Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To use the name Alfie for a girl?

211 replies

Notverycreative · 20/06/2019 17:50

I really really really love the name, we were actually hoping for a boy so we could uae this. We won't be able to have any more children after this and have just found out are having a girl.
WIBU to call her Alfreda and use the nickname Alfie?

OP posts:
Saracen · 20/06/2019 23:21

No problem with the name as such, but she will be very hurt when she discovers that both her parents wanted a boy and that is why you gave her that name. Or was it the other way round, that you only wanted a boy in order to use that favourite name?

LuluBellaBlue · 20/06/2019 23:27

I love it Grin

SnowyAlpsandPeaks · 21/06/2019 00:57

She would probably end up Freddie in school

carla1983 · 21/06/2019 01:35

I like the name for a girl but I think you might be setting her up for being bullied.

Hithere12 · 21/06/2019 02:27

YABU. Would you have been fine going to school with a boys name like Tom or James OP?

Btw my names Sam (Samantha) so im not talking about a name that can be either gender

Gloschick · 21/06/2019 15:03

(Although not to my taste) If you are a fan of Italy, would Amalfi work??? She could then easily call herself Alfi for short.

There are lots of lovely girls names which have a similar sound eg Sophie, which you could go for instead, without sentencing her to a lifetime of having to explain why she has a boy's name.

Woody68 · 21/06/2019 16:25

Why not name her ' Disappointment' and e done with it?
Seriously you must see thus us not about whether Alfie is a nice name, it is about the conclusion your dd is going to draw from being called a boys' name. As it goes she won't be wrong either

MikeUniformMike · 21/06/2019 16:54

What if it was the other way round. You really wanted to use the name Bella and were asking if it was ok to use it as a name for your son?

TheHopefulTraveller · 21/06/2019 17:11

I think it's lovely. Never mind about reverse engineering it by calling her Alfreda. And never mind the naysayers either. If you love it then use it. And congratulations. Flowers

Flutra · 21/06/2019 21:09

Awful

Proseccoinamug · 21/06/2019 21:30

Isn’t Elfie a diminutive of Elfreda anyway? Not a million miles from what op is proposing. If you have to do it, spell it with an E.

What about...

Elsie
Sophie /Sofie/Sophy
Aoife (Ee-fa)
Alvie
Saffie
Delphie

Beesandcheese · 21/06/2019 21:36

YWBU to hope for a boy just to use this name and then to throw it at a girl in a constant reminder for them that that child had somehow failed your expectations before drawing her first breath. You might have an image of some little child called this running g around with you. But that isnt something you can make happen!
Get a pet

Stravapalava · 21/06/2019 22:35

YABU.

Use Alfie for a pet instead. Or maybe get a comforter / teddy for your baby girl and call it Alfie.

This is one of the times that I hope the sonographer is wrong and you have a boy instead!

MamaLazarou · 22/06/2019 19:05

Alfie is a hideous name for either sex.

skybluee · 22/06/2019 19:20

no bc the motive behind it is you were hoping for a boy so it's a constant reminder of that.

pick a completely new name. like bob or something.

MonstranceClock · 22/06/2019 19:24

I know a female Alfie, no ones ever questioned it?

TrickyD · 22/06/2019 19:25

Elfrida, Elfie for short.

CoffeeMilkNoSugar · 22/06/2019 19:35

Alfie is the most dreadful name ever. For either sex. I know an adult man called Alfie. Can't help but feel like his parents have been unnecessarily cruel.

Baby Alfie? Sure. Adult... ALFIE?

Ye Gads...

Rosehassometoes · 22/06/2019 21:05

Freda would work as a nickname

Laurajjj · 22/06/2019 21:10

Alfie is definitely a masculine name in my opinion

magratvonlipwig · 23/06/2019 06:23

Your baby, your choice. But i would think it might make her feel shes not quite met your expectations and is a disappointment to you
Re alfreda... she will just get called fred at school

PinguForPresident · 23/06/2019 06:46

Gosh, no, don't do it. It's chuffing awful.

I have a female 40-something friend with a traditionally male name. She's spent her entire life explaining that no, she isn;t a man, and yes, you'd expect her to be a man with that name, and yes, her parents did want a boy. She hates her name. Obviously there's always a risk our kids will hate theor names, but why up the chances by about 300% by giving such a daft name?

ViXter11 · 23/06/2019 07:59

Just a few considerations here...
It is the child who makes the name not the name that makes the child. However kids can be very cruel and teasing may be an issue. Alfie is a very sweet name and very popular for just that reason. Your gorgeous little girl may in class with several boy Alfies in the future. What about an unusual girl's name as others have suggested like Alphea or Althea which is then shortened to Alfi to make it more feminine.
Don't worry about preferring a boy as soon as you hold your baby in your arms you will just feel the love and all doubts will disappear.

wizzler · 23/06/2019 08:04

Elvie?

myself2020 · 23/06/2019 08:06

i have a friend called aversion if Alfreda, and nicknamed Alfie. she hates it, but can’t change is because her parents would never forgive her. its really, really inconvenient in daily life as everybody always assumes she is male, so she (a very petite woman) always gets male size S uniform provided (which makes her look ridiculous) if people don’t know her, and so on

Swipe left for the next trending thread