AIBU to not understand this recent trend of giving baby girls male names?

[LaLuz7]

James, Ryan, Dylan...

I can't wrap my head around the idea of purposefully choosing a very traditionally male name for a girl.

Why would you? What message are you trying to send? Why don't you ever see it done the other way around (female names for boys)?

I personally feel that if I had gotten a male name it would have made me feel like my parents really wanted a boy and were disappointed in me. It would feel almost spiteful and it would give me inadequacy feelings.

My other gripe with this is that it doesn't sit well with me from a feminist perspective. By giving girls male names (but never ever the other way around) you are perpetuating the idea that masculinity as a trait is desirable and valuable above femininity.

Can someone explain it to me?

It isn't recent though. Hilary is a good example.

Also... Kelly, Tracy, Evelyn

I don't get it either. As mum to two boys there is way more choice of girls names than boys, so I really don't understand it. But then I had a girls name picked out from my teens and never got to use it so I am probably bitter 😂

You are right.
Unisex names morph into be girls names over time.
Once a name is picked up to be used by girls, the parents of boys stop using them.

Let clothes be clothes, let toys be toys, let names be names.

There's nothing wrong with rejecting stereotypes.

No indeed it's old as the hills. Shirley and Beverley too. Once they've been adopted as girl names ppl are reluctant to use them again for boys so it narrows the scope a bit.
Although in fairness Ryan / Kelly etc are surnames anyway ?

Vivian, Marian. Lesley, Jesse, Ashley, Hilary.

These are all names that would predominantly be seen as female names now but were once "male names" and isn't taking masculinity away from names a good thing. Is James doesn't mean a man anymore isn't that a good thing?

Hilary has always been unisex. James certainly hasn't. Or isn't...

There have always been unisex names and someone had to be the first to use it.

I don't know anyone who has given their daughter a boys name tbh.

I have never known a girl be called James, Ryan, or Dylan.

Not in the UK anyway.

I don't know any Kelly, Tracy, or Evelyn under 40 either. As for Shirley and Beverly. I don't know any under 55.

Where are you @LaLuz7 ?

Carol

Jaime is a girls name. Jamie is the boy version. I have never known a girl called 'James.'

I think the problem is more that if a name is considered a "girl's name", parents of boys wouldn't touch it, whereas it is not seen as embarrassing for a girl to have a boy's name. The same is true of girl's clothes, toys, entertainment etc. It's all misogyny.

But I quite like names being unisex. Just wish it went both ways.

They are all just names Ffs. I think the message a parent sends to their child by giving them a name they love is, well, love. The rest of your post is just ludicrous.

Why do you need to understand it though? It's just a choice that's different from yours.
Personally, I don't like it, as I like long frilly names for girls. I'm the sort of person who would insist on being called Gabriella rather than Gaby. If my next door neighbour wants Riley or Bailey or Blake for a girl, that's their choice!

I went to school with a girl called Ryan in the 90s it was hugely unusual then.

Names like Alex or Sam are probably the most obvious for unisex names.

I've noticed a lot more Jacquelines shortening their name to Jac(k) rather than Jackie.

I agree with a PP that once something becomes feminine more boys will be reluctant to want it.

All 3 examples are pulled from recent threads on the Baby Name boards.

I'm not in the UK either and I've never seen it happen around here, which makes it even more bizarre to me

Pronounced "Carl" I believe ? Certainly in the southern US.

Maybe the motivation is the same reason Romesh Ranganathans first name is actually "Jonathan". And in todays misogynist fuelled society, I can't say it's such a bad idea. Especially if men deem it slightly emasculating.

Although if it actually did anything (like striking .... ) you'd get a law against it before sundown. As indeed many countries have.

If anyone has some spare time and a sense of humour, find a dim (probably Tory) MP and see how far you can persuade them that the "Beautiful British Names Act" is what the country needs before doctors and teachers.

I personally feel that if I had gotten a male name it would have made me feel like my parents really wanted a boy and were disappointed in me. It would feel almost spiteful and it would give me inadequacy feelings.,

You say that but how can you be sure? Your parents would have given you an explanation to why they chose the name and presumably it wouldn’t have been ‘because we wanted a boy’. There could have been a reason that could have made you feel positive and confident that you could own what was known as a predominately masculine name.

Exactly, it's just another manifestation of the problem you mention. Anything female is taboo on boys. But male symbols are more than ok for girls. It points to the different value assigned to masculinity/femininity.

Like what? Can you give an example of an explanation that would be entirely positive?

I have a unisex name that’s more boys than girls and it’s never given me any issues at all.

When I was at school girls had short version of boys names like Chris, Sam, Jo,
Not seeing this as any different.

isn't taking masculinity away from names a good thing. Is James doesn't mean a man anymore isn't that a good thing?

I don't see how.

I think it might be connected to the general sense of gender fluidity, with parents not being so concerned about pink and blue names - things like Storm, Blake, London, August.

I knew a woman with a man's name and a man with a woman's name and it has to be explained to some people as they look confused when they assume your talking about man / woman or vise Versa .
It would drive me mad if I had these names, although the one with the male name was cool as anything and it suited her and didn't seem to bother her