Giving my son a 'girl' name

[Bowa]

I am due soon to give birth soon to my first child who will be a boy. I struggled to think of any boy names that felt right. I had a long list for girl names, but I couldn't think any for if I had a son.

I found out I was having a boy at my 16 weeks scan and I still couldn't find a name that felt right at the time. Kinda like a missing puzzle piece if that makes sense.

A few weeks later, I was thinking about a movie I loved since childhood and one of the main characters (the character is male) and something clicked and I knew that was the name I wanted for my son. It felt perfect and exactly what I was looking for. I became excited and looked into how I could make things with his name for the nursery, nicknames and that.

I haven't told anyone what name I picked out for him as I wanted to get everything ready beforehand. I have also had some 'complications', so it felt like bad luck if I told people his name before he was born. When I'm by myself, I talk to my son and I will use his name then.

I was looking at something and saw the name I picked for my son. It had a few different spellings, but what stuck out was that apparently it's used more as a girl name. It didn't say anything about it being a unisex name. I assumed because the character who had the name was male (and refers to himself as a male) that it was wasn't a girl's name or maybe it could be a unisex name. Even the way it is pronounced sounds more masculine than feminine.

I feel conflicted. I can't think of any other name that feels right for him (he has middle names that are boy names), but I don't want him to be picked on if people knew it was used more for a girl. I have an unusual first name, so I have experiences with people not spelling it correctly or pronouncing it right.

His name isn't common for this area either, so I don't think anyone would assume it is used more as a girl name and the way it is pronounced is easy.

I know people have named their daughter with names that are more boy/unisex sounding like: Blake, Parker, Dylan, Toni etc.

His name isn't like: Daisy, Penelope, Sophia, Jane etc.

Would it be OK to stick with the name even if it's used more for a girl?

As others have said, we can't possibly comment without knowing the name, but I think if you are unsure, I would find another name. I think you have to be quite definite when you name a child.

Jesse is very common for young boys now, its in the top 100 boys names and rapidly climbing each year. I know several little Jesse since Breaking Bad.

That along with Jensen which came out of no where to be popular, on top of that its all just the standard Noah, Theo, Oliver etc...

Surely that was because of jenson button?

That is probably where it was heard and entered the UK consciousness of millennial children who probably just thought 'that sounds cool'. I doubt many people named their kid after him even if hes the obvious name sake that everyone thinks of though.

Same how with Jesse it dropped in popularity through the 1900s as people use to think Jesse James the outlaw (of the back of the popularity of western films) but its back now.

Yes this is the right approach.

If in doubt, don't.

5 pages in - where's the OP with the sodding name???

#frustrated

Pointless question without the name.

Lindsey? Didn't do Lindsey Buckingham any harm to have a girls name. Also I've seen a couple of (admittedly American) TV shows with a male character called Lindsey.

OP, you really need to tell us the name! 😂

One of my DS has a name like this - definitely traditionally a male name, with male spelling, but sounds exactly like a similar girl's name with a different spelling. Think Darcy, Casey and the like.

I love his name and don't consider him "saddled" with it, as others have pointed out there is an obvious double standard at play.

Let me just check my crystal ball then I'll let you know.

I thought the same

I do know of a 30-year-old Jesse
Nobody really gives it any thoughts, but I would imagine he had a colourful childhood.

Opt for something safe like Wayne, Nigel or Keith.

Linsay/Lindsay or Hilary are great names.

You’ll know when you meet him if your chosen name suits him. Names change popularity and use over time - go for what you want. For example, I’ve seen three male Jess / Jesse’s on screen and know one irl and think it’s a great name and so very different if used with a boy than a girl and I don’t draw comparisons with the female Jess’ that I know

Rumpelstiltskin?

The speaker of the house of commons is Lindsay Hoyle.

Wait till he is born when you see his face you will realise the name you had in your mind would not suit.

Lindsay is not a girl's name. It's a Scottish surname which was used as a first name for boys and then was adopted for girls as well.

Depends whether you'd like people to take the piss out of your son for his whole life. Because that is what will happen. Kids are cruel. Why set him up to a bad start?

If it is any of the following with the following spellings it is fine:

Jesse
Paris
Aubrey
Lee
Riley
Casey

You need to expand your horizons then.

I think of Lindsay more as a male nMe than a female name tbh.

We need to know the name @Bowa but broadly, if you have to ask, don't do it.

John
James
William
Christopher
Thomas

All are fine. As, more unusually would be: Magnus, Briscoe, Tristan, Gawain, etc.

I really wouldn't venture down the Leslie, Hilary, Vyvyan, Kim, Lyndsay, Evelyn, Josslin route or for something modern/unique/unisex.

Lindsay Hoyle, male Speaker of the House of Commons.

It is your child, name him what you want.