Oleander for a boy?

[Rachelhaydenberk1]

I want to add Oleander to my boy name list but I know its controversial since it's a flower and typically girls get the flower namesake but I feel Oleander sounds very masculine. Its familiar to Oliver and Alexander both are just so very common. Oleander is a new spin on those to me. And I love the nickname Oly - pronounced like Oh-Lee, not Ollie. I love everything about it for a boy and nothing about it at all feels feminine. The flower is also poisonous, does that make it more macho?

I would want to pair it with a very masculine middle name because I know I'm not gonna convince everyone that it's a boy name. I was thinking Oleander Nolan. Nolan means champion. The middle name also needs to be simple so I feel like this fits?

What is your honest opinion?

Thank you Mrsperfect and those who said liked it! Almost got buried in all my hate mail lol!! Thank you for seeing my point!

Mrsprefect

Oakley is a sunglasses brand and unsafe city here in California

Know the brand don’t know the city.

Why can girls get boy names but it cant go the other way around?

I know right.

Oleander no
Leander yes

I am an enormous fan of the name Leander but can’t use it, so do it for me OP .

I love Leander, as a Wolves fan. The fact that his name is Leander Dendonker makes it even cooler. What a name!

I am warming up to Leander. Love it ad a honor name for my sister-in-law, Leigh. I was thinking of Leander Desmond has a nice ring. Sometimes a middle name pairing will sway me!

I do like Oleander more not going to lie! I feel Leander is missing a syllable but I also posted this because I really dont want to name a child something the majority isnt at least going to get. People dont have to love it but if there is a lot of backlash I guess it makes me take a bit of pause. Leander seems to be very well loved as opposed to Oleander! Funny how one letter can do so much!

I feel Leander is unfinished too. Leandro is the Spanish version, which I think works slightly better.

Oakley keeps making me say 'Okely dokely' like Ned Flanders in The Simpsons! So i wouldn't choose it based on that. Leander reminds me of 'meander'. Oleander is far better as i like the fact you can always shorten to Ollie. But then i'd prob just opt for Ollie. It was on my boy's shortlist.

I kinda like Leandro. I'll have to think about all this!! I just thought more people would agree with me about Oleander. I mean I could surely do much worse?! I guess not according to some! Haha

I never would have known it was a plant, however if I heard it I would have thought you were trying to go for a 'yoonique' name but liked Oliver and Alexander and decided to smush them together!

Would also constantly remind me of Ollivander from Harry Potter.

Leander makes me think of meander too! I guess there are worse words but I also thought of that too!!

I wasn't going for a unique name - I actually like nature/flower names but I dont understand why they are mostly all feminine even if the word itself sounds very masculine. Oleander just happens to sound a lot like Alexander and Oliver. Which I wouldn't use but if you were thinking of it as a combo name it's kinda awesome actually! But I can appreciate a good combination name too. I dont understand name purists so against combo names!!

I have no idea who Ollievander is but I'll ask my friends who are obsessed with Harry Potter about this.

Another name coming to mind is Evander. But we have a god daughter named Eva so I think it's too close.

I like it and it sounds masculine to me as it's like Alexander. Personally I would pair it with a more traditional middle name e.g. Oleander James

Well I like it! I think in America you can get away with more unusual names anyway. Oley is a better spelling that Oly as some Ollie’s use Oly as their spelling (we use Oli).

I wouldn't let it stop you from using it though OP, there are so many names out there that I would instinctively think 'that's a name?!' but after five minutes it just becomes that child, and the name itself doesn't matter.

MN loves the name Acacia and I always just think of a tree and not a name, so there will always be polarizing thoughts for anything that isnt traditional in a sense.

Despite my initial thoughts it is growing on me as a name, not one I would personally use, but it also wouldn't be one I would question past the first thoughts.

There are certain names out there that for me scream made up even though they are pretty common as a name nowadays, such as Nevaeh. Just shows that everyone has an opinion!

Oh and yes to Oleander James. Or another one syllable name.

Oleander is poisonous. That's one reason I wouldn't use the name.

So is ivy and holly!

Thank you for the positive feedback!! Yes so many plants as names are poisonous! It's kinda a silly point when there really are so many!

I like Oleander James! I thought of Nolan but I'm not married to Nolan - I probably wouldn't like it as a first name. Just needing a masculine, more common middle name. James fits that!

I really like Oleander. I am surprised it's not more popular, given the unwavering popularity of Oliver and Alexander. Oleander James is great. I also like Evander.

That’s some harsh feedback! I don’t mind it. My first thought was also the wand shop in Harry Potter though. When I read it I think Ollie-Ander and imagine it getting shortened to Ollie at school. I found with mine that I had to meet them before I could finally decide on a name, and with DD2 none of the names on our shortlist worked.

Maybe Leo? For Leonardo?