# Gender ambiguous given names (in Anglo-American/Anglophone culture) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 3, 2006, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-ambiguous-given-names-in-anglo-american-anglophone-culture/363061 "2006-07-03T16:25:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-ambiguous-given-names-in-anglo-american-anglophone-culture/363061/21 "2006-07-03T20:06:51Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] I don’t think so. (Hell, I too thought the author of _Brideshead Revisited_ was a woman until I saw the photo on a jacket.) That one’s gone completely feminine. [/QUOTE] That might be the difference between South Carolina and Portman Road. ---
**Author:** ![Shai\_tan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Shai\_tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shai_tan)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-ambiguous-given-names-in-anglo-american-anglophone-culture/363061/22 "2006-07-03T20:17:36Z")
Along the same lines as Michael (which I’ve run across just once), I’ve also met a couple girls named James. Still very much masculine I think, and doesn’t seem to be shifting like some of the others have. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-ambiguous-given-names-in-anglo-american-anglophone-culture/363061/23 "2006-07-03T20:31:17Z")
The feminine Sydney has all but replaced the male Sidney – anybody who names their baby boy Sidney these days has got it in for the kid. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-ambiguous-given-names-in-anglo-american-anglophone-culture/363061/24 "2006-07-03T20:55:37Z")
[QUOTE=tremorviolet] There is some sort of female “tainting” that goes on with names. If a girl has a masculine name, it’s usually seen as spunky and cute. If a male has a name that could be femine, he might get flack for being wimpy or effeminate. It’s kinda sad and seems to me to be a symptom of a subtle misogyny/homophobia. [/QUOTE] Exactly. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-ambiguous-given-names-in-anglo-american-anglophone-culture/363061/25 "2006-07-03T21:06:11Z")
[QUOTE=tremorviolet] There is some sort of female “tainting” that goes on with names. If a girl has a masculine name, it’s usually seen as spunky and cute. If a male has a name that could be femine, he might get flack for being wimpy or effeminate. It’s kinda sad and seems to me to be a symptom of a subtle misogyny/homophobia. [/QUOTE] The same thing that happens with clothing styles, more or less. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-ambiguous-given-names-in-anglo-american-anglophone-culture/363061/26 "2006-07-03T21:15:30Z")
[QUOTE=acsenray] That might be the difference between South Carolina and Portman Road. [/QUOTE] I dunno, where’s Portland Road? Hereabouts “Billy Joe” can be a girl, so I guess there’s no accounting for regional variation. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-ambiguous-given-names-in-anglo-american-anglophone-culture/363061/27 "2006-07-03T21:16:43Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] I dunno, where’s Portland Road? Hereabouts “Billy Joe” can be a girl, so I guess there’s no accounting for regional variation. 😉 [/QUOTE] I believe the Portman Road that GorillaMan inhabits is in England. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-ambiguous-given-names-in-anglo-american-anglophone-culture/363061/28 "2006-07-03T21:24:04Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] Hereabouts “Billy Joe” can be a girl [/QUOTE] Actually, I think “Billy” and “Joe” (again, ignoring spelling variations) can be added to the list individually. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-ambiguous-given-names-in-anglo-american-anglophone-culture/363061/29 "2006-07-03T22:39:49Z")
[QUOTE=acsenray] I believe the Portman Road that GorillaMan inhabits is in England. [/QUOTE] What, really? 🙂 Do other people not do what I do, and put obscure locations into google? It certainly works for mine! ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-ambiguous-given-names-in-anglo-american-anglophone-culture/363061/30 "2006-07-03T23:05:22Z")
I have two female friends named Toby, but somehow Toby still seems to me like a man’s name. Shakespeare’s Sir Toby Belch always comes to mind. And Toby mugs. ---
**Author:** ![Cheez\_Whia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d26b3c/32.png) [@Cheez\_Whia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheez_Whia)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-ambiguous-given-names-in-anglo-american-anglophone-culture/363061/31 "2006-07-03T23:57:39Z")
My given name is Jackie, and I went to a very small school with a male Jackie. Don’t even mention Jackie Gleason. A girl in my class was named Toby, and I once sold a fishing licence to a woman named Kevin. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-ambiguous-given-names-in-anglo-american-anglophone-culture/363061/32 "2006-07-04T05:24:51Z")
