@[name_f]Olivia[/name_f], @Oliviasarah, I don’t think that “strong” and “feminine” are opposing characteristics… I think they are complimentary. [name_m]How[/name_m] would you phrase the question so that everybody understands without causing offense? After all, the words “strong” and “feminine” are being used to describe a NAME, not a GENDER. I think a name can certainly be strong without being feminine, and a name can be feminine without being strong.
Sorry, it wasn’t meant to be personal at all and I understood what you meant.
It’s just something I hear a lot and it aggravates me. Things like…
‘’[name_f]Arabella[/name_f] is too frilly, something stronger like [name_f]Anya[/name_f] would be better. [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] is sort of feminine sounding, [name_u]Everett[/name_u] is much stronger for a little boy.‘’ It’s just the implication that femininity = weak/negative.
Female names are quite obviously indicative of the female gender, don’t you think?
Agree w/deletions of [name_f]Mary[/name_f], [name_f]Maren[/name_f] & [name_f]Virginia[/name_f], and I’d drop [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] and add [name_f]Alexandra[/name_f].
Strong feminine. Yet implies that feminine names that embody strength are the exception rather than the rule, and that such a supposedly male characteristic isnt inherent in women, better yet a womans name.
Unfortunately, that falsehood continues to be perpetuated, even by fellow females, in a patriarichally dominant, sexist world
Dictionary search: Feminine: 1. having qualities or appearance traditionally associated with women, esp. delicacy and prettiness.
Strong female names are easy to find, as are “feminine” names… but it’s hard to find one that fits both descriptions. To me,
the word “yet” indicates my priorities: I want a name that is strong first, and feminine second. You may not like the definition of the word as it is used here, but it is in the dictionary, and so my word choice is reasonable and should not cause offense.
I like the addition of [name_f]Alexandra[/name_f]. Good call, rkrd.
Strong feminine. Yet implies that feminine names that embody strength are the exception rather than the rule, and that such a supposedly male characteristic isnt inherent in women, better yet a womans name.
Unfortunately, that falsehood continues to be perpetuated, even by fellow females, in a patriarichally dominant, sexist world