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HelpBoy names on girls
Question prompted by the discussion below: how many of you know women/girls/babies with boy's names irl? Just curious as to how common it really is, and what names are being used.
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I have met girls named Aidan and Rhyan.
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My own name is technically unisex, but since the male version is so much more common, people misspell it, and prior to meeting me people always assume I am male.
Also there were all the lovely taunts as a child concerning my "boy name" and asking if I was really a "boy". Then the jealousy of friends boyfriends that kept hearing about me until finding out, "Oh, __ is a girl."
So... yeah. If I should ever have a daughter, she will have a very feminine name.
On the plus side, as an adult, when people meet me, most people's first response is, "Oh, I love unisex names!"
I have another friend that has a traditionally masculine name, though only now becoming more popular. She didn't have as much of a hard time with it.
Also there were all the lovely taunts as a child concerning my "boy name" and asking if I was really a "boy". Then the jealousy of friends boyfriends that kept hearing about me until finding out, "Oh, __ is a girl."
So... yeah. If I should ever have a daughter, she will have a very feminine name.
On the plus side, as an adult, when people meet me, most people's first response is, "Oh, I love unisex names!"
I have another friend that has a traditionally masculine name, though only now becoming more popular. She didn't have as much of a hard time with it.
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I've been racking my brain on this question and I literally can't think of any girls or women with a male name.
I know of a female Leigh and an Ashleigh but I tend to think of those as unisex or in the case of Ashleigh - the female form of Ashley. Being in the UK, I've known a lot of male Ashleys.
The only example I can think of is I once worked with a woman named Vaughn and until I met her, from just seeing her name on correspondence, I assumed she was a man as I'd only met male Vaughans until then.
I know of a female Leigh and an Ashleigh but I tend to think of those as unisex or in the case of Ashleigh - the female form of Ashley. Being in the UK, I've known a lot of male Ashleys.
The only example I can think of is I once worked with a woman named Vaughn and until I met her, from just seeing her name on correspondence, I assumed she was a man as I'd only met male Vaughans until then.
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I can't bring any females of any age, that I know, who have boy names.
Actually, I'm the only one I can think of, and that due to where I live. (for new posters), I live in a French-speaking area. My name is the not-unusual Jean, and as you know, that's a common French name for males.
People do occasionally ask me why I have a man's name.
Actually, I'm the only one I can think of, and that due to where I live. (for new posters), I live in a French-speaking area. My name is the not-unusual Jean, and as you know, that's a common French name for males.
People do occasionally ask me why I have a man's name.
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The author Anne Rice was named Howard Allen Frances O'Brien at birth. The fact that she introduced herself as Anne at school and then had it legally changed as an adult suggests that she didn't hold with the notion that a woman needs a man's name to achieve success.
Personally, I have met women in their twenties named Blake, Quincy and Ronnie. I know a few girls named Taylor, but it has become unisex along with Riley. Many names like Alexis and Dana started off as masculine but are now more common with girls.
Personally, I have met women in their twenties named Blake, Quincy and Ronnie. I know a few girls named Taylor, but it has become unisex along with Riley. Many names like Alexis and Dana started off as masculine but are now more common with girls.
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Ha, yup, either of those would have been great.
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Only one I've ever known was a woman, probably long dead, here in South Africa but from the Afrikaans-speaking part of the population. There, the tradition of naming children after the grandparents still exists if one wants it to but used to be very strong. As a schoolgirl I had a holiday job in a women's clothing shop and someone named Andries Philippus Gerhardus Lastname used to regularly buy stockings and underwear on account. After a while I queried this - was it a sweet transvestite? - and found that this was a woman all right, and it had been Granddad Andries Philippus Gerhardus's turn to have the next baby named after him. (He, in his turn, would have been named after a grandfather, and so on and on.)
What bothered me about this was, first, that the parents caved in and second, that they didn't name their daughter Andrea Philippa Geraldine.
What bothered me about this was, first, that the parents caved in and second, that they didn't name their daughter Andrea Philippa Geraldine.
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It amazes me that she didn't change it herself, when old enough. Maybe she started enjoying the confusion! Does Andries have a unisex nn?
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Nope. I gave Andrea as a f version just because it's more familiar to English-speakers, same as Geraldine, but in Afrikaans it'd more likely be Andriesa. Andries is pronounced pretty much like Undress, but with the short i of Nicholas instead of the e. So, the default m nn is Dries, and the f would be Driesa.
She could therefore have been Andriesa Philippa Gerharda or Gerhardina or Gerhardiena. The G is "as in Scottish loch", but pronounced further back, so more guttural. The default m nn is, of all things, Hardus!
She could therefore have been Andriesa Philippa Gerharda or Gerhardina or Gerhardiena. The G is "as in Scottish loch", but pronounced further back, so more guttural. The default m nn is, of all things, Hardus!
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Aside from names that are regularly used for both genders (Morgan, Logan, Riley, Taylor, etc), I've met a female Aiden, Ryan, Isaac, Brett, Tyler, Kyle, Aaron, Keenan, Pierce, Grant, Campbell, and Toby. That's all I can think of at the moment, but I feel like there are more. In addition, I know plenty of girls/women with double names in which the second name is a male name (Ella James, Mary Bruce, Mary Clark, etc.). That's a pretty Southern thing.
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Wow, that's quite a collection! Isaac and Grant are the most surprising - I can't imagine either of those on a girl. Are they of all ages, or mostly quite young?
The double names are fun - clunky, but endearing somehow.
The double names are fun - clunky, but endearing somehow.
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I'm in the US.
I went to elementary school with a girl named Kevin...something that started with a C. She was basically a female junior. She had her father's name, but went by K.C. She'd be about 28.
There was a girl in one of my college classes named Ryan. She would have to be around 25 now.
