:-D
in reply to a message by beethoven
Just because a name is used for girls does not make it inherently less feminine. I still have no problem naming my son Lochlan, James, Michael, Cameron, Morgan, Tyler or even Shannon - other than the fact that I don't like them, that is.
Note: One of our favorite names, Ira, is often derided as being feminine. Ditto for Julian. We're still going to use them, because I don't a name being feminine as a deterrent.
Note: One of our favorite names, Ira, is often derided as being feminine. Ditto for Julian. We're still going to use them, because I don't a name being feminine as a deterrent.
This message was edited 12/20/2010, 4:35 PM
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Yeah, no kidding. I guess one always must find something new to be bothered about, otherwise one runs the risk of being happy, but I've been getting more bothered lately about the attitude of boys' names on girls being "hands-off" for boys than boys' names being used on girls, the idea that use by girls spoils or taints boys' names somehow. That's icky, man. Of course the sensible argument behind it is that immediate gender delineations are a desirable aspect of a kids' name, and while we're still living in a society where everything is colored by gender binary this is IMO a legitimate, non-icky concern. But the big question is whether living in terms of gender binary is a legitimate, non-icky worldview, and I think we're slowly moving in the direction of such a paradigm shift, as evidenced partly by the unisexification of sexified names. I'm less bothered now by boy names on girls and I'm quietly rooting for a countermovement of girl names on boys to rear its head.
Ashley and Shannon on boys!
I'm up for some switches--as long as it's not all one-sided. Since names like Alison and Madison have gone feminine, and none have done the opposite--as far as I can tell--names like Jayden have been created as a masculine go-to. And I'm really getting tired of hearing these -aden/-ayden names... (although Aidan by itself is generally okay).
I'm up for some switches--as long as it's not all one-sided. Since names like Alison and Madison have gone feminine, and none have done the opposite--as far as I can tell--names like Jayden have been created as a masculine go-to. And I'm really getting tired of hearing these -aden/-ayden names... (although Aidan by itself is generally okay).