BellaOnline Forums Health and Fitness Baby Names A friend wants to name her son Alexandra - wdyt?

I agree with the theory that there's a double standard. With that being said, I just couldn't do it to my child.

I object.....

By reinforcing the double standard we teach our children to continue it. Until women decide to become equal citizens, we will always be second class. We are our own worst enemies.

This is ridiculous.... This is taking gender difference too far, IMHO.... It's like insisting that manholes be re-labelled people-holes, and that chairman be changed to chairwoman or chairperson...these are titles which originated way-back-when,(like Helmsman, Management, Manoevre...) they are all to do with handling, not gender...the prefix or suffix 'Man' stems from 'Mano', which means hand; it doesn't refer to the person or individual.... and kow-towing to extreme feminism is just being extreme. Things like this only matter if we are narrow-minded enough to let them matter.... to equate forenames with feminine supression is simply stretching a point too far.

Good grief.....!

So naming girls boys names is OK, but the opposite is not? I am well aware of language and its influence on culture and also know full well that it is our use of it continues to keep us second class.

My letters are delivered by a personperson. And if you hang your hat on that idiocy just as you did with your other examples, then you must do some rethinking.
By the way, chairperson is now the accepted word to refer to the chair of the meeting or whatever. Actually, it has been shortened to chair.

I hope she reconsiders and spells the name as "Alexander". Children in school can be cruel and that poor child will be teased about his name. I am a Grandma for the first time and my Grandson's name is Alexander. It means great and courageous. Alexandra is a girl's name and has a different meaning. Tell her the meaning of Alexander and maybe she will change her mind. Dra is different than Der and she will be giving him a girls name. Just my opinion, but I hate to see a child go through unnecessary teasing, as it makes life miserable.

Geez...a little harsh there Jan. I think you need to relax a little. I don't think people choose not to name their little boys a typical girl name because they consider women second class citizens. I think it's more likely because children in school can be cruel and parents choose not to saddle their child with a name that will provoke teasing. I'd be interested to know what your children's names are...is your son named Kate or maybe Anna?

I don't think it has a thing to do with "feminine suppression" or anything like that.

Having names that differentiate between the genders is just PRACTICAL. There's the playground factor, of course. Also, the poor kid is one day going to meet people (job interviewers or clients, for example) who have only read his name. He could have to show ID just to prove that he is the person with the appointment. How embarrassing! What I mean by that is that no one will expect MR. Alexandra to walk through the door.

Also, the difference in names reflects that the genders are different. Not above or below, just different. I don't want to start a fight here, but I don't understand the idea that equality means giving up individual gender identities. I am glad to be able to chose my roles in life as easily as a man can, but very few people want to be mistaken for the opposite gender -on paper or otherwise. Being female is part of who I am. It isn't necessarily a defining part. My words and deeds matter more to me, but I am not one to exclude my gender from a thorough self description.

As for girls with boys' names: I can tolerate a unisex or masculine nickname on a girl for friends and family, but not for the birth certificate or formal uses. That's just me, though.

I know a young Alexandra. Her nickname uses the last 2 syllables, not the first 2. As for the mommy to be, she seriously needs to see past her infatuation with the name and think of what's better for her child.

Jan, I know a man called Jan

remember the song a man named SUE, kids can be cruel