There’s been a bit of a change brewing in the world of baby names, and like all good trends, Stay At Home Mum is on the case.
This time, it’s baby girls being given names that you usually associate with baby boys. We aren’t talking the unisex Alex and Jesse, we’re talking boy names galore! Here’s all the info. So stop reading only half of the traditional baby names book and start looking for a gorgeous name that will suit your little Miss!
Celebrities On Board
There have been quite a few celebrities embracing this gender-spinning craze, from Jessica Simpson and her daughter Maxwell Drew to Blake Lively and Ryan Reynold’s daughter, James. That’s just the beginning! Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis named their daughter, Wyatt Isabelle, Teri Hatcher named hers, Emerson and Heidi Klum named hers, Lou.
So what’s behind it?
Strong Names For Girls
Some parents who chose more masculine names for their daughter say that the name is a family one, and they simply wanted to honour their relatives more than they wanted to stick with tradition. Others say that they were never really that taken with stereotypically ‘girly’ names, particularly, the association that these names indicate girls have to be overtly feminine.
Male names often have inherently strong meanings, and parents of daughters like the fact that they’re raising strong and independent kids right from the start.
Yes, it is terrible that we might judge someone so harshly based on their name, but as a society, it’s often one of the first things we know about a person, and therefore, the first part we make our assumptions on.
Balancing It
If you like the male naming trend, but you still want your daughter to have a feminine aspect to her moniker, you could also choose a more feminine name for her middle name. Alternatively, you could choose a stereotypically male name as a middle name, and choose either a feminine or unisex name as a first name.
Options For You!
If you’re seriously considering the trend for your own daughter, here are some ideas to get you going.
Aidan
Originating from an Irish name that means ‘fire’.
Addison
A female version of ‘Son of Adam.’ The strong female character in Grey’s Anatomy called Addison saw a huge resurgence of popularity of this name for girls!
Adrian
The feminine version is usually spelt Adrienne, but pronounced the same. We are all for equality so spell it the original way!
Alex
Usually short for Alexandra which is the female form of Alexander, many are just shortening the name altogether!
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Ari
A widespread name meaning ‘Lion’ in Hebrew, ‘Eagle’ in Old Norse, and ‘Brave’ in Armenian. Also a great shortened name for Arianna.
Ainsley
Ainsley means ‘meadow’ in Gaelic and was a common surname.
Anderson
Derived from the Greek name “Andreas”, meaning man or manly…
Ashley or Ashleigh or Ashlee
Means ‘Meadow of Ash Trees’.
Ashton
Named after the Ash Tree. Famous person include Ashton Kutcher.
Atlas
Derived from the name of the god of astronomy and travel.
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August
Not just a month, a very old English name!
Austin
The Capital of Texas is also a super cute little girl’s name!
Aubrey
Meaning ‘Powerful Elf’.
Avery
Became popular from the TV Show ‘Nashville’, means ‘Elf Ruler’, so really good for the Lord of the Rings fans!
Bailey
Means ‘Infant’.
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Billie
Heartthrob McSteamy and his wife Rebecca Gayheart called their daughter Billie.
Blake
Comes from one of two surnames meaning either ‘black’ or ‘pale’.
Blaine
It is an old nickname meaning ‘Yellow’
Blaire
Means ‘Dweller of the Plain’.
Brett
English for ‘A native of France’. Typically a boy’s name, it is gaining popularity as a cool name for girls.
Cameron
Even shortened to ‘Cam’ – totes adorable!
Campbell
A Gaelic name meaning ‘crooked’.
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Carson
A Scottish surname with an unknown meaning.
Casey
Traditionally a boy’s name, but has been used as a girl’s name more often in the last 10 years.
Chandler
Made popular by the TV Show ‘Friends’, it is a very old-fashioned and respectable sounding girl’s name.
Charlie
Usually the male version of Charlotte, but it suits girls so much!
Christian
A Latin name meaning ‘To be Christian’, it has become popular recently due to the ’50 Shades of Grey’ movies.
Claude
Claude is actually a traditional girl’s name – many French Queens were called Claude.
Cory
Variant of COREY, meaning unknown.
Cullen
Means ‘Handsome’, and great for the Twilight fans!
Dale
From an English surname, thought to belong to a person who lived near a dale or valley.
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Dane
It is an Old English name meaning ‘From Denmark’.
Devon
Not just a form of cheap sandwich meat or a place in England, it is also a gorgeous name for both boys and girls!
Dorian
First used by Oscar Wilde in his book, The Picture Of Dorian Gray (1891) about a man whose portrait ages while he remains young.
Drew
Drew Barrymore is a famous ‘Drew’ with a boy’s name now thought to be a girl’s name.
Eddie
Variant of the name Edward or Edmund, thought to mean ‘rich guard’.
