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Help[Opinions] Hazel on a Boy
I recently came across a BA where they used Hazel for a little boy and it surprised me, its quite trendy for little girls right now but I think it was refreshing on a boy. Thoughts? On that same track I met a girl Allen today and a girl Kieran, both I'd never seen on girls before.
https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/145466
https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/145466
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As was mentioned earlier, it's used as a name for a man in the show The Umbrella Academy.
I think I actually like it better on a boy.
It is a nature name and color name, so I think it's usable for any gender.
I think I actually like it better on a boy.
It is a nature name and color name, so I think it's usable for any gender.
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10 years ago when Hazel was less trendy I would have been totally on board with naming a little Boy Hazel. Now I am not so sure. I think that a lot of nature names are gender neutral but there are a few that are pretty tied to either one gender of or the other, Hazel seems more in the Lily or Rose category than the Rowan or Linden category. But I do like the idea of Hazel on a boy.
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Being a nature name, it could theoretically work. Honestly, Hazel for a boy makes me think of Watership Down.
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Nope, all on the wrong genders for me! Hazel only for a girl and Allen and Kieran most definitely only for boys.
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I like Haze. Very usable.
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It would work on the right person, but I definitely think it's more feminine.
Allen is weird for a girl. I don't like Kieran on a girl either, but I can see how it fits with trends. A lot of girls are getting boyish two syllable -n names.
Allen is weird for a girl. I don't like Kieran on a girl either, but I can see how it fits with trends. A lot of girls are getting boyish two syllable -n names.
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Laurel etc.
So Laurel is another feminine plant name ending in -el. Nothing about -el is particularly feminine, but Laurel and Hazel are both considered feminine. Is it because they're plants? Do you think Laurel is more or less feminine or masculine than Hazel?
Some other nouns that end in -el are Kestrel (feminine), Angel (unisex), Israel (masculine), and Jewel (database says unisex but probably more feminine)
The database has 302 masculine "-el"s and 117 feminine "-el"s.
(The hazel genus is Corylus and one genus of laurel is Laurus, and those would definitely be masculine. Some other genera of laurel are Laurelia, Danae, and Daphne, which would clearly be feminine. I know I find Laurel and Hazel feminine, but I can't see why because it's not as obvious things like "-us = male" or "-ia = female".)
So Laurel is another feminine plant name ending in -el. Nothing about -el is particularly feminine, but Laurel and Hazel are both considered feminine. Is it because they're plants? Do you think Laurel is more or less feminine or masculine than Hazel?
Some other nouns that end in -el are Kestrel (feminine), Angel (unisex), Israel (masculine), and Jewel (database says unisex but probably more feminine)
The database has 302 masculine "-el"s and 117 feminine "-el"s.
(The hazel genus is Corylus and one genus of laurel is Laurus, and those would definitely be masculine. Some other genera of laurel are Laurelia, Danae, and Daphne, which would clearly be feminine. I know I find Laurel and Hazel feminine, but I can't see why because it's not as obvious things like "-us = male" or "-ia = female".)
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It's ok I guess. Maybe mom and dad wanted a girl baby. I don't like Allen. I do like Kieran, boy or girl.
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I think of the character from The Umbrella Academy. Not that that's a bad thing; it's one of my favorite Netflix shows.
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In a fantasy world, I can picture Hazel on a boy especially if he was fairy and all his friends were named Aster, Sage, and Birch. I prefer Hazel on a girl.
Speaking for myself, I would hate being a girl named Allen. I'm not a fan of Kieran on either gender.
Speaking for myself, I would hate being a girl named Allen. I'm not a fan of Kieran on either gender.
This message was edited 8/3/2020, 10:16 AM
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I wish there were a way of performing a scientific poll of males only, asking if they would like being named Hazel.
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I'd love to be called Hazel :)
I'm a "male."
I'm a "male."
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A generality is generally true, never universally true.
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I doubt many would like it ...
I thought I remembered something about a real man named Hazel but wasn't sure where. Apparently it's a male rabbit in Watership Down, but I'm not really counting rabbits.
