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Baby names

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

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Original poster

Is this a girl's name now?

93 replies

cloudandmist · 04/10/2020 17:55

Blair

I'm really crushing on this name and both DH and I see it as a boy's name but the few people we've mentioned it to say they think of girls (Blair from Gossip Girl).

Is this a real issue or is it still very much considered a male name? I have never met any female or male Blairs so I can't even use that as reference.

Our other choices are Fraser, Ashley and Lachlan.

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NameChange30 · 04/10/2020 19:57

"I do wish Americans (in particular) would stop using boy's names for girls."

Agree!

LostInTheColonies · 04/10/2020 19:53

110% boy's name. It's my 6'6" DB's name and he's def not a drag queen 😁
Not at all uncommon for boys in Aus & NZ, along with the likes of Hamish & Angus, which don't seem to be very popular in the UK any more.
I do wish Americans (in particular) would stop using boy's names for girls.

LostInTheColonies · 04/10/2020 19:52

NameChange30 · 04/10/2020 19:48

Thanks so the stats do confirm what people said which is that it's more common for boys in Scotland and more common for girls (although not by much) in England/Wales.

ComicePear · 04/10/2020 19:47

Blair was my uncle's name, so I think of it as a male name. I like it, but out of your names I prefer Lachlan. To me, Ashley is a girl's name. Fraser is ok.

mrsswayze · 04/10/2020 19:47

It's a Scottish boys name i know several
I know one female blair in her 30's but very much a male name where I live

florascotia2 · 04/10/2020 19:46

An earlier poster asked where to find Scottish baby names. They are here:
www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/vital-events/names/babies-first-names/babies-first-names-2019/list-of-data-tables

In 2019, there were 91 boys named Blair in Scotland (rank = 87) and 19 girls (rank = 216) plus 15 girls called Blaire and (alas) 3 called Blayre.

Jamhandprints · 04/10/2020 19:45

Ashley and Blair are girls names in America, but both used to be boys names in the UK. I havent heard the male versions recently so both sound more girly now to me.

Octoberbreeze · 04/10/2020 19:43

Blair makes me think of Tony Blair - I tend to see it as a surname but each to own.

Then other surnames are used as first names - Cameron not sure about Thatcher or Churchill though

Anything goes nowadays and some of the trendy names come from people watching TV programmes and then using the names. Some popular names are related to anything that is 'current' at the time, although I don't think Blair from Gossip Girl is that popular in usage. Many names can be both boy/girl

ComeOnBabyPopMyBubble · 04/10/2020 19:42

I know two boy Ashleys ,one nn Ash.
I don't know any Blairs in real life, and I only know it as a girl name from tv shows but don't see why it wouldn't work for a boy.

JaffaCake70 · 04/10/2020 19:39

My Grandaughter is called Blair. I was speaking to a patient one day at the hospital I work at, he had an American girlfriend called Blair. My DIL was expecting at the time, I went home and told her I loved the name, she loved it too! Our Blair is now 10 years old!

Changethetoner · 04/10/2020 19:37

I was at school with a male Blair, in the 1980s (Scotland). Never met any since. I think it went out of fashion.

jackstini · 04/10/2020 19:34

Blair - I know both male and female and like it
Ashley is male - Ashleigh is female
Love Fraser, my favourite
Hate Lachlan - blame fortnite YouTuber for ruining that one!

LynetteScavo · 04/10/2020 19:31

Bleugh!

percheron67 · 04/10/2020 19:28

It is not a girl's name. It is not a boy's name. It is a Surname.

12309845653ghydrvj · 04/10/2020 19:26

I know one Blair (male), great name

Spam88 · 04/10/2020 19:22

So weird how you posted a list of boys names and people assumed you were having a girl that you must have desperately wanted to be a boy...

Blair is a girls name to me, because the only Blair I've ever come across is on gossip girl. So I might initially be surprised but would quickly come round to it for a boy. Tony Blair wouldn't have even crossed my mind.

golddustwomen · 04/10/2020 19:19

I like it for both!

Love Ashley though op.

honigbutter · 04/10/2020 19:17

And Ashley is a girl's name here.

StopCryingYourHeartOut · 04/10/2020 19:15

Girls name to me.

eddiemairswife · 04/10/2020 19:13

How about Cameron??

Mmsnet101 · 04/10/2020 19:13

Another to say its a common boys name in Scotland, and lovely. Non Scots probably not as familiar as this thread is proving. It was on my names list but I had a DD instead. Didn't cross my mind for her and I usually like boy names for girls!

Ashley for a boy is very English and not to my taste at all,sorry. Just think of Ashleyyy from Corrie!

Love lachlan but sorry I'd say its probably too much hassle and wrong pronunciation in English accents, unless your quite northern/close to the border.

Shelby30 · 04/10/2020 19:11

Oh and I love Fraser! That was my first choice boys name but dh didn't like it.

Shelby30 · 04/10/2020 19:10

Yes. I know a guy and a girl both called it. The guy is late 40's the girl is late teens.

NameChange30 · 04/10/2020 19:09

I've just looked up the ONS lists for boys and girls born in 2019 in England and Wales. There were only 8 boys named Blair, and only 20 girls. So more girls but it's rare for both. I'm not sure where to find the same stats for Scotland.

Do you live in England or Scotland (or somewhere else)?

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