Anyone else dislike traditionally boys' names being used for girls?

[Innitoutit]

Does anyone else hate the trend of giving girls traditionally boy names (Elliott, Ezra, James, Scottie, Tommy, etc.)? Currently pregnant and had a family member suggest one of these types of names for our daughter and almost rolled my eyes when she said it. I don't understand why it's so popular at the moment and why so many parents seemingly want their daughters to be seen as masculine. Maybe it bothers me because you never see it go the other way round. You never see feminine names become unisex. It does seem to be more popular in America (thankfully), but I can see it increasing in popularity here.

I don't like it either - as if the only way a girl can be strong is if she's given a male name. FRO.

I had to google quite extensively to find this, but apparently it’s a female version of Donald. How you get Dolina from Donald I really cannot say.

I have seen other Victorian horrors - Albertina, Voltairine, Johnina, Peterina, Robertina. Particularly awful names as there is often a decent female version in existence as well (Peterina is awful compared to Petra for example, Robertina could just have been called Roberta. Georgina/Georgette are much uglier than Georgia).

I know a Persephone that goes by Percy and I love it, but then I also don’t mind James, Scottie, Elliott as female names.

I know of adult Men named Kimberley and Kirsten.

Shirley, Stacy, Hilary and Jocelyn all used to be male names but now sound like female names. Also Vivian

I've no idea if it's popular in USA. It's a boy's name here.

I know Seren is feminine (as is Bronwyn/Bronwen), but my point was to counter OP’s point that it never works the other way (with girls names on boys).

I think it’s the consonant sound at the end that makes them feel more masculine to me.

It’s totally sexist. If it wasn’t-there’s be boys called Sara and Margaret. But there aren’t. DON’T tell girls that strong names are boy’s names. Such a crap message.

I’m not sure why. There’s nothing inherent about the link between a bunch of consonant and vowel sounds and a person’s genitalia.

But I am quite gender critical, and don’t really think names/clothes/toys need to be gendered.

(I’d still love my middle name to be Peter too!).

But where is here? This is a .com site not .co.uk

It is popular in USA - as others have said, Kylie and Jason Kelce have an Elliott and she’s super cute.

I really like it. I’m in my early forties and when I was younger, lots of girls shortened their feminine version names to the boys one so maybe it hits different. Charlotte to Charlie, Antonia to Toni etc.

The name we’ve given our daughter is traditionally a boy’s name but so rarely used that most wouldn’t recognise it as such. I certainly wouldn’t eyeroll. Or go on MN to put that kind of negativity out there either.

It happens occasionally but it's rarely done.
Nobody to my knowledge on MN has defended the use of a girl's name for a boy, as in 'But Florence is a boy's name'.

As far as I’m aware, the term “mum” is not widely used in the USA. This is obviously predominantly a UK site.

Johnina, Peterina, and Robertina are awful! 😆

I HATE the name Georgina being shortened to George! Gina is fine, but George! NO! Georgie I like though, and Georgia. Though I think Georgia is a name in its own right now, like Katie is.

Thanks for the info about Dolina! x

All 3 of my boys have long hair and I wasn't hoping for girls, they simply like having long hair and they can have it how they want. They always get compliments on it and for me they are like my little wild mowgli's 🥰

Horribly sexist practice imo. Names start as masculine then become unisex as people decide to give their daughters a "strong" name. Give it more time and no boys get the name as it's now seen as feminine and weak. I can't think of a single example which has gone in the opposite direction.

This argument sounds good in theory but only seems to apply when it comes to naming daughters male names, though. I don’t see anyone advocating for naming boys Mary or Scarlett, right? You’d probably be told that he’ll be horrifically bullied and not to be selfish by burdening him with such a name.

Exactly. If it was about names no longer being gendered the drift would be equal in both directions. It isn't. I'd be interested to hear a single example of a traditional girl's name which moved to become a boy's name.

I've always like Lawrence since reading the Antonie Forest's Marlow books.

Horrible and I think sexist. When people start calling their sons Fiona and Isobel I'll still roll my eyes but at least it will even the playing field. You don't want to call your son a pretty feminine name but its OK to give your daughter a blokey name? Why exactly is that?

Shannon, Meredith, Courtney, Allison, Jordan, Beverley, Hillary, Joyce, Whitney, Evelyn, Marion, Tracy and even Margaret were popular boys names once

I love Hilary for both boys and girls. It was on my list of boy names but DH vetoed.

I really don't like people using boy names for girls. They almost always stop being used for boys in the end. I resent that when there are a million gorgeous girl names and naming boys already feels harder and more limited!

I can understand some boy names being used for girls better than others though. James for a girl is ridiculous imo. Frankie is OK to me as I know several Frankie's short for Francesca. Ditto Charlie short for Charlotte, Bobbie for Roberta etc. But a name like Noa does sound quite feminine because so many girl's names end in a. Or Emery, which sounds like the lovechild of Emily and Emma.

I don't like girl names ending in "son". They all sound masculine to me. And why steal Aubrey when the girls already had Audrey?!

Oh dear. Long hair is sex related now? I really thought we had gotten over this crap. No wonder people want to try and change their sex if this is the attitude now.

Sometimes they make the switch from boy to girl in America but not in the UK (at least not yet).

I would guess that includes Elliott, Ashley and Sydney which to me are still very much boy names. As is Rowan although I feel that one is a strong contender for being lost to boys in the future unfortunately.

I feel that being really bold and calling a girl Michael or James is marginally better than the weird fakery of sticking an "a" or other feminisation on the end of a masculine name and pretending it doesn't mean "oops we wanted a girl" (Nigella, Thomasina etc)

A Boy Named Sue?