do you thing the name Frej ( Frey) sounds girly?

[ikeaismylocal]

I'm thinking of names for dc2. We both like the name Frej ( pronounced Frey) we live in Sweden but I'm English so we need a name which is at least easy to pronounce in both languages.

I wonder if a purely English ear would assume Frej was a girl's name?

It isn't the end of the world if it is assumed Frej is a girl's name bit I'm interested in what you think ( so it doesn't come as a surprise when we announce the name).

As an aside Frej was the good of virility, prosperity but also sunshine and fair weather. This baby is due in November which in Sweden is likely to be miserable weather, possibly snow, is it daft to give the child a name which alludes to fine weather if they are born when it's miserable?

well I'm british and I think it soulds like a boys name but then I do live in norway......

I would think it was a nickname for Freya at first. But as a stand alone name I wouldn't put it as either gender probably because I have never met one if that makes sense.

I like it though.

Same as above. I would think it was a nickname for Freya

I like it. Spelt as Frej I think I'd err on the side if thinking it was a boy's name. Spelt as Frey I'd definitely assume it was a boy's name, even if it's similar to Freya.

The sunshine association certainly wouldn't bother me, as a Brit, but I suppose it depends how well-known Frej the god is known in Sweden!

I think of it as a nn for Freya (or Freja).

Then I think of a brand of milkshake in the UK (Frijj).

...

The spring/winter contrast would put me off. But - it does sound like a girls name (prefer Freya/Freja) and if you really like Frej, go for it

It sounds girly, and I too think of the milkshake with that spelling

I've actually met a little Frej and no I didn't think it sounded girly at all. Pretty cool name tbh.

Once upon a time I would perhaps think it was a girls name written down but wouldn't bat an eyelid if I was then introduced to a little boy. DP then suggested Freyr (as in the Fertility god) for DS2, which I really like. Is Frej a nn for Freyr/Frejr? I prefer the sound if Freyr over Frej, but that's just me.

Even if it is 'girly', what's wrong with that?

I do really like the name.

I'd assume boy. I like it.

Thanks for the feedback

It's great that so many of you like it, and that it is seen as a masculine name, I wouldn't really mind if it was seen as "girly" but I would want to anticipate that reaction and think of some good comebacks ;)

DP then suggested Freyr (as in the Fertility god) for DS2, which I really like. Is Frej a nn for Freyr/Frejr? I prefer the sound if Freyr over Frej, but that's just me. It's the same god, Freyr is the icelandic spelling and frej is the Swedish spelling. Both sound pretty similar, the j (y) sound in Frej is exagerated and the r sound in freyr is very soft so they sound very alike.

The fertility part of it has meaning to us as we had great trouble getting pregnant the first time around but this time I got pregnant without really trying and whilst breastfeeding, it seems fitting to celebrate that in the baby's name although we probably won't tell the baby as noone wants to know about their parent's sex life ;)

Oh that's a lovely story, ikea! In that case you HAVE to call him Frej! Good luck and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy.

Thank you Anjou :)

I love it, I don't think it sounds girly.

I think it's a lovely name, not heard it before.

My 15 year old brother has a friend called Fray, so I'd assume boy. Lovely name

Jag tycker om Frej. But I love swedish names. We went the other way and chose a name that English speakers would have to ask how to say, so no slight mispronounciations. DH liked Baldr for Älfi if she was a boy, but Frej is much cooler.

I really like Freyr.
I'm afraid without the extra r I think of Fray Bentos.

13loki I love the name Loki but we know 3 Loki's so we can't really use it.

We wanted a name that would be pronounced the samein English and Swedish but there are so few that sound exactly the same so we are just going go for either a really English or really Swedish name this time :)

I love the name älfi, we call ds elfie although his name is Elvin.

I love it. Although be prepared for lots of "is that from Game of Thrones" questions…

Is there a Frej in the game of thrones? I must google!

There's a whole House of Frey! Wikia link here

I teach a Frej, in a British international school and all of us Brits have managed it and def sounds like a boy's name. Didn't for a moment make a link with Freya as there is a slightly different pronunciation in my mind, not as flat as simply 'fray'. The other children roll the r beautifully for it They are 4 and therefore anyone can do it
But then I get so aggrieved when adults can't be bothered to pronounce a name properly! I had an Alice (French pronunciation- Alees) and her subsequent teacher spent a whole year calling her the British pronunciation of Alice, drove me mental
Sorry, side rant
Good luck with it all x

thanks for the link posy! It seems very complicated, I guess in a few years people might not make the connection so much.

I know what you mean binky! I am tempted tp choose a really obscure Swedish name and just insisting my English family learn to say it properly.

If you intend to stay in Sweden, it's probably easier to have a Swedish name than an obscure english name. We have just about got DSs teacher to stop calling him Jo-ann (Ioan was hard enough for english speakers, but Swedes want a J sound at the start).
DD1 changes how she says her name. If you say "What's your name?" She says Lola. "Vad heter du?" Lula.