AIBU to think that if you give your child a name that more commonly belongs to the opposite sex, or name your child after a vegetable...

[Jacksmania]

... then you shouldn't be all that surprised to get comments from people?

Disclaimer: I absolutely believe that anyone should be allowed to name their child whatever they like, as long as it's not obviously offensive. I mean, "Fuckface" or whatever is obviously out :o

I'm asking this because I've found myself in two separate situations this week where I ended up thinking, "well, come on..." but then wondered what the MN Jury would think.

Will try to be as brief as possible:

1 - acquaintance was registering her DD for ballet lessons. Her DD is named something most commonly male.
Acquaintance to ballet school: "I'd like to register my DD "male name" for ballet class Tuesday nights at x time."
Ballet school: "I'm sorry but boys' ballet classes are Wednesdays at x time".
Acquaintance: "as I said, I'd like to register my daughter "male name" for ballet at x time"
Ballet school: "your daughter "male name"?..."
Acquaintance: (seething) "yes my daughter "male name""
Ballet school: "..."

Acquaintance hangs up and starts ranting about idiocy of school who can't grasp that "male name" might be a girl. I listen but then stupidly say "well, you have to admit, it's not usually ever that I've heard of a girl's name".
Acquaintance: at me.

2 - friend makes reference to her teenage son whose name is in fact that of a leafy green vegetable. Person who can be a bit of a knobber in surrounding group overhears and in a sneering tone says to friend "did you say "x" was your teenager's name??"
Friend says yes. Knobber person says "you are aware that "teenager's name" is in fact a green leafy vegetable??" Friend (obviously irritated) says "yes". Knobber walks off smirking.

Friend is upset with Knobber, as was I because really he didn't need to be quite that knobbish about it... and I've obviously learned my lesson because I didn't say anything this time, but thought to myself, "well, he does have a point".

So - AIBU to think that you should probably expect comments all your child's life if you name them after a leafy green, or give a girl a boy's name or vice versa? I do understand it gets tiresome, but, well...
And want to add that I in no way condone rudeness!!! I think it should be possible to ask or comment without being horrible.

I know of men called Tracy, Stacy and Lindsey.

Are these male to female names it other way round?

Gender swapping names are almost always male to female.

I liked the name Lettice for a girl when I was pregnant 18 years ago. Had a boy so didn't get to use it.

Sorry, forgot to come back. Yes, Patsy is short for Patrick. English DH was the first time he heard my strapping big uncle referred to as Patsy :o

Oh God. My middle name is a "family" middle name, up till me (and my sister) passed down the male line.
My first passport (despite supplying birth certificate and having boobs, and no, I have never had a sex change) had "sex: M" on it. It was an absolute BASTARD to get this changed.
It's not even a nicve boys name.

In the first example, if your acquaintance said 'daughter' 3 times then I think she's fine to be irritated. It is really annoying when people don't actually listen.

I used to have an unusual surname, which bears a resemblance to fairly common one. I would say [my surname] very clearly, and people on the phone would say [other surname] and I'd say 'No, it's [my surname]' and spell it, which would explain my pronunciation (as if maybe I was incapable of knowing what how to pronounce my own surname name) and they'd spell it back [other surname], and on and on. It really wasn't tricky. I also have this with my first name - and it's a girl's name and not uncommon. It's not this, but think Sara vs. Sarah.

The problem there is not what your friend called her daughter, but that people need to clean their ears out.

As an aside, I do love the name Elliot for a girl and if I ever one (very unlikely) then it's my first/only choice

There was a girl on come dine with me called candida. No one even said anything....

I have a book (on parenting) by a Candida Hunt.

I think Elliot is fine for a girl. Surnames used as first names suit being unisex i think. eg. Taylor.

Had two girlfriends at school. One called Mercedes, one called Tuesday. That was 25 years ago.

Ooh Tuesday is a lovely name!

I prefer Wednesday.
And Pugsley for a boy.

Damn, beaten to it by Ruby!

I had to share this after reading all nine pages! A school acquaintance named her DTs Boysname1 and Boysname2 and when I commented what lovely boys they were she said no they are girls and they like androgynous names. I am afraid they aren't vaguely androgynous as I have never heard of girls with their names before. They are just boys names. One could be a girls name in another language if spelt completely differently and of course pronounced differently. I don't mind people using "alternative" names but then don't be surprised if the poor girls spend the rest of their lives explaining they are girls to everyone.

Come on Numerical, you have to tell us what the names are [nosy]. I really, really want to judge know.

I still can't figure out the yellow fruit with a 'y', someone help me out please!

It has to be lemony. Like Snickett?

Or Melony?

I guess it's slightly better than Papaya, which is what I was thinking.

My BIL just revealed there is a little girl called 'Happiness' in his school.

Yam ? More a veg than a fruit.

Oops, I didn't read it properly. It must be Lemony, though Yam would be pretty good

one of my DDs has a boys name (although a very unusual one), and, yes, I get the occasional comment, but I would never get upset if someone got confused just from the name. In the OP example, I would always say "my daughter" first, or "X, my daughter". She does have a "normal" girls name as her middle name though, so can always use that if she wants.

(and no, it's not a fruit or vegetable or anything made up or spelled weirdly ).

My two girl Guinea pigs have boys' names . In my defence I thought they were boys when I named them. And there are no female equivalents to Hector and Pigwiggen

I taught a girl named Ryan - she was lovely :)