We’re due in [name_u]January[/name_u] with #3; my husband and I are struggling with names…mostly because he is so darn stubborn! I am trying to sell him on a couple of my favorites: [name_u]Leland[/name_u] for a boy (family name) and [name_u]Reeve[/name_u] for a girl.
I recently read a book about the [name_m]Lindbergh[/name_m] family, so [name_u]Reeve[/name_u] [name_m]Lindbergh[/name_m] instantly comes to mind and makes the name seem like an obvious girl choice; my husband thinks it sounds like a boy’s name (come to think of it, we had this argument over “[name_u]Avery[/name_u]” once!). Am I crazy? Is there enough weight to the [name_m]Lindbergh[/name_m] association to make it usable for a girl?
FYI, also on MY short list this time around: [name_u]Leland[/name_u] (family name), [name_m]Dashiell[/name_m], [name_f]Felicity[/name_f] and [name_f]Juliet[/name_f]. Hubby is warming to [name_m]Dashiell[/name_m], but adores [name_m]Lincoln[/name_m]. His favorite girl name is [name_f]Sarah[/name_f]. We already have son [name_m]Nolan[/name_m] [name_u]Curtis[/name_u] and daughter [name_u]Meredith[/name_u] [name_m]Jaymes[/name_m]; my top picks for #3 are [name_u]Reeve[/name_u] [name_f]Catherine[/name_f] and [name_u]Leland[/name_u] [name_m]Timothy[/name_m].
When I first see [name_u]Reeve[/name_u] written down, I think boy, as with most surnames.
Have you considered [name_f]Neve[/name_f] or [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] which have a similar sound to [name_u]Reeve[/name_u] but are decidedly feminine?
I can see that your daughter already has [name_m]Jaymes[/name_m] for a middle name, this makes me think that [name_u]Reeve[/name_u] shouldn’t bother you so much and she could grow into her name if it is what you choose.
I’m not head over heels in love with it, but I actually do like [name_u]Reeve[/name_u] on a girl! However, I think that the [name_m]Lindbergh[/name_m] association is pretty obscure. I realized reading your explanation that I had heard of that before, but it didn’t come to mind when I read the title of your post, and I think that many other people will have never heard of [name_u]Reeve[/name_u] [name_m]Lindbergh[/name_m].
A more current pop culture reference might be [name_u]Reeve[/name_u] [name_m]Carney[/name_m], a male actor who recently starred in that Spider-[name_m]Man[/name_m] musical that was on Broadway. He’s not well-known by any means, but he’s been in a few small things and is set to star in an upcoming [name_m]Jeff[/name_m] [name_m]Buckley[/name_m] biopic.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with [name_u]Reeve[/name_u], but I see it as more gender ambiguous and definitely not an “obvious girl choice.”
I don’t think it’s usable for a girl. What about [name_f]Reva[/name_f]? Same sound (with an added ‘a’). [name_f]Reva[/name_f] [name_f]Catherine[/name_f] is pretty.
I see [name_u]Reeve[/name_u] as unisex, since I like [name_u]Reed[/name_u] on a boy and [name_u]Reese[/name_u] on a girl. [name_u]Reeve[/name_u] just kind of falls in the ‘no preference’ category, ha.
I [name_f]LOVE[/name_f] [name_m]Dashiell[/name_m]! I prefer the spelling Dashiel, because I reserve the right to be a weirdo, but I think the name is so cool.
I love it! I’m definitely partial to masculine names for girls though and I do think it’s more masculine than neutral. Especially when you pair it with a lovely feminine middle name, you are set in my book!
Funny this should pop up, because my husband and I are considering my grandmother’s maiden name Reveley (also spelled Reevley further back in the genealogy). We would use the nn [name_f]Evie[/name_f], I think, though. Our combo would be Reveley [name_f]Katherine[/name_f].
Here’s my take on the name [name_u]Reeve[/name_u] for your specific family case.
(1) It’s a surname so it’s technically unisex. However, it’s not really a family surname for you. You just saw it in a [name_m]Lindbergh[/name_m] book and liked it.
(2) Your daughter is [name_u]Meredith[/name_u] which is still a boys name even though it’s predominantly female now. [name_u]Reeve[/name_u] is chosen more for boys than girls so it’s the opposite case of [name_u]Meredith[/name_u].
(3) [name_u]Reeve[/name_u] sounds even more masculine than your son’s name of [name_m]Nolan[/name_m] or your potential choice of [name_u]Leland[/name_u].
If your and your husband are comfortable with all of these three issues than go for it!
What about [name_f]Reverie[/name_f]? Similar to [name_u]Reeve[/name_u], but still feminine to most. The ‘v’ makes the name too heavy for me, compared to your other children’s name.
My husband and I are expecting our second girl in [name_u]December[/name_u] and we are most likely going to name her [name_u]Reeve[/name_u] [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f]. We love it. [name_u]Reeve[/name_u] is only one letter away from [name_u]Reese[/name_u]. Once people get used to the name I think they’ll really like it. I think it’s cool and clean.
Not really sure why some people are saying [name_u]Reeve[/name_u] is strictly a boy’s name, as it’s a surname and thus unisex. I personally see it as feminine because it makes me think of [name_u]Reese[/name_u], which I also always think feels feminine. I do agree, however, that the sound of [name_u]Reeve[/name_u] is a little harder than [name_m]Nolan[/name_m] and [name_u]Leland[/name_u] and thus perhaps sounds a little more masculine than your boys, which I would avoid. Of your choices, I think [name_f]Felicity[/name_f] might fit in better with your sibset.
Ehh…the only reason I’m saying it’s potentially usable is because I know a 15-year-old girl named [name_m]Reeves[/name_m]. I’m not sure where that came from, although I’ve heard tell it’s after [name_m]Christopher[/name_m] [name_m]Reeves[/name_m]. Her middle name is her mother’s maiden name, so in all, her name sounds like a law firm…which is what plain [name_u]Reeve[/name_u] makes me think of especially with known a [name_m]Reeves[/name_m], [name_u]Reeve[/name_u] sounds incomplete to me…
I like someone else’s suggestion of [name_f]Reva[/name_f] better…
The point about [name_u]Meredith[/name_u] being a boy’s name more commonly used in girls, and reeve being more tied to boys is a valid one. If I saw your three kids [name_m]Nolan[/name_m] [name_u]Meredith[/name_u] and [name_u]Reeve[/name_u], I’d say [name_u]Meredith[/name_u] has two brothers for sure.
My personal reaction to the name is ambivalence, I think there are better choices (though I wouldn’t discount it for a middle name). I love the firefly TV show (joss wheden) and in it there are these terrifying creatures they call reevers (reavers?). So that’s my first impression of the name, and it’s kind of a strong one to me, but I don’t think many other people would have a clue what I’m talking about,
I am trying to sell him on a couple of my favorites: [name_u]Leland[/name_u] for a boy (family name) and [name_u]Reeve[/name_u] for a girl.
especially with known a [name_m]Reeves[/name_m], [name_u]Reeve[/name_u] sounds incomplete to me…