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HelpEvelyn on a boy???
My older sister is expecting her third. She has a girl and a boy already and named them Charlotte (after Charlotte Bronte) and Austen (after Jane Austen) which are two of her favorite authors. Now she is expecting a third. She told me that she wanted to use the name Evelyn (after Evelyn Waugh). Okay. But now it has been confirmed she is having a boy, but today she told me that she is still thinking of sticking with Evelyn since after all Evelyn Waugh was a guy! How can I talk her out of it? She is thinking Evelyn Charles!!!
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I never thought of Evelyn as a masculine name...it's a girl's name, all the way. Maybe she could delegate it to the MN spot? That way she could still use it, but it wouldn't be the poor kid's first name.
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Couldn't she use something like Devlin instead? It has a similar sound.
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My problem with Evelyn is that it falls into the -lyn pattern that's been pretty popular for girls lately. I really can't see it as a boy's name and I don't think anyone else will, either. Do your best to talk her out of this one, please.
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I love Evelyn on a boy! Evelyn Charles is sooo handsome!
This message was edited 5/12/2009, 5:55 PM
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Eeep
It seems that others here think this is a great idea, but I'm piping up in defense of the future little boy and saying, yes, please do try to talk her out of it!!
It's one thing to use boy-to-girl-to-boy names like Morgan, Courtney and Ashley on boys, but a name like Evelyn is too far gone to the pink side to be used by a modern boy. His life would be constant schoolyard torment and his terrible "I-hate-my parents" teenage years will only we worsened by giving him the name Evelyn.
Yes, Evelyn Waugh was a man. But times have changed and Evelyn is just not seen as a masculine name any more - just like Tiffany and Kimberly were apparently once boy's names, I wouldn't recommend trying that these days.
Why doesn't she try choosing the name of a favourite character from a Waugh novel? There are lots of ways to honour a writer without using their first name.
Evelyn is just way WAY too feminine to be paired up with Charlotte and Austen. Everyone will assume that Evelyn is a girl before they even meet him. And there's no way to de-girlify it. Eve? Evie? Lynn? All girl's names! He's got nowhere manly to turn. Surely her husband isn't going along with this either.
Ask her how she would have felt as a little girl with a name like Walter, because that's what she'd be doing to her son.
Sorry, Mr. Waugh :(
It seems that others here think this is a great idea, but I'm piping up in defense of the future little boy and saying, yes, please do try to talk her out of it!!
It's one thing to use boy-to-girl-to-boy names like Morgan, Courtney and Ashley on boys, but a name like Evelyn is too far gone to the pink side to be used by a modern boy. His life would be constant schoolyard torment and his terrible "I-hate-my parents" teenage years will only we worsened by giving him the name Evelyn.
Yes, Evelyn Waugh was a man. But times have changed and Evelyn is just not seen as a masculine name any more - just like Tiffany and Kimberly were apparently once boy's names, I wouldn't recommend trying that these days.
Why doesn't she try choosing the name of a favourite character from a Waugh novel? There are lots of ways to honour a writer without using their first name.
Evelyn is just way WAY too feminine to be paired up with Charlotte and Austen. Everyone will assume that Evelyn is a girl before they even meet him. And there's no way to de-girlify it. Eve? Evie? Lynn? All girl's names! He's got nowhere manly to turn. Surely her husband isn't going along with this either.
Ask her how she would have felt as a little girl with a name like Walter, because that's what she'd be doing to her son.
Sorry, Mr. Waugh :(
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I so agree with everything. Not a name for a boy.
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Evelyn Waugh's first name is pronounced "EEV-lin" so those nicknames wouldn't work if someone was using that pronunciation.
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Ditto.
There are certain "girlier" unisex names I like on boys, but not Evelyn. It's a beautiful name, just not for a boy.
I second the idea of honoring an author with a character name, too.
There are certain "girlier" unisex names I like on boys, but not Evelyn. It's a beautiful name, just not for a boy.
