When we named our daughter, it was important to us that her name had connections to strong, admirable women in history. Now we’re having a boy, and I’d like the same for him.
Women’s suffrage has been on my mind because of the White House picketing that began in 1917. But I imagine there’s potential in many other areas… this is mostly off the top of my head. None of these are quite right for us, so other ideas are very welcome!
[name_m]Paul[/name_m] ([name_f]Alice[/name_f] [name_m]Paul[/name_m])
[name_m]Lewis[/name_m] ([name_f]Dora[/name_f] [name_m]Lewis[/name_m])
[name_m]Anthony[/name_m] ([name_f]Susan[/name_f] B. [name_m]Anthony[/name_m])
[name_m]Wells[/name_m] ([name_f]Ida[/name_f] B. [name_m]Wells[/name_m])
[name_u]Oakley[/name_u] ([name_f]Annie[/name_f] [name_u]Oakley[/name_u])
[name_u]Carson[/name_u] ([name_f]Rachel[/name_f] [name_u]Carson[/name_u])
Honestly I can’t think of any off the top of my head, but I just really wanted to say that I [name_u]LOVE[/name_u] that you want to give your son a feminist name. It’s been a hard couple of days and that really warmed my heart. I wish you the best of luck in your search :).
(Out of your options so far I like [name_m]Lewis[/name_m] and [name_m]Anthony[/name_m], such great historical figures!)
Other than what has been said, how about a virtue name of sorts? My aunt is a very, very, very, very staunch feminist and wanted to name her kids names that reflected that. For her first child, she wanted [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] [name_u]Truth[/name_u] (after [name_f]Sojourner[/name_f] [name_u]Truth[/name_u], whose birth name was actually [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] Baumfree) for a girl but she had a boy, much to her dismay. She ended up going with [name_m]Simon[/name_m] [name_u]Justice[/name_u]. Not sure where [name_m]Simon[/name_m] came from (I think she let my uncle have a say so in his name), but [name_u]Justice[/name_u] was something relating to equal rights for women or something. When her second child was born, the baby got the middle name [name_u]Truth[/name_u]…which my aunt says is connected to her beliefs as well. So maybe that is an option?
I always enjoyed the idea of giving a son the middle name [name_m]Lloyd[/name_m] or [name_m]Garrison[/name_m] in honor of [name_m]William[/name_m] [name_m]Lloyd[/name_m] [name_m]Garrison[/name_m], a prominent abolitionist and suffragist in the 19th century.
His name headed the first women’s suffrage petition ever brought to an American legislature. He was publishing feminist and suffragist writings as early as the 1830s ([name_u]Seneca[/name_u] Falls Convention wasn’t until 1848). When women were excluded from the World Anti Slavery convention in [name_u]London[/name_u] in 1840, [name_m]Garrison[/name_m], a leader from the American delegation, refused to participate and instead sat with the women in the gallery in silent protest. Many said he dominated the entire convention without saying a single word. An important, early advocate for women’s rights.
I think [name_m]Lewis[/name_m] is pretty nice. I can’t think of any surnames of famous feminists off the top of my head, but perhaps you would consider a virtue name, like [name_u]Justice[/name_u].
[name_m]Shepard[/name_m] for [name_f]Kate[/name_f] [name_m]Shepard[/name_m]
Steiner for [name_f]Gloria[/name_f] Steiner
[name_u]River[/name_u] for [name_f]Rosie[/name_f] the Riveter (Rivet would be kinda cool too)
[name_u]Bell[/name_u] for [name_u]Bell[/name_u] Hooks
Thanks, everyone! I love this list for lots of reasons. The suffragettes protesting the White House beginning in 1917 called themselves the “Silent Sentinels,” so I’ve wondered whether Sentinel is too weird/pretentious/difficult to say. We already call our daughter [name_f]Nell[/name_f], but maybe for a middle…