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Feminism: chat

Naming girls

80 replies

NameHelpNeeded123 · 17/01/2022 14:06

Right, I am trying to name impending baby girl and have absolutely lost it. I’ve lost all sense and overthinking absolutely everything.

Got me thinking, naming girls feminised boys names - misogynistic? Patriarchal? Also trend for full on boys names on girls eg James. Taking us backwards right? Clothes, name etc do not make a woman. However I’m really put off by names such as Felicity and other super frilly names as 1) they wouldn’t suit me so unlikely to suit my child and 2) bit too princessy - which completely goes against my point that the name does not make the woman. Just suggested Billie to DH and thought, is it too boyish. Front runner is Gabriella but that’s just a feminised Gabriel (also a bit princessy)??

Sorry for rushed post, am just posting train of thought and this is the state of my mind right now 😄

OP posts:
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CanofCant · 30/01/2022 13:54

Veronica

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SaltedCaramelHC · 27/01/2022 12:16

I think it's probably still the same thing, it's just easier to say it when you drop the 'e', which happens in various words when endings are added.

Other names have slightly different changes - e.g., a different ending (ella, ina) or a form of the name from a different language with a feminine ending becoming the commonly used feminine form in English e.g., Wilhelmina as a feminine form of William (ok, not really common maybe, but it exists!). Or Petronella or Petra for Peter; Thomasina for Thomas.

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SirSamuelVimes · 27/01/2022 10:17

@SaltedCaramelHC

but still very much a female version of a male name at its origin, though.
Unusual in the fact that it has remained a nicely unisex name in most of the nicknames, though - I know lots of male and female Alexes.

Is it the Alexander was feminised to Alexandra, or were the two created at the same time? Just wondering as it doesn't quite follow the 'stick an A on the end' in the same way as a lot of other names (Daniel / Daniella, Nigel / Nigella etc.).
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timeisnotaline · 27/01/2022 09:50

Hannah
June
Minerva

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SaltedCaramelHC · 27/01/2022 09:45

but still very much a female version of a male name at its origin, though.
Unusual in the fact that it has remained a nicely unisex name in most of the nicknames, though - I know lots of male and female Alexes.

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SirSamuelVimes · 27/01/2022 09:44

@DedalusBloom

I give you Alexandra which I think is classic and strong. From which:

Alex
Alexa
Alexi
Al
Allie
Sandra
Xander
Sandy
Lex
Lexi
Andra

And Alix
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DedalusBloom · 27/01/2022 00:30

I give you Alexandra which I think is classic and strong. From which:

Alex
Alexa
Alexi
Al
Allie
Sandra
Xander
Sandy
Lex
Lexi
Andra

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CrowFriend · 26/01/2022 17:42

Cassia.

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JustAnotherUserinParadise · 26/01/2022 17:26

I had similar thoughts when we named DD - she's Naomi.
My "rules":

  • not a girl version of a boy name (like Georgina, Victoria, etc)
  • could imagine that name if she became prime minister!
  • not super common
  • but not so rare that nobody can spell it


Others on my/our list were: Rachael, Hannah, Clare, Lydia, Beatrix,
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PumpkinCrumble · 26/01/2022 17:15

Sarah. I mean apparently it means Princess but it’s the most non-Princess name I can think of!

Biblical.
Not a male diminutive.
Travels well.

Not much nickname potential though.

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BlueBellsArePretty · 25/01/2022 21:54

Yolande and Genevieve were two names I quite liked when I was pregnant.

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ChestnutChomper · 23/01/2022 14:42

Laura would tick all your boxes.

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CheeseMmmm · 21/01/2022 20:57

It's going to be from Gabriel (archangel) though surely?

So like Gabrielle and not sure that's up OPs Street.

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Boood · 21/01/2022 17:38

I’ve never heard Gavriel before, I really like it.

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SirSamuelVimes · 21/01/2022 10:10

Adelaide
Adeline
Adaline

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SaltedCaramelHC · 21/01/2022 08:55

Helena doesn't seem too frilly to me, despite ending in an 'a'
Heather
Sarah
Julia/Julie
Nicola
Claire/Clara - I know these last few are all a bit 70s, but they don't sound princessy and are clearly feminine. and I've always liked them
Rhonda
Robyn
Audrey/Audra
Agnes
Mireille
Laura
Miranda (another couple that don't sound princessy despite the 'a')
Sorrel
Catrin
Hannah
Kirsty

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SirSamuelVimes · 21/01/2022 08:38

Sybil
Catherine
Harriet
Elizabeth
Beatrice
Beatrix
Beatriz
(I like all the variations of that one!)
Caroline (definitely feel like this is on the verge of a come back)

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BlueFlavour · 21/01/2022 07:01

Miranda!

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BlueFlavour · 21/01/2022 07:00

I did think about this. 19 yo dd is Alexandra.
I also liked Mirabda, Astrid and Honor.
Eleni is a beautiful Greek name imho.
I agree that people make their name their own.

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NameHelpNeeded123 · 21/01/2022 06:32

But yes I was saying the same thing, naming your child Emiliana isn’t going to make a huge difference/mean she can’t or won’t be a strong feminist etc.

Well yes, this is exactly what I said in my OP :) name doesn’t make the woman/personality

OP posts:
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CheeseMmmm · 21/01/2022 04:37

I agree totally :)

(Not the bit where you say unclear obv!)

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Kanaloa · 21/01/2022 03:48

No don’t worry! I struggle to post things clearly I think. But yes I was saying the same thing, naming your child Emiliana isn’t going to make a huge difference/mean she can’t or won’t be a strong feminist etc.

Realistically I think the best tactic is just to pick a sensible name that you both like and not overly stress about the connotations of it.

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CheeseMmmm · 21/01/2022 03:45

Male names middle name v common yes.

Imagine generally because male relative name.

A lot happens with vv posh people, titled types etc. At least used to I'm sure.

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CheeseMmmm · 21/01/2022 03:43

Agree that it's personal preference.

My main point is that name is-

  1. Bigger thing for child than parents. If parents like frilly names, it's not going to doom child into life of eg surrendered wife. But equally that may be child thing when grows up. And calling her non frilly won't change that!


  1. The reaction against things seen as feminine or v feminine is an error. My parents did this. Things coded masculine better. Which says. Male better. Anything associated with women/girls is crap.

Took me years and years to rid self of that facet of upbringing!

Sorry didn't get your post right at all 🙂
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Kanaloa · 21/01/2022 03:31

@CheeseMmmm

Oh I wasn’t saying a girl would be named John. I’ve probably not explained correctly. I was more saying that I don’t see feminine names (like ops example of Felicity) as a feminist issue because while there are more plain boys names (John) there are also more fancy boys names like Sebastian that fit well with Felicity. So I saw it as more of an issue of taste than a feminist/shouldn’t give girls frilly names type thing.

But yes there definitely is a handful of girls with James for a middle name - I believe there is a celebrity with a daughter named James too.

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