how do you feel about the word "bubbly" when used of a woman and her personality?

That's exactly how I've heard it demisphere. It certainly has never made me warm to a person.

I've never heard a man described as bubbly.

The connotation for me would be an overweight, loud woman who's not very bright.

God, people call me bubbly all the time to my face. Loud I'd accept but I seemed to do alright with men when I was younger and unattached (been with DH for over 20 years) so don't think I'm unattractive (or fat) either. I'll go and cry in a corner now shall I?

I think there's an argument that 'masculine' interests are valued more than 'feminine' interests which means e.g. a woman talking about fashion is judged as being more vacuous than a man talking about football. And of course women are trained to host more than men so a woman is more likely to facilitate a conversation about the weather or where you were on holiday or whatever in an attempt to make someone feel comfortable but that could also be labelled vacuous by someone who is too 'important' or 'serious' to engage in chit chat.

I do agree with the OP that it's a gendered term, bubbly girl gets more google hits than bubbly man, she's bubbly gets more hits than he's bubbly. I've never heard a man described as bubbly.

I've never heard of a connotation of overweight or vacuous in the US. It describes an upbeat and effervescent (like champagne) personality. It's usually used for women, but I have heard it for men as well. DH is bubbly, me not so much.

It's a word which is used a lot in obituaries where some one , male or female, has died unexpectedly or young after a struggle with cancer or similar.

I doubt very much the people calling them "bubbly" are saying the deceased were not very bright and/or annoying.

Bubbly to me means not very bright and rather annoying. When applied to men or women.

Google "his bubbly personality" or similar. I got plenty of results, not just sportsmen.

Personally I don't think it is synonymous with vacuous or unattractive woman.

One of my female partners is a bit concerned that her female assistant is not, as she put it " her usual bubbly self" but won't say what the matter is. This person is , as Cooroo put it , usually full of energy and full of life (and a size 10).

So it seems like it can apply to certain types of sportsmen, as well as the more familiar application to a loud, perhaps unattractive or vacuous woman. Interesting. I wonder which is the more common usage.

I don't think of it as a term reserved for overweight women.

Football players can be bubbly

Ramsey on Cazorla: "He's a very bubbly character, he's always happy. He's a joy to be around." #afc

So can football managers -"Martin " is Martin O'Neill.

As can Alex Montgomery - 2007 - ‎Soccer managers
... breath of fresh air for this club. That clinched it. They didn't interview anyone else. ' He's very effervescent, Martin, very bubbly company ...

And PGA coaches.

Ian Proverbs – PGA Professional
Ian has been At Walsall Golf Club for 22 years and several years ago became a fully qualified Professional
He is a very experienced all round Professional and very popular with his bubbly personality

I also think it is generally a term reserved for overweight, loud woman. It's like a consolation prize compliment.

I cringe whenever I hear it used.

I have only ever heard it used as a nice thing to say about a woman who is otherwise stereotypically sexually unattractive to men - in the example I'm thinking of, yes, as PP say, overweight.

It isn't something I'd say about any of the (many) amazing women I know. Friendly or funny, yes - but bubbly wouldn't come to me naturally.

Bubbly...she's fat and loud, right? That's the only time I've ever heard it used really.

I don't think I've ever met a man who is bubbly! Perhaps that's just Yorkshire. I have described women that way and it certainly didn't mean vacuous- these are women who seem full of energy and curiosity, full of life.

Bubbly I usually take to be a euphemism for vacuous.