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?

Foy boy!!

Oh god it's even worse that you live there. It would be like someone living in Paris calling their child Paris.

This. I really wouldn't saddle a child with this!

The fact that you live in Cornwall makes it worse I think.

Have to chortle at crackofdoom’s post, but if it’s a name that means a lot to you, why not use it? I think it’s interesting rather than attractive, you’ll need to tell your DC the backstory because it will be asked. My first reaction was boy.

It’s more of the faux lifeguard/fat willys brigade imo. Good pubs though.

I know a female Foy. Spelled that way too.

I think it’s fine. I’d automatically connect it with the place (and therefore pronounce it properly), but the only time I can think when someone else would need to know how to pronounce your surname is at your graduation or wedding! And I think middle names allow for something meaningful to the family which you wouldn’t use as a first name - one of mine is absolutely in this category while the other is very conventional. I don’t think the sex matters as it’s a place name so doesn’t have pre-existing connotations one way or the other.

Has anyone suggested Mousehole or St. Austell?

Mousehole would be another one where you would have to continually correct the English mispronunciation.

Neither. It’s a place name not a person’s name. Our surnames are often places our ancestors lived.