The Trajectory of Names...
Is
Misrepresented
Most other baby-name book authors claim that ANY name that is used for a girl will immediately be abandoned by parents of sons. Their reasons for stating this opinion are unknown.
But an analysis of actual data and facts paints a different picture altogether.
Granted, the names Peyton and Taylor definitely made the switch. (But even they are still used for boys.) Overall, the examples of names that ultimately remain masculine easily outnumber those that have turned pink.
The names Devin and Jordan are two perfect examples. Devin reached its highest popularity among girl names in 1991, when it was ranked the #238 most popular name given to female babies. But parents never stopped using the name for sons. In fact, they increased their pace. Devin remains near the #100 popularity spot for boys today, but the name disappeared from the girl list in 2006 following a steady decline.
Jordan (#45 in 2009) is consistently ranked among the Top 50 names for boys, and achieved its highest rank of #26 in 1997. Parents of girls gave the name its highest female rating of #40 in 1997 as well. Since then, Jordan has remained a popular choice for boys but its usage for girls has been steadily slipping. (It ranked #150 in 2009.)
Many other names have been complete flops. Hunter spent exactly twelve years among the girl ranks, hitting #304 in 1998. But its demise was just as rapid as its ascent…it disappeared in 2005 and has not been seen since. (Meanwhile, Hunter ranked #56 for boys in 2009.)
Tyler, Ryan, Brandon, Christopher, Joshua, Daniel, Alexander, Matthew, Michael, and Brian ... along with many other male names, have each spent several years on popularity lists for girls. (Tyler ranked #238 for girls in 1993; Michael ranked #373 for girls in 1975; Christopher ranked #491 for girls in 1985; Matthew ranked #570 for girls in 1984.)
The Baby Name Workbook was written with actual data at hand. You can be confident that the author will not encourage unwise naming practices.
Source: The Social Security Administration