Name genders
In TV news reports of the floods in north Cornwall yesterday, I noticed a male fire fighter named Tracey and a male RAF officer named, or called, Florry. Dickens used Tracy as a male name, and I would guess that Florry comes from Florian rather than Florence, if it isn't a non-name nickname. Interesting, though, and a refreshing change from all the little American girls with male names ... has anyone else noticed something similar, or is this just a one-off?
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There are actually a lot of names used for girls that used to be considered boys names:
Beverly, Stacy, Tracy, Linsay, Kerry etc.
Also Trace is generally considered to be more of a cowboy name at least where I'm from.
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I know a male Tracy. Also, a Stacy. I meant to post those, but I don't think I ever did.I also know a male Kim. His name isn't short for anything. It's just Kim.Michelle
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In regards to Irish, the surname "Tracey" is derived from a masculine name, "Treasach" meaning 'warlike.' The feminine form is derived from the Irish-Gaelic surname in genative tense "Treasaigh" and also similarity to "Theresa."In a modern context, I cannot wager from whence "Florry" is sourced, but tradition says "Florence" is masculine.
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My aunt's name was Florence. She was born in County Roscommon. She was addressed as Florry by everybody that knew her. The reference book I have lists Florence as an English name, derived from latin. It means flourishing or blooming. Florry is listed as a separate name,also English derived from the latin word flora meaning,flower. Both names are listed as unusual for men.
The name Tracie or Tracy may have been derived from.the names of two islands, Teresa, and Therasia(Theresia). or Theros.(summer. An alternate spelling is Treacy like Sean Treacy.. I have no meaning listed for the name although warlike people occupied both those islands.
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BtN says Florry's an Anglicisation of Flaithrí (Flaithri), but I agree that it could come from Florian or Florence (the latter being a more-or-less legitly unisex name). I think it's nice on a guy.Tracey / Tracy's a bit more complex. It's a legit unisex name, deriving from different origins:
1. If female, it's a variant of Teresa through the short form Treza (I don't know where Treza itself comes from though)
2. If male, it comes from either a Norman French surname meaning "domain belonging to Thracius" or is an Anglicisation of Treasaigh meaning "warlike" in Gaelic (I'm not too sure how accurate the latter meaning is, however)And I like Tracey on a guy too. It's refreshing.Miranda
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might also be a nn for Trace.I've heard of guys named Trace. It seems soap-operaish to me.
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