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Apparently these are girls' names

37 replies

AndHarry · 28/07/2013 14:44

Soren (Norwegian boy?)
Kendal (mint cake)
Stevie (Wonder)
Darcy (shouldn't that be Darcey?)
Avanti (?)
Beau (masculine form of Belle)
Riley (boy)

Are my reactions weird or are these actual, accepted girls' names? They popped up as suggestions on a FB group, along with JezAbel Shock

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memphis83 · 28/07/2013 14:47

I know at least one girl/woman with one of these names bar Stevie which is my favourite girls name.

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memphis83 · 28/07/2013 14:48

Oh I missed Avanti, I don't know anyone personally with that name but dp does.

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ImNotBloody14 · 28/07/2013 14:48

I know a girl darcy and a girl riley. I dont know any boys with any of those names

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ImNotBloody14 · 28/07/2013 14:48

Oh no hang on! I know some stevies Grin That are men

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Smartiepants79 · 28/07/2013 14:49

Steve nicks - awesome voice!
They are unusual but I've heard worse.

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Smartiepants79 · 28/07/2013 14:49

Sorry that should be Stevie nicks! Not Steve!

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SuffolkNWhat · 28/07/2013 14:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Bowlersarm · 28/07/2013 14:52

I know two female Steve's

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meditrina · 28/07/2013 14:52

Stevie has been a nn for Stephanie for yonks, and although I'd expect the spelling Darcey, I think it's a girls name now (like Courtney).

I'd see all the others to be boys.

Except Avanti, which I've never come across in RL or literature and I wouldn't know which to expect.

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AndHarry · 28/07/2013 14:55

Amazing. I had never heard of any of those used for a girl before. Except Darcy, which I've always assumed to be a mis-spelling of Darcey.

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LottieJenkins · 28/07/2013 15:01

Sister Steve was the nun in Father Dowling on tv eons ago !!

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EmpressOfTheSevenOceans · 28/07/2013 15:05

I'd forgotten about Sister Steve! And yes to Paul Temple's wife. There was Stevie Smith the poet too.

I met 3 friends called Armani, Chanel and L'Oreal.

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AKissIsNotAContract · 28/07/2013 15:11

I've heard of Riley, Stevie, Kendal and Darcy for girls. Isn't Avanti a condom brand?

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LemonPeculiarJones · 28/07/2013 15:18

JezAbel

I know a little boy Riley.

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ClartyCarol · 28/07/2013 15:23

Is there not a Stevie on Miranda? I don't watch it but have a vague idea that the little blonde woman is Stevie. That would possibly explain any increase in popularity.

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UpTheFRIGGinDuff · 28/07/2013 19:54

I've seen the FB thread you're talking about,and there are some far, far worse names on there than the ones you've listed here...

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AndHarry · 28/07/2013 20:35

:o FRIGG I know but I'm trying to channel my shock and confusion into the names that I had no idea anyone would give to a girl.

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AndHarry · 28/07/2013 20:53

I just went back for another read. It feels voyeuristic.

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mathanxiety · 29/07/2013 01:48

Kendall/Kendal, Darcy/Darcey and Riley are definitely girls' names.

Kendall and Riley are very American and the former is almost uniquely a girls' name, while Riley is fast heading to all girl land.

Stevie Nicks is definitely a girl.

Names like Bobbie, Billie, Georgie, and Willie-May have a long history as girls' names in black America.

I have heard of Beau as a girl's name but I think it is mostly an unusual boys' name.

Avanti -- probably girl name, has characteristics that are not masculine.

Soren - boy name.
(Seren - girl name).

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fluffyraggies · 29/07/2013 07:27

Avanti means 'come forward', 'come in' or 'hurry up' in a couple of languages :)

Stevie Nicks is the only female Steve i've heard of, but it makes sense as a nn for Stephanie. Darcey is pretty well known surely? Darcey Bussell?

The other names are a bit ... 'out there', as they say.

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CockyFox · 29/07/2013 07:33

I have never heard of a female Riley or Beau.
The others sound feminine though, in general there seems to be less distinction between boys and girls names than there used to be.

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MoreThanWords · 29/07/2013 07:44

I've recently met a five year old girl called Beau. Only heard it as a boy's name before, so I was a bit surprised for all of 30 seconds, and now it's just who she is iyswim.

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SelectAUserName · 29/07/2013 08:24

I know a female toddler Beau. I was a bit Hmm when her mother announced it because my first thought was "Beau is masculine, shouldn't it be Belle?" (didn't say it, just thought it) but it seems to be accepted as a girl's name.

Kendal is definitely female and American, Sarah Michelle Gellar played a character called Kendal in a US soap opera before she starred as Buffy. Darcy would make me think of Darcey Bussell regardless of spelling, so female.

I would still think of Riley as a male name and Stevie as unisex. No idea re Siren as I've never encountered one, and Avanti is the Italian for "come on" or "forward"! That's like calling your child "Keepup"!

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SelectAUserName · 29/07/2013 08:25

Soren - stupid autocorrect (although maybe Siren appears on that list too, just down from JezAbel..)

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UpTheFRIGGinDuff · 29/07/2013 09:09

I'm trying not to look again AndHarry as you say....feels voyeristic...

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