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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Finley...for a girl?

55 replies

elseIlltellyourfather · 26/06/2011 10:47

What are your thoughts please? My name book says it is the feminine spelling; I like it and DH loves it so may go with it, but are we being silly/cruel/condeming her to a lifetime of people being surprised she is female etc?

There was one in home and Away if that helps?

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Samzzz · 10/01/2024 12:01

If Dillon can be a girls name then I don’t see why Finley can’t be either. I like it

o69please · 10/01/2024 11:47

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Freebird87 · 23/02/2012 22:49

The name has more than one meaning depending on where you find,as do many,one book says the feminine; fair haired warrior,I did not dream this. Chances are people that have objections to this name for a female,have children with names that I dislike and find boring p,so yeah,each to their own.

welovesausagedogs · 23/02/2012 14:41

Personally i'm not keen on it, probably because we know 3 Finley's all of whom are boys.

mollymole · 23/02/2012 14:35

Have you considered Ffion (Feeon) - imo this is more feminine.

Stellan · 23/02/2012 14:29

It doesn't mean 'female fair-haired warrior'. Just 'white warrior' from the Gaelic boys' name Fionnlagh (fionn 'white, fair' and laogh 'warrior'). Not sure where the female bit has come from!

While this name might be perfectly acceptable for girls in America, most people in the UK would assume that Finlay/Finley was a boy. If you're willing to contend with that, I see no reason why you shouldn't pick it. Each to their own and all!

tammytoby · 23/02/2012 13:50

I know a female Finley - her dad is American, where I think it is more popular for girls.

Freebird87 · 23/02/2012 13:47

My four year old daughter is called Finnley... I read it means 'female fair-haired warrior' also 'cool',it's also apparently a form of the Irish girl name finnoula. I get really angry when people say that this is a boys name only and that girls should have 'pretty,pretty' names. My daughter is absolutely beautiful and i have every faith that she will grow into a beautiful,strong and independent woman and that she won't need to rely on her name to define her sex. I think the names Finn,Finley,Finlay for a girl,is awesome. :)

bananamom · 30/06/2011 21:37

Love Barnaby - for a boy! Love Finlay for a boy too :)

cleverything · 30/06/2011 20:28

This reply has been deleted

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openerofjars · 30/06/2011 20:03

Oh, well done & congratulations!

Barnaby is a fantastic name!

Hedwig3 · 30/06/2011 15:31

Congratulations Wine

Original poster
elseIlltellyourfather · 30/06/2011 15:16

Boys names are safe from my clutches for a bit longer - I had a boy yesterday; Barnaby.

Thanks for all your views, think we would have gone with Finley for a girl, so maybe had a lucky escape...Smile

OP posts:
telsa · 29/06/2011 12:42

I know a girl called Finn - she's 2. In Nordic countries they have the name Finja, (as in Fin - yah) which I really like.

openerofjars · 29/06/2011 12:12

I'd heard Jamie for a girl: Jamie Lee Curtis, etc. But I hadn't realised that people were registering girls as James. Well I never, eh?

Disclaimer: my huge, hairy, tattooed, rocker cousin is a James, as was his equally huge & hairy dad, who had a beard you could hide cats in. It tends not to sound like a very female name to me!

Original poster
elseIlltellyourfather · 28/06/2011 09:27

Jaime is a girl's name too (spelt like this, but pronounced Jamie). Not James though!

OP posts:
Mowlem · 27/06/2011 19:13

"James as a girl's name? Eh? There are going to be little girls called Jim running around? Blimey, now I've heard it all."

My daughter does go to nursery with a little girl called Jamie.

I called her a boy for months, thinking my DD had mixed up the gender of the child - she can be less than reliable on such things!

mayanna123 · 27/06/2011 16:17

Especially as Finley sounds very soft and feminine (the -ley ending I think).

Original poster
elseIlltellyourfather · 27/06/2011 14:35

I disagree too - there are actually quite a few names out there, not sure one or two becoming unisex will make a big dent in any of them - adds to the variety if anything.

OP posts:
TapselteerieO · 27/06/2011 14:33

I disagree about the boy's "pool" of names diminishing, I found it much harder to choose a name for my dd, she didn't get a middle name, my ds I had loads of names I liked.

openerofjars · 27/06/2011 13:34

James as a girl's name? Eh? There are going to be little girls called Jim running around? Blimey, now I've heard it all.

pilates · 27/06/2011 11:36

Harriet is lovely.

startail · 27/06/2011 11:28

No makes me think of a boy or a corny name for a chip shop sorry

Hedwig3 · 27/06/2011 11:25

Yes PurpleStrawberry & cleverything I wonder why we keep getting 'Boys names are so hard!' posts Hmm

The problem with this particular name is that it is such a popular name for boys at the moment.

pfbornot · 27/06/2011 11:20

I don't like it for a girl at all. Not because of how it sounds, but just for practical reasons. I just think she might spend a lot of time correcting people (on paper) and explaining to people (in person). Depending on her personality, she might think that's OK - but if it was me, I would find it embarrassing, sorry.

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