View Message

[Opinions] Gabriel
A woman in my class at college named her son Gabrielle. She said she decided to spell Gabriel as Gabrielle, because she wanted a girl so badly, and that would've been the baby's name, had it been a girl.Yikes! That poor boy. Not only is he living with a girl's name, but now he knows that his Mom wanted a girl so badly, that she used the feminine spelling, instead of Gabriel!I like both names, but only used on their respective genders.
Archived Thread - replies disabled
vote up1

Replies

I love the name Gabriel, and I think it's pretty bad to name your son Gabrielle. However, certain accents (French, Spanish, etc.) pronounce the masculine version like the U.S./N.A. says Gabrielle, and the 'feminine' version is Gabriella/Gabriela (at least in Spanish, that I know of). That's what I've been told at least. But it's still SPELLED Gabriel. Poor kid. :(
vote up1
I agree. I love both names, but ppl, come on, use the right spelling for the right gender! That poor boy.
vote up1
geesh, mom, give the kid an inferiority complex why don't ya?Gabrielle and Gabriel are so similar it seems ridiculous to not use Gabriel. Instead this poor guy has a constant reminder that he's not what his mom really wanted. (I mean I'm sure she wanted him after he was born but still...)
vote up1
Parents who wants boys do this all the timeAnd no one really bats an eyelash. I dislike anyone who does it, though. Its too bad in America girls with boys names are accepted, while boys with girls names are thought to be "wimpy" Siri
vote up1
Well, maybe they would give an eyelash if they had a daughter named John or Robert or something else like that, but you're right, for the most part, the threshold with girl's names on boys is lower than the reverse. Which is one of the things that I campaign to change on these boards!

This message was edited 12/3/2004, 3:21 AM

vote up1
I knew some parents gave boys feminine names (or names we now see as only feminine), but in the actual feminine spelling, like Gabrielle and not Gabriel. This is done often?
vote up1
Ever hear of Shirley?In Charlotte Brontë's 1849 novel Shirley, the eponymous heroine is named Shirley because her parents had wanted a boy and had planned to name him Shirley. When they had a girl, she was named Shirley anyway. Back then, Shirley was considered to be very masculine, something like Connor is today.Obviously missing the point, parents began calling their daughters Shirley after the novel was released, including Shirley Temple's mother and father.Miranda
vote up1
Yes, maybe what I'm asking is confusing...Yes, I have, but maybe the way I'm posting my question is confusing. What I mean is, do parents choose the feminine spelling (like Gabrielle) over the masculine spelling (like Gabriel) often? I don't mean a feminine name, I mean the feminine spelling. Hopefully, that makes sense.

This message was edited 12/2/2004, 7:15 PM

vote up1
Yes, that makes sense :-)No, I don't think it happens frequently. Sometimes you see Leigh or Sydney on a boy, but I suppose that doesn't really count in this case. Neither do Daniele or, indeed, Gabriele, which are legitimate male spellings.I wonder what the mother would've thought of Gabriel being pronounced exactly like Gabrielle in French...Miranda
vote up1
OK, I'm glad that made sense. :) She probably would not have cared, sadly. She was moaning and griping that she would have to raise a boy. She already is complaining, and I find that extremely sad.
vote up1
Poor boy. :-(a
vote up1
That's horrible, why would she do that? Poor kid. I LOVE Gabriel btw.
vote up1