# Any feminine names that became masculine? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 30, 2009, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-feminine-names-that-became-masculine/498193 "2009-05-30T20:08:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-feminine-names-that-became-masculine/498193/61 "2009-06-09T00:55:23Z")
> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > How about Hunter? > > Oddly enough, a female name, perhaps from Diana, the Huntress, it is now also a man’s name, as in Hunter Thompson. Wouldn’t it have come by way of an occupational surname? Like Thatcher or Smith? ETA: And another vote of thanks to **Dr. Drake** for all the info. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-feminine-names-that-became-masculine/498193/62 "2009-06-09T01:04:35Z")
> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > Diana, the Huntress… That does spark a thought… what about names that were originally female occupational surnames that have been subsequently used (even if uncommonly) as male given names? That would seem to fit the OP after a fashion. Examples of this include: Baxter, Brewster, and Webster. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-feminine-names-that-became-masculine/498193/63 "2009-06-09T02:28:41Z")
> [@Oy](#): > > What has occurred to me is that sooner or later the girls are going to have almost all of the names, and leave about five that are viewed as solidly masculine. That’s hilarious! I can just imagine a secret cabal of old ladies at their annual meeting… Leader: Well, it was a good year for us! We’ve solidified our hold on Avery. We’ve made good progress on Evan and Dylan. And we’re making a significant dent in Hunter. Morgan is in the bag. _:: wild cheers ::_ As usual, there are no names at all being reclaimed by the enemy. _:: laughter ::_ On that note, let’s consider whether we want to make any changes to our current booby-prize list. Let’s see…as of last year, we agreed not to go after Jacob, John, Matthew, Peter, or Mark. Does anyone have any changes to propose? _:: silence ::_ All right then, let’s identify some new targets for this coming year and discuss our ongoing strategy. I’ve been thinking that we could really start to exploit the weak spots in Michael and James… ---
**Author:** ![Mapache](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58956e/32.png) [@Mapache](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mapache)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-feminine-names-that-became-masculine/498193/64 "2009-06-09T02:39:07Z")
Two seriously macho guys come to mind: Beverly (Bevo) Howard ([http://www.spence-air-base.com/bevo.html](http://www.spence-air-base.com/bevo.html)), maybe the best acrobatic pilot ever, and Carrol Shelby ([http://www.carrollshelby.com/.](http://www.carrollshelby.com/.)) ---
**Author:** ![Mapache](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58956e/32.png) [@Mapache](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mapache)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-feminine-names-that-became-masculine/498193/65 "2009-06-09T03:19:09Z")
And of course Marion Morrison. ([John Wayne - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wayne)) ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-feminine-names-that-became-masculine/498193/66 "2009-06-09T12:38:35Z")
**Hagar**! Originally the mother of Ishmael, and latterly a horrible barbarian! ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2016, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-feminine-names-that-became-masculine/498193/67 "2016-03-07T00:02:06Z")
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**Author:** ![Wallaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Wallaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallaby)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2016, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-feminine-names-that-became-masculine/498193/68 "2016-03-07T04:04:05Z")
Gomer was Hosea’s wife in the Bible. And, (Surprise, surprise, surprise!)I can only recall one other Gomer throughout History . There is also a Hagar, who apparently was an Egyptian servant (female) to Abraham. ---
**Author:** ![duncs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@duncs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duncs)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2016, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-feminine-names-that-became-masculine/498193/69 "2016-03-07T14:21:36Z")
[Tracy](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0605079/) [And tell Kerry he’s got a girls name 😛](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerry_King) ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2016, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-feminine-names-that-became-masculine/498193/70 "2016-03-07T14:52:26Z")
Seven years later, and people are still getting the question backwards. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2016, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-feminine-names-that-became-masculine/498193/71 "2016-03-07T15:44:18Z")
> [@chowder](#): > > My stepfathers middle name was Hyacinth. > > He was born in Co. Fermanagh, Ireland Yeah, that was traditionally a guy’s name. See St. Hyacinth or the Greek mythological hero Hyacinth, for instance. That would have been my middle name if my dad translated it from Polish to English correctly. His middle name is “Jacek,” which is the Polish version of “Hyacinth.” Instead, I got “Jack” as my middle name, which works well enough for me. ETA: Didn’t realize this was an old thread. I thought this was the other name thread we have going on contemporaneously. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-feminine-names-that-became-masculine/498193.md?page=3)