But then I remembered that the serial killer Pee Wee Gaskins killed his first person while in prison. (His last also, but that's another story.) Pee Wee was just a little scrawny guy and decided to make his reputation (and protect himself) by killing the meanest man in the prison. The guy he chose was named Hazel Brazell (I hope they didn't rhyme exactly but maybe they did) who was universally feared by inmates and guards alike. The book I read about it it in says "Nobody, not even the guards, dared ever to call him Hazel to his face."
I thought I remembered something about a real man named Hazel but wasn't sure where. Apparently it's a male rabbit in Watership Down, but I'm not really counting rabbits.
But then I remembered that the serial killer Pee Wee Gaskins killed his first person while in prison. (His last also, but that's another story.) Pee Wee was just a little scrawny guy and decided to make his reputation (and protect himself) by killing the meanest man in the prison. The guy he chose was named Hazel Brazell (I hope they didn't rhyme exactly but maybe they did) who was universally feared by inmates and guards alike. The book I read about it it in says "Nobody, not even the guards, dared ever to call him Hazel to his face."
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Love on a boy
It's sweet and gentle. :)
It's sweet and gentle. :)
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That would be the last thing in the world I'd be seeking when choosing a name for a son. Just saying.
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"Gentle and sweet" is a one of the most common things that people look for when naming babies, so you're definitely going to be in the minority on this one.
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""Gentle and sweet" is a one of the most common things that people look for when naming babies, so you're definitely going to be in the minority on this one."
I disagree. I like a lot of names that sound strong to me. Vidia, Eleanor, Matilda, Katarina, Roderick, Arthur, etc... Strength is not the opposite of sweetness, so I also consider some of these names sweet, but they aren't some overly saccharine or passive sounding names. I like a name with backbone along with other positive traits.
I disagree. I like a lot of names that sound strong to me. Vidia, Eleanor, Matilda, Katarina, Roderick, Arthur, etc... Strength is not the opposite of sweetness, so I also consider some of these names sweet, but they aren't some overly saccharine or passive sounding names. I like a name with backbone along with other positive traits.
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I don't like Hazel for a boy because I don't like names gender swapping (though with a few exceptions), but I would love my son to be gentle and sweet, and his name as well.
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I'd want my son to be gentle and sweet, particularly with children and animals, and all occasions in which nothing but gentleness and sweetness are required, but I'd also want him to be strong-willed, proud, and self-assertive when the occasion calls for it. That's why I wouldn't pick a name that had a gentle and sweet vibe, feel, connotation, whatever you want to call it, only.
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Your name doesn't determine your personality, and "sweet and gentle" doesn't mean "ONLY EVER sweet and gentle". You'll never be able to find a name that encapsulates every possible personality trait you can think of, so why put all of that pressure on your baby's name? My name is soft and cutesy but that doesn't mean I'm nothing but soft, and it definitely doesn't mean that my parents didn't care about me having good personality traits. They just didn't think my personality would be based on my name.. and it wasn't, because that's not how personalities work.
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Out of curiosity, what are some male names that in your opinion have only sweet&gentle vibe? It's of course a matter of personal taste, I'm asking because I feel that many classic English male names, such as Matthew, William, Samuel, Nathan and James are very sweet and gentle (where as Andrew and Peter for example aren't).
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It's hard for me to come up with them from off the top of my head. It's more of a "I know it when I hear it" thing. But:
Adrian ---- which I actually like but wouldn't use because it's only sweet and gentle.
Theodore --- In spite of Roosevelt
Arlo
Asa
Giles
Rowan ---- this is the King of them
Spencer
Tucker
Emory
Julian
Lucian
Caspar
But of course it's subjective.
Adrian ---- which I actually like but wouldn't use because it's only sweet and gentle.
Theodore --- In spite of Roosevelt
Arlo
Asa
Giles
Rowan ---- this is the King of them
Spencer
Tucker
Emory
Julian
Lucian
Caspar
But of course it's subjective.
