Names that end in y

In an earlier time Shirley was used primarily for boys, but the tide turned with the publication of Charlotte Bronte's novel Shirley in 1849, the story of a character whose parents had selected the name for a boy child, then decided to use it anyway when he turned out to be a she.

Likable Irish surname name, but bound to be confused with Clooney.

The suffix Bran is familiar as raven-related since Game of Thrones, and the -ley suffix has been popular since the 1990s heyday of Ashley.

Popular choice for silvery pets.

A softer take on Hunter. Huntley is evenly distributed between girls and boys, coming in at 47% female and 53% male at last count.

With its C spelling, Cayley is softer than its more popular counterpart, Kayley. It's never ranked in the US Top 1000 and at this point probably never will, now that the -aylee, -ayley, and -aylie names are starting to dip.

Corky is an old-fashioned nickname, historically used more often for boys with names like Courtney, Corwin, or surnames with the "cor" element.

Romary is most commonly seen as a surname, although it would make a charming first name for a boy or girl. It has French and Scottish origins — the French form is a variation of the given name Romaric and has also been adopted as a surname. The meaning of the Scottish surname is unknown.

Japhy Ryder was a hero of Jack Kerouac's Dharma Bums. Compared with Moses and Noah, Japhy sounds downright adorable and eminently baby-worthy.

Cute and unusual as a nickname, but lacking the legs to stand on its own.

This musical surname, associated with Bing Crosby and David Crosby of Crosby, Stills, & Nash could easily be used for girls, as names like Jagger and Bowie have been.

A combination name and an English surname, Brynley has trendy sounds, nature-related meanings, and has a double dose of the cool letter Y. Despite this, it is less popular than its Top 1000 counterparts, Brinley, Brynlee, and Brynleigh, and given to around 170 girls each year. Actress Brynley Stent is a notable bearer, as are fitness influencer Brynley Joyner and Instagram star and dancer, Brynley Arnold.

Credit, of course, to the artist for inventing this secretive pseudonym, but we actually have Hilary Duff to thank for Banksy as a baby name. Banksy is Duff's nickname for her daughter Banks, born in 2018. Banksy debuted on the charts in 2020, when it was used for seven baby girls.