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I’ve always loved this name for a boy. It’s too bad that it’s considered a feminine name in today’s society. For fear that my child would get called nicknames like “gay Kay” or something of the like, I would not use this name, although it still remains one of my favorites.
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My Papa's name is Oliver Kay, but everyone just calls him Kay. I've always thought it was a very masculine name, but most people consider it a girl's name these days. The first time I met a girl named Kay and asked why she had a boy's name. I guess it just sounds weird to me to see a girl named Kay.
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I really love this name for a boy. Probably wouldn't actually use it because it's seen as more feminine nowadays and the boy would probably get teased rotten but it's definitely top of my guilty pleasure list.
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In Arthurian legend, Kay was the foster brother and steward of King Arthur.
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The story I heard was that my grandmother's (Nana's) older sister had been dating a boy in Wisconsin by the name of Kay, and she had grown fond of him and his name, so she gave it to her 2nd-born son. As a child I never heard of any other boys/men named Kay, but that didn't cause me to think of it as only a girl's name. In fact, one of my best friends was named Kay, but nevertheless... The fact is, growing up, my father was very enamored of the fictional Dale Arden (Flash Gordon's girlfriend in the pre-movie serials shown in movie houses at the time), and named me, his 1st daughter, Dale after her. So... there ya go. A name is all in the ear of the behearer (huh?).
From my understanding, it was never a problem when he was a child. But, I guess he must have had enough experiences later, wherein his gender was mistaken when his name was seen on a list, (just as I did with my name), that it bothered him somewhat, because he at some point began to always sign his name "K.A. Bredleau".
Had I had another son, his third name would have been Kay (we assigned our children each three given names.) I will always think of it as my Daddy's name, and therefore masculine, but with my own name being Dale, I certainly don't see a problem with it being feminine as well.
As this website shows, Kay (2) & (3) are both considered masculine, with unknown meaning, but used in Welsh mythology and Arthurian romance (Sir Kay of the Round Table.)
Sure, there will always be some bully type who will use & pervert *any* name for shame, as cymrulady posted on 8/16/2006 & anonymous posted on 6/6/2012, but I like the name Kay for boy or girl, & would have no problem naming a child that, although again, it would probably be a middle name. That isn't because I don't like it as a first name, but only personal preference which dictated that each of our children have 3 given names: 1st name with 3 syllables, 2nd name 2 syllables, 3rd name 1 syllable. Don't know why it turned out that way, but it just did.
P.S. Just did a search here on my mother's name, Evelyn, & see that it was used as a masculine name at one time as well. So... there ya go. But I guarantee, I'd NEVER saddle a baby boy with that!