# Do you know what you would have been named, if you'd been the other gender? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 25, 2017, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-you-would-have-been-named-if-youd-been-the-other-gender/789818 "2017-06-25T11:28:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [June 26, 2017, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-you-would-have-been-named-if-youd-been-the-other-gender/789818/41 "2017-06-26T00:33:53Z")
I was going to be Catherine, or Katarzyna (the Polish form.) it’s the name of my paternal grandfather’s mother. We ended up naming our second daughter Katarina as I wanted something a little more ethnic than Catherine, but without the torture of having to tell everyone how to spell and pronounce Katarzyna. ---
**Author:** ![Buttercup\_Smith](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buttercup_smith/32/473_2.png) [@Buttercup\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buttercup_Smith)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2017, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-you-would-have-been-named-if-youd-been-the-other-gender/789818/42 "2017-06-26T01:31:40Z")
Probably a variation on James. I have two brothers and one is Jimmy and the other one is James. I know, I know… ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2017, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-you-would-have-been-named-if-youd-been-the-other-gender/789818/43 "2017-06-26T01:41:58Z")
Had I been a boy, my name would have been Bryan. No girl name was picked beforehand, and since my mother had a difficult delivery (and was unavailable for consult), my father picked all on his own. The story I was told was he named me after a little girl he liked in grade school. I’m satisfied with the name I wound up with. My firstborn would have been William, but, since she was a girl, we went with the girl name we picked. Our second was a boy, but we went with a completely different name for him. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2017, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-you-would-have-been-named-if-youd-been-the-other-gender/789818/44 "2017-06-26T01:47:31Z")
From what I’ve been told, Elizabeth Sue. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2017, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-you-would-have-been-named-if-youd-been-the-other-gender/789818/45 "2017-06-26T02:43:37Z")
The same name they gave the dog 23 years after I was born. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2017, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-you-would-have-been-named-if-youd-been-the-other-gender/789818/46 "2017-06-26T03:14:19Z")
After having three boys, my parents really, really wanted a girl. When they were expecting me. they only picked out girl names. I was going to be Michelle Annette, which would have went well with our French surname. Alas, I was born a boy, beginning a long series of disappointments I handed to my dad. So, they had to scramble for a name and ended up picking the name of the doctor who delivered me. So I wound up with Kurt, which is OK I guess. As a German first name, it kind of clashes with my French surname, but my ancestry is about as much German as French, so I guess it works. Also, as it turned out, I really like Kurt Vonnegut. I only get annoyed when people want to spell it with a C. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2017, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-you-would-have-been-named-if-youd-been-the-other-gender/789818/47 "2017-06-26T04:22:46Z")
I just asked my mom, but at 90, she doesn’t remember. ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2017, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-you-would-have-been-named-if-youd-been-the-other-gender/789818/48 "2017-06-26T05:15:59Z")
Irish Catholic, supposed to be Patrick ended up Patricia. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2017, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-you-would-have-been-named-if-youd-been-the-other-gender/789818/49 "2017-06-26T07:06:59Z")
William Thomas IV. _shudder_ (My grandfather once pointed out that we’re not rich enough for me to have been a IV) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2017, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-you-would-have-been-named-if-youd-been-the-other-gender/789818/50 "2017-06-26T07:22:49Z")
They didn’t commit to names until my sex was known, as far as I know. My name came about because my Dad had a friend who had my name as a last name, and liked the sound of it. They then just debated on whether I’d be James T. or T. James, as I definitely was going to have one name after my father. They settled on the latter, because there are way too many people with my dad’s name in town, and the only difference was his initial. I will ask, though. Maybe they did have one female name that stuck out above the rest. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2017, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-you-would-have-been-named-if-youd-been-the-other-gender/789818/51 "2017-06-26T09:28:00Z")
Madnun28 ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2017, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-you-would-have-been-named-if-youd-been-the-other-gender/789818/52 "2017-06-26T14:18:29Z")
I have no idea. I was named Paula after my father Paul. My mother originally wanted to name me Sheila or Sybil but my father thankfully nixed that. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2017, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-you-would-have-been-named-if-youd-been-the-other-gender/789818/53 "2017-06-26T14:40:26Z")
I would have been Mark. Being Italian and Catholic, names had to “saintly”. So I was named Theresa Rose. I had 2 Theresa aunts and my grandma was Rose. My mom never got her Mark - four daughters instead! ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2017, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-you-would-have-been-named-if-youd-been-the-other-gender/789818/54 "2017-06-26T18:33:30Z")
I was supposed to be Gary. (They had also chosen Lois for a girl’s name but my mother’s cousin married a Lois shortly before I was born so they couldn’t use that one). ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2017, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-you-would-have-been-named-if-youd-been-the-other-gender/789818/55 "2017-06-26T19:24:44Z")
I was named Cecil after my Father. While I came by it honestly, I don’t use it. But I digress. I would have been Cecilia. I doubt that anyone would want to use that, either. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2017, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-you-would-have-been-named-if-youd-been-the-other-gender/789818/56 "2017-06-26T23:05:46Z")
I was supposed to be Sebastian, after John Sebastian of The Lovin’ Spoonful and Welcome Back Kotter theme song. I was also supposed to have curly hair like my father, and red hair like my mother. I’m not a big fan of the name they gave me, but I think I came out ahead with the straight blonde hair. Oh, and my nickname was going to be “Seb”. Ugh, no. Though in recent years I have known a Bastian\* who goes by Bas, which would have been a much cooler nickname than Seb. \*He’s Dutch, not a child of Neverending Story fans ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2017, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-you-would-have-been-named-if-youd-been-the-other-gender/789818/57 "2017-06-27T00:16:41Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I would have been Cecilia. > I doubt that anyone would want to use that, either. You’re breaking my heart. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2017, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-you-would-have-been-named-if-youd-been-the-other-gender/789818/58 "2017-06-27T00:24:24Z")
I know what my SISTER would’ve been named had she been a boy as expected: Kai. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2017, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-you-would-have-been-named-if-youd-been-the-other-gender/789818/59 "2017-06-27T01:14:01Z")
I think Mom said I would have been Suzanne. Our sons would have been Liliana or Lia. If it had been two girls, it would have been Liliana and a name beginning with J. We were more fortunate than many parents following the Jewish tradition of using the first letter of the names of nonliving grandparents; we only needed 4 letters to cover all seven. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2017, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-you-would-have-been-named-if-youd-been-the-other-gender/789818/60 "2017-06-27T01:42:31Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > You’re breaking my heart. That was the general idea. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-you-would-have-been-named-if-youd-been-the-other-gender/789818.md?page=2)