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Baby names

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

Original poster

Boys names on girls... Ideas please!

94 replies

charlie1234567 · 28/04/2018 12:33

I'm a Charlie and have always loved it, but am trying to think of others in case we have a girl....

Ideas so far
Robyn
Mikaela (Mikky)
Andrea (Andy)
Francesca (Frances)
Rory

Any others please help, I'm a teacher so I need a big list as have bad connotations with a few already 😄

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Mumlife101 · 02/05/2018 19:43

I found out I was having a girl, wanted a girl & I too still liked make sounding names! I didn't want a really sickly girly name... so I totally get why OP is asking, probably not anything to do with wanting a boy? Wasn't in my case anyway...! Andy I really like for a girl! (but not for a guy) Confused

Aylarose · 02/05/2018 18:16

Just thinking I've never heard of a Davina abbreviated to 'Dave', that would be new :-P.

Aylarose · 02/05/2018 18:14

Elliot/Elliette
Robin

I'm guessing you're a Charlotte though so you could always just pick a pretty name that abbreviates to sound gender neutral? Like Christina (Crissie), Matilda (Matti/Til) or Georgia (Georgi).

youarenotkiddingme · 02/05/2018 17:57

Milli I'm beginning to think you sit by this thread waiting for me to post just to contradict it Hmm

Re read my post and you'll see I never mentioned names stereotypically assigned to the female gender.

MillicentF · 02/05/2018 17:51

"Yeah it's spelt Gabriel. But then we've discussed different spellings of the same names for boys/girls"

So. Show me a girl's name that with a different spelling becomes a boy's name. Roze? Suzn? Yvy?

youarenotkiddingme · 02/05/2018 17:46

Yeah it's spelt Gabriel. But then we've discussed different spellings of the same names for boys/girls.

Eg Harri v Harry
Jaime V Jamie
Robyn V Robin.

The names themselves though are all unisex - but often stereotypically attributed to a sex - often Male.

Working with children though means I come across names a lot and find stereotypical boys names are often used for girls and aren't considered boys names per se.

MammieBear · 02/05/2018 12:44

Noa is a lovely unusual one...

pipilangstrumpf · 02/05/2018 11:43

Morgan

KiaCar · 02/05/2018 11:34

George/Georgie for Georgia/Georgina
Stevie
Sydney
Dylan
Met a baby Andi short for Andrea such a good name
Ady for Adrienne
Frankie

MillicentF · 02/05/2018 11:28

"The reason girls names don't often get used for boys is probably because of the widely held idea that boys cannot be seen to be like girls in any way shape or form whatsoever. It's cool and strong for a girl to be like a boy but unacceptable for a boy to be like a girl"

I agree. That's why I think it's such a bad think to perpetuate it.

pipilangstrumpf · 02/05/2018 11:13

Sam

chester345 · 02/05/2018 11:07

Spencer!

wontbedoingthat · 02/05/2018 10:13

I agree that some names usually given to one gender are great when switched. I have that with my son, sort of. His name was going to be used whether he was a boy or a girl, it's a unisex name but used more on girls these days.
The reason girls names don't often get used for boys is probably because of the widely held idea that boys cannot be seen to be like girls in any way shape or form whatsoever. It's cool and strong for a girl to be like a boy but unacceptable for a boy to be like a girl Hmm

pipilangstrumpf · 02/05/2018 09:48

Or Bernice?

AsAProfessionalFekko · 02/05/2018 09:10

Bernadette /Bernie? Wasn't the nanny in blackadder called Bernard?

DollyDayScream · 02/05/2018 07:39

I've never met a girl named Bernard!

There's a Stevie on The Letdown, I quite like that.

AsAProfessionalFekko · 02/05/2018 07:37

Gabriel/Gabrielle tend to be pronounced differently - gay-bree-el / gah-bree-elle

millymae · 02/05/2018 07:35

It seems to me that a lot of the boys names considered suitable for girls are based on the more ‘old fashioned’ male names. I went to school with a girl called Erica and although it’s not a name I’ve used myself it has been one we’ve seriously considered. I like the way it sounds.
I also like Stephanie, Adrienne, Paula Cecily and Clarissa.

MillicentF · 02/05/2018 07:24

"Gabrielle is not a boys name

Tell my Male neighbour that! He's shortened to Gabby"

OK. -elle ending is feminine. Your neighbour's parents do not come from a non European culture or got the spelling of Gabriel wrong. Gabrielle is not a male name.

youarenotkiddingme · 02/05/2018 07:06

Gabrielle is not a boys name

Tell my Male neighbour that! He's shortened to Gabby.

And why when people suggest Jamie for a girl do they suggest spelling it differently. It's fine as Jamie and many remained spell it that way.

HairyToity · 01/05/2018 21:42

Bobbie
Rowen

Kellyturnbull · 01/05/2018 21:00

I love unisex or ‘boys names on girls’
Girls I’ve met and just loved their names:
Finley
Andi
Stevie
Bobbi
Drew
Parker
Tate
Blair
Rory

pipilangstrumpf · 01/05/2018 14:22

I know a female Rory, short for Aurora. I like it!

17caterpillars1mouse · 01/05/2018 13:16

Alexandra is another name you could shorten to Andie or Alex obviously

Veronica nn Ronnie

I also recently met a Beatrix who went by Buzz which i though was cute and clever (usually shortened to Bee - bee's buzz)

PetraRabbit · 01/05/2018 09:56

I like the first four, though the girl's version is Andie...like the actress Andie McDowall. Andie is really cute.
Please, please not Rory. It will look like you didn't know it was a boys' name. All your other names are girls' names with a more tomboyish shortening but Rory is just incorrect on a girl. I actually don't mind extreme boy names like James or George for girls but that's because they are so obviously a strong choice not a confused mistake.

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