Page 11 | AIBU to not understand this recent trend of giving baby girls male names?

Reugny · 30/01/2023 10:10

BellePeppa · 30/01/2023 10:00

Would you be happy calling your son Elizabeth? The fact is some names are too male and too female to be switched. My own shortened version I go by is unisex but there are some names that just aren’t unisex. I couldn’t get my head round Ryan Reynolds daughter being called James, I just didn’t get it.

Show quote history

I don't think any names given to British Queens have become male names. Though some have been derived from male names e.g. Victoria, Alexandria, Henrietta.

BellePeppa · 30/01/2023 10:52

MrsHutch3029 · 30/01/2023 09:12

Gender-bending names have been happening since before I was born. John Wayne’s real name… “Marion”. Im pretty sure sometime in the past some now traditionally girls names were boys names.
Glenn Close is 75. Stevie Nicks? Women and girls have been shortening their names to more “masculine” ones for ages. I went to school with twins called Charlotte and Francesca who insisted on being called Charlie and Frankie. Reese Witherspoon? Not her first name, but a “masculine” middle name given her at birth. I don’t think it’s a “trend”. It’s been going on for decades.

Stevie is Stephanie. I used to think it was funny back in the 70s that she was Stevie and her bf was Lyndsey.

BellePeppa · 30/01/2023 10:54

Just thought of Darryl Hannah. I always see that as a boy’s name I can’t really imagine calling a girl it, a bit like calling her Darren.

luckylavender · 30/01/2023 10:55

GoldilockMom · 29/01/2023 11:21

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

They are just shorter versions of girls names too though. Joanne, Samatha, Christine. Not true that they were trying to have boys names.

ChilliHeelerFanClub · 30/01/2023 10:59

I’m a 36-year-old woman called James 😊 I’m named after my grandfather. I love it and have never felt the need to use my middle name instead (a classic along the lines of Elizabeth - changed to preserve anonymity). People sometimes call me and have to double check they are actually talking to James, but it doesn’t bother me. I’ve named my kids very unisex names but I did wonder for a while about calling my daughter Noah because I liked the sound of it. Names are just sounds 🤷🏼‍♀️

MrsHutch3029 · 30/01/2023 11:03

BellePeppa · 30/01/2023 10:52

Stevie is Stephanie. I used to think it was funny back in the 70s that she was Stevie and her bf was Lyndsey.

Show quote history

Yes, I don’t think I made it clear that I was using examples of celebs followed by the different ways in which more “masculine”
names are used for girls/women. Currently doing my second round of having covid 🫥
Stevie Nicks is probably the most badass singer I can think of. Imagine being so famous your ex had to play songs in your band while they sing about how much you suck.

Abhannmor · 30/01/2023 11:05

If she was called Noah she'd have to ride a skateboard , wear a back to front baseball cap and baggy pants. I'm sorry but them's the rules 😉

CecilyP · 30/01/2023 11:13

When I was 18, one of the customers where I worked in a bar of an evening was called Tracy and he was a 40 year old builder.

Don’t know what age you are, but the oldest Tracy I met must be about 70 now. When he was born, it was just a surname used as an unusual first name. The the film High Society was released in 1958 and then name Tracy became a mega-popular girl’s name, as did Samantha!

Swingingonastar77 · 30/01/2023 11:22

ChilliHeelerFanClub · 30/01/2023 10:59

I’m a 36-year-old woman called James 😊 I’m named after my grandfather. I love it and have never felt the need to use my middle name instead (a classic along the lines of Elizabeth - changed to preserve anonymity). People sometimes call me and have to double check they are actually talking to James, but it doesn’t bother me. I’ve named my kids very unisex names but I did wonder for a while about calling my daughter Noah because I liked the sound of it. Names are just sounds 🤷🏼‍♀️

You have a really lovely name and Noah is lovely for a girl

ChilliHeelerFanClub · 30/01/2023 11:22

Abhannmor · 30/01/2023 11:05

If she was called Noah she'd have to ride a skateboard , wear a back to front baseball cap and baggy pants. I'm sorry but them's the rules 😉

This is 100% my daughter! Ha. We always say the same about names like Travis/Shaun/Brad… sorry, you have a pro snowboarder now. Nothing to be done about it.

ChilliHeelerFanClub · 30/01/2023 11:23

Thanks @Swingingonastar77!

Velvetween · 30/01/2023 11:27

I bet it's a very tiny minority. So you are essentially screwing your daughter over to make a statement...

OP why are you oh so adamant that your feelings are right and the truth for everyone?

My DD has a name that is way more popular for boys. She often meets little boys with her name. Has never met another girl yet but I know there are plenty. She loves her name. She owns it and it does not bother her one jot that it’s better known as a male name. She knows her parents love her and that they weren’t disappointed she was a boy. And we’d already had a chance to pick a name for her elder DB. The fact is her name is beautiful and strong and we had a very positive female association with this name. I find your rigid stance on this ( I’m assuming you’re an adult) quite infantile.

IndysMamaRex · 30/01/2023 11:32

Idk I mean Vivian used to be a boys name. I’m sure that was the name of one of the character in The Young Ones.

