James as a middle name for a girl?

Sarah17

What do you think of James as a middle name for a girl? It is my husband's middle name. Our 2 daughters both share middle names with people that are important to us and we would like to continue the tradition. What do you think? Thanks!

saham07

The rules on middle names are pretty loose..........I say go for it!

cndmexbaby

No way! She will not like having James as her middle name. She will get made fun of - middle names are a big deal in elementary.

CluckyEV

Family names as MNs are great!  If you are really questioning it, you can always use Jamie which is a form of James.

EXL311

I honestly would hate it if my middle name was James.  I'm not a fan of boys names for girls whether first or middle name. 

Smootchy

100% OK. If we have a girl, her MN will be James as well! It is my hubs first name... In some cultures, all children, boys and girls, have their fathers first name as their mn.

 

TUGOsQueen

It's not unusual.

My friend named her DD Amelia James LN because James was her maiden name. 

My co-worker is giving her DD the MN James because it was her late brother's name. 

With it having meaning, go for it! 

tmjmeister

I think its totally fine. If we were having a girl James would have been her middle name after my father. Besides I've seen women who don't take their husband's last names give their children her maiden name as the kids middle name. Whats the difference there? 

If it were just random then I would say no but I would personally have loved to have the name of someone that I knew personally, loved and respected (hopefully). Also, how would anyone know a persons middle name in school unless someone asked and you told?

ETA: I must have been typing the same time as pp was submitting! 

Smootchy

baconface:

chapski:

100% OK. If we have a girl, her MN will be James as well! It is my hubs first name... In some cultures, all children, boys and girls, have their fathers first name as their mn.

Agreed, but only if the child will be in middle school in a culture where that is the norm.  It's not in most of the US, so I'd choose carefully. I am sure there's another way to honor your male family members. 

I'm not sure anyone in any of the schools I attended knew my middle name....

hopedbell87

chapski:

baconface:

chapski:

100% OK. If we have a girl, her MN will be James as well! It is my hubs first name... In some cultures, all children, boys and girls, have their fathers first name as their mn.

Agreed, but only if the child will be in middle school in a culture where that is the norm.  It's not in most of the US, so I'd choose carefully. I am sure there's another way to honor your male family members. 

I'm not sure anyone in any of the schools I attended knew my middle name....

Agreed. Nor did they care for that matter. 

annabanana2280

EXL311:

I honestly would hate it if my middle name was James.  I'm not a fan of boys names for girls whether first or middle name. 

+ 1 

MAMAxB

EXL311:

I honestly would hate it if my middle name was James.  I'm not a fan of boys names for girls whether first or middle name. 

This.

It's just weird to me.

kelle017

Joy2611:

I'm torn.

I think middle names can really be a lot of things and don't have too many rules.  James on a girl doesn't sit well with me, but it's not the worst thing ever.

If you really want to do this, I'd give her a super feminine first name.

All of this.

benmel31

I don't see anything wrong with James as a middle name.  However, if it were me, I would make her middle name Jamie.  It still honors your DH, but it is more feminine.

dinnerfor2

I love it! My baby's MN will be Scott if it's a girl (family name). I see no problem!

ChefSarah22

My oldest daughter is Charlotte James.  She's named after her 2 great-grandfathers who passed away shortly before she was born.  We love the flow of her name and have zero regrets in naming her.  That said, I took some flack on these boards about how cruel I was being giving her a "boy's" middle name.  I say screw 'em.  Everyone in RL has had a positive response to her name.

alliejo725

A year ago, I feel like people were asking about this a lot. The general concensus was, it works. I think it's really odd that so many people are condemning it this time around. It's hugely popular to use family names as first AND middle names right now; like little Anderson John and Ella Campbell are REALLY going to make fun of a girl with the middle name James. Please.

I think James makes a nice middle name for a girl. The family connection is great, and James is a pleasant, refined name that sounds great with a feminine first name (and gives a nice edge to the overly flowery). Elizabeth James, Catherine James, Isabelle James, Alexandra James, Seraphina James...

I wouldn't mind having any of those names at all. Totally livable. Even through elementary school.

ChavayJakov

Hate it.  I hate the co-opting of masculine names for femme usage.  

Most daughters of James' are named Jamie.  I'd advise to go with that. 

tusshie2004

I personally wouldn't do it, but seeing as the name holds importance to you I say go for it. 

Sarahcakes29

I think it's very nice if it has special meaning for your family.  And I agree with pp who mentioned it's a nice way to balance out a super feminine name (Elizabeth James, etc.)  I've also known a Sarah James and thought that was a beautiful name.  I wouldn't worry about schoolmates, her friends will hardly know/care about her middle name.

alohamora

I don't think it's that big a deal. 

scoutkate

I think it's fine because James could be a surname as well as a masculine first name.  What if James was your maiden name?  No one would think twice about you using it as a mn.  Now, I wouldn't use Robert or Joshua or something similar that only works as a fn on males.  But James is different. 

And Ketch

Totally fine.  We're considering James as middle name if we should have another girl in the future, after DH's beloved grandfather.  I agree with those who have said it tones down a flowery first name well.  And, I'm not a fan of the feminine forms of James - Jamie is too childish for me, Jemima = syrup, Gemma I just don't like.  So, James it is!

Sarah17

Thank you everyone for being honest and giving me your opinions, I really appreciate it.

sweetpealee

I like it!

Mrs.Deputy

Mary James was on my list for a while (after my father and my great grandfather). I Love it, but I think it needs a very feminine first name to go with it.

apc1929

ObLaDi

As long as her first name is not ambiguously gendered, I'd say go for it.

PhilsWife07

Unless it's the mother's maiden name, I hate the idea. There are better ways to honor someone than saddling your daughter with a masculine middle name. Also, it's one of those trendy Hollywood celebrity kind of names to use on a girl which makes it even more eyeroll worthy.

cheese.fiend

My grandfather's name was James and we were extremely close.  He just passed away last year and it's always been our choice for a boy's middle name. Now that we know we're having a girl, we're considering it as a MN for our first names that are very feminine.  I think it's completely fine. 

PPers have mentioned teasing... but I'm pretty sure I had no clue what my friends' middle names were in elementary and middle school!  

msmerymac

To me it's no different than using a last name/family surname as a middle name. I think it's fine.

imimahoney

I think it's fine but if you are worried, just use Jaime.

Funkified08

If it is important to you and your DH - then go for it!

If you're unsure of the femininity of it, maybe you could compromise and spell it Jaymes? My friend wanted to name her daughter after an important man in their lives (Jason) - she put a spin on it because she wanted her to feel a little more feminine and spelled it Jasyn - SO cute IMO.

otbrbrde

My daughters middle name is James. We love it and get compliments on it.  

 

melody921

No. You could do Jamie. But I would not give James to a girl.