Traditional boys name, for a girl

[Sixofseven]

Just wondering how mean it would be to give a girl a name which is traditionally for boy, like Matthew or Michael. Does anyone here (an adult woman) have a boys name and what was it like as a name? Did it embarrass you growing up?
I’d like to name my daughter after a male family member but it’s not a unisex name and I don’t want to make her struggle as my other daughter has a very feminine name.
TIA

How about something like Malia Comfort Smith where you have (at least the sound of) the name in the 1st 3 letters of the first and middle names?

Malcolm! Oh please no. This must be a wind up.

There is a female character called Malcolm in Fags, Mags, and Bags which is a Radio 4 comedy.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0952b1r

She is called Malcolm as I think that she is actually Lady Malcolm of something. And it is a point of hilarity that she is called Malcolm.

This has nothing to do with rejecting gender stereotypes of kids clothing etc., and everything to do with it being a completely moronic thing to do.

Why are girls names being consistently put aside in favour of male names? Why are we telling our girls that traditional female names aren't good enough? By and large, the reverse is not happening, boys are not being given traditionally feminine names. Most of the examples people give, Ashley, Bailey, Aubrey, etc were originally male names anyway. Re unusual names, Malcom is very strongly a male name. A name will almost always become the person (as per the examples people give above including Michael) but it only happens after you know the person for a long time, meaning that every single new interaction the person has to go through the introduction process all over again. Sounds like hard work.

My name is Vivienne and I was a child when Vyvyan of the Young Ones was very popular.

youngonesbottomrikade.fandom.com/wiki/Vyvyan_Basterd

I loved the young ones (I still giggle when I think of the UNiversity Challenge episode) but I did get teased mercilessly for a few years because of my name.

And this was not because Vyvyan was a punk that did ridiculous and disgusting things, but because he was a man, and therefore I had a boy's name.

Please don't call your kid Malcolm.

@CaledonianMacBrayne

Malcolm! Oh please no. This must be a wind up.

There is a female character called Malcolm in Fags, Mags, and Bags which is a Radio 4 comedy.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0952b1r

She is called Malcolm as I think that she is actually Lady Malcolm of something. And it is a point of hilarity that she is called Malcolm.

This has nothing to do with rejecting gender stereotypes of kids clothing etc., and everything to do with it being a completely moronic thing to do.

Wow! Moronic. Brutal. Definitely not a wind up. I don’t like popular names so Malcolm does appeal. But thanks for highlighting that character, I’ll have to take a listen

I can imagine your poor parents crying ‘but we were aiming for Vivienne Leigh!’

@VyvyanthePunk

My name is Vivienne and I was a child when Vyvyan of the Young Ones was very popular.

youngonesbottomrikade.fandom.com/wiki/Vyvyan_Basterd

I loved the young ones (I still giggle when I think of the UNiversity Challenge episode) but I did get teased mercilessly for a few years because of my name.

And this was not because Vyvyan was a punk that did ridiculous and disgusting things, but because he was a man, and therefore I had a boy's name.

Please don't call your kid Malcolm.

Loved the young ones!! Vivienne is a beautiful name! I get that the timing with the YO wasn’t great though. Thanks for sharing

Callum is the Gaelic version what about that? Bit softer sounding, nn Callie. Or Malia, Mallina, Malen?
I have a (slightly unusual) feminine version of my Grandad's name, I love the connection it gives us but I was a shy child and did not enjoy the comments and extra attention it brought me as I grew up. If DM had just given me my grandad's name I think we'd have been NC

I don't think Malcolm is a goer but Malley sounds nice.

I used to work with a lady called Kevin. You do get used to it.

There’s a big difference between not liking popular names and naming a child something that will be a millstone around their neck forever. Don’t do this to her, nor to your dear departed friend, who I’m sure wouldn’t want his legacy to be a bullied, resentful child.

But I agree with PPs, Malley is nice, as would be Malia or Malory.

Personally, I think you’d have to have a really good reason to name a boy Malcolm. It’s quite a strong name from an era where it hasn’t obtained granny/grandpa chic. Naming a girl Malcolm would be a mistake, imo. Malley, like O’Malley, definitely better.

or Marcey?

Please don't call your DD Malcom. It would be okay for a middle name on a DS but a first name for a DD is just cruel.

If this is coming from your DH is it anything to do with him being disappointed that you are having another DD?

@AdelaideK

I hate this trend of calling girls by boys names. No one ever asks if they can call their son Betty or Poppy.

Quite

@Sixofseven

Just wondering how mean it would be to give a girl a name which is traditionally for boy, like Matthew or Michael. Does anyone here (an adult woman) have a boys name and what was it like as a name? Did it embarrass you growing up? I’d like to name my daughter after a male family member but it’s not a unisex name and I don’t want to make her struggle as my other daughter has a very feminine name. TIA

You ask how mean? So you know it's mean. So don't do it, doesn't matter how mean, it's mean by your own admission

I can imagine a boy being called Florence. It's a bit like Lawrence.

@AdelaideK

I hate this trend of calling girls by boys names. No one ever asks if they can call their son Betty or Poppy.

Maybe it's about time they did.

@RonSwansonsChair

I think I'd prefer to name my daughter Malcolm than Blue

Ha. It was an example, and for a middle name. I thought that was clear. I certainly wasn’t suggesting it for a first name.

To give a male name to a girl isn’t really fair.
Especially not one so masculine as Michael or Matthew.

Why give a potential girl unnecessary grief?

No opinion about the name, call your baby what you like, just want to say I’ve now got a Johnny Cash ear worm and will be humming A Boy Named Sue all afternoon at work !

You absolutely cannot be serious about naming a girl Malcolm - please don't

Children ought to be able to change their name if a parent lumbered them with a hideous or unsuitable name.

Bear Matthew is not a girl name.

Daisy Jemima isn’t a boy’s name.

Parents can be so cruel inflicting “
Look at me” names on offspring.

I'd call her Mallory nn Malley.

Much better than Malcom.

@TheCrowening

But I agree with PPs, Malley is nice, as would be Malia or Malory.

OMalley was a male horse and Mallory a male climber. Still very masculine and animal sounding. Poor girl.