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Help[Opinions] Re: Brennan / gendering names
in reply to a message by Xena
Usually because it's a 1 way street. It's much rarer for girls names to be used on boys so it doesn't seem fair. Once a name starts being used more on girls, it won't be used on boys as much anymore, because it will be seen as too feminine.
http://www.behindthename.com/pnl/72895
"It is human nature to think wisely and act in an absurd fashion." ~ Anatole France
http://www.behindthename.com/pnl/72895
"It is human nature to think wisely and act in an absurd fashion." ~ Anatole France
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Idk, I feel like that's a societal problem that happens with so many things besides names––e.g., career fields that become feminized once women begin to participate in them (nursing, teaching) versus career fields that become masculinized when more men start participating in them (authorship, film, cinematography). In a similar way, I can see how a name can gain feminine and masculine connotations over time, and why they change over time.
However, I don't think names get nearly as drastically feminized so quickly or that they always go in the feminizing direction. Tatum is traditionally a feminine name, but it sounds fairly masculine and is quickly gaining in ranking for boys. And most of the cases we see of "boy" names becoming "girl" names are from the 1800s and early 1900s, but it still took decades for that change to take place.
Either way, if society sees a name becoming too feminine or effeminate to use for a boy, even if it was only a few years ago then that's an issue with pervasive toxic masculinity and social insecurity. Like, well-established feminine names like Ashley could be considered a stretch for a boy, especially to protect kids from bullying, but even if more girls are being named Forest or Cameron that doesn't necessarily mean that 1) these names will become feminine like the small number that become primarily feminine rather than truly genderless or that 2) we should be supporting a culture of toxic masculinity / masculine insecurity in the first place. Rather, I think we should be welcoming a more nuanced and fluid understanding of how concepts and names and expressions become gendered over time.
However, I don't think names get nearly as drastically feminized so quickly or that they always go in the feminizing direction. Tatum is traditionally a feminine name, but it sounds fairly masculine and is quickly gaining in ranking for boys. And most of the cases we see of "boy" names becoming "girl" names are from the 1800s and early 1900s, but it still took decades for that change to take place.
Either way, if society sees a name becoming too feminine or effeminate to use for a boy, even if it was only a few years ago then that's an issue with pervasive toxic masculinity and social insecurity. Like, well-established feminine names like Ashley could be considered a stretch for a boy, especially to protect kids from bullying, but even if more girls are being named Forest or Cameron that doesn't necessarily mean that 1) these names will become feminine like the small number that become primarily feminine rather than truly genderless or that 2) we should be supporting a culture of toxic masculinity / masculine insecurity in the first place. Rather, I think we should be welcoming a more nuanced and fluid understanding of how concepts and names and expressions become gendered over time.
This message was edited 3/21/2019, 9:04 PM
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