Like many other berries, I loathe the trend of boys names on girls. I really dislike most unisex names, and I am terribly afraid that one of my favorite names [name_u]Jude[/name_u] will be stolen by the girls. In 2014 113 girls were given the name, and 2,564 boys were given the name. [name_f]Do[/name_f] you think [name_u]Jude[/name_u] will be taken by the girls? What other names do you think have the potential to become more used by the girls?
I think you’re safe with [name_u]Jude[/name_u] for a boy, at least as far as standalone names are concerned. (If there is a [name_f]Judith[/name_f]/[name_f]Judy[/name_f] revival in the future some might go by [name_u]Jude[/name_u], but it’d be no worse than for example [name_u]Rory[/name_u] as a nickname for [name_f]Aurora[/name_f].)
The way I see it, you’re overthinking it. That’s about a 1:22 ratio of girls called [name_u]Jude[/name_u] compared to boys. Notwithstanding boys called [name_m]Judah[/name_m] who go by [name_u]Jude[/name_u].
This is just silly. A name isn’t “stolen by the girls” unless parents of boys stop using the name out of fear that their beloved ball of testosterone will suffer the ultimate punishment of sharing his name with a girl. I honestly cannot stand this way of thinking. [name_u]Jude[/name_u] has never been 100% male anyway.
I think [name_u]Jude[/name_u] will be used mainly for boys because I don’t think [name_f]Judy[/name_f] will make a comeback any time soon.
[name_u]Jude[/name_u] is all boy. I can’t see it becoming more popular for girls anytime soon.
Boy names have always been used on girls. Back in [name_m]Tudor[/name_m] times, you’d find girls named [name_m]Christian[/name_m] and [name_m]Julian[/name_m] right down to the Victorian era where you’d find girls named [name_m]Joe[/name_m] and [name_m]Louis[/name_m]. However, the difference between then and now is that, for all the girls through history named [name_m]Edward[/name_m], [name_m]George[/name_m], [name_u]Charlie[/name_u], and [name_u]Dean[/name_u], you’d get just as many boys named [name_f]Elsie[/name_f], [name_f]Hope[/name_f], [name_f]Cleo[/name_f] and [name_f]Mary[/name_f].
A boy sharing his name with a girl was not considered to be that much of an issue, back in the day. Because it was generally believed that boys were boys and girls were girls, and regardless of what people named their children, nothing could possibly ever change that. But nowadays… it’s a different story.
In the 21st century, masculinity is being glorified, perhaps more so than ever because now, girls are allowed to indulge in it. But unfortunately, femininity is still considered to be second class and ‘less than’. So when a boy name starts gaining popularity on the girl side of the spectrum, parents panic. The general assumption seems to be that, if a boy shares his name with a girl then, somehow, he is less of a boy because of it. It’s like people believe that femininity somehow taints a masculine name, transforming it from a manly and prestigious choice to a weak embarrassment. As result, people stop using these boy names, thus allowing them to become female-dominated. That’s what happened to [name_f]Mallory[/name_f], [name_u]Shannon[/name_u], [name_u]Whitney[/name_u] and countless others.
So, the secret to stopping a boy name from ‘going to the girls’ is simple. USE IT. Doesn’t matter if the boy name you love is gaining popularity amongst girls. Doesn’t matter if you start to encounter people who say things like: ‘That name is too girly for a boy.’ If you like the name for a boy, then you use it for a boy, end of story. Because the moment parents (wannabe or otherwise) start thinking ‘Maybe I shouldn’t use this name for a son… it might end up more popular for girls.’ then that’s the moment you’ve lost the name.
[name_u]Jude[/name_u], to me, is all boy. But it will not stay that way if people stop using it for boys, while the number of parents using it for girls increases.
p.s - even if [name_u]Jude[/name_u] got ridiculously popular for girls and near non-existant for boys, people should still use it. Because, if you the worst thing you can do to your son is give him a ‘girly’ name, then what does that teach him about the value of femininity?
I wouldn’t worry about the “stealing” – if I liked a male name, I would name my son that and if other parents named their daughter that, oh well.
I know one female [name_u]Jude[/name_u] and no male Judes (other than the Obscure in college), but to me that does not change the maleness of the name.
I heavily dislike the use of male names for females, but I don’t think it should get in the way of parents using those male names. Otherwise, we are abandoning those names.
Well said, I absolutely agree!