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

Parents giving their children masculine/feminine form of their own name?

39 replies

Topazbutterfly · 18/05/2023 12:49

What do you think of parents giving their children a masculine/feminine form of their own name? For example Nigel Lawson and his daughter Nigella Lawson. Many thanks

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Spcd · 18/05/2023 13:32

I'm not keen on it, especially if they both generally have the same shortening - then you end up referring to them as e.g. boy Alex and girl Alex (we have this in my extended family - not Alex - and it irritates me every time I have to refer to one of them). It must also be really annoying for them within the home where effectively you've got two people living there with the same name.

Marlena1 · 18/05/2023 13:26

My parents did this (I'm the female version of the name). I don't mind the name so it's fine. I think they would possibly have called me that anyway as it ticked all the boxes for them (although it's a "chav" name on MN😁) I think if the name is one you like, why not?

Muhwanda · 18/05/2023 13:25

I think it’s quite weird. I have a friend named Alexander that named his daughter Alexa. Seems really odd.

FayCarew · 18/05/2023 13:25

Depends on the name. I don't think a Louise having a son called Louis, or a Philip having a daughter called Pippa, would raise many eyebrows.

Mochudubh · 18/05/2023 13:24

Reugny · 18/05/2023 13:22

It's as unimaginative as calling your son something like "Donald Jr" .

Some names like Nigella and Dani I don't think of as strange as they are recognisable girls names. There as names like Donaldina or Hectorina seem just odd.

I agree. Luckily it wasn't really a thing in our family and my Granny had a normal name (for 100 years ago).

SilentParrot · 18/05/2023 13:24

Nigella has really risen above a very ugly name. Although her sisters Horatia and Thomasina didn't fare much better in the name stakes.

Luredbyapomegranate · 18/05/2023 13:23

It’s a naff thing to do, obviously.

Reugny · 18/05/2023 13:22

It's as unimaginative as calling your son something like "Donald Jr" .

Some names like Nigella and Dani I don't think of as strange as they are recognisable girls names. There as names like Donaldina or Hectorina seem just odd.

narrichi · 18/05/2023 13:22

I know of a couple e.g. an Alannah who has a dad named Alan.

I think it can be a fun way to pass down a family name rather than doing the "Junior" thing. As long as the name in question sounds like a reasonable name and not an awkward and clunky feminisation, I don't see a problem with it.

Mochudubh · 18/05/2023 13:19

Thinking about it, in my Granny's day it was relatively common to name a first born after the father even if it was a girl. So women might be called Donaldina or Hectorina, esp in the west Highlands.

Original poster
Topazbutterfly · 18/05/2023 13:19

Do you think it's nice to use masculine/feminine version of your own name for a child, as it's a family name or is it nicer for them to have a different name entirely?

OP posts:
Mochudubh · 18/05/2023 13:15

Dani Dyer?

TheOtherHotstepper · 18/05/2023 12:53

Well, Nigella is a lovely flower, so that pretty much works.

By coincidence, I came across a woman called Ruperta this morning. I'm not so sure about this one.

SilentParrot · 18/05/2023 12:53

Egotistical and unimaginative.