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Original poster

Emma-James?

91 replies

SeaPorpoises · 17/07/2023 14:17

Expecting my first daughter, DH loves Emma and I like it too, but since Blake Lively named her daughter James I have adored that for a girl too.

So thoughts on Emma-James? or suggestions of similar if you're not a fan?

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BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 17/07/2023 14:17

I'm just not a fan of double barrelled names. What about James as a middle name?

Emma is a classic choice, nothing wrong there at all.

Vintagecreamandcottagepie · 17/07/2023 14:18

I'm so sorry, I like both names but put together it sounds like an estate agent's

waterst · 17/07/2023 14:19

It would always sound like she was being called by her first and last name for no reason

Ragruggers · 17/07/2023 14:20

Not my style but imagine the little girl in nursery explaining why she has a traditional boys name.

Vintagecreamandcottagepie · 17/07/2023 14:21

The two names are so different in style- Emma is a classic, traditional name and James is much more modern (as a girls name). The two just don't go together

YallaYallaaa · 17/07/2023 14:22

No, that’s insane. A celeb kid might pull off James, but in a normal school its going to make life really hard.

SomersetBrie · 17/07/2023 14:22

I don't love James for a girl but I think if I did like it, I would go for it and not add it to Emma.
I know an Emma-Jane so that's what I would hear if I heard the name.

Whichclubisittonight · 17/07/2023 14:24

Like a PP said, I would assume her full name was Emma James and would wonder why you were calling by her first and last name all the time.

Guineapigwoes · 17/07/2023 14:24

No it’s awful and you are consigning your child to a lifetime of explaining that James isn’t her surname (until she’s old enough to change her name by deed poll)

TeleTropes · 17/07/2023 14:24

Emma James sounds like first name surname and so will likely attract a lot of confusion throughout her life.

And Emma and James are such different styles that they don’t really go together, so I don’t think it works.

I quite like James for a girl though.

SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 17/07/2023 14:25

Every single person I know with a double barrelled first name goes by the first of the two names.
Sarah-louise is Sarah
Harvey-joe is Harvey
Kevin-lee is Kevin
Etc

Might as well just make it a first name and a middle name.

EmmaPaella · 17/07/2023 14:26

It’s a No from me. Emma Jane is lovely but then I am probably old and boring about names.

WanderingWitches · 17/07/2023 14:26

Dreadful
It sounds like James would be her last name

DoctorWoo · 17/07/2023 16:06

Sounds awful, sorry…

I don’t like double barrelled names, but James isn’t a girls’ name in any case.

kcy · 17/07/2023 16:10

Don’t like James, I think Jamie for a girl Is better.

TeenagersAngst · 17/07/2023 16:12

SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 17/07/2023 14:25

Every single person I know with a double barrelled first name goes by the first of the two names.
Sarah-louise is Sarah
Harvey-joe is Harvey
Kevin-lee is Kevin
Etc

Might as well just make it a first name and a middle name.

Do you actually know someone called Kevin-Lee?

Conniedeps · 17/07/2023 16:15

I think another poster suggested this too, but what about Jamie? I like it for a girl and is gender neutral

SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 17/07/2023 16:17

TeenagersAngst · 17/07/2023 16:12

Do you actually know someone called Kevin-Lee?

Show quote history

Nah, was just an example. Why? Do you?

TeenagersAngst · 17/07/2023 16:22

SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 17/07/2023 16:17

Nah, was just an example. Why? Do you?

Show quote history

Well, no, but I didn't write a post citing it as an example where you said "Every single person I know with a double barrelled first name goes by the first of the two names.
Sarah-louise is Sarah
Harvey-joe is Harvey
Kevin-lee is Kevin
Etc"

Fair to assume those were examples of all the people you knew with a double-barrelled first name.

Daringbear · 17/07/2023 16:26

My daughter is Emma, middle name James, she is 17 so we called her this before it was gender neutral. In primary no one knew her middle name and by secondary she would just say it was a family name (both grandfathers, my husband and my nephew have the name) no one picked on her or said it was a boys name, they just didn't care.
I don't like hyphenated names but I think Emma James is lovely

PrudenceDictates · 17/07/2023 16:27

I’ve never met a Kevin-Lee, but funnily enough I can picture him clearly!

Emma-James, though, will surely look a bit androgynous? A bit half girl, half boy?
A celebrity calling their daughter something does not that something a girl’s name make.

SoupDragon · 17/07/2023 16:28

Emma-James is just daft. It's awful.

Every single person I know with a double barrelled first name goes by the first of the two names.

I don't! 😂 I'm Dragon not Soup. Neither name is a male name though.

BananaSpanner · 17/07/2023 16:29

People will hyphenate in the wrong place.

To you she’ll be Emma-James Smith, other people will hear and write Emma James-Smith.

DPotter · 17/07/2023 16:29

I agree that Emma-James would suggest first name surname.

I think Emma is a lovely name, but I'm really not sure about James as a girl's first name. I know too many male James' I suppose, and it's still in the top 25 for boys names too.

If it's the syllable balance you want how about

Emma-Louise
Emma-Jane
Emma-Jo

CurlewKate · 17/07/2023 16:29

James is a boy's name.

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