Leander?

[Amandoh]

When I was at school there was a girl a couple of classes above me called Leander. I always thought it was a pretty name and as we're thinking of trying for another baby I was idly thinking of names for a girl and Leander came to mind.

I know the story of Leander and Hero so realise that traditionally it's a male name but then so's Ashley but both sexes use it (Although spelling is sometimes different). Anyway, I looked up the meaning of Leander and it means Lion Man.

Would it be completely bonkers to call a girl Leander bearing in mind the meaning? Would an "a" on the end be better? Leanda?

It does sound like a male name, a bit like Alexander. How about Leanna?

I thought boy straight away

I thought frigate.

Hmm, Leander class frigate.

Yes, didn't think of that. Not so pretty now.

rowing club.

Pink socks. But then only 0.0000001% of people would be dull enough to think that.

I prefer Hero tbh but there's nothing wrong with Leander.

Oh, no. Not pregnant! We've just been talking about trying for another.

I don't know if it's the sound that I like really. I just used to like the name. I think the name was helped by the Leander I knew at school being very pretty and popular. She was in my junior school so my initial hearing of the name was in use as a girls name. It was only in senior school that I found out through Classics that it is infact male.

I do see what you mean about Leanda with an "a" not looking right but I tend to think of "er" at the end of the name being male so wondered if changing it to "a" would look more feminine.

With the name Leanne being feminine I thought we might get away with Leander for a girl as it's just adding a "da" sound to the end.

Oh well, it's all pie in the sky really. I should be more concerned with the actual getting pregnant than names at the moment.

Opinions appreciated though.

I used to work with a Leanda (pronounced Lee-ann-der) and I think it is a lovely name.

leander is definitely a male name. the female version of leander is leandra as far as i know?

Leander is a popular boys' name in Germany, I think.

I have a female relative whose middle name is Leanda.

Yes, I agree with Tardis, Leandra would follow the pattern of Alexander/Alexandra.

Hi all,
my son is called Leander. His father is German and the name is slightly more common in Scandanavian countries and Germany. But it is still obscure enough that I have to constantly tell people where the name comes from and that it is not a girl's name. I have met a much older woman called Lianda. And in France I've come across a few young boys called Leandre. As for it being a tragic name, someone mentioned it being associated with drowning etc, I think those things must go in trends becasue Juliet committed suicide , as did Romeo, but both are fairly popular names these days.

I assumed this would be a boy name thread.

Lovely name, boy or girl. I don't think it's well-established enough as a boys name in the UK for it to cause too much confusion.

I am a Leanna and usually the only one at school, uni and places of work....never get called Lea, some family members call me Lan but mainly it is Leanna in full....i have always liked it as its unusual without being weird...

I think Leander really is a boys name....