I am looking for a boys name for myself, and I’m running around like a chicken with its head cut off. My birthname is [name_f]Ada[/name_f], which while being very pretty, is also very feminine. I’ve thought of names like [name_m]Adam[/name_m] and [name_u]Aiden[/name_u], but I have a cousin named [name_m]Adam[/name_m] and definitely do not look like an [name_u]Aiden[/name_u].
I’m also looking for a name that is traditionally masculine, to avoid misgendering as much as possible.
I’m also questioning changing my middle name. On one hand, it was my great grandma’s middle name and my grandma’s name, but on the other hand, it is very feminine and I’m not even sure I like my family enough to keep it.
I would appreciate it if you told me your thoughts about this! I know it says baby names, but there’s no other category this fits in. Please have a nice day!
I think you’re on the right track! The only ones I see that might be a problem are [name_u]Micah[/name_u] (I’ve known some female [name_u]Mica[/name_u]/Micahs) and [name_u]Noah[/name_u] (could be confused with [name_f]Noa[/name_f]). But that would be rare, I think.
My favorites from your list:
[name_m]Asher[/name_m] (especially if you’d like to keep your A initial)
[name_u]Jude[/name_u] (I like this as a standalone name)
[name_m]Julian[/name_m]
[name_m]Oliver[/name_m]
[name_m]Victor[/name_m]
Other suggestions for you:
[name_m]Abel[/name_m]
[name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Gavin[/name_m]
[name_m]Levi[/name_m]
[name_m]Nolan[/name_m]
[name_u]Theo[/name_u]
The popularity of [name_m]Asher[/name_m], [name_m]Roman[/name_m], [name_m]Ronan[/name_m], [name_m]Basil[/name_m] and [name_m]Oliver[/name_m] as girls’ names is increasing rapidly. Of course, the actual numbers are still pretty low, so it remains to be seen if the trend continues.
[name_u]Micah[/name_u] has been in the top 1000 girls names since the '70s.
Thank you so much! I really appreciated your ideas! I’m going to add [name_m]Levi[/name_m] and [name_u]Theo[/name_u] to the list. I never thought of [name_f]Noa[/name_f] as a female name at all… [name_u]Mica[/name_u] is a name I was considering just because of personal connection, but most people do consider it as more of a girls name. Thanks!
That’s nice to hear! Those names sound really nice on girls. I’ll have to look into that a bit more. [name_u]Micah[/name_u] is more because of something that my parents did, but it does seem more girly now that I think more about it… Thank you so much! (Also, I adore your username)
@kipperbo1 Thank you for all the suggestions! It was really nice of you to do that. I’ve fallen in love with [name_m]Archer[/name_m] the most, but all of them were really good. Please have a nice day.
You have a great list so far! My personal favorites are [name_m]Victor[/name_m] and [name_m]Hector[/name_m].
[name_m]Julian[/name_m] “[name_u]Jude[/name_u]” is an excellent name as well. It’s masculine, but I’m not sure it’s as obviously masculine as some of the others. It could be mistaken for similar-sounding names like [name_f]Julienne[/name_f], [name_f]Julia[/name_f], or [name_f]Juliet[/name_f]. [name_u]Jude[/name_u] also has some history of use as a nickname for [name_f]Judith[/name_f]. I do like it, this is just something to think about.
I’m also partial to [name_m]Benjamin[/name_m]! It’s certainly masculine enough - there’s not a well-known feminine form of it as far as I know so it’s unlikely to be misheard as a woman’s name. It is a very common name, but for some people that’s a good thing! I chose a common name too ([name_m]Sean[/name_m]), and I love that I can just blend in and not have people asking “ok but what’s your real name?” If that’s the kind of thing you’re looking for, I highly recommend [name_m]Benjamin[/name_m]. And actually, [name_m]Victor[/name_m] would probably have a similar effect!
As far as the middle name goes, I would say change it! You don’t seem terribly attached to it, and a feminine middle name could cause confusion that it seems like you’d rather avoid. If you do still want to preserve your birth name to some extent, you could use a masculine version of either your first or middle name as your new middle. For example, [name_m]Benjamin[/name_m] [name_m]Adam[/name_m]! I don’t know your middle name, but you said it honors your grandmother. Perhaps her maiden name would make an interesting middle? There are lots of ways to keep the family significance of your name if that’s something you decide you want!
The most important thing is that you love your name and identify with it. In the end, it’s up to you! Good luck!
I was trying to think of a name that begins with the letter “A.” I came up with [name_u]Alden[/name_u]. It also has the “d” of [name_f]Ada[/name_f]. I’m not certain how it sounds with your last name, but I thought I would suggest it for your consideration.
Is there any chance of being called by your middle name? Also, it might be less confusing if you kept your current initials. That is, if your middle name is say [name_m]Edward[/name_m], I would change [name_f]Ada[/name_f] to [name_u]Alden[/name_u] and the initials would still be A.E. The fewer changes the better.
Good luck. I agree with you that [name_f]Ada[/name_f] is a difficult name for a male to go through life with.
i think your list of names is great! i know misgendering is a concern, but i also think most people think of “noah” especially as a boy (noa is a popular girl’s name in israel, but less so in the states).
some ‘a’/‘ad’ boys’ names for you:
adlai
adler
adin (an aiden alternative)
ander
anderson
archer (seconding bc it reads very masc to me!)
arrow
arlo
arlen/arlan
abram/abraham
axel
ackley
ackerley
atticus
amos
ash
aaron (tricky because of ‘erin’, but it’s my brother’s name and he’s the most manly guy i know!)
