NOTE: No, this is not a jilted name lover post. I am legitimately curious what people think, though I am mildly frustrated, as well. lol
Perhaps some of you can help me understand the existence of a double standard that seems to be rampant throughout naming forums.
Scene: I wanted opinions on another forum for the name [name_u]Tierney[/name_u]. Yes, I know it’s probably considered “trendy” around here and I don’t care. It’s not even my typical style, but there was just something about it that kind of struck a chord. The two most common responses I got were 1) sounds like tyranny (valid, though I never would have thought about that) and 2) too masculine.
Ok, this is where I get confused. Some names, like [name_u]Tierney[/name_u], are too masculine for a girl because they have masculine origins, yet [name_u]Sloane[/name_u] is fine despite the fact that its origins are very similar to [name_u]Tierney[/name_u]'s (I even had someone suggest [name_u]Sloane[/name_u] instead of [name_u]Tierney[/name_u]). [name_u]Meredith[/name_u] and [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] are fine for girls, and even more common for girls now, even though they were most commonly given to boys originally. Is it because [name_u]Tierney[/name_u] is trendy AND unisex that people think it’s worse than [name_u]Sloane[/name_u] or [name_u]Meredith[/name_u] or [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u]? What is it about some names that make them more valid as a name for one gender or another than other names, despite almost identical origins? I’m sure there are plenty of other double standards you all can think of, as well. So why do they exist and why are people so abrasive about them?
Discuss.