This message was edited 8/3/2020, 10:32 AM
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I agree with you about using names that seem "sweet and gentle" (or too "feminine") but not about which names are that!
It sure is subjective.
Some of these are favorite man names of mine and it's not at all because of them seeming sweet or gentle.
So I'm going to "defend" them, heh.
Adrian to me seems expansive and orderly (I'm not a poet ok... I mean, I think of stuff like ... oceangoing ships and travel, and officialness or the helpful/uplifting aspect of formal organization and ritual). Definitely masculine and I hate it spelled Adrian for women... it's so mannish.
Rowan is similar but more earthy, more of a mage with a staff and robes. I also think Rowan for a woman is mannish.
Julian only seems feminine because it's practically unisex and therefore de-masculinized from certain perspectives but I think it easily switches between genders and takes on masculinity very strongly when used for a masculine person. Great potential as a jock name.
I don't agree with you about Spencer, Tucker, Giles, or Caspar either. Not remotely. Caspar is positively butch. Almost martial.
Tucker's a little trivial/childish, though. And Lucian, kinda slick/vain (though I still like it for a guy, I don't feel like it has the masculine potential that Julian has).
I do agree though, about Theodore, Arlo, Emory, and Asa.
Sometimes it seems to me that younger women often prefer guy names that smack "sweet and gentle" because they evoke male characters who are less ... scary to them.
It sure is subjective.
Some of these are favorite man names of mine and it's not at all because of them seeming sweet or gentle.
So I'm going to "defend" them, heh.
Adrian to me seems expansive and orderly (I'm not a poet ok... I mean, I think of stuff like ... oceangoing ships and travel, and officialness or the helpful/uplifting aspect of formal organization and ritual). Definitely masculine and I hate it spelled Adrian for women... it's so mannish.
Rowan is similar but more earthy, more of a mage with a staff and robes. I also think Rowan for a woman is mannish.
Julian only seems feminine because it's practically unisex and therefore de-masculinized from certain perspectives but I think it easily switches between genders and takes on masculinity very strongly when used for a masculine person. Great potential as a jock name.
I don't agree with you about Spencer, Tucker, Giles, or Caspar either. Not remotely. Caspar is positively butch. Almost martial.
Tucker's a little trivial/childish, though. And Lucian, kinda slick/vain (though I still like it for a guy, I don't feel like it has the masculine potential that Julian has).
I do agree though, about Theodore, Arlo, Emory, and Asa.
Sometimes it seems to me that younger women often prefer guy names that smack "sweet and gentle" because they evoke male characters who are less ... scary to them.
This message was edited 8/3/2020, 11:29 AM
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Theodore ...
It isn't a rough and tumble name, exactly, and I definitely can't ever picture it as even remotely unisex. But it does have a stuffy, pompous quality about it that's off-putting. I really like the nn Ted, which is so warm and friendly and down to earth; if I really wanted Ted as a nn I'd have Edward as the full fn.
It isn't a rough and tumble name, exactly, and I definitely can't ever picture it as even remotely unisex. But it does have a stuffy, pompous quality about it that's off-putting. I really like the nn Ted, which is so warm and friendly and down to earth; if I really wanted Ted as a nn I'd have Edward as the full fn.
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agree ...
And a name does not have to be feminine to be gentle. Jonathan and Noah are gentle-sounding names to me, and they are all-boy.
Sometimes I think the "gender neutral" or "non-binary" types are actually more hung up on narrow stereotypes than the general populace.
And a name does not have to be feminine to be gentle. Jonathan and Noah are gentle-sounding names to me, and they are all-boy.
Sometimes I think the "gender neutral" or "non-binary" types are actually more hung up on narrow stereotypes than the general populace.
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"Sometimes I think the "gender neutral" or "non-binary" types are actually more hung up on narrow stereotypes than the general populace."
That comes from outside pressure. If you're not a binary cis person, some people won't believe you about the existence of your own gender unless you fit a very narrow stereotype that they've come up with. So many nonbinary people are afraid that if they experiment at all with anything considered "too girly" or "too boyish", people will misgender them.
