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Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Giving my son a 'girl' name

441 replies

Bowa · 21/04/2025 22:27

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?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
hereismydog · 28/04/2026 16:10

GhislaineDeFeligondeRose · 28/04/2026 12:25

Shirley?

I am serious. And don’t call me Shirley!

SueKeeper · 28/04/2026 16:15

The different spellings make a huge differene, Jesse isn't the same name as Jessie, Corin isn't the same name as Corinne, Francis different from Frances etc.

It will be fine - I know boys with all three of the example names I've given and nobody has ever made comments that they have girly names - a classic case of overthinking, congratulations on your baby and their lovely name.

CurlewKate · 28/04/2026 16:24

housethatbuiltme · 05/07/2025 16:38

To be fair I have know a couple of boys/men that go by Ellie, short for Ellis/Ellison (either as a nickname of first or surname) and also a boy named Ely (actually pronounced Ee-lie but often misread as Ellie).

Eli is a male name. Pronounced Eeli-(long e) It’s nothing to do with Elis.

CurlewKate · 28/04/2026 16:30

Incidentally, there is no such thing as a “unisex name” with one or two exceptions. There are boys names that girls have been allowed to use, and which are almost immediately dropped like hot coals for boys. Because misogyny.

deeahgwitch · 28/04/2026 18:05

Hilary is used for male and female ?

CurlewKate · 28/04/2026 20:26

deeahgwitch · 28/04/2026 18:05

Hilary is used for male and female ?

Hilary used to be an exclusively male name. It’s very out of fashion now, but I would certainly assume that a young Hilary was a girl.

RosesAndHellebores · 28/04/2026 21:00

I think:

Hilary
Evelyn
Vivian
Lindsay

were of their time. Nowadays there are names with spelling variants, as indeed were Lindsay and Vivian but they seem so out dated now.

Leslie/Lesley
Francis/Frances
Josslin/Jocelyn

Victor/Victoria
Nicholas/Nicola
Alexander/Alexandra
Charles/Charlotte
George/Georgina

have a different vibe altogether.

Allseeingallknowing · 28/04/2026 21:58

deeahgwitch · 28/04/2026 18:05

Hilary is used for male and female ?

Politician Hilary Benn?

CurlewKate · 29/04/2026 05:24

Allseeingallknowing · 28/04/2026 21:58

Politician Hilary Benn?

He’s in his 70s. Also v.posh, so different naming conventions apply!

deeahgwitch · 29/04/2026 08:14

Yes I know a male Hilary and a couple of female ones.

PieLoe · 29/04/2026 08:49

Wilfrida1 · 22/04/2025 07:46

I have a unisex first name and HATED it with a passion, so changed to my middle name. I was always being teased and told I was a boy.

Edited

Me too.

Also. I thought of Johnny Cash ‘A boy named Sue’

DeanElderberry · 29/04/2026 09:23

Florence

HatStickBoots · 29/04/2026 12:57

Gene, Joe, Chris, Stacey, Sheldon, Stevie, Billy… The pp who said Rumplestiltskin is a genius! 👏😄

DeanElderberry · Today 11:41

If abbreviated names are included then Pat and Patsy.

DeanElderberry · Today 11:42

I've known both male and female Daires and Nollaigs.

101Alsatians · Today 12:28

Remy but spelled Remi?

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