# What would your name have been if you were born the opposite gender? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 11, 2004, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-your-name-have-been-if-you-were-born-the-opposite-gender/223941 "2004-01-11T05:24:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2004, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-your-name-have-been-if-you-were-born-the-opposite-gender/223941/81 "2004-01-13T15:53:10Z")
Michelle. As it is, my parents came within a hair of naming me Harvey Rosemond, after two of my great grandfathers. Which means they came within a hair of my shotgunning them to death during junior high. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Marks\_1st\_wife](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Marks\_1st\_wife](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marks_1st_wife)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2004, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-your-name-have-been-if-you-were-born-the-opposite-gender/223941/82 "2004-01-13T18:15:00Z")
Since my maiden name is Cherry, there were several names tossed about by friends and family not the least of these was Bing. (thankfully I didn’t get stuck with Maraschino, can you imagine… Mary Cherry, yikes) ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2004, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-your-name-have-been-if-you-were-born-the-opposite-gender/223941/83 "2004-01-13T19:14:04Z")
Michael, for my paternal grandfather. Instead, I’m Michelle. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2004, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-your-name-have-been-if-you-were-born-the-opposite-gender/223941/84 "2004-01-13T20:18:28Z")
I would have been Mary Margaret. I’m the youngest of four boys and I was conceived for the sole purpose of being a girl and my parents were quite Catholic. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2004, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-your-name-have-been-if-you-were-born-the-opposite-gender/223941/85 "2004-01-13T21:11:14Z")
I would have been Alex, same as I am now. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![moi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@moi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moi)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2004, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-your-name-have-been-if-you-were-born-the-opposite-gender/223941/86 "2004-01-13T21:18:12Z")
_shaking head_ Thankfully, I’m female. If it had been otherwise, I would be introducing myself as **Darth**. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Judith\_Prietht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b19c9b/32.png) [@Judith\_Prietht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Judith_Prietht)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2004, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-your-name-have-been-if-you-were-born-the-opposite-gender/223941/87 "2004-01-13T21:24:25Z")
Aneurin, if I’d been a boy. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2004, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-your-name-have-been-if-you-were-born-the-opposite-gender/223941/88 "2004-01-13T21:25:00Z")
I, too, am the youngest of four sons. My mother never picked a female name as she was very, very sure that I was to be another son. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2004, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-your-name-have-been-if-you-were-born-the-opposite-gender/223941/89 "2004-01-14T01:14:29Z")
Margaret Evelyn after my grandmothers and I would have been the first grand daughter for both. I still ended up with the initials M.E. ---
**Author:** ![BraveNewSquirle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@BraveNewSquirle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BraveNewSquirle)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2004, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-your-name-have-been-if-you-were-born-the-opposite-gender/223941/90 "2004-01-14T01:27:51Z")
Freja, or Samantha ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2004, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-your-name-have-been-if-you-were-born-the-opposite-gender/223941/91 "2004-01-14T01:34:49Z")
I guess I would have been Womandrake. ---
**Author:** ![SteelWolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c6cbf5/32.png) [@SteelWolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteelWolf)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2004, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-your-name-have-been-if-you-were-born-the-opposite-gender/223941/92 "2004-01-14T01:35:36Z")
Sarah, after a great-great-grandmother. Or possibly Christine (my younger brother is Christopher). Instead, I get to be a IIIrd. _sigh_ ---
**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:** [January 14, 2004, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-your-name-have-been-if-you-were-born-the-opposite-gender/223941/93 "2004-01-14T01:37:40Z")
William Thomas the IV. Thank god I’m a chick. I’d have ended up Little Willy. (My father and grandfather are both Bill, and my dad’s family calls him “Billy”). And besides, as my grandfather pointed out, we’re not rich enough to have someone named “The Fourth”. ---
**Author:** ![Jann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/839c29/32.png) [@Jann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jann)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2004, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-your-name-have-been-if-you-were-born-the-opposite-gender/223941/94 "2004-01-14T01:50:09Z")
Same. That’s sometimes not a bad thing, especially when applying for a job. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2004, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-your-name-have-been-if-you-were-born-the-opposite-gender/223941/95 "2004-01-14T02:09:33Z")
I was a surprise – by whatever tests they had in 1948 to determine sex before birth, Mom, Dad, her obstetrician, my grandparents, and all concerned were certain I was going to be a girl, and I would have been Mary. They had to scramble to come up with the name they picked for me. (But I’m happy with it.) Interestingly, my younger honorary grandson, born in 1996, was the same thing – ultrasound showed him clearly as a girl. Instead, he is the most (young-boy-masculinely) beautiful, charming boy you’ll ever meet. ---
**Author:** ![Dignan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@Dignan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dignan)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2004, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-your-name-have-been-if-you-were-born-the-opposite-gender/223941/96 "2004-01-14T02:14:23Z")
If I would have been born female my parents would have named me Alia. ---
**Author:** ![ladybug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@ladybug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladybug)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2004, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-your-name-have-been-if-you-were-born-the-opposite-gender/223941/97 "2004-01-14T02:22:51Z")
If I had been a boy, my name would have been Gregory. For some reason my parents decided not to use that name for my younger brother. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f07891/32.png) [@Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Plastic_Ninja)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2004, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-your-name-have-been-if-you-were-born-the-opposite-gender/223941/98 "2004-01-14T04:11:28Z")
Milton Augustus. The…third, I think. Praise my girly bits. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2004, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-your-name-have-been-if-you-were-born-the-opposite-gender/223941/99 "2004-01-14T16:59:49Z")
If I’d been a boy and my mom had had her way, I’d have been Dean. If Dad had had his, I’d have been Robert III. My mom wanted to call me Samantha (no doubt after “Bewitched”–my mom’s always been into witches and the show was popular at the time) but didn’t for reasons that have been lost to time. I guess I’m glad I’m not a boy because I really dislike the name Dean and wouldn’t want to be a III. Not that I’m crazy about my real name, either, but… ---
**Author:** ![carimwc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ac8455/32.png) [@carimwc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carimwc)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2004, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-your-name-have-been-if-you-were-born-the-opposite-gender/223941/100 "2004-01-14T20:20:41Z")
I would have been Anthony Donald. Not unlike many others here, I happen to have a younger brother by that name. My parents had a huge battle over the girl name. I don’t know what mom wanted but dad wanted the girl name to be Nicole Frances. Other than being a rather popular name at the time, my last name starts with an L so my initials would have been NFL. Mom shot that down rather quickly. My name is the only one they managed to agree upon. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-your-name-have-been-if-you-were-born-the-opposite-gender/223941.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-your-name-have-been-if-you-were-born-the-opposite-gender/223941.md?page=6)