# Girl names that used to be boy names **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 2, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371 "2009-10-02T17:35:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Skara\_Brae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Skara\_Brae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skara_Brae)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/21 "2009-10-02T18:35:30Z")
How about Evelyn? Like Evelyn Waugh… ---
**Author:** ![Kalypso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/df705f/32.png) [@Kalypso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalypso)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/22 "2009-10-02T18:35:31Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > How many Franks have you met though? Two, but it was short for Franklin. ---
**Author:** ![Kalypso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/df705f/32.png) [@Kalypso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalypso)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/23 "2009-10-02T18:36:58Z")
> [@Skara\_Brae](#): > > How about Evelyn? Like Evelyn Waugh… That’s my daughter’s name. She’s named after her grandmother, who was born in about 1908. ---
**Author:** ![Mrs.Cake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@Mrs.Cake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs.Cake)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/24 "2009-10-02T18:39:40Z")
My grandfathers were Leslie and Harley - both now almost exclusively used for females. I see Leslie has already been mentioned above, I just thought it was interesting that both my grandfathers names have been feminized ---
**Author:** ![Translucent\_Daydream](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/translucent_daydream/32/16170_2.png) [@Translucent\_Daydream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Translucent_Daydream)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/25 "2009-10-02T18:39:57Z")
I used to date a girl that’s mom was named Dale. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/26 "2009-10-02T18:42:24Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > How many Franks have you met though? Doesn’t some new TV show feature a woman named Frankie? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/27 "2009-10-02T18:42:40Z")
> [@Kalypso](#): > > Two, but it was short for Franklin. Ah grand it’s just that Francis is a fairly common name here for men, and generally Frances for women. Francie, Frank, Frankie etc. would be common enough variations. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/28 "2009-10-02T18:45:00Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Didn’t Vivian used to be a boy name? There was Vivian Stanshall, so yes. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/29 "2009-10-02T18:48:50Z")
I know of a Franc who’s really a Francine. She was the 5th and last of a line of girls, and (from what I gather) a supreme disappointment to her father, who wanted only a son. There is absolutely no doubt as to her gender. ---
**Author:** ![ThirdOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@ThirdOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThirdOne)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/30 "2009-10-02T19:16:45Z")
When I was growing up the ONLY person I knew named Kim was a neighbor boy. Laurie was a male character in Little Women, shortened from Lawrence. Evelyn and Carroll (or Carol) were both male names once. In fact, Carroll O’Connor played Archie Bunker. Francis is frequently shortened to Frank, and female-wise, Frances shortened to Francie. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/31 "2009-10-02T19:21:50Z")
Lindsey comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/32 "2009-10-02T19:23:27Z")
Aubrey. My wife’s grandfather is Aubrey Daniel, her father is Daniel Aubrey, and our daughter is Aubrey Danielle. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/33 "2009-10-02T19:31:03Z")
Can anyone think of a SINGLE female name that’s become a male name, either in equal amounts or exclusively? I cannot think of one. For the most part it seems once a name’s become feminized, it’s no longer used for boys at all (big surprise). ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/34 "2009-10-02T19:32:02Z")
I’ll bet this’ll surprise you: TIFFANY. Yep. Famous last name (Breakfast at, etc.), not so usual but definitely male first name in the 1920s. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/35 "2009-10-02T19:35:06Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Also, I think Franc **i** s = boy, while Franc **e** s = girl. Once this was the case. Sadly, the stupids have taken that ground from us. Algebra will be next. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/36 "2009-10-02T19:49:04Z")
> [@Cat\_Fight](#): > > Can anyone think of a SINGLE female name that’s become a male name, either in equal amounts or exclusively? I cannot think of one. For the most part it seems once a name’s become feminized, it’s no longer used for boys at all (big surprise). There was a GQ thread not too long ago where we found a couple, but I can’t find it now. ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/37 "2009-10-02T20:26:14Z")
Several men in my extended family are named Leslie. The youngest is approaching 70 now. Some family frieds are Allison and Allison, Jr. I’ve known men named Kelly, Kim, and Dana closer to my own age (40) ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/38 "2009-10-02T20:32:30Z")
And the ever-popular American South name, Shannon. I knew a girl Shannon in high school and a guy Shannon in college. ---
**Author:** ![Jelymag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jelymag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jelymag)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/39 "2009-10-02T21:02:54Z")
When I first started hearing the name Rory it was only for girls, and now I hear it more frequently for boys. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371/40 "2009-10-02T21:11:53Z")
> [@Cat\_Fight](#): > > Can anyone think of a SINGLE female name that’s become a male name, either in equal amounts or exclusively? I cannot think of one. For the most part it seems once a name’s become feminized, it’s no longer used for boys at all (big surprise). Chris, perhaps? I know a few female Chrises in their 40s and upward, but among younger people it seems to be used exclusively as a male nickname. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-names-that-used-to-be-boy-names/512371.md?page=3)