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HelpCarlisle on a girl?
*sigh*
DH's cousin & wife have a DD near our youngest's age. I forget her fn (something slightly "out there"), but her mn is Carlisle, named after her recently deceased paternal great-grandfather, whose mn was also Carlisle. I totally get the honoring thing and have no problem w/it, but I find Carlisle so masculine! Why not Carlie or Carlise / Carlisa, or Carlyn? I guess I'm so bothered b/c I feel like there are so many great masculine names being appropriated for girls.
Anyway, what's your take on it?
(edited to include hyperlinks)
DH's cousin & wife have a DD near our youngest's age. I forget her fn (something slightly "out there"), but her mn is Carlisle, named after her recently deceased paternal great-grandfather, whose mn was also Carlisle. I totally get the honoring thing and have no problem w/it, but I find Carlisle so masculine! Why not Carlie or Carlise / Carlisa, or Carlyn? I guess I'm so bothered b/c I feel like there are so many great masculine names being appropriated for girls.
Anyway, what's your take on it?
(edited to include hyperlinks)
This message was edited 3/13/2008, 7:17 AM
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In Scotland there's a strong tradition of giving the mother's (or a grandmother's) maiden name in the middle name spot, both for male and female children. I know many people, men and women, with middle names like Gardiner, Galbraith, McKay, Urquhart ... And these are people with clearly feminine first names. I'm so used to that, it wouldn't even occur to me that the mn Carlisle was strangely masculine - or that any surname in the mn spot was (unless it happened to be a common boy's name such as Bradley), or part of a modern trend.
It helps that I don't know any men named Carlisle, and it's rather a pretty sounding name, what with the "ar" and "l" sounds.
ETA: I just looked at the BtN entry for Carlisle. Here, with regard to the surname and the placename, we stress the second syllable - car-LYLE. That makes it sound considerably more feminine too, I think.
It helps that I don't know any men named Carlisle, and it's rather a pretty sounding name, what with the "ar" and "l" sounds.
ETA: I just looked at the BtN entry for Carlisle. Here, with regard to the surname and the placename, we stress the second syllable - car-LYLE. That makes it sound considerably more feminine too, I think.
This message was edited 3/13/2008, 9:38 AM
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That's interesting.
Never knew it was prn differently elsewhere. Although, with the Lisle part being stressed, to me, it's even more masculine. I mean, ever heard of a woman named Lyle? ;oP
Heh, now I keep saying "CAR-lisle; car-LISLE." in my head! The 2nd could easily grow on me, I think. ;o)
Never knew it was prn differently elsewhere. Although, with the Lisle part being stressed, to me, it's even more masculine. I mean, ever heard of a woman named Lyle? ;oP
Heh, now I keep saying "CAR-lisle; car-LISLE." in my head! The 2nd could easily grow on me, I think. ;o)
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I'm right behind you on Carlisa, I think it's stunning and would have been a totally acceptable honouring solution.
But surnames-as-middle-names isn't a new thing on girls so I guess it's not that bad. Before I clicked on your post I thought it was a new baby's first name, and that would have been monstrous :-(
But surnames-as-middle-names isn't a new thing on girls so I guess it's not that bad. Before I clicked on your post I thought it was a new baby's first name, and that would have been monstrous :-(
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Yes, there is that.
At least it's a mn...and (I wish I could remember the poor child's fn) the combo flows beautifully. I guess my love of Carlisa and my preference for super-frilly names on girls has me feeling a bit disappointed. Oh, well. I'll get over it! :o)
At least it's a mn...and (I wish I could remember the poor child's fn) the combo flows beautifully. I guess my love of Carlisa and my preference for super-frilly names on girls has me feeling a bit disappointed. Oh, well. I'll get over it! :o)
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I am not bothered if it is a middle name. Middle names can always transcend the boudaries between given names and surnames in my book.
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I think it's okay. An honoring surname in the middle doesn't bother me on either gender. Carlisle is more surnamey to me rather than strongly masculine or feminine, but, in any event, I don't believe a masculine mn on a girl has much of an impact on whether or not that name will ever be used on boys again.
I don't like Carlisle at all, but I like Carlie, Carlise, Carlisa, and Carlyn even less.
I don't like Carlisle at all, but I like Carlie, Carlise, Carlisa, and Carlyn even less.
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