Girls middle name for a little boy??!

[Emlyric]

So, our third little boy is due in 8 weeks and I have a middle-name dilema! I am very close to my mum and keen to use her name as a second middle name for one of our children - she is the most amazing lady - however, given we are blessed with boys it makes it a bit more tricky! Her name is Carol, which traditionally is a male name, and also has a dutch spelling Karel which is still used for boys over there - my husband is dutch so we have a tenous claim to use it 'legitimately' but I wanted to know thoughts! Am I condemning this wee one to a lifetime of friends sniggering at his passport?! Should we amend it to Karel or brazen it out with Carol?! xx

[GibberTheMonkey]

Another vote for Karel

[Likesshinythings]

There was a famous male Carol - Carol Reed, film director and uncle of Oliver Reed. He directed the film Oliver.

[olivertheoctopus]

Karel works just fine. Link proven no probs if your DH is Dutch.

[jkklpu]

What's your Mum's maiden name - have you thought of using that?

[bingeddybongo]

Just like Bowlersarm, I've got a boy's name as my middle name and it's done my head in my whole life. It's caused all my friends endless amusement though. Just so you know ;)

[LynetteScavo]

Now I was all set to say don't be ridiculous you can't give a boy a girls name but Carols not so bad. Hillary, Lesley, Carol.....

[Limelight]

I think it's fine but then I am named after my DGF - his middle name is my first name. And it's def a girl's name!

He was the youngest of lots and lots of boys, so the family story is that my great Grandparents had run out of boy's names by the time they got to him.

[Wouldntyouliketoknow]

I would use Karel. Or what about letting your mother choose a middle name, so even though it's not after her she is still 'part' of it?

[rambososcar]

I had an Uncle Carol so I never think of it as anything other than a man's name but kids with a tendency to bully might not see it that way. I'd be wary of using it and would prefer to use a maiden surname or the name of my maternal grandfather or uncle instead.

[YouDontWinFriendsWithSalad]

I don't think there's anything wrong with using Carol, I've heard it as a boys' name before.

[KittenofDoom]

Even in English, Carol can also be a man's name. (eg film director Sir Carol Reed).

However I think you're on dodgy ground naming a boy Carol after a woman. Different if it was after your father or uncle, say.

I'd go for one of the indisputably masculine variants. Save Carol in case you have a girl some day.

[ryanboy]

Is using her maiden name a possibility?

[lastnightidreamt]

I would go with Karel - lovely.

[JacqueslePeacock]

I know a man called Carol. Never considered it odd, really - it is a man's name in several languages.

[KateBeckett]

Karel is fine :) reminds me of Karel Abram the moto gp rider!

[TheHerringScreams]

I would go with Karel. It's a handsome name and isn't a girl's name either.

[ShipwreckedAndComatose]

Another vote for the surname here...you are setting him up as bullying fodder

[Bowlersarm]

Don't do it.

I have a boys name as my middle name (an old family surname which happens to be a boys name as well). I hate it, and just don't use it at all. I'm baffled as to why my parents thought i would like having it as part of my name.

[ClaraOswald]

I would go with the Dutch link and use Karel.

[almapudden]

Carol is a boys' name. Pope John Paul II's real name was Carol; he was Polish.

It's just an alternative to Charles.

[Purplehulk]

I know a man with the mn Carroll. He uses it in his email addy so it has obviously never caused him embarrassment.

[EssieW]

I think using carol would be fine. I've heard it as male name before

[HongkongDreamer]

What about carlos

[katkoala]

I would suggest Carl or Karl...my uncles have the name Maria as a mn (my grandparents used the name Mary in some form for their 3 dd and twin sons)...we still take the pi$$ 55 years later!

[cheekbyjowl]

I think you can get away with karel. Its unusual enough that I wouldnt think of carol. But, you need a macho first name and strong surname ...i.e if your surname is lily and your chosen first name is Vivian...then perhaps re think it.