# Names that have changed sex... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 2, 2001, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-have-changed-sex/85065 "2001-10-02T23:18:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![saudade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@saudade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saudade)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-have-changed-sex/85065/1 "2001-10-02T23:18:12Z")
From time to time I get catalogs in the mail that are obviously intended for women consumers. Now my first name was a perfectly good male name as far as my parents were concerned, but now in America it seem to be increasingly held by preteen girls. This seems to be a trend…I mean when Leslie Nielsen and Francis Albert Sinatra were born - they also had “male” names. But a boy with those names today would probably get their underwear wedgied and lunch money pilferred on a daily basis. What’s with this trend. I mean it seems names that are male become “unisex” and then gets fully feminized (and this gets accompanied by some “girlie” spelling). Like Terry to Teri…Also Dale, Robin, Shannon, Darren, Cris, and so on - passing from male to unisex to female. Does anyone else get peturbed by this? Has anyone else seen their name emasculated? ---
**Author:** ![saudade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@saudade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saudade)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-have-changed-sex/85065/2 "2001-10-02T23:20:02Z")
…and what really sicks is that they aren’t cool catalogues, like “Victoria’s Sectret”. They are like knick knack catalogues…or catalogues of ‘plus size’ women in unflattering girdles. ---
**Author:** ![saudade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@saudade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saudade)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-have-changed-sex/85065/3 "2001-10-02T23:21:54Z")
sicks? I mean _sucks_…I need to spell check is there any rule against making 40 posts to your own thread? I mean no one else gives a crap do they? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-have-changed-sex/85065/4 "2001-10-02T23:29:05Z")
I have a first name whose short form (which is on my credit card and in a bunch of other places where it can get onto mailing lists) is female, 98% of the time. (Altho a starter on a recent Super Bowl champ went by that first name. :)) But I don’t get catalogs for fem things, and the only female-oriented junk mail I’ve gotten in recent years that I can remember was from the AAUW, the American Assn of University Women, which ceased after a couple of years of intermittent solicitations. Don’t know if that helps or not, but it’s one more data point, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-have-changed-sex/85065/5 "2001-10-02T23:29:35Z")
> [@](#): > > is there any rule against making 40 posts to your own thread? I mean no one else gives a crap do they? I wouldn’t know, being just another lowly rookie here. But perhaps starting a second page with only posts of yours on the thread would be considered bad manners? Just guessin’ ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-have-changed-sex/85065/6 "2001-10-02T23:30:44Z")
Another interesting phenom along those lines is names that don’t really have any history of association with one gender or another, like Cassidy, Dakota and Madison. It’ll be interesting to see which one predominates for some of the trendy names or if they just drop out of sight. So what are you? An Alex, or maybe a Jordan. Kelsey or Sydney, possibly? ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_The\_Bold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/41988e/32.png) [@Dale\_The\_Bold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_The_Bold)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-have-changed-sex/85065/7 "2001-10-02T23:47:11Z")
I always thought I had a male name. I have, however, gotten teen magazines and free pantyhose samples in the mail. Where did they get my name??? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-have-changed-sex/85065/8 "2001-10-02T23:57:03Z")
my wife and i just had a baby! way back in january when we learned of the impending birth, we decided our child would carry the name “Miller”, boy or girl. baby Miller was born sept. 18th, 6:14 pm 8 lbs, 13 oz head, chest and tummy 13" 21" long ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-have-changed-sex/85065/9 "2001-10-03T00:20:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gatopescado \* > \*\*my wife and i just had a baby! way back in january when we learned of the impending birth, we decided our child would carry the name “Miller”, boy or girl. > > baby Miller was born sept. 18th, 6:14 pm > 8 lbs, 13 oz > head, chest and tummy 13" > 21" long \*\* So, does little Miller wear pink or blue? My own name was feminized some years back. Not that I mind 🙂 Robin ---
**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:** [October 3, 2001, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-have-changed-sex/85065/10 "2001-10-03T00:20:55Z")
Used to be female-Christian, Dougless Used to be male (and may surprise you!) Edith Beverly Ashley ---
