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Baby names

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Elliot for a girl

38 replies

freethebiscuit · 25/10/2016 15:39

DH will likely veto anyway, but do you always think of a boy if you see the name Elliot? Dd3 on the way and so hard to think of names I love this time around! Anything similar oh helpful MNetters?

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Boredenough2bhere · 28/10/2016 17:18

Yes I automatically think of a boy.

OnceMoreIntoTheBleach · 28/10/2016 09:04

I love it (scrubs) and also love Sydney for a girl (scream) but I think they are more accepted in the US as girls names, whereas over here (assuming you are in the uk) I think it would be assumed to be male and therefore difficult to live with (addressed as Mr when not present/obviously female, etc)

stonygreysoil · 28/10/2016 08:54

What about Ellis [ c.f. Emily Bronte] or Lillith?

DameSquashalot · 28/10/2016 01:24

I would think of a boy.

I don't think a name will make any difference to people who have fixed ideas about people based on their gender.

SorenaJ · 27/10/2016 15:07

Pemba As someone who is a quite gender neutral person, I'm happy that I have a name with a gender neutral nn. Though some people to have a gender preference, which I feel like a name should accommodate. Alternatively, I'll give my child a name with an option for a gender neutral nickname, eg Alexander, Charlotte, Joanne, Louis, Natalie, Isaac, etc.

Pemba · 27/10/2016 14:35

Sorena wow that is quite brave of you. That is a really different way of looking at things, but at least you are consistent across genders so good for you I suppose.

It just struck me, and others have said this on previous threads, that the flow of names across genders is almost always one way (boy's name becomes feminine) and people often seem to think it would be silly to give a boy a name that could be female, as if it would be demeaning to him or something. And what does that say about society's view of women?

There are so many great girls names, I just feel quite sorry for girls given a gender neutral or masculine one. Like Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutchner's daughter, who is Wyatt I think. Sounds like a grizzled old cowboy, not a little girl. It is an American trend I think and not a great one.

Obviously other people may have a different opinion.

Jojo I am quite calm actually, but thanks for your concern.

SorenaJ · 27/10/2016 12:52

Chinlo - indeed it is! Who is the crazy one we can always debate some other time ;)

Jojo13 · 27/10/2016 12:47

Pemba, calm down. I actually (rightly or wrongly) just read it as a quip/nod to the ridiculous state of society and how differently both genders are treated.

I said I happened to like masculine sounding names for girls. I dont like pretty-pretty names for girls, let alone boys, so no, I wouldn't call a boy rose of felicity for that reason.

Chinlo · 27/10/2016 12:40

Haha, SorenaJ. Fair play to you. The world is a crazy place full of crazy people.

SorenaJ · 27/10/2016 12:24

Pemba I love names, and have thought lots about how to name my children in a way that won't excessively gender them, because heaven knows they will get enough of that already, which is why I think a name like Elliot with several feminine sounding potential nicknames is really no big deal (and a lovely name).

I will give my children, regardless of whatever genitals they might have, a name that is considered gender neutral, a name that is feminine, and a name that is more masculine.

So for example:
Ainsley Charlotte Matthew
Bailie Jacob Sophia
Frankie Edward Rose
Morgan Eleonor James

That way they can get to choose what name they want to use.

Wishfulmakeupping · 26/10/2016 20:15

I love it as a girls name but am meh about it for a boy.
I do generally like boyish BBC for girls though- Georgie, Stevie etc met a baby Andi (Andrea) recently and I know someone who has a dd called Dylan too.

Pemba · 26/10/2016 20:10

You really think so Jojo?

"She won't thank society for gendering her based on her genitals either"

I thought that was bollocks. I assume then you'd be happy to name a boy a traditional female name, Rose would be nice or Felicity? If not, why not?

And you would almost certainly get people calling her Ellie.

Jojo13 · 26/10/2016 14:41

SorenaJ - great answer!

Elliot is on my shortlist for both! I like quite masculine names for girls anyway. The only thing putting me off is nicknames. I can't stand Ellie.

DerelictMyBalls · 26/10/2016 14:17

I like Elliot for a girl. She could be Ellie or Lottie for short. Go for it!

Hersetta427 · 26/10/2016 14:01

They are so many girls names....why would you give her a boys name?

Dislike the name Elliot anyway as a boys name!

raviolidreaming · 26/10/2016 11:22

Like others have said, the point in Scrubs is that Elliot has a boys name - it's part of the storyline!

FrancisCrawford · 26/10/2016 06:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Coey2016 · 26/10/2016 05:49

I think of as a boys name too.

SorenaJ · 25/10/2016 20:41

Elliot is a great name for a girl. She won't thank society for gendering her based on her genitals either, so Elliot seems quite small compared to that. It's got lots of lovely nicknames as well. Go for it.

Pemba · 25/10/2016 20:33

It's a boy's name, end of. She won't thank you for it.

Plenty of nice girl's names beginning with 'El'. Eleanor, Elena, Eliana, Elise, Ella, Elle, just Ellie, etc. etc.

Chinlo · 25/10/2016 20:00

I've known more girl Elliotts than boys. I think it's unisex

I think that's just you. It certainly can't be common.

Because statistically speaking, over the last 20 years in England and Wales:

ELLIOTT (boys): Up from 88th to 71st
ELLIOTT (girls): Up from 0 to 4103rd

ELLIOT (boys): Down from 70th to 73rd
ELLIOT (girls): Up from 0 to 3252nd

In 2016, the name Elliot/t was given to 12 girls and 1864 boys.

So overwhelmingly a boys name.

Anyway OP, you can obviously do what you want, but it definitely is a boy's name. Some people are using James for girls now, but it's still very much a boy's name.

EssentialHummus · 25/10/2016 19:58

Do an AS OP, I remember that this has cropped up here before (with a similar response).

BeastofCraggyIsland · 25/10/2016 19:52

It is a boy's name but I like it for a girl too and think it works. I like that kind of thing though, Alex, Stevie etc. for girls. Ellie and Lottie are good 'girly' nickname options too.

SquirrelPaws · 25/10/2016 19:28

I've known more girl Elliotts than boys. I think it's unisex.

NavyandWhite · 25/10/2016 19:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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