Cecily on a boy?

[AnneBoleyn6]

So my wife really likes Cecily for a boy (usually pronounced Sess-ill-lee, but comes out more like Sess-lee when talking fast).

I love the name Cecily, but I don't know about it for a boy. We both don't really like Cecil. We do like traditionally girl names on boys, though.

I just am not completely sold. What do you think? Can you help me love it?

No I can't help you love it. For a girl its gorgeous, but for a boy its henious.
He'll be teased mercilessly for having a girl's name. Why doesn't she jyst go with Cecil.

If you like gender neutral (ish) names, how about:

Jamie
Leslie
Jesse
Chris
Alex
Francis

Cecily is definitely a girl's name to me (just as James is definitely a boy's name)

Hell to the no.

Even for a girl, it just makes me think 'cessily' - i.e. in the manner of a pool full of actual poo.

In fact, as a PP said, you could always call him Cecil - like Brad Pitt's brother

Best case scenario:

Your son: [Not saying anything, don’t want to tell anyone my name.]

Other person: ‘What’s your name?’

[Damn.] ‘Cecily.’

‘What?’

‘Cecily.’ [Heart sinking, here we go again.]

‘Er, what?’ [Surely, surely I must have mis-heard?]

‘Cecily.’

‘Oh’ [Wow, your parents hate you]

[Crying on the inside. My parents hate me. Where can I find someone to pay £££ squillions for therapy?]

Repeat ad infinitum, with added bullying.

Are you on glue?

If you want your son to be relentlessly bullied, humiliated and mocked, you're on the right track.

Even if unusual it's still a GIRLS name. With a Y. So not Cecil. Everyone knows this!

How hard of thinking is your wife? At least she can blame pregnancy hormones I guess but it's your job to talk her OUT of mad ideas like this, not try to love it. For the sake of your child. A real human who has to live with their name forever. Or until they can change it by deed poll the instant they reach adulthood and never speak to you both again for years of undeserved abuse

There are some unisex names. Like Lesley/Leslie, or Alex, or Lindsey. But Cecily isn't one of them.

These, and every 'unisex' name, plus some which are now pretty much only used for girls, began as boys names. There's a sexist asymmetry whereby it's fine for girls to have a 'boys' name but not for boys to have a 'girls' name. Once too many girls have a particular 'boys' name, it gets devalued and not fit for boys any more.

Cecily is a form of Cecilia, it's been a women's name for centuries.

In theory it should be fine to call a boy anything you like. In the real world, it isn't, it's unkind to do so.

Why not Margaret? That would be equally interesting.

Absolutely not op that is so cruel.

It's bloody mental, is what I think.

Why not go the whole hog and name him Lady Augusta Bracknell?

[quote AnneBoleyn6]@Ticklyrain Yeah, I know it's really feminine. She said it's fairly uncommon, at least where we live, which I'd say is true, the only Cecily I know is Cecily Strong from SNL, so most people wouldn't immediately know it was a girl name? The area we live there are a lottt of people with names usually associated with the opposite gender.
I'll mention the Sissy thing to her tho. Maybe that'll get her to think of others.[/quote]
The Oscar Wilde play “The Importance of Being Ernest” is quite well known.
According to Wikipedia one of the main characters, Cecily, was played in the first production by someone called Evelyn.

Does that help your argument, with names associated with other genders? Or you could call him Sue. But, please don’t.

No way!!!!!!

@IndecentCakes

Why not go the whole hog and name him Lady Augusta Bracknell?

This has to be a joke.

Surely no-one is this cruel?

what the fuck are you smoking

It would be a very cruel thing to do. It is a girl's name and most people know this.
Why do you like traditional girl's names for boys? There are lots of beautiful boys names.
Where do you live as you say it happens a lot where you are??

It might even be one of those names where the registration of it triggers a referral to Children's Services because giving him this name demonstrates a complete inability to safeguard the child appropriately. He is at great risk of severe bullying and may need a plan of some kind to protect him. It could even raise questions of which other ways might you may be putting him at risk. I know that it sounds very dramatic but I think it is a point worth raising. Find something else, there are lots of slightly unusual names currently.

No, just no. I have a name which is usually used for males (apparently it was common for women in the Middle Ages) and I love it, but Cecily is most definitely a female name. Your son will not thank you for using it for him.

@Regularsizedrudy

Let’s hope he doesn’t have a lisp

A la monty python

Can you help me love it?

Nobody is going to do this for you.

Why would they - when it’s such a patently stupid idea?

Do you know what, I never would have considered it, but I think it works. I've known boys called Sacha, Chanelle, Karli, and Glory and despite what Mumsnet would say, they most definitely were not bullied (far from it). Bullies look for weaker, isolated children to bully- they don't decide to bully someone because of a name. Unfortunately if a child is going to be bullied, the bullies will find any reason.

Children become their names and after the initial eyebrow raising, an unusual name very quickly just becomes that person's name.

Cecily is a far nicer name than the traditional unisex names of Frances or Leslie anyway.

I know of a Cyrilyn - along the Cyril theme? How about Cecilyn? No, actually scrap that, I can’t make this any better, Cecily and Cecile and Cecilia are all girls names. Don’t do it OP