Bow for a girl?

[stacestation]

What do people think of this? Have you ever heard of this being used as a full first name?

Woman from school derides popular names. Apparently her daughter has a unique 'name' though to call it a name is a bit of a stretch as I recently discovered the girl is called Bow, as in a hair bow, not bow and arrow.

The unfortunate part is that the area they're in all the local accents, including their own, pronounce it as Bore. I feel sorry for the poor girl. I can't mention the middle name as that would be outing, but that's even worse. The poor girl, it doesn't aspire to much.

The parents don't have my sympathy. Only the child who has to live with, and forever explain, their thoughtless name decisions.

OP, who was your tutor in the art of melodrama?

The middle name, which I won't mention as it would be identifying, is fairly standard, except they knowingly pronounce it incorrectly, saying 'we pronounce it like this'. I assume they will have taught their daughter to use this incorrect pronunciation.

That is an unkindness in my opinion, especially in conjunction with the first name problems.

Self taught 😅

Bow will sound like Bore in East Lancs and West Yorkshire amongst others. Think of how 'No' is pronounced in a Yorkshire accent

Bow or Beau is not pronounced as 'Bore' in West Yorkshire. We do not pronounce it with an R in it. We don't pronounce no with an R in it either 😂

You're wrong. Depends where in West Yorkshire as I've certainly heard it, as has at least one pp.

It's a bit like the pronunciation of moor. Obviously the 'r' is silent. It's only those with the broad local accents, too.

Trying to be non-technical. No = Noor, Beau/Bow =boor/bore

I've also heard it in South Yorkshire- parts of.

I've seen it spelt Bo, as in Bo Derek the actress.

@stacestation well I've never heard it in my neck of the woods, and although I can't speak for every town and city within West Yorkshire, I do work with a lot of people from all over West Yorks, and I've never heard it pronounced like that before.

I do pronounce moor as mooer and poor as pooer though 🙂

I do pronounce moor as mooer and poor as pooer though 🙂

I know that one! 😅

This particular accent pronounces moor and poor as maw and paw - as in 'saw'.

I knew a boy Bow (definitely spelled BOW, not BEAU) and it really suited him, and he wore it well. Family were a bit hippy-leaning. His sister had a similar style name (can't recall it just now though). He'd be about 10 now. I like it. Boy or girl.

I can imagine it's much more palatable if it's not pronounced as 'bore' and is used by a hippy-leaning family.

I meant to add, accent is Scottish.
I wish I could remember the sister's name. Though obviously it would be very outing.

Bizarrely, there was also a girl Beau at the group we knew the boy Bow at. And she was absolutely beautiful. Her younger sisters and much more mainstream names though.

Well I knew Beau spelling was popular in Eng and Wales and Beau is really quite popular for boys just being outside of the top 100! It's not at all uncommon for girls either, with 119 registrations.

Surprisingly, to me, Bow is the most popular of the alternative spellings, followed by Bo then Boe (hadn't heard of that one). Beau is also quite popular for girls with the hyphenated crowd.

I'll look at the Scottish stats tomorrow!

My concerns about outing were groundless. Though I still won't reveal the middle name, but can safely now say it's a French name they've mangled the pronunciation of.

@KvotheTheBloodless , exactly. I don't understand Beau for a girl. I've also met a Bo ( when you spell it, B.O.....body odour ! ), and a Beaux ( female), which again doesn't make sense, as it's plural !

People on MN (for good reason!) are always pretty appalled with girls names Beau, because it’s a masculine French name so implies the holder of the name is by default a boy.

Maybe Bow’s mother knows that Beau isn’t right for a girl and so changed the spelling to Bow?

I mean I hate Bow and I wouldn’t immediately know how to pronounce (Bow like bow and arrow or bow or bow to the Queen?) but at least she didn’t make a mistake?

@jamapop , good point.

Yes, perhaps, given it seems Beau is primarily used for boys.

And I don't think I, or other parents and pupils, would have noticed much out of the ordinary if it hadn't been for the girl and parents all pronouncing it as 'bore'. That is what we thought the name was. I still don't like Bow or hair-bow connection either, there are plenty of better alternatives.

Waffling now, but there was a pp (Londonqueen) who mistakenly tried to translate Beau as beautiful. I think some of those meanings given by the baby name sites need to be taken with a pinch of salt, or at least bloody check them 😅

I hadn't checked for Beaux!

Ridiculous name!!! Come on,
get a grip...

Even for a boy, Beau is a ridiculous name.

Imagine you came across a French boy named "Handsome". You'd think it was daft, wouldn't you?

If you came across a French girl named "Handsome", you'd think it was even more stupid.

Imagine thinking it's a good idea to give your child a name which means they would be unable to travel to a major neighbouring country without everyone thinking "WTF" as soon as they introduce themselves.

In fact, in that sense I actually think "Bow" is a less terrible name.

I thought Beau the boys name was short for Beauregard. Bow for a girl is just a lifetime of having to tell people how it is pronounced and having to spell it out.

Some words work as names and other don’t, there doesn’t seem to be a rhyme or reason, or rule book to it. You would be surprised to meet a girl called Flower, but Fleur is an accepted name here and in France. Equally Grace and Joy are considered normal names, but Elegant and Happy would raise eyebrows. So I don’t think saying Beau is a bad name because Handsome would be works logically.

I'm going to email and ask my French friend about Beau. I wonder what she thinks.