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Baby names

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

Original poster

Fowey - boy or girl?

111 replies

OneAliCat · 08/01/2025 09:57

As in the Cornish town. Pronounced Foy. Considering as a middle name since the place is special to us.

Would you think of it as male, female or gender neutral?

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GetyourheadoutoftheovenIris · 08/01/2025 15:59

I live near Fowey and find this hilarious.

Mevagissey on the other hand is a great name! How about Mevagissey Perranporth?

Waterboatlass · 08/01/2025 15:57

Totally fine for either for a middle name.

Miepmiep · 08/01/2025 15:55

@1dayatatime Mousehole would be an awesome middle name. Even better for a cat!

Miepmiep · 08/01/2025 15:51

It’s fine for either as a middle name. There isn’t going to be any confusion as it will always be used in conjunction with the first name, unless they have a unisex first name too. Pronunciation isn’t really an issue either because how often will strangers be saying their middle name out loud?

It’s neutral to me.

1dayatatime · 08/01/2025 15:49

@CornishDew

Or if you want to spend your time forever correcting the pronunciation you could try Launceston or Mousehole.

midgetastic · 08/01/2025 15:38

If you want foy write foy

Would have to be for a boy as the rhyme is too strong and I think a girl called foy would get teased

WitcheryDivine · 08/01/2025 15:07

I was going to suggest Grumbla.

If you really want it then go for it, I can imagine a William Fowey or some other v traditional boy name.

CornishDew · 08/01/2025 15:02

VeryQuaintIrene · 08/01/2025 11:01

I prefer Looe.

Or CatchFrench, Indian Queens, No Man’s Land, London Apprentice - we’ve lots of unique village names in the Cornish lands

Movinghouseatlast · 08/01/2025 14:53

FuzzyPuffling · 08/01/2025 13:54

Rubbish. I'm English and know full well it's pronounced "Foy".

How about "Tywardreath" or "Ponsanooth" as alternatives!

I live there and believe me most English people don't know its pronounced Foy. Why would they?

CaptainMyCaptain · 08/01/2025 14:53

KIlliePieMyOhMy · 08/01/2025 10:10

The rest of his or her life saying, "No, it's pronounced Foy!"
Don't do it.

This.

SuffolkUnicorn · 08/01/2025 14:51

Boy and I like it

SuffolkUnicorn · 08/01/2025 14:51

RosaMoline · 08/01/2025 11:20

Could be worse…Scunthorpe! 😂

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Rather have Scunthorpe than Jayden

Sunnyflow · 08/01/2025 14:47

Blueuggboots · 08/01/2025 13:58

Sounds male to me but like others have said; it's a place name, why not call them Manchester?

Because Manchester doesn't have the same meaning to the op! What's so hard to understand?

I'd much rather have a meaningful and memorable middle name than a boring filler middle name.

toastofthetown · 08/01/2025 14:36

Blueuggboots · 08/01/2025 13:58

Sounds male to me but like others have said; it's a place name, why not call them Manchester?

  1. Manchester isn’t a meaningful name to the OP and her partner
  2. Just because some place names don’t work as names, it doesn’t mean none of them does. Iona and India are established names; Mull and Nepal aren’t
Blueuggboots · 08/01/2025 13:58

Sounds male to me but like others have said; it's a place name, why not call them Manchester?

Twoshoesnewshoes · 08/01/2025 13:56

Great for either as a middle name.

FuzzyPuffling · 08/01/2025 13:54

Rubbish. I'm English and know full well it's pronounced "Foy".

How about "Tywardreath" or "Ponsanooth" as alternatives!

Itcantgetanycolder · 08/01/2025 13:52

Nope

Moveoverdarlin · 08/01/2025 13:51

I wouldn’t assume it was a name, it’s a place.

FoxInTheForest · 08/01/2025 13:51

I'd assume boy, but it will be pronounce foe-ee at first.
Also foy sounds very much like a nick name.

useitorlose · 08/01/2025 13:50

It's a place name. Why not use Cornish? It could go well with many last names.

Wampyr · 08/01/2025 13:49

I don't particularly like it, but then we all like different things, right? But I'd say it sounds more masculine to me, and would be better as a middle name just because it has huge potential for being mispronounced.

SemperIdem · 08/01/2025 13:48

I think it is fine for either, as a middle name.

Sunnyflow · 08/01/2025 13:42

But places names are sometimes used as names, and the fact that some sound cumbersome as names, doesn’t mean that others don’t work

Exactly. Florence, Sofia, Harris etc are all place names that are also used by people. If the name has meaning to the family, why not?

Tel12 · 08/01/2025 11:24

Not only will the child have to spell it every single time, they'll also have to explain why. Is it where the child was conceived? 🤨