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Original poster

Oscar as a girl's name....?

68 replies

Snoopies · 15/05/2013 00:51

We have just had a gorgeous baby girl and we have called her Oscar. Are we making a bad decision (our parents think so)?? The name derives from Os-Cara so we hoped we could get away with it.

OP posts:
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LifeIsBetterInFlipFlops · 15/05/2013 09:36

I'm with your parents. Life's hard enough for goodness sake.

xigris · 15/05/2013 09:42

I like the name Oscar but I do think you're setting her up for a lot of confusion in life. I once knew an American lady called Shaun (not Shauna) and while she quite like her unusual-for-a-female name, she was always assumed to male until people met her iyswim

expatinscotland · 15/05/2013 09:44

Yes, you're making a mistake. It's fine to be stupid and ridiculous in your own life, but when you visit that on a child, it's not on.

tilbatilba · 15/05/2013 09:46

with your parents here

ShowOfHands · 15/05/2013 09:48

My niece has a popular name which is almost exclusively used for boys. People do a double take every single time.

I shouldn't imagine people will judge her for it. She'll be bigger and better than her name, as all children are. People will think things about you though. Depends whether you care.

Original poster
Snoopies · 15/05/2013 10:20

www.ourbabynamer.com/Oscar-name-popularity.html

It appears we're not alone making a decision like this!

OP posts:
ComtesseDeSpair · 15/05/2013 10:29

I'll go against the grain and say I quite like it. I think the trend in the US for girls to be given masculine or traditionally male names (I know of American girls called Felix, Ryan, Shane, Sloane, Parker and Elliot) will catch on further in the UK, anyway.

I have a name which is unisex but apparently far more commonly used for boys (Leigh). Sure, sometimes people are surprised that I'm a woman if my name has preceded me. Occasionally people will say in a laugh-y wake, "Oh, we didn't realise you were a woman!" and we'll all have a chuckle. After that, everyone knows I'm girl-Leigh, and it ceases to be note-worthy. Mostly people don't even comment. To be honest, there aren't that many situations in my life where initial assumptions made about my sex from my name matter much. I mean, if I turn up for a job interview and the panel is expecting a bloke they might be a bit thrown but it's easily corrected (and always interesting to ponder whether I'd have got the interview if my name was Leah or Leanne). I've yet to be at the centre of a terrible, earth-shattering hoo-ha because somebody has mistaken me for a man and the situation absolutely cannot be remedied.

FingersCrossedLegsNot · 15/05/2013 11:35

You must be joking.....why do you hate your dd?

kiwigirl42 · 15/05/2013 11:44

no. no no no no no. awful. bet she is adorable though. give her an adorable name to match

harleyd · 15/05/2013 11:48

this cant be real?

SoupDragon · 15/05/2013 11:50

It appears we're not alone making a decision like this!

The line for girls is on 1. One.

It's a stupid name for a girl.

polkadotsrock · 15/05/2013 11:53

Em, I would want to poke my parents in the eye if they did this to me. But if you like it and have already done it then what we think is largely irrelevant. Congrats though

5madthings · 15/05/2013 11:54

Well i love the name oscar, i have a child called oscar myself...he is a boy tho, not sure about using it for a girl.

FoxyRevenger · 15/05/2013 11:56

Well Oscar's a nice name. For a boy. It's as if you named her Steve or something.

fedupwithdeployment · 15/05/2013 11:56

Another vote against.

My DS1 has an ambidextrous name (Jocelyn, known as Joss) and occasionally people think he is a girl (the library), or that they have misheard and he is a Josh. There are a few (not many I agree) male Josses out there (think Joss Acland), but can't think of a single girl Oscar. It is a bit odd.

EuroShaggleton · 15/05/2013 11:57

I'm with your parents. I like it as a boy's name. Why not call her Oscara, if that is what you really mean?

BeanoNoir · 15/05/2013 11:57

Stevie is a nice girl's name though. I quite like your choice.

saffronwblue · 15/05/2013 12:01

My mother's name is Noel (Christmas baby) and it has caused her many tedious problems because people assume she is male. Recently she was kept waiting for hours at a doctor's because he glanced into the waiting room, expecting to see a man so did not call her in...

Do you really want her name to become your DD's defining characteristic?

ItsYonliMe · 15/05/2013 12:04

I think OP is taking the piss to be honest. No posting history and a link which shows that Oscar is not a girl's name.

TiggerWearsATriteSmile · 15/05/2013 12:07

As bad as that chicken of the sea bimbo calling her baby girl Max.

MrsApplepants · 15/05/2013 12:07

I love Oscar, but for a boy. It really isn't a girls name. Sorry but I think you've made a mistake

kipplin · 15/05/2013 13:02

People will get 'used' to it eventually, but I have to admit that I would assume she was a boy if you introduced her at a baby group. You're going to have to dress her in pink ;-)

Really like cara though... And congratulations on your new baby!

IAteTheCake · 15/05/2013 13:34

Coming from a family with unusual names... I wouldn't personally go for this option. It will be a lifetime of explanations and misunderstandings... sorry OP...

TheSecondComing · 15/05/2013 13:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

randgirl · 15/05/2013 13:41

No i dont think so, not with the Oscar Pistorius saga going on right now.... If you like Oscara why not go with Kiara.. or along those lines.

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