**Author:** ![ARose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8491ac/32.png) [@ARose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ARose)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-have-changed-sex/85065/11 "2001-10-03T00:30:08Z")
I’m an Alex, and besides some people who think its funny to notice that its a name that can go between genders, I don’t really get anything female from having a name that could be feminine. ~ARose ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-have-changed-sex/85065/12 "2001-10-03T00:43:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gatopescado \* > \*\*my wife and i just had a baby! way back in january when we learned of the impending birth, we decided our child would carry the name “Miller”, boy or girl. > > baby Miller was born sept. 18th, 6:14 pm > 8 lbs, 13 oz > head, chest and tummy 13" > 21" long \*\* Why, **gatopescado**! I didn’t know you held me in such esteem! Let me say that I am honored to be your childs namesake. Seriously, congrats on the tyke. Add to the list my real first name, Mackenzie. As far as I know, I am the last living male with this name. The only confusing mail I’ve gotten from this is from my health insurer, who keeps addressing letters to me as “Ms. Mackenzie,” which makes me worry about ever having to file a claim for prostate trouble. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-have-changed-sex/85065/13 "2001-10-03T01:03:37Z")
I sometimes get mail addressed to “Mr. and Mrs.” followed by my real name. Since the standard form for such things is “Mr. and Mrs. John Doe”, never “Mr. and Mrs. Jane Doe”, they apparently suffer from not only the mistaken belief that I am married but also the mistaken belief that I am a man! For the record I do have a name that was once considered unisex, although I think among my generation it is almost exclusively feminine. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-have-changed-sex/85065/14 "2001-10-03T01:43:18Z")
**Gatopescado** , congratulations on the birth of your own li’l baby catfish! Life is cool, eh? Anyway, I love that you named your kid after a beer, that is great. How does Mrs. Pescado feel about having a baby Bud next? ---
**Author:** ![zero\_hr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/6de8d8/32.png) [@zero\_hr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zero_hr)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-have-changed-sex/85065/15 "2001-10-03T01:47:59Z")
My old prof was Evelyn Something. And he insisted it be prnounced Eve-a-linn ---
**Author:** ![saudade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@saudade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saudade)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-have-changed-sex/85065/16 "2001-10-03T01:53:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > \*\*Used to be female-Christian, Dougless > > Used to be male (and may surprise you!) > Edith > Beverly > Ashley \*\* there was an elderly male TV preacher named “Beverly” somethingoranother… ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-have-changed-sex/85065/17 "2001-10-03T02:54:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by zero hr \* > \*\*My old prof was Evelyn Something. And he insisted it be prnounced Eve-a-linn \*\* Was he named after Evelyn Waugh (Brideshead Revisited, Handful of Dust)? His name was pronounced that way. ---
**Author:** ![Lady\_Ice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f1d935/32.png) [@Lady\_Ice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lady_Ice)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-have-changed-sex/85065/18 "2001-10-03T03:23:46Z")
My name has always been a male and a female name. Nobody knows if I’m a girl or a guy. I know just as many guys as girls who have my name. It’s a real pain. ---
**Author:** ![Tamex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Tamex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamex)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-have-changed-sex/85065/19 "2001-10-03T05:36:36Z")
You’re worried about the junk mail? You have things better than my ex-co-worker Kelly. He’d get _telemarketers_ who would refuse to believe that they were actually speaking to the right person because they had never heard of a man named Kelly! Can you imagine complete strangers calling you up and harrassing you about your name? He also said that he got a lot of junk mail addressed to “Ms. Kelly Lastname”, but at least he could throw that away. I also knew a male Stacy in elementary school (he didn’t get teased for it at school–I suppose that it helps that there were no girls named Stacy at our school at that time), but all the other Stacys I’ve ever known have been female. I once saw a female Timothy on television. Uh-oh…it may simply be a matter of time. I think that the “y” or “ie” ending on certain names makes them particularily succeptable. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-have-changed-sex/85065/20 "2001-10-03T05:48:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Miller \* > **Add to the list my real first name, Mackenzie. As far as I know, I am the last living male with this name.** My Dad’s middle name is McKenzie. He got it as a masculine given name from a grandmother’s surname. Given the name’s drift to the feminine my wife and I were planning to use it if our recent baby was a girl. _He_ wasn’t, so he got Alexander instead. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-have-changed-sex/85065.md?page=2)