitney, Laurie/Lori, MacKenzie and sooooo many other strongly girls' names used to be male only.

Personally I *like* ambi names for girls. There's strength in them.

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S.K.

answers from Seattle on

I like McKenzie! I think "Mac" is super cute for a nickname! :)

1 mom found this helpful
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R.D.

answers from Washington DC on

I only know little boys named Grayson and I LOVE the name Kenzie...but name sare VERY hard to pick!! Good luck!!!

1 mom found this helpful

K.I.

answers from Seattle on

:) Sorry, This made me laugh a little because you probably don't want to hear this but I think Greyson is a boy name! Ha! I have only known one Greyson and he is a great guy!

It shouldn't matter what other people think...its only important what you think...but out of the two choices I like Greyson over McKenzie because McKenzie is so VERY poplular!

~Oh yeah, have you seen the show "Drop Dead Diva"...there is a man on there named Greyson!

Since you like it as a girl name and it will definitely work as a boy name maybe you found your name? Ian, Hailey and Greyson sounds adorable!

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C.T.

answers from Atlanta on

Greyson
However, I think the middle name, Mae, sounds a little old fashion for such a progressive first name. Maybe something more 2010.
That being said, and not typical for me, I am being drawn to old fashion names myself.
Our daughter is Emerson Kate, and now I keep finding names that start with "E" Ezra, Ellis, are just a few. Astor, Anniston "Anni," Adalai "Ada," Josslyn, Cecilia.

1 mom found this helpful

J.L.

answers from Los Angeles on

I like Greyson! I agree with you it sounds so pretty.

1 mom found this helpful
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D.W.

answers from Indianapolis on

My 2 cents are to do whatever you like and not to worry about anyone else. My name is both male and female - predominantly female. But I know several males named Shannon and Kelly as well.

My mom hated our son's name. Too bad, we liked it and wanted to name him that. Our daughter's name is predominantly male, but it just "fit" when she was born.

Good luck!

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A.B.

answers from New York on

Greyson has always been a boys name to me. However ther are so many people purposely naming their girls with boyish names some are pretty cool. I met a woman who named her daughter Keith Ford. The Ford is her middle name not last. She did tell me when she started school the teachers had Keith Ford on the boys list. Neither name is feminie but somehow it works. You pick what works for you. My SS is names Cameron and so is his GF. Have fun with the names.

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H.L.

answers from Cleveland on

LOVE Greyson. We have a girl at our church with that name but spelled Greighson, which I also really like.

1 mom found this helpful
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T.G.

answers from Rockford on

I only know Greyson as a boy's name too. Your other kids' names are more gender specific so you may want to do the same with this baby. My daughter's middle name is Mackenzie so I am partial to that one :). (Though both Hailey and McKenzie were once traditional boy names that have come to be much more common for girls.) I agree, name picking is hard.

1 mom found this helpful

C.S.

answers from Detroit on

I know a Gracyn, I'm not sure what her middle name is though.

1 mom found this helpful
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D.S.

answers from Tulsa on

mckenzie is more popular so they would be likely to run into others in school I personally like greyson better. it would go good for a boy too in my opinion. but mckenzie wouldnt. greyson ray for a boy. :)

1 mom found this helpful

P.S.

answers from Indianapolis on

Sorry, Greyson is a boy's name, period. I get nothing but male vibes off the name. If you have a girl and load her with that moniker, I can guarantee you that poor child will be picked on for life... No offense meant, just speaking a truth.

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D.B.

answers from Cleveland on

If you like it go for it, but I only know boys who have been named Greyson hense the last part of the name... son indicates male. Maybe you could change the spelling to make it more feminine like Gracynne Leigh would be pretty.

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S.L.

answers from Portland on

Have you ever checked out this site? It's mesmerizing!
http://www.babynamewizard.com/voyager#prefix=greyson&...
Greyson is gaining popularity (as a boy name, it doesn't rank as a girl's name) so I don't know how that makes you feel, but check out the baby name wizard. It might give you some more ideas.

