I want to name my daughter [name]Andrew[/name] after my father in law. Here are my reasons besides liking the name for girl:
I dislike [name]Andrea[/name]/[name]Andy[/name]/other female versions of [name]Andrew[/name]
I imagine the first female [name]Ryan[/name]/[name]Jordan[/name]/[name]Camryn[/name]/[name]Daryl[/name] probably got some strange looks too, it’s a matter of getting people used to it.
If she doesn’t like her masculine name, she’s free to be [name]Ann[/name], [name]Drew[/name], [name]Anna[/name], [name]Andi[/name] or whatever she chooses
Yes, I’m aware it means “manly” but it also means “wise” Besides, if she ends up being a CFO like her daddy or a journalist like her mommy, it wouldn’t hurt her to be a little manly anyway
We plan to nn her [name]Annie[/name] while she’s small
I love [name]Andrew[/name] for a boy, so it pains me a little to consider it for a girl. I would probably go with [name]Anne[/name] or maybe even [name]Anna[/name] [name]Drew[/name]. It’s sweet that you want to honor your father-in-law, but perhaps it would mean more for him to have a grandson named after him than a grand daughter? Sorry if this isn’t helpful at all. Good luck!
I think [name]Andrew[/name] is too firmly in the boys name camp. I agree with marissalou- [name]Anna[/name] [name]Drew[/name] is a nice option. Or even just [name]Drew[/name] a la [name]Drew[/name] Barrymore.
Honestly I wouldn’t choose it, but in this day and age with little girls commonly named [name]Cameron[/name], [name]Alex[/name], [name]Morgan[/name], [name]Riley[/name], [name]Ryan[/name] etc. I wouldn’t be surprised to meet a little [name]Andrew[/name], and personally I know a little girl named [name]Stanley[/name] and it works just fine for her. So if you really love it, go for it
My SO’s name is [name]Andrew[/name] so I’m having a really hard time to wrap my head around the idea of a girl named [name]Andrew[/name]. The idea reminds me of the song “A Boy named [name]Sue[/name]”.
I love that you want to honor your FIL and I understand not liking the feminine versions of the name (I don’t really either).
I have some suggestions (I’m sure you’ve already thought about and probably veto’d) that I thought I’d share. I realize some of the name suggestions might be reaching but I like throwing ideas out there. If you like them great, if you don’t maybe it will lead you somewhere new and unexpected.
Why not call her [name]Anne[/name]? (If you plan on nn’ her [name]Annie[/name] it seems like a logical conclusion). It could still honor your FIL with the spirit of why you choose the name if not with the exact name.
[name]How[/name] about [name]Andrew[/name] as a mn?
I never knew it could also mean “wise” where did you find that info? (I’m curious because everywhere I look it just says “manly” and - I’d love to find more detailed info on a lot of name). Maybe you could choose a name that means wise as well? A variant of [name]Sophie[/name] or [name]Sage[/name] would seem an obvious choice but, Maiara, [name]Athena[/name], [name]Emer[/name] or [name]Minerva[/name] or Metis could also be nice choices. (I tried to stay within Greek, Western European, and American origins but every culture as a name that means wisdom).
behindthename.com also lists [name]Andrew[/name] to also mean “of a man”. Which automatically made me think of [name]Eve[/name] - forged from a man ribcage.
If you FIL is still alive why not ask him what he thinks? Or what his favorite girls name is? Having help choose a name for a girl could be just as meaningful as naming a girl after him. He might also love being honored in the way but not like [name]Andrew[/name] on a girl. If he’s not and your [name]MIL[/name] is, maybe she remembers what he thought would have been a great name for a daughter. Something they didn’t up using might speak to you.
Good [name]Luck[/name], and keep us up to date, I’d love to hear about your decision making process.
I actually often like boy names on girls (I know that makes me not very traditional!), but unfortunately this is not one of those instances where I think it works. I’m sorry! It is so sweet that you want to honor your FIL but I just don’t love the idea of [name]Andrew[/name] for a girl. But if you love it, go for it! Like you said, someone had to be the first to name their daughter [name]Jordan[/name], etc.
I like the suggestion as [name]Drew[/name] as a first name or as a middle.
While I wouldn’t choose [name]Andrew[/name], I do love [name]Drew[/name] and [name]Andi[/name] on girls and love the idea of the nn [name]Annie[/name] while she’s little, so I say if you love it then go for it! Like you pointed out, there are so many nn options for her to choose if she doesn’t like [name]Andrew[/name]. I also understand the feeling that you will lose a little bit of the meaning if you choose something other than [name]Andrew[/name]. My daughter’s name is [name]Mattie[/name], we named her after a friend, [name]Matthew[/name], who passed away. I’ve gotten a lot of heat for choosing a nickname name but it wouldn’t have been the same if we had named her [name]Matilda[/name] or [name]Martha[/name] and simply called her [name]Mattie[/name]. I’m now considering the middle name [name]George[/name] after my grandfather for a girl and I love it but a lot of people don’t like it. Go for [name]Andrew[/name]! It’s cute!
This name comes from the actual word for [name]MAN[/name], andro-. It is very masculine. Some names can go back and forth because their meanings are not specifically related to men or women. This is not one of those names. I think etymology is very important when choosing names for people. This ones meaning can’t be overlooked and makes it really not an option for girls.
I would use [name]Anna[/name] [name]Drew[/name]/[name]Annie[/name] [name]Drew[/name] as a first name or [name]Andrew[/name] as a middle name. Have you asked your FIL what HE thinks about naming his granddaughter [name]Andrew[/name]? I find your statement “if she ends up being a CFO like her daddy or a journalist like her mommy, it wouldn’t hurt her to be a little manly anyway” quite perplexing and somewhat sexist in tone. Why does a woman have to be manly to be successful in any profession? And before you make your final decision, think about what would you call a son if you have one in the future? Would you use a more feminine name for him?
