Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

Naming your daughter a boy's name, yes or no ?

181 replies

Momto2girliess · 12/06/2021 20:45

My sibling named her baby girl a classic masculine name ( Think John, Robert , Thomas). I am never going to say anything to her. I am just curious to know people's opinion on it.

She always wanted a boy.This is baby girl n°5. Do you think it is a bit strange to name your girl a very masculine name?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Rockmehardplace · 13/06/2021 00:11

Christopher is quite popular at the minute where I stay - for a boy. It is RIDICULOUS. For a girl and I am a huge fan of unisex names for girls.

nimbuscloud · 13/06/2021 00:09

Johnny Cash - ‘A boy named Sue’.

Serpenta · 13/06/2021 00:06

I wonder if people would wonder if the child was non binary or trans. Christopher but dresses like a girl. These days probably!

ResIpsaLoquiturInterAlia · 13/06/2021 00:03

Yes even if the mother has a man’s name herself. The little girl will be questioned (and possibly teased) as soon as she grows up. The only acceptable exception is if it’s a translated foreign name but then you would be wise to spell the name slightly different to distinguish it from a well known normal English male name. In addition If the girl is named after a boy just because the mother is disappointed with a girl - is yet another bad reason as the grown girl will later resent her mother being selfish and not accepting of her as wanted a boy instead.

YesIReallyDoLikeRootBeer · 12/06/2021 23:45

Christopher? Thats awful.
My cousin named her daughter Bradleigh (at least she tried to feminize it a little with the spelling), and I thought that was bad, but Christopher is so much worse.

Pinkandpink · 12/06/2021 23:25

What a shame, poor child. There should be laws in place for this

partyatthepalace · 12/06/2021 23:14

Yes. But especially as a 5th daughter, everyone but everyone including the child will assume your sister is very disappointed not to have a boy. That was a shitty thing to do.

Tillygetsit · 12/06/2021 23:12

So let me get this straight. 4 girls with names that are definitely female and their sister Christopher.
Your sister is horribly cruel.

Essexgirlupnorth · 12/06/2021 23:07

My mum's name could be for both but with slightly different spelling. She was having cancer treatment and nearly ended up on a male ward because someone thought it was a male name. Luckily they realised but poor child is going to have a lifetime for saying they are female.

Monsterjam · 12/06/2021 23:07

As a woman with a traditional mans name I always urge people against this. I have spent my life correcting people it’s very frustrating

Serpenta · 12/06/2021 23:06

@FelicityPike

My grandpa had a sister who had a very male name. She was born in 1908. Huge hooha when she got married! In the press & everything.
Was she named after a very recently deceased male relative? I could imagine that happening to a girl in the Edwardian period.
ofwarren · 12/06/2021 23:05

@Talkwhilstyouwalk

I'm guessing she called her James? Technically this can be used for boys or girls, but in reality it's very much a boys name and I would never call a girl any name along the lines of those that you mentioned. Why cause potential problems such as teasing, bullying etc? Surely as a parent you want them to have an easy life?!

Also, how blessed she is to have 5 girls! I have 2 and would love more children, but after the fertility issues we went through I don't dare try.

RTFT! She called her Christopher!
LadyCatStark · 12/06/2021 23:03

I love a unisex name or a unisex nickname but Christopher is very much as masculine name.

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 12/06/2021 23:01

Shes named her daughter ChristopherConfused. It seems to me like she's almost blaming the baby for not being a boy so inficting a boys name on her.
Why didn't she just go with Christine. A,mix of both masculine but still very pretty and elegant.
Other family members must have an opinion on this. Has no one said anything to her. I mean I get what people call their kids is up to them but there is a limit surely to God.
Has she been registered as the Registrar might disallow the name.

They are allowed to do that if they feel a name will bring problems to a child.

HeartShapedBalloon · 12/06/2021 22:58

I just googled, out of interest, to see if it had at some point been a female name. It made the top 1000 for a few years apparently!

Naming your daughter a boy's name, yes or no ?
hauntedvagina · 12/06/2021 22:56

Fun fact: the author Evelyn Waugh was married to a woman also called Evelyn. Apparently their friends referred to them as 'He-Evelyn' and 'She-Evelyn' to distinguish them...

Hevelyn and Shevelyn would have been far catchier.

Talkwhilstyouwalk · 12/06/2021 22:53

I'm guessing she called her James? Technically this can be used for boys or girls, but in reality it's very much a boys name and I would never call a girl any name along the lines of those that you mentioned. Why cause potential problems
such as teasing, bullying etc? Surely as a parent you want them to have an easy life?!

Also, how blessed she is to have 5 girls! I have 2 and would love more children, but after the fertility issues we went through I don't dare try.

Cowbells · 12/06/2021 22:47

I've known female Sydnees (so not the same spelling) and a female Bryan. But Christopher is just bizarre.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 12/06/2021 22:47

Surely people have asked your sister why she has done this? What's her reason ?

As is frequently suggested on MN - because it's such a good yardstick - why doesn't she change her name to Christopher and give the new baby her own now-vacated name?

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 12/06/2021 22:43

Christopher, though.

It's even a bit dated for boys now - you don't get that many little Christophers these days.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 12/06/2021 22:42

Likewise Vivian and Evelyn! Fun fact: the author Evelyn Waugh was married to a woman also called Evelyn. Apparently their friends referred to them as 'He-Evelyn' and 'She-Evelyn' to distinguish them...

Clive James' original name was Vivian, but he later told his mum that he wanted to change it - he was quoted as saying "After Vivien Leigh played Scarlett O'Hara the name became irrevocably a girl's name no matter how you spelled it".

accentdusoleil · 12/06/2021 22:41

Surely people have asked your sister why she has done this? What's her reason ?

Cubeagsnog · 12/06/2021 22:34

I get really fed up of boys names being 'stolen' and used for girls. As a pp said, it never goes the other way, so the pool of boys' names seems to gradually get smaller and smaller.

cakebythepound1234 · 12/06/2021 22:31

@Jade308 can't be that many female Alfie's out there, so maybe!

Watercoloursky · 12/06/2021 22:25

@TheRebelle

I think Hilary, Tracey and Stacey were originally male names that are now exclusively female but Christopher is a bit weird for a girl, for a start it’s a bit dated nowadays isn’t it? And there are already several feminine versions.
Likewise Vivian and Evelyn! Fun fact: the author Evelyn Waugh was married to a woman also called Evelyn. Apparently their friends referred to them as 'He-Evelyn' and 'She-Evelyn' to distinguish them...