To say that 'Beau' is not a girls' name?

[mrsb26]

Over the past few months, I've come across an increasing number of baby girls named 'Beau.'

Am I wrong on assuming that this is French in origin, meaning 'handsome?' (or the masculine form of beautiful). Surely Belle is then the feminine form?

One was even spelt Beaux. This is the plural, right? The X doesn't make it feminine?!

Idk, maybe people don't really focus on definitions of names. Just found it a bit odd that it's becoming a bit of a trend.

I think it's an American thing, very unisex names. I can see it as the future trend, genderless names.

Oh maxxy that's lovely!

I can also understand why people why don't speak French wouldn't know it was a masculine adjective. It looks like a shortened form of 'beautiful' which many people would find feminine. It also sounds quite feminine and elegant when you say it, IMHO.

I know someone with a DD called Beaux. Lots of people were a bit 'wtf?!' when she announced the name. She's not the brightest spark there ever was and I suspect she was trying to be trendy and failed. I have heard people refer to the baby as Beaks.

It's not a pretty name, I always did think it was an odd choice.

Generally speaking, names aren't unisex for long.

As traditionally male names pick up in popularity for girls, they start falling down the charts for boys.

How many boy Robins have been born in the last year? I know of two girls.

Marion for a boy? Hilary? Evelyn? Meredith (or Meredydd as it is usually for men),Shannon? Paris?

What about Sophie for a boy? Any boy Sophie's?

The trend for calling girls traditionally male names simply reinforces the notion that being male is better. Not least because parents of boys tend to stop using said names. American parents have offered this rationale when asked why they called their daughter James "it might help her get ahead".

Agree. Also think the same of Madison and the like. 'Son' in a girls' name? Quite like beau for a boy though...

Yabu. I like it. Lots of people don't consider the origin of names. the name Daniel means God judges in Hebrew, Jacob means the supplanter, but people don't criticise others for giving their kids names like these. There are lots of common English names whose origin mean things like 'ditch dweller'. People are just being critical of beau because it is newer, but really, if you want to slag parents because of the meaning origin of a name at least be consistent instead of just attacking the latest vogue.

*You're called "b26" and you're complaining about someone called Beau?

YABU*

?

I have heard people refer to the baby as Beaks.

Better than bokes!

What about bow??

I wouldn't do it even to a dog, all of mine have real names.

where do 'REAL' names come from?

Not bow! It could be pronounced to rhyme with wow and it just looks like you couldn't spell beau!

I just assumed that if you'd chosen an obviously French name at least you'd look into its definition?

DH and I spent a glorious few hours in IKEA snaking through the aisles while a women also snaking around at the same pace repeatedly told off her child by shouting her name. I don't know what yooknneq spelling she chose but it was pronounced 'dejeuner'

DH wanted to record her yelling it, because he thought no one would ever believe us

There was a Bow in my baby group. More interestingly there is a boy called Beau pronounced Bew as in the beginning of beautiful.

It's totally fucking inept.

I'd rather call my daughter Beau than James though, i think!

I know a girl called Beau but she isn't British (Flemish speaking non-UK family).

Out of interest I just put Beau into a babelfish Dutch to English translation and it came out as .......Beau

I don't know what yooknneq spelling she chose but it was pronounced 'dejeuner'

I think I know this one. It's Djuna -- after Djuna Barnes, the writer.

Brilliant thread . Great name; great debate.

A real name?

One that I would not be too ashamed to shout in the playground or the park, one I can spell and pronounce, one that doesn't leave innocent bystanders wonder whether I'm calling my child or trying to order a drink, one that teachers can say with a straight face.

A name, remember those?

A least Beau is quite a nice combination of letters even if it's stupid.

Much better than the 'Peechis' I saw on Facebook earlier today, the poor lass.

I know of a girl called Bo, with that spelling, and not short for anything.

Really don't know what goes through some people's minds when picking a name.

Perhaps they don't know that it's French and that the feminine version should be Belle.

Reminds of the (several) boys in my area who are called Bleu - not pronounce in the original French way - but Blue.

Why not spell it that way? even if it's a bloody silly name chosen because your father supports a football team whose strip in blue

But... It's not a matter if whether it's a unisex name. It's a French word meaning "handsome [male]". How parochial do you have to be to fail to look that up, or not care because, what... You don't understand French and therefore don't realise how totally wrong it sounds? Well, guess what - other people do. And they'll judge the child for having ignorant parents...

We inherited a female dog called Beau.

Just checked and Bo Derek's real name is Mary Cathleen Collins. I do like Bo but for a boy. Hasn't Ulrika got a Bo?

YDNBU about Beau(x) for a human girl though.