Baby Names
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S/O Boy names turning into girl names
The other day, I was watching TV and the mom named her daughter Noah. I have never heard of this before. Is this common?
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Re: S/O Boy names turning into girl names
Oh yeah, like Noah Cyrus.
I hate it. I think it's weird and ugly. Girls should have girl names, boys should have boy names.
I'm sorry but cant help but think you would prefer women barefoot and pregnant while the man brings home the bacon. It just seems like such a backwards thing to say.
Exactly.
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I agree. I think its all in the opinion of the parent, but in no way sexist.
ITA. What is sexist about saying that little girls should be respected and named for what gender they actually are?
Logan David 03.27.08
Jacob Riley 05.18.09
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LOL, I am a liberal socialist feminist. I feel this way for practical reasons. It is also really contrived and obnoxious.
So, if a woman called ehr son Abigail that would be OK for you?
You know because if it wasn't it would be backwards of you.
I completely agree. At the rate the boy's names for girls trend is going, even the most traditionally masculine names are going to be seen as "adorable" for baby girls!
Noah with an h is usually a boys' name, but Noa (sounds the same) is an incredibly popular name for girls in many parts of the world.
It's currently the #1 name for baby girls in Israel, #8 in the Netherlands, #25 in Spain, #58 in Belgium, etc.
Did the woman on television spell it Noah or Noa? If the latter, it's a perfectly normal name for a girl. If she used the h, that's a little strange, but it still sounds the same when spoken aloud.
Baby Name Popularity by State
I'm big on gender neutrality in general. If we have a boy some day, he will be equally encouraged (as compared to his sister) to play with dolls and such. They both will learn to cook and have equal chores around the house.
But the name thing is absurd. In a high tech world where people are making first contacts over the internet for jobs and such, it makes it very complicated when so many have gender neutral names. Titles are still gender specific, and its hard to know to use "ms" or "mr."
Also, because of this trend to name girls with boys names, the number of boys names available has plummeted. Its frustrating.
This reminds me of the part of the All in the Family theme song:
"Goils were goils and men were meeennn!"
OP, I think it is probably a trend we'll be seeing more of.
That's fine if you're in or from those parts of the world. But otherwise it's like naming your child *** Zhong if you're 5th generation white/European American.
ETA: Why is the name H u i censored???
I'm not a fan of naming girls a very masculine-associated name, like James or Noah, etc.
I heard once that supposedly it helps women in the workforce to have a gender-neutral name. No offense, but if a company doesn't want to hire a woman and she only gets an interview because her name indicated she might be male, I wouldn't want her working there.
I agree 100%.
How do you know the family isn't Jewish?
Noa, the girls' name, is in the Bible. She was one of the five daughters of Zelophehad and she and her sisters appear in Numbers and Joshua when they successfully sue to inherit their father's property. It's a nice little story about Moses taking their case before God so that the women can inherit what is due to them. It is common name among Jews because Noa was a strong Old Testament woman with a soft-sounding name ? also, there is a famous actress named Noa Tishby. Noa's sisters were Mahlah, Tirzah, Milcah, and Hoglah ? I think Hoglah's not coming back anytime soon, but Mahla and Tirzah might.
I assume that it is ok to give your child a Biblical name, no matter how long your family has lived in America.
Noa may not be your style, but it's a legit name with a long history, and the fact that it is unfamiliar to you does not change that reality.
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did you really mean that? so people should only name their child what fits their ethnicity?? what about being open to other cultures and choosing a name that is used in another part of the world simply for it's meaning or beauty. I think your comparison is a little far fetched (including a first and last name) but what would be wrong with a white/European being named H u i?
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Would you really name your child Zelophehad?
I just think it's setting the child up for a lifetime of frustration and annoyance by naming them something so unusual and so obviously not part of their cultural heritage.
Although I will say that it's not nearly as annoying as a Mikaeilyia-type name.
Zelophehad's not really my style, but Nehemiah, Zechariah, and Ezekiel are all racing up the charts, so Zelophehad might be right around the corner. If I were religious or had a great-grandfather named Zelophehad, I might consider it. We could call him little Zee
Perhaps the Old Testament names are not your style, and that's fine. I don't see anything wrong with people using the name Noa for a girl and I don't think you'll get very far arguing that the Bible is "not part of [Americans'] cultural heritage."
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THe bible as a whole is, but not all the names are. I'm a big believer that its not about what meaning the name has for YOU, but what name gives your child the best opportunities in life. I'm not saying you should pick a name you hate or that means nothing to you, but people really should take into account how that name will affect their child in the long run.
why?!?! is it part of your style to torture your offspring?
"but people really should take into account how that name will affect their child in the long run"
And I'm saying that your view of the "long run" is very narrow if you think that a name that is an international hit, that is pretty and easy to spell, and that is a favorite among Jewish people in many countries will hinder a child's success. Perhaps it will, if she's stuck in a place where people are so set in their prejudices that they can't accept an ethnic name as legit, but if she has a diverse set of friends or travels much, it won't hurt her at all.
Baby Name Popularity by State
"why?!?! is it part of your style to torture your offspring?"
I was kind of joking to take the edge off a conversation that was getting a little heated. Please note that I am not religious and do not have a grandfather named Zelophehad, so little Snapdragon can rest easy.
Baby Name Popularity by State
Unfortunately, its not that simple. Trust me, I wish it was.
I used to live (and teach) in London. Most of my students were from other countries and had gorgeous ethnic names. However, studies in America show that those names would be less likely to get a second look when on a resume......even if all things are the same as compared to someone with a traditional name.
Its sad. Its not right. But thats how it is. I'm not going to turn my child into a social experiment.
Those studies have specifically compared names that read as "white" vs. names that read as "black" ? i.e. Emily vs. Lakisha. Their findings are specific to racial prejudice and are not really applicable in this situation:
https://www.chicagobooth.edu/capideas/spring03/racialbias.html
I don't think that a Noa or a Noah on a resume will raise any eyebrows in 20 years. To my eye, it reads more like Ava, Chole, Mia, and other international hits. You're right that many names come laden with assumptions about race and class, but I don't think that a Noa falls afoul of the prejudices that make names like Lakisha or Mykynzy less attractive to racist/classist employers.
Edit: I should clarify that I think that you should give your child a name you love and that has meaning for your family, whether it is Emily, Noa, Lakisha, or Mykynzy, regardless of other people's prejudices.
Baby Name Popularity by State
I never said Noa did any of those things. I was simply arguing the broad generalizations that bible names = American culture and such.
I also just could never subject my child to probable prejudice simply because I loved a name. I find it selfish. I'm not saying Noa is an example of that, I'm just talking about things in general that might be very commonly subjected to prejudice.
plunderb: totally loving/agreeing with all of your posts! nice