SoupDragon · 30/01/2023 11:36

ChilliHeelerFanClub · 30/01/2023 10:59

I’m a 36-year-old woman called James 😊 I’m named after my grandfather. I love it and have never felt the need to use my middle name instead (a classic along the lines of Elizabeth - changed to preserve anonymity). People sometimes call me and have to double check they are actually talking to James, but it doesn’t bother me. I’ve named my kids very unisex names but I did wonder for a while about calling my daughter Noah because I liked the sound of it. Names are just sounds 🤷🏼‍♀️

You've given your unusual first name and age yet have kept your middle name back "to preserve anonymity"...? 😂😂

ChilliHeelerFanClub · 30/01/2023 11:44

SoupDragon · 30/01/2023 11:36

You've given your unusual first name and age yet have kept your middle name back "to preserve anonymity"...? 😂😂

Show quote history

I changed my age by a couple of years. My work email has both my names in it because HR apparently wasn’t sure what to do with me 😂 so both together might mean a potential colleague on here spotted me! (If you know me, no you don’t. Please don’t AS. 🙃)

mumonherphone · 30/01/2023 11:46

I don't understand why anybody would worry about this.

Quite like Dillon and Sidney for a girl and Ashley for a boy. Misogyny doesn't come into it. And I think James is turning unisex because a celebrity used it for a girl. There is also a trend at the moment of surnames as first names (Hudson for example.) Stacey and Tracey are outdated for both boys and girls. Trends just change and names come back around again.

Swingingonastar77 · 30/01/2023 11:59

Velvetween · 30/01/2023 11:27

I bet it's a very tiny minority. So you are essentially screwing your daughter over to make a statement...

OP why are you oh so adamant that your feelings are right and the truth for everyone?

My DD has a name that is way more popular for boys. She often meets little boys with her name. Has never met another girl yet but I know there are plenty. She loves her name. She owns it and it does not bother her one jot that it’s better known as a male name. She knows her parents love her and that they weren’t disappointed she was a boy. And we’d already had a chance to pick a name for her elder DB. The fact is her name is beautiful and strong and we had a very positive female association with this name. I find your rigid stance on this ( I’m assuming you’re an adult) quite infantile.

They are adamant they are right because on another thread about a little girls name OH was really nasty about it and their comments got deleted by MN so I should imagine this is a revenge thread

BellePeppa · 30/01/2023 12:16

MrsHutch3029 · 30/01/2023 11:03

Yes, I don’t think I made it clear that I was using examples of celebs followed by the different ways in which more “masculine”
names are used for girls/women. Currently doing my second round of having covid 🫥
Stevie Nicks is probably the most badass singer I can think of. Imagine being so famous your ex had to play songs in your band while they sing about how much you suck.

Show quote history

😁 I think she had to as well though when he sang about her. I do find the name Lynsey to be very feminine though.

MrsHutch3029 · 30/01/2023 12:27

BellePeppa · 30/01/2023 12:16

😁 I think she had to as well though when he sang about her. I do find the name Lynsey to be very feminine though.

Show quote history

It’s definitely feminine, but kind of reaffirms my point that gender-bending names has been going on for decades and isn’t a new thing 😅

Olindia · 30/01/2023 12:43

Can’t believe this is the thread that’s made me join MN!
but surely we only think of names as being a certain way based on who we know? A bit like not using a name because it was the name of the school bully etc? I know a Lindsay, he will be on his 70s now and I don’t think it’s particularly feminine? Same with Stacy, the first person I knew with that name was a lad at college and it sounded very masculine to me. And personally I would rather be called Dylan than Diana so surely it’s horses for courses?

Mylastnerve · 30/01/2023 12:55

LaLuz7 · 29/01/2023 10:40

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?

My youngest daughter has one of the names you have mentioned in your OP.
In answer your question of why and the message we were trying to send, we just liked the name there wasn't any thought to sending messages.

I have to say no one has ever in my presence at least has even batted an eyelid.

WestBridgewater · 30/01/2023 13:36

ChilliHeelerFanClub · 30/01/2023 10:59

I’m a 36-year-old woman called James 😊 I’m named after my grandfather. I love it and have never felt the need to use my middle name instead (a classic along the lines of Elizabeth - changed to preserve anonymity). People sometimes call me and have to double check they are actually talking to James, but it doesn’t bother me. I’ve named my kids very unisex names but I did wonder for a while about calling my daughter Noah because I liked the sound of it. Names are just sounds 🤷🏼‍♀️

Now I dismissed Noah for a boy after having our son but just reading this i think it’s a lovely name for a girl. How is that?

Abhannmor · 30/01/2023 15:49

KimberleyClark · 29/01/2023 17:58

St Hilary was a bloke. As was St Florence. Tara also male, King of Ireland.

Show quote history

Tara was the old capital of Ireland although its just a hill with some ring forts and standing stones now.
It was popular as a boy's name for a while it is true. Lots of old Irish boy's names end in that A sound which appeals to mums looking for an unusual girls name. Including my own. But I've no intention of mentioning them here !

leatherboundbooks · 31/01/2023 22:10

Invthe US Carol is almost always a woman's name said someone

In the UK went to school with a boy called Carol, think his parents were Eastern European. But the final syllable was shorter than how we'd say Carol

GinClassHeroes · 31/01/2023 22:14

leatherboundbooks · 31/01/2023 22:10

Invthe US Carol is almost always a woman's name said someone

In the UK went to school with a boy called Carol, think his parents were Eastern European. But the final syllable was shorter than how we'd say Carol

In Scotland, Karl and Carol are the same name and are used interchangeably.