Girls with predominantly boys names - anyone?

[dizzydixies]

has anyone given their dd a name more commonly used for a boy?

any regrets? problems? any opinions (very stupid question on MN!!!)

I get very po faced and feminist about this - I'm the same about making girls wear ties. I think it looks as if, at some level you wanted a boy and are calling the baby a boy's name as a sort of consolation. (not saying that's what's happening it's just how it looks to me from outside) This applies particularly to the boys-name-with-suffix names, like Thomasina, Georgina, Nigella.... Particularly with the -ina suffix, which actually means smaller, rather than girl!

nooka its more commonly used for boys but that doesn't necessarily mean its a BOYS name - this is my third and last dc so its now or never

dizzydixies - the same applies to John or Henry!

Honestly, it's like calling a boy Emily!

lol

Sorry, that means you have to give it to something else if dd had been a boy she would have been called Ezra. But she was a girl, so dh called his computer Ezzie instead... There are so many many names in the world to choose from, I really really think you could find your dd a lovely girls name instead.

I know what you mean seeker, but I think that Georgina and Thomasina are perfectly acceptable names in their own right. Agree about some of the names cited here (Donaldina, Donalda, Jamesina, Calumina, and especially Nigella) but I wonder if that's because they sound so ugly? My own name ends in "etta" which is a female diminutive, but I don't have a problem with it and would also see Henrietta and Jeanette as perfectly acceptable names.

hi hatrick not going too badly thanks apart from wanting to throttle dh

this thread is all presuming that this baby comes out a girl, if its a boy we're sorted

I taught a girl named Jake . She was pretty girly but Jake really suited her .

Nigella is actually a flower commonly known as love-in-a-mist (and the seeds are a space, also known as black cumin) - so in a way it fits in with the girly flower names group just as much as in the female derivatives of male names one.

It's American, but I though this site was interesting about sexually ambiguous names. Amazed at what some people call their kids. They also have some good graphs of popularity/gender - have a look at Lauren for example - used for girls now, but not so long ago it was a boy's name.

I actually really like girls names that can be shortened to boys names - ie Veronica/Ronnie, Charlotte/Charlie, Georgina/Georgia, Francesca/Frankie

I just think it gives a girl a few options already built into her name!

And yes, there are many many names that 'used to be boys' names that are now almost exclusively female - Gayle, Lynne, Laurie, etc.

I don't think there's anything wrong with either - Dylan is a beautiful name for a girl. Good luck!

We have a girl in the family named Finlay and I love it for a girls name.

thanks lastbox

I think I would be tempted to use is as a mn so that there is no presumption on forms etc but use it in everday life

most forms now ask 'known as'

We're currently in a dilemma over imminent DD2. Super-girly Emily (the fave, but has other issues associated with it) or Alexandra, shortened to Alex (DH doesn't like Lexie).

I've always thought I didn't like ambiguous names, but otherwise like Alex and it is amazing to find a name we both like. Was put off a bit after reading on here quite a few Alexes saying that they didn't like growing up with a unisex name and Alex now seems to be more a boy's name than in the 70s/80s. Hmmm. Just can't decide and it's really bothering me...

I have a 'Lee' in my family-she was born in the 50's, it was quite an unusual name,still is I guess.

This is tricky isn?t it. A good pal of DD?s is (a girl) called Rowan, but I know a couple of men with the name.

TBH I think it?s more of a problem for boys with what then becomes a girl?s name - eg a lot of those surnamey names (Tyler, Taylor, Mackenzie) or names like Carol and Evelyn which were boys? names first. Nobody would call a boy Evelyn now, think of the teasing!
Robin is a good eg - a funky girl but maybe less good now for a boy?

Some names are spelled differently - Lesley/Leslie; Frances/Francis; Jamie/Jaime but I?m never sure about that....

(Disclaimer: I have a name that is also a boys? name (tho less often) and that is one reason why I don?t like it)

my friend Lee (born in 1977) is oober girly and looks like courtney cox - just can't hate her for it though as she is soooooooo lovely

poppy you need to go with something you love or you'll regret it, I know your reasons for swithering over Emily bit I think its a truely beautiful, classic name and a lovely tribute too

would dh consider Alexa from Alexandra? that's a tad more girly than Alex

DH just obstinate and Alex or Alexandra, full stop. (Hoping that she might prefer Lexie and change it herself, but would be a while until we got to that point ). Boy/girl thing not a problem to him at all.

So many good reasons to go for Emily, but just doesn't quite feel right at the moment.

If only Alex was just a girl's name, we'd be sorted!

Poppy - what about Sasha as a nickname for Alexandra? Or even Zandra? - Okay I admit I just made that up but many boys are called Zander as a nickname?

Hmmm - Might run Sasha past DH, but he's so dull on these matters that I don't hold out much hope. Interesting suggestion though... Thank you!

Zandra - Rhodes. Bonkers I think?