Even binary trans people have the same problem-- there are trans men who are afraid to look "too girly" because people won't believe that they're boys, and trans women who wouldn't feel comfortable looking like me (a cis woman) because people wouldn't believe they were girls. It's not because they're hung-up on narrow stereotypes, it's because other people push them into the narrow stereotypes and make it difficult to go outside them.
Sometimes this is relevant to names (if you're nonbinary and your name is too "masculine" or "feminine", people will constantly have to be corrected about your pronouns so it might be easier to change your name to something that's already considered "neutral" even if you actually prefer a name that isn't stereotypically neutral), but not usually relevant to naming babies since you don't know the baby's gender. Most people name the baby assuming it will be cis, with the assumption that they'll change their name later if it doesn't fit.
That comes from outside pressure. If you're not a binary cis person, some people won't believe you about the existence of your own gender unless you fit a very narrow stereotype that they've come up with. So many nonbinary people are afraid that if they experiment at all with anything considered "too girly" or "too boyish", people will misgender them.
Even binary trans people have the same problem-- there are trans men who are afraid to look "too girly" because people won't believe that they're boys, and trans women who wouldn't feel comfortable looking like me (a cis woman) because people wouldn't believe they were girls. It's not because they're hung-up on narrow stereotypes, it's because other people push them into the narrow stereotypes and make it difficult to go outside them.
Sometimes this is relevant to names (if you're nonbinary and your name is too "masculine" or "feminine", people will constantly have to be corrected about your pronouns so it might be easier to change your name to something that's already considered "neutral" even if you actually prefer a name that isn't stereotypically neutral), but not usually relevant to naming babies since you don't know the baby's gender. Most people name the baby assuming it will be cis, with the assumption that they'll change their name later if it doesn't fit.
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True. I do like gentleness and sweetness in boys (I even find it slightly attractive), but why not give him a gentle-sounding male name rather than a female name? The only thing he’ll get from having a female name is misgendering.
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Ditto
"True. I do like gentleness and sweetness in boys (I even find it slightly attractive), but why not give him a gentle-sounding male name rather than a female name? The only thing he’ll get from having a female name is misgendering."
There are plenty of gentle sounding boy names. The only point in giving a boy a girl name is to cause misgendering, which he may not appreciate.
"True. I do like gentleness and sweetness in boys (I even find it slightly attractive), but why not give him a gentle-sounding male name rather than a female name? The only thing he’ll get from having a female name is misgendering."
There are plenty of gentle sounding boy names. The only point in giving a boy a girl name is to cause misgendering, which he may not appreciate.
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This isn't a response to what you said here. I just want to further expound on what I said.
I would also want my daughter to be gentle and sweet, but also strong-willed, proud, and self-assertive when the occasion calls for it. And in fact, I don't think that the name I did choose for my daughter, Victoria, is gentle and sweet at all. It seems that when people dislike it, they do so because it's the opposite of gentle and sweet---"icy" and "prickly" is what I hear most.
But even if one does choose a softer and frillier name for a girl, I don't think it's as much of an encumbrance to the woman the girl will grow into being taking seriously than a traditionally feminine name is for the man the boy will grow into. People expect some women to have soft, gentle, and sweet names. They're going to start from the same point whether the name is something very basic and not soft like Joan, or traditionally masculine such as, I don't know, Jason, as they are if the name is Arabella. But since men are expected to have masculine names, I think a traditionally feminine name is going to result in a lot of probably subconscious, and thus more insidious, initial prejudices.
Anyway, there is and always has been a huge disconnect between this board and the real world about giving boys traditionally feminine names. It's fine and dandy to most people here, it seems. That's not the real world. Boys do not want girls' names. It's a burden and a disadvantage. And no, it's not the same burden and disadvantage for a girl to bear a traditionally masculine name, and no, that's not fair, but it's the way it is.
I would also want my daughter to be gentle and sweet, but also strong-willed, proud, and self-assertive when the occasion calls for it. And in fact, I don't think that the name I did choose for my daughter, Victoria, is gentle and sweet at all. It seems that when people dislike it, they do so because it's the opposite of gentle and sweet---"icy" and "prickly" is what I hear most.