It’s very [name]Jessica[/name] [name]Simpson[/name]. Her daughter is [name]Maxwell[/name] [name]Drew[/name].
I think I wouldn’t want to be named [name]Andrew[/name]. [name]Anna[/name] [name]Drew[/name] or [name]Anne[/name] [name]Drew[/name] could work. [name]Drew[/name] is a better first name for a girl since [name]Drew[/name] Barrymore makes it feel familiar on a girl.
I think [name]Andrew[/name] in the middle with a solidly feminine first is nice. [name]Mary[/name] [name]Andrew[/name] is really sweet and tradional.
I agree that it has too much of a history for many to wrap their brains around it as a female first name. My husband’s name is [name]Andrew[/name] (he goes by [name]Andy[/name] with family and friends, [name]Andrew[/name] at work) and its just so male to me.
As a middle name? I have no problem. I probably go against the grain here considering I said that I am not a fan of it as a girls first name, but, I love the middle name spot for the very reason of honoring a loved one, or, using a name we really like that may not be realistic as a first name. Not saying this is not realistic, of course people will get used to it and of course this little girl is going to be so very loved and brought into a wonderful family no matter what her first name. I just personally can not picture a girl being [name]Andrew[/name], sorry.
I agree about the sentiment of a woman being “manly” to be successfull. Giving a very strong name (which many locally see written down as masculine, even though many of us here know its a legit female name locally people think differently) to be scattered around her friends [name]Ella[/name], [name]Emily[/name], [name]Ava[/name], [name]Katelynn[/name] etc she is just as feminine as them and her name fits her fine…She doesnt need a strong name to be strong, or a feminine name to be “girly”. [name]Just[/name] my own issue with that reasoning of course. The doctor who formerly worked alongside my father named [name]Summer[/name] was not looked down upon having this as her first name in the least (as being “too hippie” etc) nor was the woman named [name]Kyle[/name] said to be a “better worker/smarter” etc due to masculine first name.
While I admire your desire to honor your father-in-law, I wouldn’t advise you to name your daughter [name]Andrew[/name]. A friend of mine named [name]Merrill[/name] [name]Lee[/name] hated it because teachers always assumed she was a boy and she got placed in the boy’s dorm for college. She named her daughters [name]Sarah[/name] and [name]Laura[/name] because she wanted people to know they were girls. Perhaps [name]Andrew[/name] could be used in the middle like others have suggested?
[name]Andrew[/name] is solid classic male name that is hard to imagine on a girl. A woman named [name]Andrew[/name] would experience a lifetime of confusion and awkward incidents over her name/gender. (1) Most people will be in mild-to-moderate shock and disbelief upon hearing her name. (2) She will have to clarify and verify for people that she is really “[name]Andrew[/name].” (3) She will have mail addressed to Mr. ---- (4) When people call her on the phone expecting to speak to an [name]Andrew[/name], they will think they reached the wrong person when she answers. When she tells them she s [name]Andrew[/name], some people may be in disbelief about that, and unconvinced that they reached the right person. (5) She will have people asking about her name all her life, which will get old fast. I would not do it. Best wishes.
Maybe as a middle, but I never met a girl [name]Andrew[/name] and I knew 3 boy Andrews in high school. Only one went by [name]Andy[/name]. To me it’s very masculine. I think you should also ask you father in law how he feels about you naming his granddaughter after him. I would just save the name for a boy if it were me.
You seem to have your mind made up, and that’s ok - it really is your choice, and i respect that.
But i’m really not a fan of the bolded reason for liking the name. Would you name your son [name]Elizabeth[/name] just in case he wants to teach elementary school or be a nurse or some other traditionally female job?
Like many other pp’s, I think its wonderful you want to honor your FIL, but I think you can do that without naming your daughter [name]Andrew[/name], which I really think would just be a little unfair. [name]Don[/name]'t get me wrong, I generally have very little problem with unisex names, but the only way I’d be able to get around [name]Andrew[/name] as a fn is if it was actually Andrews and it was a maiden name and you lived in the South. ([name]Silly[/name], I know, but I feel for some reason that’s acceptable)
I really like the pp’s suggestions of [name]Anna[/name] [name]Drew[/name] or just [name]Drew[/name].
I’m sure your daughter could succeed as a CFO or journalist, whilst still having a proper girl’s name!
My mom is Director of Anesthesiology at a large hospital, the first female in the position in the hospital’s history. Her name? It isn’t [name]Ryan[/name], [name]James[/name] or [name]Andrew[/name]. It’s good old [name]Helen[/name].
[name]Andrew[/name] as a middle name is my other option and I’m really considering that (ie: if I chicken out!) but then I find myself frustrated that women can be named [name]Jordan[/name] or [name]Maxwell[/name] or [name]Cameron[/name], and I can’t have the name that I want when really I fail to see why [name]Andrew[/name] is more masculine. So I’m going back and forth on that right now.
Although I love the classic appeal of [name]Anne[/name], I hesitate because I am [name]Bridget[/name], and I hate HATE hate my name, having spent a lifetime of having to tell people whether there’s an “e” on the end. I’d hate to curse her to my fate.
It is so sweet that you want to honor your FIL but I just don’t love the idea of [name]Andrew[/name] for a girl. But if you love it, go for it! Like you said, someone had to be the first to name their daughter [name]Jordan[/name], etc.