Journeys of Androgynous Names :: Part 2

Inspiration :: Madison (Madison Square Park)

This post follows on from Journeys of Androgynous Names:: Part 1. You may want to read it first if you haven't already.

Of course, there are a few rebellious names that do not fit the mould of being male, becoming unisex and then female. Sometimes there is a sharper change often spurred on by a catalyst from the media. The jaunty surname Bailey went from female to almost completely unisex in just a year. It is a similar story with Madison which was always a male name. In 1983 it was unheard of to see a female Madison but by 1985 practically all Madisons were female and it has been waving the pink flag ever since. But what causes these sudden changes? I think that it has a lot to do with celebrity culture and many of the sudden changes happened in the 70s and 80s. For example the film ‘Splash’, which features a mermaid named Madison, is an obvious contributor to the popularity of the name.

It seems unfair that the majority of names move from male to female – the girls get the hand me down clothes that are no longer fashionable in the boys’ world. But I’m not just being an angry feminist; women get the short straw with language anyway. There are countless words in the dictionary that get used negatively towards females but only a handful for men. Our androcentric language seems to have influenced our naming culture as well. However, there are a few misfit names that make the rare journey from female to male. Theo is a well-established male name today and the trendy diminutive of Theodore but from 1880 to 1930, Theo was popular female name.

If the majority of names follow the pattern of travelling from male to female, then we will start to hit a problem. Where will new boys names come from? If something doesn’t happen, we are going to be reduced to an ever smaller pool of boys’ names. But I think parents are already finding the answer. They are looking at the historical roots of already popular boys’ names and discovering more unusual names. Joshua was rare for boys until the 1950s where I suspect that the group of parents that started the trend were seen as courageous and innovative. Now, Joshua is high in the charts along with other Biblical favourites such as Benjamin and Isaac. Even characters like Ezra moved 115 places in the UK popularity charts from 2013 to 2014. It seems strange that soon we might be seeing little Zephaniahs or Boazez in nurseries and pre-schools. However, these names seem safer to use, as names with strong historical associations don’t often change gender. Invented or modern names usually have unstable genders and make the switch from male to female.

Nicknames are also adding to the amount of boys’ names. It is becoming more acceptable to put diminutives like Charlie and Freddie on the birth certificate. This doubles the amount of names on offer for sons. But maybe this divide in genders is gradually phasing out. Maybe in the future, all names will be able to be used for girls and boys. 

Journeys of Androgynous Names :: Part 1

Inspiration :: Paris (a name that became female in the 1990s)

Some names metamorphosise like butterflies - changing gender. They start as an egg, then grow into a caterpillar, form into a chrysalis and finally emerge as a beautiful painted lady or red admiral. Many names do not go through a gender change but most names that do go through a similar pattern. Most gender-switched names started life as male. It may surprise you that well known female names such as Lauren and Allison were male at birth. But don’t worry; names like John, Peter, and Paul that have been masculine since their debuts in the New Testament are unlikely to transform into the ultimate ‘girly-girl’ names any time soon.

The next stage of the life cycle is where a few brave souls make the decision to use the boys’ section of their baby name Bible for their darling daughters. This effect is magnified if the name reached its peak and is having a dip in popularity. Parents start to look at dated boys’ names which will sound fresh again if used for daughters. The name may even become androgynous for a while, wavering between masculinity and femininity. At the moment, names such as Emerson and Emory are unisex after being entirely masculine for a hundred years.

The period of being androgynous can last more than 50 years. Paris started to be unisex at the beginning of the 1940s but it was only in the 1990s where it became significantly feminine. But some names, like Hilary switch in only a few years. At the moment, occupational names (names that come from work names) such as Harper or surname names such as Cameron are becoming popular as unisex names. No doubt the actress Cameron Diaz and little Harper Seven Beckham have helped these names rise through the ranks.

After the indecision of being androgynous, names draw nearer into old age as they become feminine. Names such as Kelly and Kelsey started life as masculine, became unisex, then feminine and are now slowly dying as they decline in popularity. Brooke and Alexis, which were both male names, have seen a boost in popularity for females over the past few years but I fear that their time to shine may be over as they plummet down the ranks for both genders. Maybe in 100 years, they will appear back in the popularity charts as male.