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?

Johnny Cash had a big old hit back in February '69 with a song on the very subject, @Bowa . One day your son may be able to keep his momma likewise in style thanks to his girly name. 😀

Is Rory their full name though? Or a short version of Aurora or something like that?
Because I think it’s more commonplace to have a male or unisex name as a short form than as a full name on the birth cert.

I know a couple of female Pats, for example, though it’s more often a male name. In both cases they’re Patricia. The same goes for names like Sam, Alex, Ger, Charlie, Finn (the only one I know is actually a Fionnuala) and so on.

@ 68 I’m prob too old to reply. I had 3 children but couldn’t have been certain what I wanted to name them until they were born? Im very interested that some people can be so certain what a small persons name will be before looking them in the eyes, sort of meeting them properly 😄

Rachel is a name of biblical origin, for women/girls.

Is it Zooey?

If so, no, I wouldn’t.

Narcissus, after the founder of Marsh's Library.

Don't do it.

Literally not able to comment without the name

What is the point of posts like these?

We can't comment for sure unless we know the name. It could be something like Ashley, which is exclusively a girl's name in America but more often used for boys in the UK.

But if in doubt, don't use it. You're not the one who could go through life being bullied for your name. Would you have liked it if your parents had called you Derek?

But Narcissus is a male name?

Agreed. I don't like it as a girl's name - for me it's Ashley Wilkes or Laura Ashley's surname.

Can’t think of Dorian without thinking of King Havilliard

@Bowa I also thought the name was Avery. If it was I also loved it for a boy. But studies have shown boys struggle socially if they have a name more commonly associated with girls, even more so if they have girls in the class/ school with the name, so we went with something more traditionally make.

Sacha, Hillary, Gene (usually short for Eugene)? Without knowing the name I can't answer.

Rachel is 100% a female name. As is Phaedra despite Peaches Geldof using it for her son.

Narcissus and Hyacinth started as a male names

I think it’s crazy that this thread is 13 pages long and OP never came back to tell us the name or reply, why even start it 😂

Please tell us the name

Frances / Francis ?

Has anyone had a punt on Kerry yet? I used to know a male Kerry. Very handsome.

My DS has a name that is sometimes assumed to be a girls name. Hadn’t occurred to me as it’s an old name but apparently is recently used for girls in America. It’s made no different to his life so far and I don’t expect it to. I’d say give your son a name you love. There will always be people who like and don’t like or get it, but that’s just life.

I named my son a girl sounding name, his name is Jesse and he really suits it and We love the name. It can get confusing when you are booking an appointment and they assume he is a girl, but he has never had any problems with it and most people say they like his name. We call him Jess for short.

If it's Rio, it's fine.
(Though I know a girl Rio and a boy Rio and both parents were a bit annoyed when they heard there was one of the opposite gender around.)

Jesse is a boy name (only) in my language, and lovely!

i mean... without knowing the name this could be a disaster or nothing.

if its Gertrude/Bertha/Chardonnay or similar he will hate you, He probably will be bullied all his school life and probably come out the other end with deeply routed anxiety, social issues or other complex trauma, but at least you're happy right?

if its Sam/Ashley/Charlie or another similar unisex name then who cares?

Ploy.
Bison.
Fadel .
I know all these names given to boys and girls.