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Winifred
posted my top ten the other day and people seemed really put off my my using Winifred as a boy's name. Funny part is, I never realized that it was a girl's name, the only time I'd ever seen it used was on a boy. So I wanted to open dicussion on this....Winifred. boy? girl? both? thoughts?
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Winifred is all girl to me. I can't imagine it on a boy.
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Someone once thought my name was a boy's name...It has far, far more history on girls. One boy named it does not negate that history, and most people think of it as an old-fashioned girls name.
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I've never thought of it as masculine, though Winfred is very similar. I like it with Winnie as a nn, though it's not something I'd probably ever use on a child (too many Winnie the Pooh jokes, and as much as a I love Winnie the Pooh, I don't think I'd do that to my daughter :b). Speaking of Pooh, his name is Winnie, which is usually seen as feminine. Maybe it's short for Winifred, then, or Winfred or Winston. Or just Winnie. :)Edited:...To answer my own question. Clicking on Winnie I see that Winnie is short for Winnipeg. LOL.

This message was edited 11/13/2007, 4:01 PM

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Definitely a girl's name...But I can see how it seems like it could be a boy's name with the 'fred' at the end. However, Wini seems very feminine to me. I've never heard of it on a boy. That's interesting.
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GIRL!Winifred is classically a girl's name. I've seen it used in many books as girl's name, lately in the Forsyte Saga.I can see how it can look and sound like a boys name, such as Winston, Winslow, and Frederick... but I really can only see this as a girl's name.
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Like Bear said, Winifred is 100% feminine. It is definitely not a boy's name.
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Hi
I adore Winifred and it is in my top 10 BUT only as a girls naem - the only one o have ever knwn was my great aunt and i cant see it on a male.
I do LOVE it though.clara
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I realize Winifred hasn't exactly been used a lot lately. But you've never heard of it as a girl's name before? Really?Winifred is 100% feminine. Like Edith or Enid.Perhaps you're confusing it with Wilfred? Now that's all male.
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It's a woman's name. A very old-fashioned and long-established woman's name. If I remember, it's related to Guinevere.
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Girl, all the way. I don't find it masculine at all.
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Sounds more like a guy's name to me, but I guess it could go either way.
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It's a female name to me, but my opinion that overrides either gender assignment is that it's ugly. :-/
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I really like Winifred, nn Winnie, but DEFINITELY for a girl. For some reason, even though it has "fred" in it, i just can't see it on a boy. Are you sure you aren't thinking of Wilfred?
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Winfred is a boys name in my mind, Winifred is not.Ever seen Mary Poppins? Votes for women! (Her name was Winifred Banks, mother to Jane and Michael)
Tuck Everlasting , the character was named Winifred "Winnie" in two film adaptations and the novel.
In the novel Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild, my favourite character is Winifred, and she is a girl.
A lovely old lady who lives near me is called Winifred :)
And umm.. I'm sure there's more. But all the Winifred's I have ever heard about were women, and I'd find it quite strange to see Winifred on a boy.
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Winifred is totally girl to me, the similar looking Winfred is male however :)
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It's a girl to me and I really don't like it anyway.
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I think it works fine for either
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