# guys named Debbie/ Deborah **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 12, 2003, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-named-debbie-deborah/148052 "2003-01-12T01:24:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-named-debbie-deborah/148052/21 "2003-01-13T13:59:22Z")
THE GIRLS ARE WINNING (Poor Ashley Wilkes - ironically played by “Leslie” Howard, from Gone With the Wind, I doubt if he could now get even a date with Scarlett with a sissy name like Ashley) [http://www.parenting.com/parenting/tools/babynamer/categories/uni\_girlswin.html](http://www.parenting.com/parenting/tools/babynamer/categories/uni_girlswin.html) More names to avoid if you have a boy: ASHLEY AVERY BLAINE BLAKE CHEYENNE COURTNEY DAKOTA DEVON JODY KELSEY KENDALL KERRY KIM KYLE LESLIE LINDSAY MACKENZIE MALLORY MEREDITH MERLE MERRILL MORGAN REGAN ROBIN SCHUYLER SHELBY SIERRA STACY SYDNEY TAYLOR TRACY WHITNEY ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-named-debbie-deborah/148052/22 "2003-01-13T14:00:10Z")
Actually, most of them were originally surnames that became forenames, and then acquired or altered their conventional link to sex. “Marie” was never a surname. And I don’t see how you can think it was orginally a boy’s name, and only became a girl’s name later. It has always been predominantly a girl’s name. But you raise an interesting point. Are there any examples names which were predominantly girl’s names, but became boy’s names (or became sex-neutral)? ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-named-debbie-deborah/148052/23 "2003-01-13T15:39:36Z")
A man named Deb (short for “Deborah” as I understood it) is unusual, but not so unusual that I haven’t met one. He was an elderly friend of my father’s whan I was a child, so I would go with the “name that fell out of favour” idea here, although it may also have been a favourite family name for all I know. I’ve also known two male Bevs in my lifetime–one elderly and long dead, the other my age. Both were short for “Beverly.” **Susanann** , that’s an interesting list, and one name jumped off at me–Taylor. I went to elementary school with a guy named Taylor (he was usually just called “Tay” though), but he’s the only male Taylor I’ve ever met, so I wonder how he’s handling it now that he’s an adult? But to answer the OP’s question: yes, if my experience is anything to go by, there have been men named Deborah, Beverly, and Taylor. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-named-debbie-deborah/148052/24 "2003-01-13T16:30:10Z")
I named my son Eric Ashley, because Ashley was my grandfather’s name. My son has never forgiven me for sticking him with a girl’s name. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-named-debbie-deborah/148052/25 "2003-01-13T17:03:04Z")
My great-grandfather’s name was Shirley. I’ve been told it used to be a man’s name too, but I’ve never heard of another man with that name. My mother (his granddaughter) was named after him. ---
**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-named-debbie-deborah/148052/26 "2003-01-13T22:03:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by UDS \* > \*\* > But you raise an interesting point. Are there any examples names which were predominantly girl’s names, but became boy’s names (or became sex-neutral)? \*\* I dont think Deborah was ever a mans name, since it was a female name since the old days of the Bible. No girls name would ever become a boys name - it would never happen, since males are too intimidated by anything that is feminine. It for the same reason that any woman can put on a mans shirt, but no man can ever put on a womans blouse. No woman is bothered by taking on masculine names, characteristic, jobs, or traits, but men are phobic about taking on anything that is feminine. Shirley and Beverly, used to be common mens names a hundred years ago, the most famous: George Beverly Shea, who sang at every Billy Graham meeting. Other boys names that have pretty much been abandoned by the males. and which now are considered sissy girls names are: Jan, Jean, Jeanne, and Gene, Francis(Francis Scott Key), Terry, Gerri, Lauren, Ricky, Gail, Cleo, Ryan, Chick, Marty, Randy, Dani and Dana, Aron/Erin, Derek, Rene, Berni, Effa, Lonnie, Jamie, Abbie, Riley, Judy (Judy Johnson), Lynn, Jessie, Gay, Sammy, Christy, Cory, Tony, Jamie, Jackie (Jackie Robinson), Bobby, Billie, Nellie, Charley, Mickey, Kerry, Johny, Frankie, Ray, and Carol(Carol OConner-Archie Bunker). ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-named-debbie-deborah/148052/27 "2003-01-14T23:43:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Susanann \* > \*\*Other boys names that have pretty much been abandoned by the males. and which now are considered sissy girls names are: > > Jan, Jean, Jeanne, and Gene, Francis(Francis Scott Key), Terry, Gerri, Lauren, Ricky, Gail, Cleo, Ryan, Chick, Marty, Randy, Dani and Dana, Aron/Erin, Derek, Rene, Berni, Effa, Lonnie, Jamie, Abbie, Riley, Judy (Judy Johnson), Lynn, Jessie, Gay, Sammy, Christy, Cory, Tony, Jamie, Jackie (Jackie Robinson), Bobby, Billie, Nellie, Charley, Mickey, Kerry, Johny, Frankie, Ray, and Carol(Carol OConner-Archie Bunker). \*\* “So, if it’s a girl, what are you going to call her?” “I don’t know, but we’re leaning towards Tony.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-named-debbie-deborah/148052.md?page=1)