Elliot
Once a surname that came from the medieval name Elias, a biblical name.
Evan
Its meaning is ‘Youth Warrior’. Evan Rachel Wood is a famous actress with the beautiful name!
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Everett
The name means brave as a wild boar. Grow beautiful and strong, Everett!
Everest
Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world and the origin of the name is not clear. But your baby girl’s probably going to grow up loving the mountains or she is someone who’s going to reach great heights! Ahh the possibilities!
Ezra
Means help in Hebrew.
Flynn
Originating from an Irish surname that means ‘descendant of Flann’, with Flann meaning red.
Francis or Frances
A name which means free.
Frankie
A shortened version of Frank or Francis, both thought to mean ‘Frenchman’. Also a good shortened form of Francesca.
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Gabriel
A biblical name which means God is my strength. For girls, the name Gabriel is usually spelled Gabrielle or sometimes Gabriela/Gabriella.
Garrett
The name Garrett means defender or rules by spear. It’s a beautiful name for a girl or a boy.
Glenn
Glenn is also a great option to name a baby girl or a boy. It means ‘from the valley’.
Gray
From an English surname relating to the colour.
Hadley
A gorgeous unisex name gaining in popularity in 2018.
Harley
Because of the fictional supervillain character Harley Quinn, Harley has become a popular option to name baby girls. The name means hare’s meadow.
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Harper
Harper is such a pretty name and it is what the Baby Girl Beckham is called. The name means someone who can play the harp.
Hayden
Thought to be an English surname that means either ‘hay valley’ or ‘hay hill’.
Hayes
It means descendant of fire. Either your baby grows up to be a super hot gal or she’ll have a really hot temper. May the odds be in your favour.
James
A biblical name, James was the name of two apostles in the New Testament.
Jameson
It means son of James. So if your hubby’s name is James, then this is a really great name to consider. But it sounds like an alcoholic drink to me. Lol!
Julian
This moniker comes from the Roman name Julius, which may be related to the Roman god Jupiter.
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Kennedy
Means ‘Ugly Head’ – but think of the infamous Kennedy family! Or maybe your baby does have an ugly head!
Killian
This one’s an Irish name which means church.
Lane
I’ve met ladies named Lane, and I think it’s pretty. The name means a long meadow, path or road.
Lincoln
Fingers crossed she’s going to grow up and become someone amazing like Abraham Lincoln.
Logan
A Scottish surname that derives from a place name that means ‘little hollow’ in Scottish Gaelic.
Maxwell
A Scottish baby name which means Mac’s stream or spring or well. Yep, Mac’s well. Jessica Simpson called her first daughter ‘Maxwell’ – super cute!
Morgan
A traditional boy’s name that has really changed over the last 50 years.
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Mason
Originally an English surname meaning ‘stoneworker’.
Noah
While famous for its biblical associations, Noah is derived from a Hebrew name that means ‘rest, comfort’.
Owen
A name found in Wales, England and Ireland. It may mean either ‘born from the yew tree’ or ‘well born’.
Quinn
Quinn is an Irish name usually used as a surname.
Parker
An English surname that became a first name. This one means ‘keeper of the park’.
Ramsey
It means wild garlic from Ram’s island. Perhaps your baby will grow up to be a feisty lady!
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Ray or Raye
Shortened version of Raymond, which means ‘advice’ and ‘protector’, but many people associate it with the meaning ‘beam of light’.
Rayleigh
This one’s a really pretty name for a baby girl. It is a name that indicates someone who lives near a rye field.
Regan
This name means regal or little king. #BossBabe alert!
Rhett
Rhett Butler in ‘Gone with the Wind’ was just delicious. Now, you can transfer that ‘deliciousness’ to your new baby daughter!
Ryan
An Irish surname that, when used as a given name, is accepted to mean ‘little king’.
Sawyer
This also comes from a surname which means ‘sawer of wood’, but it was made famous by author Mark Twain.
Spencer
Classy! I can definitely imagine this paired with a cute baby girl name. It means keeper of provisions.
Sullivan
This name means little dark eye.
Tanner
This one means leather worker.
Taylor
It means tailor. Taylor is actually a surname but is now popularly used as a first name. Famous bearer of the name is Taylor Swift.
Toby
The medieval form of Tobias, which in turn is derived from a religious Hebrew name.
Tyler
This name means maker of bricks and tiles.
Val
Shortened form Valentine, which means ‘strong, vigorous, healthy’ in Latin.
West
This has been used as a baby girl name for a long time but became popular because of the Kardashians I guess. Kanye West and Kim Kardashian named their baby girl North West.
Windsor
Sounds like royalty. The name means riverbank with a winch in German.
Wyatt
The name was originally a medieval given name that meant ‘battle’ and ‘brave, hardy’.