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Baby names

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

Original poster

Emma-James?

91 replies

SeaPorpoises · 17/07/2023 14:17

Expecting my first daughter, DH loves Emma and I like it too, but since Blake Lively named her daughter James I have adored that for a girl too.

So thoughts on Emma-James? or suggestions of similar if you're not a fan?

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strawberry2017 · 17/07/2023 17:30

Drop the hyphen and I like it.
I hate hyphenated names.

toomuchlaundry · 17/07/2023 17:28

How many female posters on here would be like to be called James?

MogsMa · 17/07/2023 17:25

I read the title as Emma-Jane and suspect she'll get that a lot.

aSofaNearYou · 17/07/2023 17:24

I quite like James for a girl too but I don't think it works with Emma, which is one of the most "vanilla" names going at present. It just doesn't gel having such a conventional name with an unconventional one, it makes you jump to the conclusion that you must have misunderstood and James is the surname.

EmmaPaella · 17/07/2023 17:22

Them*

EmmaPaella · 17/07/2023 17:21

PrudenceDictates · 17/07/2023 17:06

They won’t, because the thinking amongst some parents seems to be that boys names = cool/edgy; girls names = weak/ineffectual, even for an actual girl.

Funny how when a boys name becomes common for girls, then the parents of boys start avoiding it.

As it stands, though, James is still a top 30 for boys, but doesn’t even feature in the top 1000 for girls, despite a PPs claim that it was now “gender neutral”.

Show quote history

The inevitable problem is it remaining niche for a girl and yet there are millions of male James’, including small ones. It’s not like calling your daughter an unusual male name. Blake Lively’s daughter will go to a school with other sleb names not a normal state school. So no boy there will be called James, they’ll be too busy being called things like Madrid.

Ref Ryan and Owen. Why then? What about Colin? Pete?

FayCarew · 17/07/2023 17:14

LaylaLjungberg · 17/07/2023 16:43

I love James and also Ryan and Owen for a girls name.

names are just made up it doesn’t matter.

but do you love Emma, Sarah and Rebecca as boys' names?

PrudenceDictates · 17/07/2023 17:06

EdgeOfACoin · 17/07/2023 16:53

I wish someone would name their son Emma.

So depressing to see all these daughters given boys' names.

They won’t, because the thinking amongst some parents seems to be that boys names = cool/edgy; girls names = weak/ineffectual, even for an actual girl.

Funny how when a boys name becomes common for girls, then the parents of boys start avoiding it.

As it stands, though, James is still a top 30 for boys, but doesn’t even feature in the top 1000 for girls, despite a PPs claim that it was now “gender neutral”.

EdgeOfACoin · 17/07/2023 16:53

I wish someone would name their son Emma.

So depressing to see all these daughters given boys' names.

Peony654 · 17/07/2023 16:50

I think it's too confusing- it sounds like James is the surname. Or it would get misheard as Emma Jane

DoctorWoo · 17/07/2023 16:49

names are just made up it doesn’t matter

It doesn’t matter what you name your child, because they’re all made up? Confused

LaylaLjungberg · 17/07/2023 16:43

I love James and also Ryan and Owen for a girls name.

names are just made up it doesn’t matter.

TropicalTrama · 17/07/2023 16:35

Everyone will mishear it as the 1980s classic Emma Jane. And then when you correct them they’ll think you’re saying the first name and the surname. Or it’s a double barrelled surname. Then when you correct them again and have to yes really James for a girl and it’s because I copied an American celeb it’ll sound cringe worthy. Don’t do it.

NeverThatSerious · 17/07/2023 16:32

Emma is a nice name, James is a nice (boys name), Emma-James just sounds daft as a double barrelled first name (as do most double barrelled first names tbh) and it does definitely just like she’s called Emma James (first name surname)

PrudenceDictates · 17/07/2023 16:32

CurlewKate · 17/07/2023 16:29

James is a boy's name.

Bizarre that this needs pointing out!

SirChenjins · 17/07/2023 16:31

As pp have said it will sound like she’s got a double barrelled surname when she gives her full name, eg Emma James-Smith - no, it’s Emma-James Smith. Repeat ad nauseam for the next 80 plus years.

Plus, why do you want to give your daughter a traditionally male name? You never hear of baby boys being called Lucy for example.

CurlewKate · 17/07/2023 16:29

James is a boy's name.

DPotter · 17/07/2023 16:29

I agree that Emma-James would suggest first name surname.

I think Emma is a lovely name, but I'm really not sure about James as a girl's first name. I know too many male James' I suppose, and it's still in the top 25 for boys names too.

If it's the syllable balance you want how about

Emma-Louise
Emma-Jane
Emma-Jo

BananaSpanner · 17/07/2023 16:29

People will hyphenate in the wrong place.

To you she’ll be Emma-James Smith, other people will hear and write Emma James-Smith.

SoupDragon · 17/07/2023 16:28

Emma-James is just daft. It's awful.

Every single person I know with a double barrelled first name goes by the first of the two names.

I don't! 😂 I'm Dragon not Soup. Neither name is a male name though.

PrudenceDictates · 17/07/2023 16:27

I’ve never met a Kevin-Lee, but funnily enough I can picture him clearly!

Emma-James, though, will surely look a bit androgynous? A bit half girl, half boy?
A celebrity calling their daughter something does not that something a girl’s name make.

Daringbear · 17/07/2023 16:26

My daughter is Emma, middle name James, she is 17 so we called her this before it was gender neutral. In primary no one knew her middle name and by secondary she would just say it was a family name (both grandfathers, my husband and my nephew have the name) no one picked on her or said it was a boys name, they just didn't care.
I don't like hyphenated names but I think Emma James is lovely

TeenagersAngst · 17/07/2023 16:22

SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 17/07/2023 16:17

Nah, was just an example. Why? Do you?

Show quote history

Well, no, but I didn't write a post citing it as an example where you said "Every single person I know with a double barrelled first name goes by the first of the two names.
Sarah-louise is Sarah
Harvey-joe is Harvey
Kevin-lee is Kevin
Etc"

Fair to assume those were examples of all the people you knew with a double-barrelled first name.

SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 17/07/2023 16:17

TeenagersAngst · 17/07/2023 16:12

Do you actually know someone called Kevin-Lee?

Show quote history

Nah, was just an example. Why? Do you?

Conniedeps · 17/07/2023 16:15

I think another poster suggested this too, but what about Jamie? I like it for a girl and is gender neutral