I know a 3rd grader named Morgan. That's more accepted as unisex though.
I also know a 1st grade girl named Jaden.
Oh, there used to be a little girl across the street from my grandma named Quinn. She'd probably be 5 now.
I feel like there are more, but I can't think of any of them. It must come from reading so many birth announcements and seeing them there! Haha.
ETA: I also know a first grader named Bailey.
I went to elementary school with a girl named Kevin...something that started with a C. She was basically a female junior. She had her father's name, but went by K.C. She'd be about 28.
There was a girl in one of my college classes named Ryan. She would have to be around 25 now.
I know a 3rd grader named Morgan. That's more accepted as unisex though.
I also know a 1st grade girl named Jaden.
Oh, there used to be a little girl across the street from my grandma named Quinn. She'd probably be 5 now.
I feel like there are more, but I can't think of any of them. It must come from reading so many birth announcements and seeing them there! Haha.
ETA: I also know a first grader named Bailey.
This message was edited 3/22/2015, 11:37 AM
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Stevie
Kyle*
Shane*
Tyler*
Gabriel
George
Ashton
Shauni - I'm not sure this one counts as the 'i' kind of makes it feminine.
All aged between 20-25
*In case it's relevant these three are American expats. (I'm in the UK)
Kyle*
Shane*
Tyler*
Gabriel
George
Ashton
Shauni - I'm not sure this one counts as the 'i' kind of makes it feminine.
All aged between 20-25
*In case it's relevant these three are American expats. (I'm in the UK)
This message was edited 3/22/2015, 8:04 AM
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I've seen Gabriel on women in historical data, along with Noel, but it's really surprising to hear of a young one. I wonder if it was a family name?
George as a full name is just... mind-boggling.
George as a full name is just... mind-boggling.
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I'm not sure if it was a family name or not. To be honest I met her when I was quite young and at the time I didn't question the name because I assumed it was a female name. This was a class wide assumption, we were all very confused when our teacher tried to persuade us that the angel Gabriel was in fact meant to be a male!
George is her full name, she's not a Georgia or a Georgina or even a Georgiana! It is unusual but it does suit her quite well actually. Although it doesn't make me think of George as any less of a male name.
George is her full name, she's not a Georgia or a Georgina or even a Georgiana! It is unusual but it does suit her quite well actually. Although it doesn't make me think of George as any less of a male name.
This message was edited 3/23/2015, 10:10 AM
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Only one, a little girl named Kit.
Most names in Sweden are not unisex and you are usually not allowed to give a girl a male name (or vice versa). There are a few gender neutral names here, though, although none of them are very common:
Alexis - 1638 men; 290 women
Charlie - 7550 men: 531 women
Kaj - 6112 men; 27 women
Kim - 11828 men; 4424 women
Kit - 96 men; 119 women
Love - 7493 men; 576 women
Niki - 47 men; 414 women
Robin - 28490 men; 301 women
Most names in Sweden are not unisex and you are usually not allowed to give a girl a male name (or vice versa). There are a few gender neutral names here, though, although none of them are very common:
Alexis - 1638 men; 290 women
Charlie - 7550 men: 531 women
Kaj - 6112 men; 27 women
Kim - 11828 men; 4424 women
Kit - 96 men; 119 women
Love - 7493 men; 576 women
Niki - 47 men; 414 women
Robin - 28490 men; 301 women
This message was edited 3/22/2015, 7:41 AM
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Interesting list! I had no idea Robin was so popular in Sweden.
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Having been born in the 90s, probably too many to count. It's certainly not an uncommon practice.
Off the top of my head, I can remember girls named:
Austin (1)
Taylor - loads of these
Ashley
Madison (1) - I've never considered this particularly feminine...also there was a guy named Madison at my high school.
Jamie/Jaime - Jamie's rather ambiguous, I'll admit, but if I see the spelling Jaime I do think of Spanish-speaking men.
Morgan
Jesse - not Jessie, but Jesse. Young cousin of mine, of sorts.
Sasha
Lee - this I consider unisex, however
Alexis
Tyler
Off the top of my head, I can remember girls named:
Austin (1)
Taylor - loads of these
Ashley
Madison (1) - I've never considered this particularly feminine...also there was a guy named Madison at my high school.
Jamie/Jaime - Jamie's rather ambiguous, I'll admit, but if I see the spelling Jaime I do think of Spanish-speaking men.
Morgan
Jesse - not Jessie, but Jesse. Young cousin of mine, of sorts.
Sasha
Lee - this I consider unisex, however
Alexis
Tyler
This message was edited 3/22/2015, 7:23 AM
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Discounting things like Riley and Bailey and Taylor and Jordan, which are not so much boys' names as basically unisex...
The principal of my daughter's school used to be a woman in her late fifties whose first name was Royce. Now, I don't know how she got it or even if Royce might have been her middle name that she went by, but Royce is definitely a male name.
There was a one-hit-wonder back in, I think, 1990, she sang a pop song salled "Girls' Nite Out" and her name was Tyler Collins. Her parents were waaay ahead of the trend.
I don't know any other girls or women with unambiguously male names, not off the top of my head.
The principal of my daughter's school used to be a woman in her late fifties whose first name was Royce. Now, I don't know how she got it or even if Royce might have been her middle name that she went by, but Royce is definitely a male name.
There was a one-hit-wonder back in, I think, 1990, she sang a pop song salled "Girls' Nite Out" and her name was Tyler Collins. Her parents were waaay ahead of the trend.
I don't know any other girls or women with unambiguously male names, not off the top of my head.
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Within my own group of friends there are four: Ashton, Chase, Blake, and Cody.
All of the children I know personally have traditionally gendered names.
All of the children I know personally have traditionally gendered names.
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