Some names sound pretty, and some names sound confident, but then there are the names that bring an argument with them, depending on who you ask.
Lexi plays it short
Lexi’s one of the shortest names out there. However, it’s got more punch to it than you might think, and a lot of guys like the ‘X’ in the middle. It gives the name a little oomph. They think it’s a sort of flirty name that’s not too dressed up and way more unique than Alexis or Alexandra.
But a lot of women dislike it. They think it sounds more like a nickname you might get when you’re 16 instead of the name for a grown-up woman. No wonder they hate it so much.
Brianna keeps moving
Brianna. It’s a soft-sounding name, and the fact that there are so many alternative versions of it makes it even better, like Bree, Bria, or even Brie. The name was pretty popular during the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, so a lot of guys have fond memories of a young crush on a Brianna.
That’s exactly the issue. Women don’t always have good memories of the name because it was so common, so they remember having to deal with three Briannas in the same grade. It’s too famous for its own good, in all honesty.
Brooke lands hard
Another light Br- name is Brooke, with only one syllable and a distinctively clean sound. It’s got a connection nature, too, and a lot of men like it because it sounds pretty without being delicate. Women feel differently, though.
There’s no way of shortening Brooke, and they’re stuck with the full name. Worse still, there were lots of famous figures named Brooke in the ‘90s and ‘00s, like Brooke Shields and Brooke Astor. They don’t feel like being compared with people they probably can’t compete with.
Tiffany sits in the glass case
Tiffany was a name that peaked in the ‘80s, and most people recognize it today as the name of a jewelry store. There’s the lamp, too, of course, which is one of the main reasons women dislike it so much.
Would you want to have the same name as a lamp? Probably not. Still, guys hear the name and imagine a pretty, well-dressed woman with a lot of class, so they’re big fans of it.
Crystal catches the light
If Tiffany wasn’t bad enough, then there’s Crystal, a name that’s the complete opposite of subtle. It tells you what you’re supposed to imagine, and that’s something clear as glass with a little sparkle to it. Unfortunately, that’s what a lot of people thought, too, during the ‘80s.
The name was a huge hit back then, and a lot of women dislike it for that reason. It’s too outdated. There’s also the fact that it sets up an expectation for a woman to be cold and bright in a way that she might not actually be.
Madison has a movie trick
Madison is quite a normal name these days. So much so, in fact, that many people don’t realize it became popular as a girl’s name after the movie Splash, where the mermaid main character chooses it as a name. Where does she get it from?
A sign for Madison Avenue, of course. A lot of women who dislike Madison know the backstory behind it, and they find it a little childish. Don’t even get them started on Maddie because that’s even worse, apparently.
Mackenzie has extra baggage
It’s all thanks to ‘70s actress Mackenzie Phillips that the name Mackenzie became popular, along with all of its alternate versions. Kenzie, for when you’re feeling cute, Mack, for when you’re a little punchier.
Some guys like it because it’s so versatile and because it sounds friendly. But for women, it’s a bit too mannish, especially since it has Scottish origins and translates to ‘son of Coinneach.’ Now that’s hardly a name most women want to give themselves, is it?
Destiny says the quiet part loudly
You can’t get more Y2K with a name than Destiny. It was one of the most popular girls’ names around 2000-2001, and a lot of men like how confident it is. You can’t exactly be a shy woman when your name literally means ‘fate.’
However, its confidence is part of the reason some women hate it, since they think it announces itself too strongly. They feel like being called ‘Destiny’ forces them to appear like a certain kind of woman, one that’s not really them.
Piper carries a tune
It’s not difficult to see where Piper came from. Yes, it’s from a surname for someone who played a pipe, and yes, the hit TV show Charmed helped to make it popular as a girl’s name in the 1990s.
Men think it sounds mysterious. Women think it sounds more like a name for a dog than, you know, a real woman, and you assume that anyone called Piper will be extra peppy.
Harper changed fast
It used to be surprising. Harper wasn’t a very common name, and there were only a few famous Harpers in the world, including American writer Harper Lee. Then Lee died in 2016. Soon after, the name became very popular and hasn’t really left the top 20 girls’ names in America since.
Women don’t want to be part of that crowd. They want to be able to create their own identity, to be their own person, and not another name that’s part of a trend. But men? They think the name sounds oh-so-classy.
Alyssa has a hidden snag
You hear the name ‘Alyssa,’ and you probably imagine a woman in a room with soft lighting. The name’s easy to say, and it also has a lightness to it that you don’t really get from many other names. But there’s a reason some women hate it.
Alyssa is connected to the alyssum flower, a flower that the ancient Greeks thought would cure madness. It’s not a fact that every woman knows, sure, but for those who do, the idea of being connected to madness isn’t appealing.
Brittany came with a crowd
Brittany, Brittany, Brittany. There are around a thousand different versions of it, like Britney, Brittney, Brittani, Brittny, as well as many famous women with the name. The one and only Britney Spears, for starters.
However, the name’s popularity is part of its downfall, at least for some women. It’s just too common, and the numerous alternate versions of it? They’re a bit too unique. The truth is, a lot of women would rather have something a little more interesting than Brittany.
Courtney keeps switching rooms
Courtney’s a name that has gone through several different versions. It started as a surname in England and then became a boys’ name before switching to being a girls’ name. It has pretty much stayed there since then. You won’t find many boys called Courtney.
One of the major reasons a lot of women don’t like it, though, is its connection to famous figures. Sure, there are some Courtneys who are famous for the right reasons, like Courteney Cox. Then you have people like Kourtney Kardashian. No thanks.
Brandi arrives with an echo
The reason many women hate the name Brandi is that it’s so dated. It’s a name that reached its peak in the 1980s, and it still reminds a lot of people of that era, even now. Guys think it’s fun and easy to remember.
Yet for women, it’s hard to shake the association of past decades, and they’d rather stick to names that are a little more modern. Or, at least, are from this side of the millennium.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