But even if one does choose a softer and frillier name for a girl, I don't think it's as much of an encumbrance to the woman the girl will grow into being taking seriously than a traditionally feminine name is for the man the boy will grow into. People expect some women to have soft, gentle, and sweet names. They're going to start from the same point whether the name is something very basic and not soft like Joan, or traditionally masculine such as, I don't know, Jason, as they are if the name is Arabella. But since men are expected to have masculine names, I think a traditionally feminine name is going to result in a lot of probably subconscious, and thus more insidious, initial prejudices.
Anyway, there is and always has been a huge disconnect between this board and the real world about giving boys traditionally feminine names. It's fine and dandy to most people here, it seems. That's not the real world. Boys do not want girls' names. It's a burden and a disadvantage. And no, it's not the same burden and disadvantage for a girl to bear a traditionally masculine name, and no, that's not fair, but it's the way it is.
This message was edited 8/3/2020, 9:18 AM
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"Anyway, there is and always has been a huge disconnect between this board and the real world about giving boys traditionally feminine names. It's fine and dandy to most people here, it seems. That's not the real world. Boys do not want girls' names. It's a burden and a disadvantage. And no, it's not the same burden and disadvantage for a girl to bear a traditionally masculine name, and no, that's not fair, but it's the way it is."
I don't know if I agree with this part, my husband has a name that is unisex but more commonly used on girls. I have known several males who had names that were more common for girls in their generation: Kelly, Kelsey, Ashley, Courtney, Madison, etc. who were all perfectly happy with their names. In fact, I have never met a boy with a girly name who disliked their name. I have found men who are unhappy with their names tend to be because they are A: too common, like Ryan for boys born in the 90's, or B: overtly masculine, like Gary or Wayne.
I have never seen anyone on this board suggest that we should go out and name a little boy "Josephine" but rather that maybe it isn't such a terrible thing to have a boy named "Aubrey" even though its popularity has gone to the girls.
I don't know if I agree with this part, my husband has a name that is unisex but more commonly used on girls. I have known several males who had names that were more common for girls in their generation: Kelly, Kelsey, Ashley, Courtney, Madison, etc. who were all perfectly happy with their names. In fact, I have never met a boy with a girly name who disliked their name. I have found men who are unhappy with their names tend to be because they are A: too common, like Ryan for boys born in the 90's, or B: overtly masculine, like Gary or Wayne.
I have never seen anyone on this board suggest that we should go out and name a little boy "Josephine" but rather that maybe it isn't such a terrible thing to have a boy named "Aubrey" even though its popularity has gone to the girls.
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I'd agree with you too. I think generally men seem to not be as fussed about their names as women and really the only men I've ever heard of complaining about their names were David, Scott and Peter, mainly because there is a huge amount of them.
I have friends with 'girly' names like Courtney, Ashley, Kelly and I even teach a Keeley and none of them have ever seemed to have an issue with it at all. Ashley is a pretty common boys name here in Australia. I also think the big distinction is that none of these are 'girls' names, they were originally mens names and have turned unisex.
I have friends with 'girly' names like Courtney, Ashley, Kelly and I even teach a Keeley and none of them have ever seemed to have an issue with it at all. Ashley is a pretty common boys name here in Australia. I also think the big distinction is that none of these are 'girls' names, they were originally mens names and have turned unisex.
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"I have known several males who had names that were more common for girls in their generation: Kelly, Kelsey, Ashley, Courtney, Madison, etc. who were all perfectly happy with their names. In fact, I have never met a boy with a girly name who disliked their name."
You've exceeded my suspension of disbelief. I have met a man named Ashley. He hated his name. The only male I have heard of name Kelsey is Kelsey Grammar, and he was born before the feminization of Kelsey. I am highly skeptical that you know this many men with the names you listed that were born during the same generation that these names were popular for women. If you really do know a man named Courtney who was born between 1990-1997, did you ask him how he felt about his name or are you assuming?
