To wonder why it's OK - even considered a positive thing- to give girls names that are traditionally considered boy's names but....

[BertrandRussell]

.......not the other way round?

Oh ad this week I have come across two american men called Tracy.

Many of names now considered traditional girls names were in fact male names before the first world war. So many men left pregnant women behind said women named the offspring after the dead soldier. Hence Shirley, Beverley, Vivian, Hilary etc.

"I would opt for a gender neutral name"

What do you consider a gender neutral name?

"I know a few female Jamie's, although I don't know how they spell it"

But do you know any male Janes?

I've given my DS2 (7 months old) a name which is often thought to be a girl's name, which it can be, but spelt slightly differently and with a slight change of emphasis on pronunciation.

I thought for a short time about any possible negatives to this, but decided to go with it as it was my first choice for various reasons that were important to me.

Coincidentally he often gets mistaken for a girl, even though he's usually dressed neutrally. He (currently) has a fairly "pretty" face, which I think is what makes people assume he's a girl. I don't tend to correct them if they are strangers or passing acquaintances. When people do realise he's a boy, they tend to profusely apologise, which I find interesting, as I don't react negatively or say anything about it.

Dixie the only female one I know spells it Jamey the males spell it Jamie but I know one bloke through work who spells it Jaimie which looks weird to me

It is, as far as I'm aware, predominantly a girls name and always has been. So no, I wouldn't call my son Isabella for that reason reuset. Love the name for a girl though and Isobel.

Back to the topic of Scottish surnames as first names.

The traditional pattern was to name a couple's first son after the paternal grandfather and the second son after the mother's family. Either the maternal grandfather's first name was used or, very often, his surname.

When land or titles were involved, or familiies wanted to display or continue their links to an illustrious or much-loved ancestor, then girls might also be given masculine names. In the West Highland Museum in Fort Wiliam, for example, there is a 19th cent wedding dress belonging to a young woman named 'Fassifern' after a famous male relative whose surname was Cameron of Fassifern.

Yes that is how Dhs family did it flora no money or titles though which is a shame quite fancy lady jay

I remember a midwife telling me that she always defaulted to "he" for babies she didn't know because nobody was offended that way and some people were?offended if you mistook their boy for a girl...........

Mrs Jay

My DD has a name that can be either/or. When I picked it I didn't realise it could be a boys name, I actually liked it because I thought it was a girly version of a boys name that I'd liked since I was very young.
There was no agenda though or thought about giving her a boyish name to help her throughout life. Interestingly, she often moans that she hates her name and it's a boys name and why didn't I call her Sophie (or Natasha or Emily etc etc).
Her name is also a surname, I ticked all the boxes!

It seems deep rooted Bertrand boy by default is gobsmacking.

My daughter has a name which would be considered unisex, though more a boy's name - I think due to the couple of famous people with it being men. It's not a recent trend - first used for girls in the 70s.

I looked up a recent "number born this year" - 652 boys and 66 girls.

I didn't consciously set out to give her a male name - the 20 name long 'short' list was almost all 'girl names', and to me her name is a girl's name - I wouldn't have used it had I had a son.

I don't think individual people choosing male names for their daughters do it because they value male stereotypes more - but I think that influence on a societal level makes it possible to choose a name you just like, for a girl.

No-one bats an eyelid at her name - and I knew that would be the case. I would not have called a boy Arabella because I knew I wouldn't "get away with it".

There is a positive to it for girls and not for boys - there is definitely a move towards girls can be anything they like, whereas boys will still be frowned upon for picking 'female' roles.

People are talking about unisex names a lot, which I feel is different to my own boys name! My name isn't unisex, I'd be fine about it if it was.

How about people just gave their child a boys and a girls name (and a more gender neutral one), that way the child could choose which one they liked the most.

I know I am the minority, but I would be perfectly fine with a boy called Amelia Trixibelle (from the other thread), or another traditionally girls name, but I would probably hope that they also gave him a more masculine name, in case that he preferred that, just like say, a girl called James, I would hope that she had a more feminine middle name, if she preferred that.

So would you call your son Amelia? And no copping out by saying you don't like it and wouldn't call anyone Amelia!

The only name that I can think of that is genuinely unisex, that could equally be a girl or a boy, is Robin. Possibly Rowan as well. I wouldn't assume one way or the other with those names.

I knew a (male) called Florian once. I thought it such a pretty name and wasted on a man. It is a boys name though.
I know male and female Jordans and Jays. At least one of the mothers who named her son Jordan was horrified when Katie price got famous and there was a rush of popularity for girls. She said it had ruined her sons name. I didn't give it much thought but I suppose she meant that feminine connotations for a boy were negative, though I'm unclear exactly why. As OP indicates, the same is not true in reverse.

Though Robin is also traditionally a boys' name, in that it was a diminutive of Robert long before anyone had given it to a girl. It has been used for girls for a while now, but it is not a girl's name in origin. Rowan, I guess as a relatively new nature name, has been given to both sexes.

Bertrand Yes, I would call my son Amelia. Together with a gender neutral and a masculine name, as I want to keep in mind that those might be his preferences.

I can't find something similar for the UK, but here is a list of the most gender neutral names from the US: www.randalolson.com/2014/12/06/top-25-most-gender-neutral-names-in-the-u-s/ (the gender neutrality of the names does not always translate to the UK, though)

The mother in The Waltons was played by 'Miss Michael Learned'. And there was a female doctor in ER played by a Michael as well.
Whereas names like Stacey and Leslie/Lesley can sound a bit traditional feminine, Michael doesn't in the slightest. Odd that.

I really disagree that pink isn't 'ok' for a boy. Actually what I see is the complete opposite - all boys should wear pink, preferably dresses. Girls should never do this because it's a stereotype.