I second the idea of honoring an author with a character name, too.
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Ditto this
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I completely agree. :-\
Hello. :)
Hello. :)
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He would so get made fun of! no!
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I think Evelyn would be better suited as a MN. It's gotten popular enough for girls that I think there would be some confusion.
This message was edited 5/13/2009, 8:54 AM
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Well, as long as the namesake was also male I don't see what harm it could do.
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I would try to get her to use Charles Evelyn. Evelyn is a very common girls name now, and he might have problems with that.
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Evelyn Waugh's name is pronounced "EEV-lin". I don't like that pronunciation, so I wouldn't name my kid after him.
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As long as she's pronouncing it EV-uh-lin or EV-lin, fine (as opposed to EEV-lin, which sounds more feminine IMO). I have known of one Evelyn in my life, and I'm guessing it's not really that popular in general on either gender. I say go for it!
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It would be great, but I really really don't think it's usable, seeing all the Evelyns, Evies, Eves and Evas running around. Middle name would be fine, but this one's definitely gone to the girls now. I wouldn't want to be a baby boy born in 2009 with the first name Evelyn.
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It's problematic but I do like it
Charles Evelyn would be easier. Evelyn has pretty well crossed, similar to Vivian and Meredith. It's been used on girls for over 100 years. In saying that, I still see it occasionally as a middle name for boys in English BAs. Usually the 'upper-crust' announcements. I guess it depends where you are also. In the United States it is a hot girl name right now, much harder for a boy Evelyn and because so many people are unaware it was a male name too, I'm sure it will cause much confusion.
I don't subscribe to the idea that giving a boy a 'crossed' name is doing him a disservice but some work better than others. I think Evelyn is preferable to using Shirley for example but not by much.
I do dislike Evelyn on girls.
Evelyn Waugh's first name was Arthur. Because it was his father's name too and he hated his second middle name, he went by Evelyn "a whim of my mother's", despite not liking it.
Charles Evelyn would be easier. Evelyn has pretty well crossed, similar to Vivian and Meredith. It's been used on girls for over 100 years. In saying that, I still see it occasionally as a middle name for boys in English BAs. Usually the 'upper-crust' announcements. I guess it depends where you are also. In the United States it is a hot girl name right now, much harder for a boy Evelyn and because so many people are unaware it was a male name too, I'm sure it will cause much confusion.
I don't subscribe to the idea that giving a boy a 'crossed' name is doing him a disservice but some work better than others. I think Evelyn is preferable to using Shirley for example but not by much.
I do dislike Evelyn on girls.
Evelyn Waugh's first name was Arthur. Because it was his father's name too and he hated his second middle name, he went by Evelyn "a whim of my mother's", despite not liking it.
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Ditto
I adore Evelyn for a girl, but im thinking its now growing on me for a boy.. but its definately getting popular with girls and it could be a bit tricky. THough im all for using names historically so in that case id go for it.
(btw i've also known two male Vivians!)
I adore Evelyn for a girl, but im thinking its now growing on me for a boy.. but its definately getting popular with girls and it could be a bit tricky. THough im all for using names historically so in that case id go for it.
(btw i've also known two male Vivians!)
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I've met male Vivians too!
Though they're middle aged + No young versions yet. I prefer Vivian, Meredith, Evelyn and many other names in this crossed over vein on boys myself.
Though they're middle aged + No young versions yet. I prefer Vivian, Meredith, Evelyn and many other names in this crossed over vein on boys myself.
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Vivian is handsome on a boy :)
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oh so handsome! I LOVE Evelyn on a boy! I'm using it as MN
This message was edited 5/12/2009, 5:15 PM
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Don't talk her out of it! Evelyn on a boy is MARVELOUS!
Seriously, it's top.
Seriously, it's top.
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I dunno. I think it's cool on a boy, but it's probably better as a middle name-- Evelyn's so popular on girls now that he might have an issue.
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