You've exceeded my suspension of disbelief. I have met a man named Ashley. He hated his name. The only male I have heard of name Kelsey is Kelsey Grammar, and he was born before the feminization of Kelsey. I am highly skeptical that you know this many men with the names you listed that were born during the same generation that these names were popular for women. If you really do know a man named Courtney who was born between 1990-1997, did you ask him how he felt about his name or are you assuming?
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I knew a Leslie in middle school. His only complaint about his name was the hard Z vs. soft S sound in the middle. He had a strong preference for one and it would drive him nuts when somebody used the other. Our science teacher used the “wrong” one all the time, and this normally nice, obedient kid always had huge behavioural problems in that class. I’m not sure if it was forgetfulness, arrogance or trolling on the teacher’s end, but he didn’t seem to even try. But the gendering of Leslie wasn’t a problem.
I went to school with a boy named Kelly Lynn (fn/ln) all through elementary and high school. We ran in different circles, (he was a popular kid) but I do know that he was often embarrassed by his name. I know he attempted suicide after high school. Obviously his name wouldn’t have caused that, but he was often more melancholy about it than angry. Whether that was a symptom of his personality or whether the hated name was a symptom of a disconnect at home, who knows? Probably had nothing to do with it at all.
I also had a high school friend who changed his name from Courtney to Lee when he transitioned FtM. Despite both names being technically unisex he felt Courtney was too feminine. It may also have been about shaking off the past.
I went to school with a boy named Kelly Lynn (fn/ln) all through elementary and high school. We ran in different circles, (he was a popular kid) but I do know that he was often embarrassed by his name. I know he attempted suicide after high school. Obviously his name wouldn’t have caused that, but he was often more melancholy about it than angry. Whether that was a symptom of his personality or whether the hated name was a symptom of a disconnect at home, who knows? Probably had nothing to do with it at all.
I also had a high school friend who changed his name from Courtney to Lee when he transitioned FtM. Despite both names being technically unisex he felt Courtney was too feminine. It may also have been about shaking off the past.
This message was edited 8/4/2020, 6:01 AM
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I say Leslie with a hard Z and it would be a real effort to say it with a soft S. I doubt it was deliberate on the teacher's part, and I doubt it was forgetfulness, arrogance, or trolling. It's just hard to say one little sound differently than you normally do and do that all of the time. The response on the part of Leslie was a ridiculous overreaction.
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If somebody asks you repeatedly to pronounce their name a certain way, I consider it rude not to try.
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yes ...
Especially if it's not a sound foreign to them; like few westerners would pronounce Chinese names exactly as they are pronounced in Chinese, but the s versus z sound should be easy to manage and shouldn't need repeated reminders.
It's about as rude as repeatedly calling someone by a nn when they've asked specifically to be called by another nn or by the full name. It may not be intentional rudeness, but it is rude.
Especially if it's not a sound foreign to them; like few westerners would pronounce Chinese names exactly as they are pronounced in Chinese, but the s versus z sound should be easy to manage and shouldn't need repeated reminders.
It's about as rude as repeatedly calling someone by a nn when they've asked specifically to be called by another nn or by the full name. It may not be intentional rudeness, but it is rude.
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No, this particular instance is silly. My own name can be an example, although I'm not certain how to explain it accurately in type. Most people pronounce the first syllable of my name with the A sound like the A sound in "sand". But a few people, including my own father, pronounce the first syllable with a flatter A sound, like the A sound in "cat". It's a matter of accent, I think, my father said a few other words differently than the rest of the family, such as "rowt" for "route" when the rest of the family said "root". (Although he was from the same area as the rest of us so I don't know why this was so.) It's one little sound, a matter of accent more than anything else. I can just see myself pitching fits at people who use the "cat" syllable and not the "can" syllable.
This message was edited 8/4/2020, 9:10 AM
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My point, though, is that it's one little sound. Not something like "Cynthia" rather than "Cindy" or pronouncing Aisling the correct way as ASH-lyn instead of the way that most Americans would initially think, AYZ-lin. I really think I'd find it impossible to say "LES-lie" rather than "LEZ-lie" on a regular basis. It's like trying to "correct" an accent.
