Blair for a girl?

[Lornacharlotte]

Mentioned to my mother I liked Blair for a girls name and she looked at me like I was mad. Anyone else like Blair or am I being daft?

[Pregnantberry]

I am torn - I like it because I like strong girl's names, and it kind of makes me think of the rhyming "flare" and I feel like it has a fiery connotation.

On the other hand, the Tony link would put me off I have to admit - I know you said it didn't bother you but he is a very strong figure in recent British history so people will make the link and I think that's worth at least considering.

On the other hand, I have heard Americans using the first name "Reagan" some times and they get away with it - and the generational gap will be similar - the posters here all lived through the Blair years, where as your daughters peers won't have so it won't seem as noticeable to them.

[Politelydeclining]

Santa not in Scotland where we pronounce our 'rrrrrs'

Preg Regan is actually a very old girls Name - see Shakespeare's King Lear for evidence, albeit the connotation aren't great I grant you!

[zinher]

I thought of Blair wardorf too from GG and I liked her

[Castlemilk]

Jings, yes revive the -ina tradition with a 'modern names' twist, could be the next big thing.

Otisina

Noahina

Jaydenina

Maxina

Tylerina

Finnina

The Senga I know is Wigton way!

[scottishmummy]

Ina names,thats old school

[weatherall]

Scottisg mummy - bridie is a common nn for Bridget, it's not a made up name.

I know a Scottish donalda which isn't actually that bad.

Where I am there are millions of Islas and Eilidhs just now.

[ICanTotallyDance]

Personally, I absolutely wouldn't. My reasons being:

a) I think of it as a boys' name
b) I think of Tony Blair
c) I think of the word 'blear,' meaning 'dull' or 'filmy.'

However, having said that, this is what I think of when I take a couple of minutes to pause and mull it over and imagine giving it to my child. In reality, if I met someone who said, "oh, this is my daughter, Blair." I would probably just accept it immediately and think no more of it.

I do quite like the "air" sound in a girls' name, so I would suggest, as others have, Adair(e) or Claire. Or you could think about Sarah.

[ICanTotallyDance]

Absolutely? I meant to post I probably wouldn't!

[Notso]

This was my first thought.

[squoosh]

Adair reminds me of that violent thug Johnny 'mad dog' Adair.

[BaileysOnRocks]

Love love love it!!!
But then I love gossip girl

[squoosh]

There's also a town in Ireland called Adare, although it is a very pretty town.

[OutragedFromLeeds]

Tony Blair
Lionel Blair
The Blair Witch Project
The noise you make when you vomit
A bullying bimbo from one of those clueless type teen dramas

I wouldn't.

[Stretchmarksarethenewblack]

Blair is lovely. But I'm Scottish so know a few girls with the name. X

[LemonBreeland]

It is one of those names that confuse me a bit. I know someone who has Blair and Taylor, and I always struggle to remember which is the boy and which is the girl.

I think I prefer it for a girl though.

[scottishmummy]

I know bridie is a name,ive ken a few bridies. auld aunties and nun types
Just no heard it in ages

[LeoandBoosmum]

Huge no for me!

It's a 't' away from sounding like 'blurt':

www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=blurt

Also, Tony Blair, The Blair Witch Project... I'm sorry, I hate it.

If you like the 'air' sound, what about Fleur?

[ACM88]

I don't like it, I don't think it's a very attractive name to say or spell, apologises that sounds really harsh!

[flipflopsonfifthavenue]

my Canadian SiL has this as her middle name, but I think its Blaire. I like it, but I see it as very North American. not that this is a bad thing, I like lots of NA names (am considering Hank if DC is a DS) but maybe something to bear in mind?

[HopefulHamster]

I like it (have seen Gossip Girl though)

When she is growing up, the kids about her won't know Tony Blair, Lionel Blair OR Blair Witch.

[TheWhispersOfTheGods]

I like it, I do think of it as an American name though (its amazing how many names I think of as 'American' names are actually Scottish). My mind jumped to Gossip girl too, and I totally missed the Toni quip up thread til it was spelled out, its not an association I made. I'm early 20s - I imagine that by the time she is at school it won't exist for anyone her age. How many of you can reference all the prime ministers from a decade or so before you were born?

Adair is really nice too - I prefer girls names that don't end in -a or -ie sounds though.

[Legionofboom]

And another enormous NO from me.

It sort of spews out of the mouth as a bleugh sound before you even begin to consider the whole Tony and Cherie thing.

[Superrhan]

I love Blair for a girl (I also love Sloan as mentioned by squoosh). I don't make the Tony link, and by the time she's going to school, he'll be as past tense as John Major, and I wouldn't link the word Major to him.

[florascotia]

Blair is the name of a small and very touristy town in Scotland; it means 'flat field' in Gaelic.
It's traditionally a boys name, and still is, on the whole. There were 91 baby boys named Blair in Scotland in 2013 (plus one Blayr and one Blayre). In contrast, there were only 3 baby girls named Blair (and 2 named Blayre and 5 named Blaire).

Adair is even more of a boy's name, though it is an unusual choice at the moment. There was one baby boy named Adair in Scotland in 2013, and no girls. There was, however, one Adairia, which is related but female name.

Your baby, your choice of name, of course. But I can't see why anyone, anywhere, wants to give a girl a boy's name, unless it's a family tradition (and even then I'm not keen). To me, it looks like rather an insult.