Fowey - boy or girl?

[OneAliCat]

As in the Cornish town. Pronounced Foy. Considering as a middle name since the place is special to us.

Would you think of it as male, female or gender neutral?

Male

I like this as a middle name and think it would work for either sex.

Neither. It's a place name, not a person's name. And yes, I know people do it, but it doesn't make it sensible.

Gender neutral, but I wouldn't have known that it's not pronounced as it looks, so good for a middle name rather than a first name.

neither.

Gender neutral

It’s not a particularly nice name for either in my personal opinion however I’d guess a boys name if I heard it

The rest of his or her life saying, "No, it's pronounced Foy!"
Don't do it.

Why saddle your child who has their own identity with a middle name that many will pronounce incorrectly just because you visited the place and had a good time there?

Would you consider the name Skegness if you had a few marvellous holidays there? I think not.

I would pronounce it as it's spelled, and would assume male, but for a middle name it doesn't really matter.

Cat.

I’d probably assume boy if I had to choose, but as a middle name it really doesn’t matter so easily gender neutral. I also don’t think pronunciation issues are a big deal for middle names either - they’re not used very often. I like the idea of a middle name that has meaning.

I'd say gender neutral.

I've had my name spelt wrongly all my life and constantly had people say "But that's a boys name!" My kids have a foreign surname that we always have to spell out and is mispronounced regularly.

It's really not the big deal a lot of posters on baby names make out, especially if it's a middle name. How often do middle names get used?

How about Basingstoke?

Sounds rather posh and grand!

I don't think it matters (pronunciation or gender) if it's a middle name.

I'd probably assume male. But wouldn't thibk of it as a name at all.
I know of the town though so it is very strongly a place name in my head so I might have a biased view!

Good as a middle name!

Much more original and identitying as some 'filler names like overused James.

If I saw it written, I'd think boy; if I heard it, I'd think girl (because of the connection to Faith).

I'm not a fan of place names for people, but it's not the worst, as a middle name.

Exactly you will find always get English people pronouncing it - "Foh way"

As a middle name, either

Why saddle your child who has their own identity with a middle name that many will pronounce incorrectly just because you visited the place

Saddle?

I'd rather have an interesting and meaningful middle name than say Jane or Ann...

Male
I'm glad you wrote how its pronounced. In my head, I was saying 'Fow-ee' and trying to work it out. So it Roy with an F?

Honestly, I initially thought neither! But for a middle name I like it, and agree gender neutral.

Yes, it’s Roy with an F.

Looe is just up the road 🤭

Yes - same as Roy but with an "f".

I think this is the problem and presuming OP lives in England that it will always be mispronounced and you get to become one of those tiresome parents correcting the pronunciation every time.