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Yeah, I didn't and I don't want to carry this conversation/argument on ad nauseum, but it's exceed my suspension of disbelief as well.
As I said, huge disconnect.
As I said, huge disconnect.
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Well, nobody will ever fix that if they just follow the trends. Girls with boys names used to be "weird", but now it's trendy or normal (at least for some names). That popularity shift never would have happened without the initial trailblazers naming their daughters something nobody had ever seen on a girl before. In terms of advantages, having a boys name on your resume might get you the job, but once they realize you're a girl you'll still have to deal with sexism. A girls name might make it harder to get the job, but once they realize you're a boy you'll be treated however they treat other boys.
As long as you actually like the name and don't get offended if your kid changes their name, there's no harm in naming your baby whatever you want. It's not like names are permanent anyway. If you realize you want a different name when you start going to school, you can change it unofficially in no time at all (when all you have to do is tell people "I go by [name] now"), and then you'll have plenty of time to change it legally before you need to get a drivers license etc. People talk about names as if they're branded onto you, but there's nothing stopping anyone from changing their name (except maybe saving up for the legal fees depending on where you live and what the rules are). The maximum it could cost is around $400. And you'll have several years to come up with the money before your kid is old enough to need legal ID that you'd need extra money to change after the fact.
As long as you actually like the name and don't get offended if your kid changes their name, there's no harm in naming your baby whatever you want. It's not like names are permanent anyway. If you realize you want a different name when you start going to school, you can change it unofficially in no time at all (when all you have to do is tell people "I go by [name] now"), and then you'll have plenty of time to change it legally before you need to get a drivers license etc. People talk about names as if they're branded onto you, but there's nothing stopping anyone from changing their name (except maybe saving up for the legal fees depending on where you live and what the rules are). The maximum it could cost is around $400. And you'll have several years to come up with the money before your kid is old enough to need legal ID that you'd need extra money to change after the fact.
This message was edited 8/3/2020, 4:15 PM
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LOL ummm
We need more gentle boys in this warped, misogynistic, femicidal world. I'm a fag, and if I ever had a son, I'd want him to be gentle.
We need more gentle boys in this warped, misogynistic, femicidal world. I'm a fag, and if I ever had a son, I'd want him to be gentle.
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James already sounds pretty feminine/neutral as a sound. Elizabeth honestly doesn't sound gendered at all, but it's a long complicated name associated with girls. It's better to compare it to a girl named Christopher or something.
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I think that Elizabeth is strong and slightly proud. It does not project sweet and gentle although Beth does. There are lots of girl names that I consider strong but not masculine. Boy names that give off a soft vibe to me are Wendell, Adrian, Wesley, Ambrose, etc...
This message was edited 8/3/2020, 10:38 AM
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Yeah, I figured you'd say something like this.
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Glad I'm steadfast enough to be predictable!
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Nope. Hazel is purely feminine. It might suit a boy if he had the right personality for it, but it just works better on a girl.
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I disagree; it would be like saying Rachael would make a better male name than Rachel.
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I love it on a boy!! How lovely to see it used
Allen on a girl is ok, think I'd prefer Ellen. I just associate Allen with being a middle aged mans name. Have met both male and female Kierans, think it works on both
Allen on a girl is ok, think I'd prefer Ellen. I just associate Allen with being a middle aged mans name. Have met both male and female Kierans, think it works on both
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I love it for both!
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I think it sounds too delicate, but it could work for a soul sensitive and artistic enough. Either way, I don't think it grows up well.
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Tbh I love and it makes me think of the character in Watership Down. I mostly dislike it on a girl, it sounds so sharp... like "thistle".
I like Kieran on a girl, that works as well as Morgan or Jordan. Allen, on the other hand.... it's such a dad name lol.
I like Kieran on a girl, that works as well as Morgan or Jordan. Allen, on the other hand.... it's such a dad name lol.
