# Would you give your newborn son a stereotypically female name? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 26, 2015, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-newborn-son-a-stereotypically-female-name/718585 "2015-04-26T17:30:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [April 26, 2015, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-newborn-son-a-stereotypically-female-name/718585/1 "2015-04-26T17:30:19Z")
It is not uncommon for parents to give their baby girls a name usually associated with males. I’m not talking about the feminized version – Georgia for George, Alexandra for Alexander, and so forth – but sticking with the masculine version for a girl. But not only is the reverse not true, but there’s a pressure (or at least perceive one) for “male” names, when frequently or prominently used by women, to be abandoned for boys. Which brings me to the thread question. Would you give your newborn son a name like Susan, Alicia, Mary, or so forth? Why or why not? You can wait for the poll if you want, but it’s not coming so that would be stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ac8455/32.png) [@Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Your_Great_Darsh_Face)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-newborn-son-a-stereotypically-female-name/718585/2 "2015-04-26T17:50:36Z")
Yes, but I would never deal stud in an old saloon in Gatlinburg. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-newborn-son-a-stereotypically-female-name/718585/3 "2015-04-26T18:01:53Z")
Depends on how stereotypical. Morgan, Sean, Kyle, Jamie, Hunter, Jesse, Kelly, Madison…not a problem. (In fact, one of those is my son’s name. Another is my daughter’s middle name.) Kim is pushing it, although worldwide it’s used more for boys than girls, but not in my group. Alice? No. Allis, maybe (that was one of my grandmother’s names.) Jane? No. Jayne, maybe, but I’d also dress him in a little brown coat and a silly hat. 😉 What can I say? I’m a product of my culture. I have absolutely no problem with my child choosing their own name when they’re older, but my default assumption at birth is that gender will match biology, and that s/he will be interested in gender conformity, as most people are. And in our culture, names have gender associations. So I’m cool with androgynous names, but reluctant to get too nonconforming on behalf of another person. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-newborn-son-a-stereotypically-female-name/718585/4 "2015-04-26T18:07:54Z")
What are examples of people giving girls a stereotypically masculine name? I can’t say I’ve heard of that. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-newborn-son-a-stereotypically-female-name/718585/5 "2015-04-26T18:09:48Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > What are examples of people giving girls a stereotypically masculine name? I can’t say I’ve heard of that. I knew a woman named Milo. Does that count? ---
**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:** [April 26, 2015, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-newborn-son-a-stereotypically-female-name/718585/6 "2015-04-26T18:10:47Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > What are examples of people giving girls a stereotypically masculine name? I can’t say I’ve heard of that. WhyNot named several. Sean used to be only a boy’s name but now has become as much or more a girl’s. Likewise Jamie, Morgan, and so forth, but those haven’t flipped as much as Sean. But to remind everyone: it’s the reverse I wanted to talk about. Would you name your son Martha? Rose? Melinda? ---
**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:** [April 26, 2015, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-newborn-son-a-stereotypically-female-name/718585/7 "2015-04-26T18:12:04Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > What are examples of people giving girls a stereotypically masculine name? I can’t say I’ve heard of that. Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds just named their daughter “James.” ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-newborn-son-a-stereotypically-female-name/718585/8 "2015-04-26T18:12:27Z")
One of my contemporaries has two young daughters, Noah and (newborn) Harlan. ---
**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:** [April 26, 2015, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-newborn-son-a-stereotypically-female-name/718585/9 "2015-04-26T18:15:00Z")
> [@araminty](#): > > One of my contemporaries has two young daughters, Noah and (newborn) Harlan. Which, again, is the opposite of what the thread is about. It’s common for girls to get boys’ names, but not the reverse. Any of y’all willing to name your son Francine, Marilyn, Ginger, and so forth? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-newborn-son-a-stereotypically-female-name/718585/10 "2015-04-26T18:20:31Z")
I have a cousin named Ashley, his mom is a GWTW fan. I wouldn’t name a son Elizabeth, but something like Sean would be fine. OTOH I hate Tracy Morgan because his name has polluted the pristine image I had of the cutest girl in the 6th grade. So maybe this kind of thing has to stop. ---
**Author:** ![Lorene89095](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@Lorene89095](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorene89095)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-newborn-son-a-stereotypically-female-name/718585/11 "2015-04-26T18:59:17Z")
Jayne. I was checkering and a young man handed me a check – “Bonnie” was the first name… “May I see your DL,please” Sure enough,his first name was Bonnie… Marion was a male name for quite some time. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-newborn-son-a-stereotypically-female-name/718585/12 "2015-04-26T19:09:29Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > But to remind everyone: it’s the reverse I wanted to talk about. Would you name your son Martha? Rose? Melinda? No, I wouldn’t. Do you expect many (any) will say yes? ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-newborn-son-a-stereotypically-female-name/718585/13 "2015-04-26T19:12:20Z")
No. Nothing positive would come from that. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-newborn-son-a-stereotypically-female-name/718585/14 "2015-04-26T19:14:55Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Jayne, maybe, but I’d also dress him in a little brown coat and a silly hat. 😉 Not a silly hat, a _cunning_ hat. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-newborn-son-a-stereotypically-female-name/718585/15 "2015-04-26T19:14:58Z")
Not a first name but its fairly common for male Irish Catholics in my experience to take a female name as a chosen or confirmation name. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-newborn-son-a-stereotypically-female-name/718585/16 "2015-04-26T19:21:31Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > Not a silly hat, a _cunning_ hat. _hangs her head in shame_ You are so right. I’m not worthy of a boy named Jayne. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-newborn-son-a-stereotypically-female-name/718585/17 "2015-04-26T19:27:20Z")
I would never give a boy a girl’s name. I also would never give a girl a boy’s name. Just in general I am against giving people stupid names. ---
**Author:** ![2gigch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2gigch1/32/3313_2.png) [@2gigch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2gigch1)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-newborn-son-a-stereotypically-female-name/718585/18 "2015-04-26T20:07:57Z")
No, however if at a later age said he wanted to change it and could show it was a thoughtful, educated decision I would support the decision fully. As much as I wish the world would not harm my child over a name, I know better. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-newborn-son-a-stereotypically-female-name/718585/19 "2015-04-26T20:21:30Z")
> [@Lorene89095](#): > > Marion was a male name for quite some time. Marion is a man’s name - it was John Wayne’s real name. Marian is the female version of the name. To address the OP, no I would not give a son a traditionally female name. Nor would I give a daughter a male name. Nor would I give either a name with an off-the-wall spelling. But since I’m \*waaaaaaaaay \*past my child-bearing days, it’s not an issue. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-newborn-son-a-stereotypically-female-name/718585/20 "2015-04-26T20:27:21Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Marion is a man’s name - it was John Wayne’s real name. Marian is the female version of the name. More accurately, Marion used to be a man’s name and Marian used to be the female version of the name. In my teaching career I taught at least three Marions and all of them were girls…I don’t think I ever taught a Marian. The only Marion male I ever knew was a great uncle, born in about 1912. I bet if you looked it up you’d find that the name was deader than a doornail for little boys…and has been that way for decades. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-newborn-son-a-stereotypically-female-name/718585.md?page=2)