Baby Names - You're kidding Right???

[Browyn]

I can see how it is harder to move a girl's name to a boy's though and I do agree.  However, with this era of unique names and old names coming back to life, I can see there would probably be more open-mindedness for boy names too.  While I am not a fan of names like Rock Star or Helicopter or something like that, choosing a name from a old 1906 name book seems like a great idea.

I'll look in the book again, this time for names that surprised me with the gender they appeared under. I remember Florence being under male names, for example--I think it started as a place name, like Dakota, and was apparently considered appropriate for "boys only" in 1906!

Florence Zigfield springs to mind.

The first time I met DH's Mother's side of the family (Italian American) at a wedding I think the first dozen or so men I was introduced to were either named Tony or Paul.

[Thipu1]

I can see how it is harder to move a girl's name to a boy's though and I do agree.  However, with this era of unique names and old names coming back to life, I can see there would probably be more open-mindedness for boy names too.  While I am not a fan of names like Rock Star or Helicopter or something like that, choosing a name from a old 1906 name book seems like a great idea.

I'll look in the book again, this time for names that surprised me with the gender they appeared under. I remember Florence being under male names, for example--I think it started as a place name, like Dakota, and was apparently considered appropriate for "boys only" in 1906!

I remember reading about a 19th century Irish bishop named Florence.  There's also Evelyn Waugh.  Jean Shepherd had the girl's spelling of the name.  That inspired the song 'A Boy Named Sue'. 

Also, many Frenchmen have had Marie as a middle name. 

[Ms_Cellany]

There's the British author, Mr. Vyvyan Holland

ETA that he was Oscar Wilde's son. The family changed their name after his conviction. I believe another descendant returned to "Wilde."

[heartmug]

This summer I read a book about Harry Truman and his brother's name was Vivian.

[Ms_Cellany]

I think Beverly was also originally a male name.

[jedikaiti]

Dee-Borah. Yes, that's a first name. Yes, it's a legal name. Yes, I wish I was joking about this.

Also, at my work we have three guys named Aaron. So one is Amick (his last name starts with Mc-), another is Ace (his first name starts with the letters Ce-) and the third is A-a-ron. Pronounced with two long a's. We don't get them mixed up too often with a system like that in place.

We also used to have four Chris's. One is no longer with the company, but three were Chris (one female, two male) and one is Kris. We still have to qualify which Chris/Kris we're talking about because nobody's come up with something clever for that yet.

I worked at a company that had quite a few Toms and Davids, with one of each being the brothers who founded the company. Some became known by their screen names, others by last names, or some combo of first and last. This was when Star Trek: Voyager was in production, and the 7th Tom we hired became known as Seven, in hopes that one day we could call him Seven of Nine. When we got another David with the same last name as the founding brothers, an email went out to the office - we needed to establish a nickname before his start date, so as to avoid confusion. <G>

[ladyknight1]

Just found a Unike (ew-neek).

[Dazi]

A not so young man named Jade.  Personally, I'm not a big fan of it even for a girl.

[Jones]

I know at least three guys--not terribly old nor young--with the name Stacey (or Stacy). I had always thought that a girls' name but apparently not!

[Thipu1]

I know at least three guys--not terribly old nor young--with the name Stacey (or Stacy). I had always thought that a girls' name but apparently not!

Stacey Keach is a male actor with a good reputation.  He was a fixture on 'Cheers'. 

[Lynn2000]

A not so young man named Jade.  Personally, I'm not a big fan of it even for a girl.

There was a boy in my school named Jade--he must be over 30 by now. In that time and place it was a very unusual name, period, but still slightly more associated with girls.

I think it makes a great guys' gemstone name, though, especially now with the "Jaden" association. I mean, if one was looking for a gemstone name for a boy...

[Nikko-chan]

Child on toddlers and tiaras... Rainbow Dash

[iridaceae]

Got my DD's class list today from the teacher (lovely welcoming letter).  Along with the different spellings of common names (Jayson, Angelena) and the interesting names (Ryder, Jaycee, McKenna) there are the kids of foreign descent (our school has a high population of immigrants being brought here by a charity group from third world countries)..and I feel for the teachers having to say these names because I know I would just call them Frank.  There is Kavya (I got that one) Aung (think I may have that) and the twins (I kid you not ) Oluwatomiwa & Oluwatomisin.  And there is a kid ( a girl I think) in her grade named Ba Blu Moo.

I find this attitude of "weird foreign name! Not white! Must call them by white name!" to be incredibly offensive. Teachers,  like most people,  are capable of learning new names. Even "ethnic" ones.* Ethnic names are due the same respect as white names.


*Yes I understand there may be tones or clicks or sounds that you just cannot get quite right but that doesn't mean you don't try.

[WolfWay]

Got my DD's class list today from the teacher (lovely welcoming letter).  Along with the different spellings of common names (Jayson, Angelena) and the interesting names (Ryder, Jaycee, McKenna) there are the kids of foreign descent (our school has a high population of immigrants being brought here by a charity group from third world countries)..and I feel for the teachers having to say these names because I know I would just call them Frank.  There is Kavya (I got that one) Aung (think I may have that) and the twins (I kid you not ) Oluwatomiwa & Oluwatomisin.  And there is a kid ( a girl I think) in her grade named Ba Blu Moo.

I find this attitude of "weird foreign name! Not white! Must call them by white name!" to be incredibly offensive. Teachers,  like most people,  are capable of learning new names. Even "ethnic" ones.* Ethnic names are due the same respect as white names.

*Yes I understand there may be tones or clicks or sounds that you just cannot get quite right but that doesn't mean you don't try.

Speaking as a South African, where black indignous people were given "white" names by colonials who found their african names too "difficult" to learn, a teacher not making the effort to learn a tribal or ethnic name because it's "difficult" is deeply offensive to me as well.

[BB-VA]

Speaking of gender names (and I may have posted about this before) - has anyone ever known a male Bambi?  In the book and movie, it is established that little Bambi is the PRINCE of the forest.  Last time I heard, princes were male - but I have known a couple of Bambis (Bambies?) and they have always been female. 

I have known male and female Pats, Terrys, Marion/Marians, Lynn/Linns,Sidneys, Ashleys, Kellys, Danas - well, quite a list of names that can go with either gender.   I do have to admit that I prefer names that are more gender specific, if only to keep kids from being embarrassed.  I do know that the male Linn who was a classmate was listed among the girls names and he was quite bothered about it (this was elementary school, though).