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I forgot another category of pseudo-unisex names from India. This is the problem of Bengali "first" and "middle" names. Traditionally, Bengalis had only one name (with the addition of the last name when that custom started a few hundred years back). But it often was a two-part name with a set of very common second parts. Thus, for example, Durgaprasad means "pleasure of Durga" (the idiomatic expression corresponding to English "by the grace of goddess Durga") is a typical male name, but it was often shortened to Durga. This shortening is different in usage from, say, Bob for Robert; many Bengalis would have a totally unrelated set of names for use by family members, friends, and in familiar circumstances: i.e., people often have one or more "petnames" to fill the role of both the hypochoristic and the familiar forms of English; the shortening to the first part can always be used except in extremely formal settings, overlapping the usage pattern of the first name instead of the formal first+middle name in English. Under the influence of English (and, today, American) usage, many men with this name now parse it as "Durga Prasad", use the initials "D.P.", and describe "Durga" as the first name and "Prasad" as the middle name.

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But, "Durga" is the name of the goddess, and is still used as a female name. This is actually not an uncommon occurrence. But thinking of Durga as a unisex name would be mischaracterizing the Bengali situation.