Yes, sometimes there can be same-sounding names which are masculine in certain parts of the world but feminine elsewhere. An example would
Joan, which is feminine in English but masculine in
Dutch and Catalan.
And, of course, there are many names which are unisex in their country of origin, such as
Hikaru in Japanese.
Where are your friends from? Have you asked them about their names?
This message was edited 12/9/2015, 8:56 PM