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A.K.

answers from Atlanta on

I love Greyson. There is a Greyson in my daughter's class and he is a boy but I love the name for a girl too. Also, instead of McKenzie which is a very popular name right now how about just Kinsey? I had a coworker named Kinsey and we all thought her name was pretty cool.

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S.L.

answers from Boise on

McKenzie was super popular like 8 years ago. Grayson is super popular right now. So you might want to decide if you like popular names or if you want something that not everyone is naming their babies. We went for not super-popular, but traditional enough that everyone knows how to spell it (we have Jared, Zachary, and Luke)

I have a hard time naming a girl anything that ends on "son" since that means, well, son. Which is a boy. I realize this also applies to Allison, which I grew up knowing as a girl name. But it didn't start off that way. Maybe because I have all boys I really resent girls taking all the boy names (my SIL even had a girl roommate named Jeremy!)

If you love Greyson (which sounds like a boy name to me) why not go with Grace? That's quite popular, too.

And even if you decide you don't want super popular, be prepared for it to get popular! Turns out that so many people have named their baby boys Luke lately! Oh well.

Here's a test that I heard once. Stand at your back door and call the name you're considering about 20 times. If you hate it after that, it should drop out of the running. I thought that was cute!

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K.L.

answers from Des Moines on

Well, my daughter is also McKenzie. Although, we only call her Kenzie. So, I do like that name...but, I love Greyson! And I've never heard it for a girl before, but I just love it! I really like unique names.

Good luck!

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A.F.

answers from Columbus on

I like McKenzie better for a girl. When I see Greyson I think boy.

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A.H.

answers from New York on

Greyson or Grayson is beautiful and different.. their is a show .. make it or break it.. with a Greyson on it.. and she is soo pretty... you hear McKenzie a lot ... so i vote for Greyson.. ~~

L.M.

answers from Dover on

I am not a fan of either but what about "Greyson McKenzie" ?

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

It makes me think of Dick Grayson (who is Robin, the Boy Wonder - side kick of Batman (Bruce Wayne)).
Greyson just sounds masculine to me. McKenzie sounds good, but I like Kelly, Mckayla, and Colleen, too.

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E.W.

answers from Cleveland on

My mom when she named us would consider possible nicknames. This kept us from being picked on when we were kids. Keep it simple for your poor child. I named my daughter Shannon and It was not fun in preschool trying to write her name on all those valentines. (and I made her do it herself). Even my Bryan has shortened his name.

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L.B.

answers from Eugene on

Love, Love, Love Greyson!! It's our top choice if our next baby is a girl:)

M.B.

answers from St. Louis on

I like them both. But you could do something, look up the meaning of these names, one could be a lot more meaningful than the other and that could help your decision. We had so much trouble naming our boy. His name is Matthew, which means "Gift of God" and that he is!!!

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S.D.

answers from Indianapolis on

I've never heard of Greyson being used for a girl.

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D.K.

answers from Indianapolis on

I've never heard of Greyson as a girl, always a boy and think of it as a male name. I'm voting for McKenzie for the girl. If you're chosing Greyson for a girl, how about a more feminine spelling........like Graceson or Gracesen?

How about Gracesen Rose?

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E.S.

answers from Canton on

ok, greyson? its a made up name and awful. if you have to choose it, it sounds better for a boy imo. not crazy about mcKenzie too......what is wrong w/people today????? poor kid.

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L.C.

answers from Raleigh on

so funny, we know bunch of Graysons but they are boys:)

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T.J.

answers from Seattle on

I know a gracin, but I like Greyson too. People will think she's a boy but I too like boy names for girls. I think Riley is a girls name but way overused. I like Greyson elizabeth, rose, not a big fan of Mae but it doesn't sound bad.

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J.P.

answers from Boise on

I also liked Grayson/Graysen for a girl, and calling her Grace/Gracie. But, it didn't go very well with our son's name. It goes well with your other two though. I like it alot better than McKenzie. That is definitely more popular and end up as Macs and Kenzies.

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C.F.

answers from Columbus on

when you first said Greyson I thought you were talking about a boy. I was surprised you considered it a girl's name............. I think the unisex names are difficult for children

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