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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

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Original poster

James for a girl?

46 replies

curiousgeorgie · 21/09/2012 22:19

Could I use James as a middle name for a girl?

I was thinking Amelie James, Seraphina James...

Our surname also begins with J.

I really like the idea of a middle name meaning something, and all the boys in our family (cousins, nephews, my two brothers) have the middle name James as its my grandparents surname but they and siblings only have girls so the name is going to end with this generation..

If I have a girl I'd like to do this too but not sure if its a bit strange.
I already have a DD Matilda Daisy but I didn't think if it then :)

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zipzap · 22/09/2012 14:36

Howabout using it as a second middle name - so Amelie Grace James Jones (sorry, I'm just randomly throwing in a j surname).

Or seraphina Rose James jones or whatever girly middle name you like. Or that your dh likes to even out for you choosing James! Could you then backdate your other dd's name to include James too?

SilkStalkings · 22/09/2012 16:00

Yep, it's a Scottih tradition isn't it? I knew a girl whose middle name was Douglas!

seeker · 22/09/2012 16:04

Give her three first names. My children have three first names so that we could use two particularly awful names that belonged to lovely people that we wanted to honour.

Cezella · 27/09/2012 14:42

I'm a girl and my middle name is James. I'm not hugely keen to be honest because when you have to use your full name it often gets muddled and as a result I'm put down as a Mr. Having said that it's quite common in Wales to have male middle names for girls. Examples are Wyn and Glyn.

Psammead · 27/09/2012 14:48

I have heard of James being used as a first name for girls in the States recently. I think it might catch on in a few years.

amothersplaceisinthewrong · 27/09/2012 14:50

Nothing wrong with James. Everything wrong with Seraphina!

Psammead · 27/09/2012 14:52

I like Seraphina

Kelerina · 27/09/2012 15:12

I knew a woman once whose middle name was Stephen. No idea why though. As traditional boys names go for girls, James is much nicer IMO

crocodilesmiles · 27/09/2012 15:13

I think there was a Mumsnetter a while back that gave both her boy and girl twins the middle name James, so you're not the only one. IIRC that was for family reasons too. I don't think it's a bad idea.

If you wanted to you could always use Jasmine...I always link the names James and Jasmine together in my head, as they seem quite similar to me and Jasmine always looks like James' feminine form.........Maybe thats just me though!!

notallytuts · 27/09/2012 22:13

I think it is fine. When I was at school noone knew my middle name so I dont think teasing would be an issue. I think people are more likely to assume it is your maiden name or that she has a double barrelled surname without a hyphon

poocatcherchampion · 27/09/2012 22:17

My dd's middle name is my maiden name. Love it! Its not really a first name. Not sure if that is relevant or helpful, so I will add that I love James for a girl, first or middle.

MadBusLady · 28/09/2012 08:08

Would you consider having another female middle name preceding the James? So that the other female name was her general purpose "other name" and the James was more obviously a "family" add-on name. Does that make sense to anyone except me? It's sort of how I'm planning to get away with using my own surname as part of a girl's name if necessary.

MadBusLady · 28/09/2012 08:10

Ah, I see you already have a DD with two names. You could always add in "James" to hers as well!

MrsRobertDuvallHasRosacea · 28/09/2012 08:12

I had a surname as a middle name, and have now incorporated it into my married name.
Yes, I am double barrelled.

TheFowlAndThePussycat · 28/09/2012 08:22

My friend has her father's first name, her mother's maiden name and (since her marriage) her own maiden name as middle names! I think it's fine, middle names are to do with as you will.

We chose something right out there but that we both loved for dd1 (her first name is v ordinary) and dd2's middle name is the name dh loved that I couldn't bear . She said to me yesterday, 'that's the name you call me when I'm naughty'!

RachelS86 · 29/09/2012 08:51

My friends little girl is called James was odd at first but now it's just her name so much so I've discounted it for my little boy due in December because I relate it with her! I think it's a lovely middle name especially given your reasons :)

Emsiero · 29/09/2012 09:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Durab · 29/09/2012 09:30

I wouldn't do it for a fist name, but actually think it's a lovely idea for a middle name. I definitely wouldn't do Jamie, but then I don't like it when male James are called Jamie either, James sounds so much more intelligent and refined

My MIL has her father's name for her middle name. AFAIK it's never been an issue for her.

Puremince · 29/09/2012 13:35

As James can be a surname as well as a boys name, I'd say go for it. You can do what you want with middle names.

BlueChampagne · 01/10/2012 12:23

My (Scottish) great great aunt was Jamesina.

LexiLoganberry · 01/10/2012 12:52

I think James would be nice for your DD, for our DD we have a first name, middle name and then a second middle name which is my grandmothers name.

I personally wouldn't change it to Jamie, if the person/people you want to honour are called James then James it should be, it's not the same IMO if the name then gets altered.

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