# "Geordie" and "Ahlya": male or female? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 22, 2003, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geordie-and-ahlya-male-or-female/203085 "2003-09-22T14:10:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geordie-and-ahlya-male-or-female/203085/1 "2003-09-22T14:10:43Z")
I am sending proposals to two magazine editors named Geordie and Ahlya, and I have no idea whether to address them to Mr. or Ms. They are in another country, so I can’t call from work to ask—any input? I’m guessing Ahlya is female, but Geordie has me thrown completely. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geordie-and-ahlya-male-or-female/203085/2 "2003-09-22T14:13:27Z")
I worked with a Geordie once. He was male. But knowing what country they’re in might help. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geordie-and-ahlya-male-or-female/203085/3 "2003-09-22T14:13:31Z")
Well the chief engineer on the Enterprise D is Geordie LaForge. And he’s male. That’s the only usage for that name I’ve ever encountered, though. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geordie-and-ahlya-male-or-female/203085/4 "2003-09-22T14:30:41Z")
It’s England. And now I have “Hey, there, Geordie Girl” running through my head. Sooo, female on Ahyla, male on Geordie? ---
**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geordie-and-ahlya-male-or-female/203085/5 "2003-09-22T14:31:55Z")
Why not just use : “M.” ? …or just use the names without any M, Mr, or Ms or Mz or Miss, etc? I use M. when I am not sure, and increasingly, you cant tell anymore by the names you see. I now see babies of both sexes being named Morgan, Jordan, Cheyenne, etc. In Johhny Cash’s interview before he died, he said he heard from quite a few males who were actually named Sue, including a judge in Mississippi. Lots of guys and gals named Beverly, Candy, Marion, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Dogface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@Dogface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogface)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geordie-and-ahlya-male-or-female/203085/6 "2003-09-22T14:35:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eve \* > \*\*It’s England. And now I have “Hey, there, Geordie Girl” running through my head. > > Sooo, female on Ahyla, male on Geordie? \*\* The song is _Georgie Girl_. A Geordie is someone from the native culture of Northumbria. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geordie-and-ahlya-male-or-female/203085/7 "2003-09-22T14:39:54Z")
According to [http://www.babynames.com/V5/index.php?content=gosearch](http://www.babynames.com/V5/index.php?content=gosearch), “Geordi” is male and of Greek origin. I’m not sure if adding the “e” to the end changes anything, though. ☹ And I couldn’t find anything on “Ahlya.” ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geordie-and-ahlya-male-or-female/203085/8 "2003-09-22T14:46:38Z")
Plus, this dude here [http://www.geordiejohnson.com/](http://www.geordiejohnson.com/) is male. If that helps… ---
**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:** [September 22, 2003, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geordie-and-ahlya-male-or-female/203085/9 "2003-09-22T15:01:46Z")
It has become common in the United States to address business correspondence with the person’s full name, avoiding any courtesy title – “Dear John Smith:” “Dear Jane Jones:” ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geordie-and-ahlya-male-or-female/203085/10 "2003-09-22T15:13:01Z")
The first & last name would give away the gag that I don’t know them, though . . . I want them to at leaat think I am familiar with their work. I’m gonna guess Ms. Ahlya and Mr. Geordie . . . ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geordie-and-ahlya-male-or-female/203085/11 "2003-09-22T15:17:17Z")
Speaking as a Geordie myself (in that I’m a native of Tyneside, rather than that it’s my given name) I can inform you that Geordie is a traditional diminutive of the name George. ---
**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:** [September 22, 2003, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geordie-and-ahlya-male-or-female/203085/12 "2003-09-22T15:22:03Z")
Well, it’s not so easy these days to judge by traditional diminutives – Ginger, Christy, Viv – they’re all traditionally masculine, but these days they are much more likely to be attached to a woman. Lots of traditionally masculine names have been feminized over the past few decades – Leslie, Lynn, Tracy, Vivian, Adrian, Randy, Terry, Stacey, Alexis … ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geordie-and-ahlya-male-or-female/203085/13 "2003-09-22T16:06:32Z")
Call from home. One of those 10-10 services is stupidly cheap to Western Yurp. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geordie-and-ahlya-male-or-female/203085/14 "2003-09-22T17:47:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dropzone \* > \*\*Call from home. One of those 10-10 services is stupidly cheap to Western Yurp. \*\* All of a sudden you’re Carrot-Top? ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geordie-and-ahlya-male-or-female/203085/15 "2003-09-22T18:12:23Z")
Have you tried Googling them by first and last name? If there’s anything about them on the 'net that could give you some clues as to the proper sex of each. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geordie-and-ahlya-male-or-female/203085/16 "2003-09-22T18:25:55Z")
Well, at least I got Eve’s Geordie Girl joke! ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geordie-and-ahlya-male-or-female/203085/17 "2003-09-22T18:27:36Z")
Oooh, thanks, **romansperson** , thats a good idea! [and thanks, **Kalhoun** , too!] ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geordie-and-ahlya-male-or-female/203085/18 "2003-09-22T20:20:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eve \* > \*\*All of a sudden you’re Carrot-Top? \*\* Bite me, :wally ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geordie-and-ahlya-male-or-female/203085/19 "2003-09-22T20:36:19Z")
I’d bite _you_ with relish, **Droppie** —but Carrot-Top? Not till I had me shots. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geordie-and-ahlya-male-or-female/203085/20 "2003-09-23T00:23:20Z")
‘Geordie’ is a nickname for a male from the NE. I wouldn’t use Mr or Ms or whatever, just go with Geordie and then the last name. Obviously intends it to be somewhat informal. As for “Ahlya”, could be one of a few I suspect (different spellings), all of them Scottish in origin and female - you might want a correct spelling for her. It might be, for example, ‘Isla’ I _think_ I’ve even heard Ailsa pronounced as “Ahlya” , but I’m not sure. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geordie-and-ahlya-male-or-female/203085.md?page=2)