# What is it exactly that makes first names sound feminine or masculine?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-exactly-that-makes-first-names-sound-feminine-or-masculine/708733>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [January 2, 2015, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-exactly-that-makes-first-names-sound-feminine-or-masculine/708733 "2015-01-02T01:36:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2015, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-exactly-that-makes-first-names-sound-feminine-or-masculine/708733/21 "2015-01-02T22:43:35Z")

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> [@monstro](#):
>
> Without googling them, identify the following names by gender:
> 
> 1. Enzi
> 2. Goma
> 3. Issa
> 4. Salene
> 5. Koffi
> 6. Dinka

Okay, but first you have to list some names.

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**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2015, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-exactly-that-makes-first-names-sound-feminine-or-masculine/708733/22 "2015-01-02T23:29:38Z")

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> [@astro](#):
>
> Obviously there are some scenarios where there are names that can go either way Like “Leslie” for men used in the first half of the 1900’s or more recently “Taylor” for girls etc.

My uncle Leslie named his daughter Leslie. Honest! Although it seems that my family always called my uncle “Less-lee” and my cousin “Lezz-lee.”

> [@qubed](#):
>
> Ending in a vowel is huge indicator for female names

Is that why posters keep thinking\*\* kunilou\*\* is a woman?

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**Author:** ![Finnie\_the\_Pooh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@Finnie\_the\_Pooh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finnie_the_Pooh)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2015, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-exactly-that-makes-first-names-sound-feminine-or-masculine/708733/23 "2015-01-03T02:40:02Z")

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My first name is Lauri, and I’m a man. My wife’s name is Robin. Somehow people seem to have trouble deciding who is who when we are introduced as Robin and Lauri…

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