Name Debate with Husband

Harper is cute but is unisex. Later in life when someone sees the name they wont know if it's a male or female.
My favorite girl name right now is Claire, I think its so cute, simple and quaint.

I think it's a great, strong female name! I would not think of it as a boys' name at all actually. Congrats!

Harper is pretty trendy and popular now too. I see it as more of a girl's name since many parents are naming their girl babies Harper, thus perhaps avoiding it as a boy's name.

I've never thought of it as a boy's name. And it's not a weird name. Heck, I always think of Harper Lee (author) when I hear it.

And as to what one M. said about girls with weird names being weird..... how dumb. My girls have weird names and they are normal, happy girls who share their names with practically no one.

I think of Harper as a girls name but that's due to Harper on Wizards of Waverly Place on Disney.

Harper is kind of trendy these days too. I know a couple....alll girls....no boys. Very cute though.

Sorry do not like Harper at all...Harper's magazine..harper's bazar...I think you could do better no offense.

Ava is a very pretty name? How about looking at incorporating namesakes from your family?

Harper was on my girl name list too!

Updated

Harper was on my girl name list too!

We wanted to name our kids with H's.
Whenever we discussed girl names, Harper did come up. I don't think it sounds like a boy name. Hayden, Hattie and Harper were the three we liked.

BUT we ended up having a boy; named him Harrison.

Everly is a cute girlie name :) Adele is adorable.

Dave Grohl from Nirvana/Foo Fighters has a daughter named Harper.

And to the previous poster: Oprah works at Harpo Studios, not Harper ;)

I love the name Harper. And I have only met one - a young lady. When she was young, she hated her name. But it fits her and now she loves it. Harper Lee (a woman) wrote my favorite book of all time. I'm all for Harper for a girl!

I love it... for a girl....It is becoming more popular b/c of the tv show on the disney channel, wizards of waverly place. I do know an adult man named Harper, he's in his late 20s, but when I heard his name was Harper I thought it sounded like a girls name.

Every Harper & Piper I've ever known has been female.

It reminds me of Harper from the tv show Wizards of Waverly Place :) I had never heard of the name before. She is a girl on the show. I love Ava though.

I like it more for a girl than a boy.

I think it's pretty for a girl.
I think it's girly for a boys name.
Sorry just my personal opinion. =)

Harper is more a girl name. I've never even heard of a boy with that name.

As for Ava, I absolutely loved that name too! It was on my favorite list but was way too common back when I had my first daughter 9 years ago and even more so now. My sister named her 3rd daughter Ava because she loved it, for me i'd be concerned with my daughter being "Ava T" or "Ava 2" in her class.

Like the name. It will never hurt a girl to have an androgynous name (my sister and I both have them). She might luck into a couple extra job interviews when the interviewers can't tell her gender from her resume.

I've only know one Harper-female
since you love Ava how bout something similar Evie, Ivette, Evett, ?

I like the name Harper! I know a lot of little Avas right now, but no Harpers. I'm one of those weirdoes with a weird name. I happen to like different names.

I also like Harper for a girl. Just be careful - the potential nickname "Harpie" isn't ideal. Do you have something in mind for a nickname?

I like Harper for a girl a lot, I don't think it sounds like a boys name. I love Ava, but it is really common now. I always loved the name Ava for a girl but by the time I had my first it was too mainstream for us, so it's her middle name instead of first name. A friend of mine just named her daughter Hadley, I think that's adroable too!

I know of a little girls name who's middle name is Harper and I love it! Would choose a name like that for my child but my hubby wouldn't go with anything other then traditional names. Congrats on your newest one to come!

to me harper is more of a girls name.some names are unisex and i think harper is one of them.

Girls name. I have a friend whose daughters name is Harper Louise - very old fashioned and absolutely adorable.

I love the name Harper for a girl! It's actually on my list the the one we are expecting...but my hubby doesn't like it!

I like it for a girl!

The only Harper I know is my neighbor's dog, so I can't give a good input on this one...but I can't help but see a labradoodle when I hear it! Sorry.

Its nice.

I do know of a girl, that has an androgynous name like that... and lots of kids would comment, that her name was a 'boys' name or 'what is she?' kind of thing. This is my daughter's, classmate.
This child, is a Tom-boy... so, she gets varied comments about her name/her.

Ava, is nice. Too.
Or what about Avalene?

When you said "Harper" I immediately thought it was for a girl. I like it!

Harpo is the studio the other poster was thinking of (Oprah spelled backward).

I do think it is sage advice to make sure that people can identify what sex your child is by simply looking at or hearing their name. Not sure that's accomplished w/ Harper....Ava is beautiful, and I haven't heard it at all.... (I have a 4 YO).

I have only known girls to be named Harper. But mostly, I have heard it as a last name.

Wasn't the author Harper Lee a female? I think it sounds like a girl's name, and I actually like it - I think it sounds like Piper, but more mature (I can picture an adult Harper, but not an adult Piper).

However, I would do something for a nickname. She'll end up being called Harp or Harpy - not good. So if you use Harper, make sure you give her something as a middle name or create a new name for her nickname.

Harper is getting more & more common. I wouldn't do either Harper nor Ava because there are bound to be so many girls with the same name.

I wanted the name Arden for our 2nd, but my husband shot it down; he said it was a boy's name even though traditionally it is for a girl. Also tried for Jessa, Mae, and Eris. Still love those names, just couldn't get hubby to like them too.

Don't like either Harper sounds like a last name to me

I've only heard of Harper being used as a girl's name...a really cool one at that.

I think it's important for both of you to agree on a name. It wouldn't be fair to him, if you just had to have this name. You wouldn't want that from him, so don't expect it from him.

