Boys names for girls.....

This isnt even a new thing....

Daryl Hannah? Glenn Close? Drew Barrymore? Stevie Nicks? Andie Mcdowell? Cameron Diaz?

I work with a lady in her late 50's called Peter and I know several Sam's, Jamie's, Alex's etc of both sexes....and that's just off the top of my head, there's bound to be more.

So what? Pick a name you like OP.

There will always be someone looking to be offended or putting a politically correct spin on it (especially on MN)

It happens this way round because being a boy is a promotion and being a girl is a demotion.

If you wouldn't call a boy Poppy, and you would call a girl Drew, think about why. Is it because 'male' supposed qualities like strength look good on a girl but 'female' ones like softness and caring look bad on a boy?

As someone said earlier, "it's sexist AF".

I know a female baby Stevie and I do tend to think of it as more female now (thanks to The Letdown)

I would caution you though. My mum has a unisex name. She had a gyno surgery a few years ago and when she arrived they ushered her (and my dad who was with her) to a male surgical ward. They kept talking to my dad and telling him to get undressed. It was only when they asked that they realised they'd not noticed the female spelling, the female surgery or the big F written on her notes and just assumed she was a man.

Dont do it. I grew up with a ery boyish name and always hated it so shortened it to be more suited to me. Heard years later my parents had expected me to be a baby boy! I felt so short changed for years. I dont think its very fair on the child tbh. There are litterly thousands of names to choose for either gender, why confuse the issue

@Jattjewd I do see what you're saying. I don't agree (for the reasons I've discussed above) but definitely see your point.
What I do find quite funny is a parent giving a little boy a fairly "safe" masculine name like Dylan or James or Noah, only to later find out there's a girl with the same name in the class. Don't know why I like that thought. Can't put my finger on it. Me being strange maybe but it does tickle me

The only female becoming male name I can think of is Laurence. It's female in France, where the male version is Laurent. Here it's seen as a variation on the spelling of Lawrence.

I like Andie OP. Quite like Stevie.

Andrea and Stephanie would have to be chosen names for me. I couldn't put Stevie on the bc of a girl!

Dylan is quite a pretty sound but it's just too established and current to use for a girl right now.

Daryl though, wdyt of Daryl

Saying you should have a masculine name because your male and a feminine name because your female...isn't that more sexist?

@Broomfondle - That's a fair point. But my problem is not so much with simply giving boys names to girls - it's the fact that it doesn't happen the other way around. You don't come across boys called Sophie or Emily or Jessica. It needs to go both ways. Either we should make it socially acceptable to give any child any name regardless of their gender, including giving feminine names to boys, or we should stick to having gendered names. That's how I see it.

From your list, I only like Andie as a nickname, but I'm not big on the nickname as full name trend.

My sister has a name that has shown in the replies, it was very annoying for her as she more than once got assigned to boys PE or have people announce that 'his' mother was here. She regularly went by her more feminine middle name and I'd encourage that or having a longer form and using a more neutral nickname in mind as an option if it becomes an issue for her (and yes, my mother did want a boy and everyone knew it).

Two of my kids have longer names that are shortened to nicknames used for both sexes. Other than some of the long names that can be shortened, unisexish names I'd suggest: Alexis, Davri, Franklyn, Merit, Robin, Shea

I only like Drew from your list

I know a Drew and a Stevie, not short for anything, both girls.
I know an Andie short for something.

Dylan is horrible.

Of the four, I'd pick Stevie.

Would you give a boy a girl's name?

@CountFosco

Everybody knows why.

What we perceive as female names change over time.

Shirley was a boys name until the book by Charlotte Bronte. Florence was a boys name until Florence Nightingale. Alison, Carole, and Meredith were all boys names originally. I don't think any name has gone the other way, I can't think why!

Im with @Tillygetsit. Im not a fan of this latest trend to give girls a boys name. There is so much choice for girls and you would never give a girls name to a boy.

@Jattjewd
Can you explain why?
I totally get disliking a name that's difficult for the bearer to have in some way, as in the PP hating people assuming she is male. I'd apply this to names you have to spell all the time or are difficult to pronounce too.
But I think I have a different take on using masculine names for girls/feminine names for boys being inherently sexist. Isn't it breaking down 'gender norms?' Ending anything (apart from biological functions) with "...because of your sex" is more problematic surely.
Saying you should have a masculine name because your male and a feminine name because your female...isn't that more sexist?

I know a female Joey.

If you are using Stevie as a nickname for Stephanie or Andy for Andrea, ok.

As a full name for a girl? Just why?

Would you call a little boy Lottie or Katie? If not, why not?

Sam
Billie
Harley
Morgan
Jaimie
Jai
Stevie

My name is one of the above, male sounding and male spelling, And I hate it. People always assume I'm a male. And people always get it wrong, and I constantly have to repeat my name when people mishear it

@Broomfondle - Sorry but I don't see Dylan, Drew and James as unisex names. They're strictly masculine to me. I take no issue with genuine unisex names like Charlie being used on girls. But when a girl is given a name where 99.9% of the bearers are male, that's where we have a problem.

It's interesting that in English a vowel sound at the end of the name often signifies it belongs to a female. My own name is unusual but classic and definitely female, but neither the full name nor the short form I use ends with a vowel sound - I often get non-native English speakers assuming I'm male...

One of my children would have been known as Alex no matter what, but with the full Alexander/Alexandra on the birth certificate.

I'm an ardent feminist and disagree names like Fredericka, Martina or Josephine are sexist AF, but there we go. I also don't see how not giving a girl a feminine name just because she is a girl is sexist. I would argue the same for boys. And also that the idea of feminine/masculine names is a changing tide anyway.
Is putting a girl in jeans and T-shirt rather than a dress sexist because 'she has to be dressed as a boy to be perceived as strong' or whatever? More unisex and less feminine clothes isn't sexist AF, why would more unisex and less feminine names be sexist AF?

@Ameanstreakamilewide definitely see what you're saying it's hard to predict isn't it. I had a very standard name (top 5/10) which no one ever asked questions about whereas my siblings name was very unusual. Whenever we introduced ourselves together there would always be questions and comments about my siblings name and despite being an introvert myself I still felt a bit boring and would have liked some comments and questions too. Haha.
I prefer my own name now but it's certainly a less interesting name

Well, I think it's sexist AF, so if that's the look you're going for, terrific.

I totally agree.

Feminine forms of masculine names are bad enough, but straight up giving a masculine name to a girl is incredibly sexist. Why? Because you wouldn't do it the other way around, would you? Does a girl need a masculine name to look strong? To look validated? Because that's certainly the impression you give if you stick a masculine name on a girl!

What's wrong with normal names; like Emma, Samantha, Maria, etc?

The attempts at quirky via your daughter's name just seem a bit daft to me.

I knew a girl called Cameron and she then heard the same 2 sentences whenever she introduced herself.

1. I always thought that was a male name and
2. Like Cameron Diaz, then.

Don't deliberately give your daughter a name that she'll be explaining her whole life.

I know a Charlotte who was always referred to with the full name by family and friends.

However she is now known as Charlie on all her business correspondence and client work in a male dominated industry, it gives her the edge and the toe in the door when people presume Charlie is a man.

She also says if she ever has a girl it will have a gender neutral name to give her a fighting chance in a mans world.