Friday, October 19, 2012

Boys with Girl Names - 2011

"A Boy Named Sue", by Johnny Cash via Wikipedia

The story told in the song "A Boy Named Sue" is a moving one. The boy named Sue is angry at his father, who gave him the name and then left him when he was young. He grew up wanting vengeance. When he found his father, his father explained that he knew he wasn't going to be there for his son, so he named him Sue in order to make him strong and able to withstand anything. The two then reconcile. Wikipedia also talks about a real-life man named Sue, who was named after his mother when she died in childbirth.

Whether it's to toughen up a son, for sentimental reasons, or something completely different, some boys are named girl names. I understand that there shouldn't be a difference between using boy names on girls and using girl names on boys, but we all know there is. A girl wouldn't necessarily be embarrassed if someone was expecting a boy after only seeing her name. If it's not for sentimental reasons, which could also be done using a male name with the same meaning or a similar sounding name, I can't help but wonder what the parents of these boys were thinking. Did they just love the name so much they wanted to use it no matter what the gender?

Here is a list and the number of girl-named baby boys in 2011:

Abigail 21
Aileen 5
Alison 6
Alyssa 5
Amara 8
Amelia 6
Amy 5
Anna 7
Brianna 7
Clara 7
Elizabeth 19
Emily 11
Emma 31
Faith 9
Gianna 6
Grace 8
Hailey 8
Hannah 5
Isabella 26
Jennifer 6
Jessica 9
Karen 7
Katelyn 5
Katherine 5
Kayla 5
Kristen 8
Leah 10
Lily 7
Molly 7
Mya 6
Natalie 11
Olivia 16
Sarah 5
Sienna 5
Sophia 22
Stephanie 6
Vanessa 6
Victoria 5
Zoe 13

Some of these, like Faith, Grace and Lily are words and not specifically deemed to be names for girls only, but they are dominantly female and that's why I included them.

Do you know a boy with a female name? Are there any girl names that you think would fit a boy?


1 comment:

  1. Having a daughter with a "boy" name it's understandable that I am completely ok with that trend. BUT I must admit I don't like it the other way around. Really people - Elizabeth? Molly? I can't help but wonder if some were hospital record- keeping errors or perhaps parents wishing for girls or what? The only more feminine name I like for a boy is Cary, after Cary Grant, but Tim, who has a brother named Stacy, said no way.