I had always liked our first son's name and my husband hated it, but agreed to name him that name because I liked it but only if he could choose the spelling. I hesitantly agreed because I didn't think it was fair to him to have a name he couldn't stand, but he assured me over and over that it was ok. If your husband is like this, than go with the name, other wise go with Ava. It doesn't really matter if it's too popular or not.

All of the names I like started out being very unheard of names and that was one of the reasons I liked them, but of course, when I had kids, the names had gotten popular, but I went with them anyways! You have to do what you both like, regardless of how popular or unpopular a name is. If you like it, go with it! :)

Harper Ava would be a great name if it flows w/your last name. Then, you both get your wish. Harper sounds like a girl's name. Maybe when men hear it, they are thinking of a last name or something...just my two cents. My friend has a daughter named Harper and she is darling! I had never heard the name before...it grew on me. I believe she is almost 2 now.

Harper to me could be either a boy or a girls name. I like Harper but it is definitely not girly. The name for a girl exudes the feeling of strength, confidence, and a little tom boyishness. Which is fine, but your hubby is on the other end because Ava is very girly, feminine and sweet. I agree with you that Ava is overused. Maybe finding a name that recalls strength and sweetness at the same time? Good luck!

I like more unique names too. I think of Harper as more a girl's name, but still sort of unisex. I think Harper sounds a little too much like "harsh" or "harping", sorry, just personal opinion. Can you find something similar to Ava but not as popular? Eva, Avalynne, Avery, Ivy, Everly, Evelynn, etc.

I think of Harper as a girl's name, simply because each time I hear it being called, some one is calling to a little girl. I also agree that Ava has been over done, but like many have said it could be a great middle name. My advice is this, keep talking with your husband about the name that you love. I was in the same position when I was pregnant with my daughter. I had a name that I was in love with and husband was not crazy about it. We talked about other names and I did give other names a fair chance, but I always came back to my favorite. Eventually, by the time she was born, my husband liked my first choice love name and it is our daughters name. So I guess what I am saying is don't give up hope, be willing to compromise and keep trying, perhaps he will learn to love the name Harper after hearing it for a while.

Girl and I love love love it!! Ava is too popular, we liked it too but didn't use it because of that. We picked Amelia instead. Congrats on the baby and (looks like) the debate :)

My name is T. and I was always teased about it being weird, I guess that means I'm weird too? What a "weird" thing to say! Many people have different names, and while I'm not a fan of altering spelling or anything too "out there", there are many "normal" people with weird names! Why the stereotyping?

When I hear the name Harper I actually think of a girl, but it could work either way.

I think that could be a gender neutral name - easily go for a girl as a boy!

I think Harper is a great name for either a girl or guy. When we had our little girl, I told my husband that I wanted a boy's name for our little girl. I like it.
And I did not want a common name as well.

Maybe you two can use both names? Or you two can still do more searching...:)

I think Harper Studios...which I believe produces Oprah.
It sounds more like a boys name. Unusual.
Ava is pretty, but it is a little more common.
L.

I love Harper for a girls name. I also wanted something different, not on then top 100 list. We named our daughter Kimberleigh spelled a little different but not crazy, we cant imagine her named anything else.

i love harper...

get your hubby to watchthe wizzards of waverly place....thats the name of the main character best friend =)

If you love the name, go for it!
So many names now are for girls AND boys.
Taylor, for instance.

I know boy and girl Madisons.
Parkers.

Take it from me...
Traditional "boy" names can be used for girls!

Best wishes! Let us know when your baby arrives and what the name is.

I have never met anyone with that name, so I think it is unusual.
Plus as a name derived from a surname, a harper would be someone that plays a harp - traditionally a woman, so I think girls name

I think of Harper as a girls name. I can't really imagine it as a boys name in today's context. Though, I realize that it is traditionally a name for a boy. I don't think there is anything wrong with naming someone something that is popular if YOU like it.

If you agree on Ava, I'd go with it...or do Ava Harper?

I mean, my name is Jessica. I had three other Jessicas in my class in elementary school and it really wasn't a big deal. It never bothered me or anything. I don't feel any less special for being a Jessica. I like that is the name my parents liked. Different isn't always better.

Neither! Imagine cute little Harper as a wife in 30yrs.... 'Harper is harping on me again' says her husband. Its harsh and not feminine sounding at all.

Ava is nice, but yes common anymore. What about Eva or Eve?

Erin:

I personally think it's a unisex name - however, I asked my husband - just off the cuff and he said "it sounds like a boy's name"...

Ava is nice - but you are right - too common!! We have this problem with Nick!!! :) There are two other than my son in his class right now. Greg - nope - we've had one other boy named Greg in Cub Scouts.

How about Alexis?

It all depends upon the last name and if they "sing"....does that make sense? Say the name out loud like you would on a playground - Alexis Catherine!! and pretend she didn't answer....then say it with the full name - Alexis Catherine (insert your last name).

Gillian, not so common either.

Make sure if you are going to your child a not so common name that people know how to pronounce it. When I was working at Kindercare - there was a girl with the name Isis..but it was spelled differently...so people were constantly mispronouncing her name!

In my opinion, Harper is more of a girls name.
I agree, Ava is too common to the point of being boring.
Here are some other names that are similar to Harper (for a girl):

Hadley
Emerson
Ainsley
Finley
Willa
Jenson
Frances
Hunter

GL!

I see Harper as a girl's name. I don't know how you feel about the popularity factor, but it's really popular right now, and gaining in popularity. I know two Harper girls who are age one. Good luck whatever you decide!

P.S. Just looked on babycenter.com and Harper was #94 in the top 100 baby names of 2010. I think it must be the new Ava, lol.

I have a female student named Harper (6th grade). I never heard of it before, but it actually suits her and I've never heard anyone giving her a hard time about it.

Such tough decisions! Good luck and congrats to you on your new arrival!