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 don't know any male or female beau/x but

I never quite get the purpose of these sneery threads. There is a good chance there is at least one mumsnetter with a female Beaux who will read this thread.

I agree with you on the spelling as its a Masculine form but the name is fine. I wouldn't choose it but DD is 3 and has two friends with this name- one spelt beau and one Boe. Not to my taste but it doesn't bother me

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

It's a bit careless NOT to check, I think. I'm a bit that so many people don't know the meaning of a word like Beau(x), though. They can't all have slept through all of their French lessons, can they?

Bo is irish for cow, so it wouldn't be seen as great name here for a baby

I agree.

Another annoyance is Nikita. It is a male name - think Nikita Khrushkhev. Elton John is to blame with his daft video and people's assumption that the song is about a woman because of the video.

fidel

I suppose not everyone studies French at school, I didn't (did German instead) but even I know what Beau means!

TP

Don't forget Sasha and Mischa too!

I suppose it is the number of people who apparently don't know and don't check that is surprising alis.

Another annoyance is Nikita. It is a male name - think Nikita Khrushkhev. Elton John is to blame with his daft video and people's assumption that the song is about a woman because of the video.

Ha, yes

As mentioned upthread, Isabeau is a French girl's name. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, name sneerers.

theycallmemellojello
Hate to rain on the parade, but "beau" is also a noun in French - meaning beauty in an abstract philosophical sense (as opposed to "beaute" (with e acute) which means beauty in the physical sense). It's perfectly appropriate as a name for either gender.

Interesting - didn't know that. Even if that were not the case, I think it's massively pedantic to object to the use of the name Beau for girls. Plenty of names have meanings that may or may not turn out to be relevant to those who have them. (Puts me in mind of two brothers mentioned in Freakonomics - Loser, the police officer, and his incarcerated brother, Winner.) Choosing names isn't always easy - lots of criteria to consider. Who's to say that meaning trumps other considerations?

Beau Geste is what it reminds me of. I have a vague recollection of watching it on the BBC in the 1980s. Something to do with dashing young men and the French Foreign Legion.

waitingforsomething Fri 22-Jan-16 08:26:27

[. . . ] but DD is 3 and has two friends with this name- one spelt beau and one Boe.

Laurence is a French girls name. That doesn't stop it being a boys name in anglophone countries.

Just like Isabeau is a boy's name in anglophone countries (terribly old fashioned, and probably dropped out of use totally).

Ah good old MN, where you're applauded for having a son who wears dresses but sneered at for giving your daughter a "male" name.

Is it your baby who is being named or is already name Beau?

If yes - then YNBU for your personal preference. And should name said child something else.

If no - then you are defiantly being unreasonable and should probably seek a hobby to fill the time void you having for judging others life choices that have nothing to do with you.

What was it that famous sitcom taught us in there opening credits "the world don't move to the beat of just one stroke, what might be right for you, may not be right for some"

Really people it's not hard!!

Sasha can also be a diminutive of Alexandra in Russia!

I know a little girl called Beau and it suits her perfectly!
I also know 2 adult males called Beau.

I think Beau's fine, would rather be called that than 'Thatcher' as was in the news earlier in the week.

I went to school with a (female) Beau. It was a derivative of her mother's maiden name. It was strange at first as it was a new name but she really suited it. I quite like it for a girl, but couldn't see it on a boy (despite it being masculine)

Reminds me of Beau Geste the TV series in the 1980s starring Benedict Taylor. I had the hots for him at the time

"Sasha can also be a diminutive of Alexandra in Russia!"

Yes, it's like Charlie can be short for Charlotte. If you heard it in isolation you'd expect a bloke.

It's not totally unisex like Alex.

I think its a nice name, I wouldn't think anything about the parents of a girl Beau.
I struggle to look down on people for their kid's names tho, we see threads berating other peoples parenting, and mners jumping all over the op's to defend sometimes crap lazy parenting, criticising the 'judgey pants' posters but for some reason the naming of a child is everybody's business. Gets on my tits.

I suppose people think of Beau as in Beau-ty and hence imagine it to be feminine?

My dog was named Beau when I found her in a rescue. As I know 3 Beaus, who are all male, I renamed her Boo.

I think when you've only heard a name used one way, it's odder on the ears to hear it used a different way.

It can't just be me who expects Sasha to be a girl?

I wouldn't expect a man if I heard Sasha in isolation. Is that what you meant EdithWeston?