See the results of this poll: WDYT of Jayne for a boy?
Respondents: 60 (This poll is closed)
- So good : 9 (15%)
- No good: 51 (85%)
Not my cup of tea on a male. [name_u]LOVE[/name_u] [name_u]Jay[/name_u], but [name_f]Jayne[/name_f] seems very feminine.
I agree with this.
It seems like it should work, but it doesn’t work for me. I see teasing potential.
[name_m]Zane[/name_m]?
To be clear, it’s not for my sibset. I don’t think it would ever fit alongside my girls.
But I do think, that in today’s world where unisex names are more ubiquitous and people are moving toward non-gender-specific playthings etc. that Jayne has a shot in real life. I’ve never met one, but I think I’d like to. I feel like decades ago when Jane was a much more common girls’ name that yes you would have had some teasing… but I’ve never met anyone under 40 with Jane as a first name, it seem so be usually used in the middle. So now? I don’t think it’s as locked to one gender as it used to be. I feel like discrimination based on gender is so frowned upon now that teasing a boy Jayne for his name will be strongly discouraged, and caught early.
I also think that teasing based on names (unless it’s temporary when they have embarrassing relationship to a figure they will learn about in school or something) is done with in general, looking at how common it is for people to name their kids strange things these days. Xanthippe anyone?
Anyway, that’s just my take on it but wondering if anyone had any other thoughts.
[name_f]Jane[/name_f] might not be used now for babies but it’s one of those names that just has so many female associations that I just don’t think it works for a boy. Plain [name_f]Jane[/name_f], [name_m]Tarzan[/name_m] and [name_f]Jane[/name_f], etc etc. Those won’t ever go away even if the name isn’t popular anymore, that’s why sound alone it’s just too feminine. Yes, names are less gender tied now a days. But sadly it really only is like that for girls…being named masculine names. It does not go the other way.
I understand where you’re coming from with names being less gender tied, but like the above said, unfortunately this works on girls and doesn’t work on boys. The name also has NO ties to the opposing gender and so it just wouldn’t work, and personally, would look really silly. There’s names that work on the opposing gender and break the tie, but then there are names that should be left alone belonging to the gender they are supposed to. [name_u]Jay[/name_u] is fine for a guy, [name_f]Jayne[/name_f] isn’t.
If you really like the sound of [name_f]Jayne[/name_f], perhaps spelling it Jain would make it more acceptable as a masculine name…?
I think he will have a difficult time coming to terms with you making him deal with all the issues that he will encounter… It does look like you’re trying too hard [name_f]IMO[/name_f].
[name_f]Jane[/name_f] is better
Since I wouldn’t call a girl [name_m]John[/name_m], I don’t like [name_f]Jayne[/name_f] for a boy. For some strange reason, many people consider y’s to be feminine so a boy named [name_f]Jayne[/name_f] would be mistaken for a girl. [name_f]Jane[/name_f]/[name_f]Jayne[/name_f] is ALL girl to me. I have a strong preference for names to announce the gender of the person bearing them. Life is tough and confusing enough for children so I think giving them a gender specific name would make one thing a little easier for them.
I don’t know how many people are actually familiar with the character from Firefly. I would imagine not very many. I think in this case it would turn into an “A Boy Named [name_f]Sue[/name_f]” type dilemma. I like the idea in theory though.
Have an uncle jay. [name_f]Jane[/name_f] is all girl. [name_f]Jayne[/name_f] I think could go either way. [name_m]Cobb[/name_m] being a big reason for that I’m guessing. Dh said middle if I need it but otherwise just stick with [name_m]John[/name_m] or [name_u]Jay[/name_u] or [name_m]Zane[/name_m].
It’s nice to finally see a girl’s name being considered for a boy for once…but I don’t think [name_f]Jayne[/name_f] is it.