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Fail. It was never a boys' name in any meaningful sense, and it's not unisex. It may have been done occasionally, but just about everything has, and that alone doesn't make it a thing.
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Is that you, Sabrina Fair?
I find it utterly unsuitable for a boy. It's a girls' name.
I find it utterly unsuitable for a boy. It's a girls' name.
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Hazel is not my favorite name regardless. But why not use it on a boy? Girls are always hijacking masculine names. Turnabout is fair play.
This message was edited 8/3/2020, 5:15 AM
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It reminds me of The Umbrella Academy, which isn’t a bad thing exactly. I agree it’s refreshing on a boy, and I think it’s quite sweet. I do imagine it causing some confusion, so I’d probably keep it in the middle myself, but I’d love to hear it as a first on someone else.
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Hi !!!
I think that nature-themed names (and word-names in general) are always unisex.
Hazel has not a feminine sound, it is just traditionally feminime.
In my opinion it could be nice on a boy as well.
Allen and Kieran are only masculine in my mind. Why not using Allene and Kiera?
Allen could be a surname, true, but it is a variant of Alan while Kieran is a variant of Ciarán, both clearly for boys.
I think that nature-themed names (and word-names in general) are always unisex.
Hazel has not a feminine sound, it is just traditionally feminime.
In my opinion it could be nice on a boy as well.
Allen and Kieran are only masculine in my mind. Why not using Allene and Kiera?
Allen could be a surname, true, but it is a variant of Alan while Kieran is a variant of Ciarán, both clearly for boys.
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I adore the Umbrella Academy character, but I don’t love his name. How that teddy bear of a man came to be an assassin is a backstory spinoff I need to see!
We spent a long time suppressing and not celebrating gentle or creative traits, typically associated with femininity, and it’s culminated in people giving their girls boys’ names in order to associate them with forceful traits. I hate that. But I also don’t want to see it go the other way, where any aggression, stoicism or other “masculine” traits are seen as a negative and people start giving their boys girls’ names in a bid to mold their personality or the way the world sees them We should embrace all positive traits, in varying quantities, in everyone.
If names were genuinely free from being a weather vane for this I’d probably be a lot more open to names transitioning. It just seems like a statement I don’t want to get behind. Some cultures have scores of great unisex names and I’m all for that.
We spent a long time suppressing and not celebrating gentle or creative traits, typically associated with femininity, and it’s culminated in people giving their girls boys’ names in order to associate them with forceful traits. I hate that. But I also don’t want to see it go the other way, where any aggression, stoicism or other “masculine” traits are seen as a negative and people start giving their boys girls’ names in a bid to mold their personality or the way the world sees them We should embrace all positive traits, in varying quantities, in everyone.
If names were genuinely free from being a weather vane for this I’d probably be a lot more open to names transitioning. It just seems like a statement I don’t want to get behind. Some cultures have scores of great unisex names and I’m all for that.
This message was edited 8/3/2020, 4:20 AM
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I loved Hazel on the male rabbit in Watership Down, I think that really worked, so I kind of like it in theory but in reality, I think it's a no. I can picture both Allen and Kieran on girls even though I've never seen them on girls before either. I don't like Kieran as a name at all; Allen I like on a boy and I guess it's a bit fresher for a girl and almost the same as Ellen, but it kind of feels like the parents were reaching for a full name for Ally.
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Not crazy about the name but would much rather see it on a girl. I don’t mind Allen on a girl. Kieran I don’t like for a girl or a boy. It isn’t hard to imagine on a girl though. Reminds me of Kendal that I’d only heard for boys until late 80s/early 90s when it became popular for girls.
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I'm not a fan of the name in general but do prefer it for a girl.
On the tv show The Umbrella Academy there is a male character named Hazel.
On the tv show The Umbrella Academy there is a male character named Hazel.
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I think Hazel was a code name in "The Umbrella Academy." Cha-cha and Hazel weren't given full names.
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Oh, definitely, but everyone still called him Hazel.
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Not for a boy
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