[QUOTE=tremorviolet] There is some sort of female “tainting” that goes on with names. If a girl has a masculine name, it’s usually seen as spunky and cute. If a male has a name that could be femine, he might get flack for being wimpy or effeminate. It’s kinda sad and seems to me to be a symptom of a subtle misogyny/homophobia. [/QUOTE] Yeah, that’s pretty spot-on. I’ve never met another man with my name, but it’s rare enough (and according to many people, cool enough) that it doesn’t cause me problems. On the other hand, people hear me say “Mar-” and think I’m saying Mark or Martin or Marlon or something else. I guess it’s a fair tradeoff. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-ambiguous-given-names-in-anglo-american-anglophone-culture/363061/33 "2006-07-04T06:31:43Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] Yeah, that’s pretty spot-on. I’ve never met another man with my name, but it’s rare enough (and according to many people, cool enough) that it doesn’t cause me problems. On the other hand, people hear me say “Mar-” and think I’m saying Mark or Martin or Marlon or something else. I guess it’s a fair tradeoff. [/QUOTE] And I, knowing you only through this board, had always sort of idly assumed Marley was your surname. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-ambiguous-given-names-in-anglo-american-anglophone-culture/363061/34 "2006-07-04T06:32:39Z")
[QUOTE=Cheez\_Whia] My given name is Jackie, and I went to a very small school with a male Jackie. Don’t even mention Jackie Gleason. A girl in my class was named Toby, and I once sold a fishing licence to a woman named Kevin. [/QUOTE] I had a teacher (Catholic school) named Sister Kevin. Which really doesn’t mean anything, because I also had nuns named Sister Mark, Sister Michael and Sister Stephen. It’s apparently a nun thing. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-ambiguous-given-names-in-anglo-american-anglophone-culture/363061/35 "2006-07-04T07:20:10Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] I had a teacher (Catholic school) named Sister Kevin. Which really doesn’t mean anything, because I also had nuns named Sister Mark, Sister Michael and Sister Stephen. It’s apparently a nun thing. [/QUOTE] Am I right in thinking that the Catholic use of Gabriel for boys is dying out, while Gabrielle remains popular? ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-ambiguous-given-names-in-anglo-american-anglophone-culture/363061/36 "2006-07-04T11:43:53Z")
I have to question a couple on that list … Lucy? How many male Lucys are there out there? Similarly … Julie? To make up for it I submit Julian (as in Julian of Norwich, Julian May and … a whole bunch of blokes) and Ariel ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-ambiguous-given-names-in-anglo-american-anglophone-culture/363061/37 "2006-07-04T13:03:54Z")
[QUOTE=Aspidistra] I have to question a couple on that list … Lucy? How many male Lucys are there out there? Similarly … Julie? [/quote] I have occasionally heard of male Julies as a diminutive of Jules or Julian. But I take your suggestion, both Jules and Julian should be on the list as well. ---
**Author:** ![Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harvey_The_Heavy)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-ambiguous-given-names-in-anglo-american-anglophone-culture/363061/38 "2006-07-04T15:30:28Z")
When you get into diminutives, I guess anything goes. I could see a man named Lucius being called Lucy by friends and family, though I don’t think you’ll find many men named Lucille. I once encountered a woman named Vinny, and I can’t imagine what that was short for. Can any spanish speakers give the skinny on Guadalupe? I’ve known both men and women named this. Is it considered more male of female, or is it an even split? Are there any other neutral names in spanish? ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-ambiguous-given-names-in-anglo-american-anglophone-culture/363061/39 "2006-07-04T16:07:07Z")
There is a trucker named Lucy here on the boards, neat guy. About Rowan, I’ve never even heard of it being used as a female name, and it’s our first choice for naming a baby boy (West coast, US). What about all the “Mac-” names? Mackenzie, Mackayla, Mackenna. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-ambiguous-given-names-in-anglo-american-anglophone-culture/363061/40 "2006-07-04T19:04:56Z")
[QUOTE=Harvey The Heavy] I once encountered a woman named Vinny, and I can’t imagine what that was short for. [/QUOTE] My guess would be Lavinia, as in the case of Susan Sarandon’s character in the film [_The Banger Sisters_.](http://www.filmmonthly.com/Video/Articles/BangerSisters/BangerSisters.html) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-ambiguous-given-names-in-anglo-american-anglophone-culture/363061.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-ambiguous-given-names-in-anglo-american-anglophone-culture/363061.md?page=3)