As a lover of Firefly, I really want to like this, but I just don’t. I can see it working as a middle name, but not a first. Someone else mentioned “A Boy Named [name_f]Sue[/name_f],” and I always imagined [name_f]Jayne[/name_f] having that type of life growing up, hence the brutish exterior.
P.S. Thank you so much for mentioning Xanthippe.
I just want to add that I have two siblings who are much younger than me, and I have had conversations with them about names of their generation, and they have said that no one really gets teased for a name anymore because most kids have something different about their name: there are a million Jacksons but no one is sure who has an X, and each of the McKinleys is spelled differently, and [name_f]Willow[/name_f], Prommise, [name_f]Mikaela[/name_f], [name_u]Jayden[/name_u], and Tyricke are best friends - so who would think to tease? Unless a name is really outlandish - maybe Box, or Australia, or Hyvaanleigh - no one even notices a name that may have stood out 20 years ago. [name_m]Even[/name_m] in my own generation, I think we were moving away from name teasing, because the only time I remember people’s names being targeted was when they were already a target for some other reason; the only exception being me, teased for “having a boys’ name,” as my nickname is unisex. I do remember my sister saying that a boy new to her school was teased for the name [name_u]Addison[/name_u], because there was also a girl named [name_u]Addison[/name_u] already, so the kids thought of it as a girl name. So, while name teasing overall may be on the downswing, I think being teased for having a name strongly associated with one gender is still a relevant thing to consider.
I feel like because [name_f]Jane[/name_f] is used a generic female identifier (G.I. [name_f]Jane[/name_f], [name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_f]Doe[/name_f], etc), it will always be seen as a girl’s name. [name_m]Even[/name_m] though you think [name_f]Jayne[/name_f] is gender-neutral and nice for a boy, try to imagine how your son will feel going through life with that name. [name_m]Will[/name_m] he be teased? Probably. I know it’s unfair that girls can get away with more masculine names, but it’s just something to think about. I know you said this is totally hypothetical, but if you or anyone else were to choose [name_f]Jayne[/name_f] for a boy, I’d give him a traditionally masculine name for a middle in case he wants to go by that later in life.
Never in a million years! Kids have enough issues growing up these days . I would not heap anything more on them that can easily be avoided… jmho
I feel like some of the pp’s missed the point about this being inspired by the male character on Firefly… anyway, I get the reference and I’ve had this same thought. [name_f]Jayne[/name_f] from Firefly is very much a man’s man and it made me appreciate the name on a boy even if the character himself is not necessarily an amazing role model. What’s great about the show is nobody bats an eyelash at a man named [name_f]Jayne[/name_f], however they’re in another time and place. I’d love it if this were usable in today’s society but I do think it would cause problems, especially for someone with a shy or reserved personality. On a boy with a strong personality and a lot of confidence I think it could be quite handsome. With NN [name_u]Jay[/name_u] he could probably get away with having the name in most cases, but it might make formal events/roll call/etc. awkward for him.
TL;DR version: I think it’s a cool name for a boy in theory, but I probably wouldn’t use it [name_m]IRL[/name_m]. I’ve definitely considered it, though.
[name_f]Jayne[/name_f] worked in Firefly because of that hot hunk o’crazy [name_m]Adam[/name_m] [name_u]Baldwin[/name_u], and the terrifying yet endearing juxtoposition of mind-boggling, dirty decency that was [name_f]Jayne[/name_f] [name_m]Cobb[/name_m]. It was the kind of absolutely genius naming that underscored the fascinating character study of the individual, which Whedon is famous for. But like Sir [name_m]Doyle[/name_m]'s brilliant naming, [name_f]Jayne[/name_f] has to stay in his own story just like [name_m]Sherlock[/name_m], Mycroft and Moriarti have to stay in their theirs. And this is coming from me. If I think a character name CAN transfer to real life, even remotely, I’ll be all over it.
P.S. My husband has already suggested [name_u]Mal[/name_u] and [name_m]Wash[/name_m] for our list.