What do you think of the name James FOR A GIRL?

Question

Its unisex in Amercia and i have loved it for ages.
I get different feedback and just wondered what your views are .

Theres an actress called James King
and in friends rachel wanted to call Emma, James

Answer 1

I LIKE the name!!
I think James is a very strong name... it is not a girly name.
I picture a confident, successful, young lady.
I like that it is not a name that is often used for girl, I like original names. I have a friend named Jamie and we often call her James!
If you love the name, then that is all that matters.
Congrats and Good Luck!

Answer 2

I wouldn't by any means say that James is necessarily "unisex" in America, as the name itself is VERY common for boys (top 20) and not even among the 1000 most commonly-given female names, but that's a good thing.

It means James could actually come across as an intriguing option on a woman, and I'd assume most would think it had more of a British and/or upper-crust sort of feel (not the same as the Madison/Aubrey sort of trendy crossovers so generally popular).

So assuming you're fine with people (even in the states LOL) finding it an unusual or outright masculine choice -- it is ... that's why it's interesting! ;) -- it's likely a great option for you. ;)

Nothing wrong with not following the crowd.

Edited to add: I think you can safely disregard about half the previous comments implying that James would be a horridly cruel choice for a girl. She'll not get "made fun of" or cause any more "confusion" than all the girls names Madison, Avery, Taylor, Morgan, Jordan or Aubrey! All top 100 choices for FEMALES that are still common male options. LOL She'll actually blend right in with her masculinely-named peers.

Likewise, I wouldn't use a dated unisex nickname (Jamie), even more obviously-masculine version (Jameson - with the literal "son of" meaning LOL) or outright misspelling (Jaymes, Jaimes, etc.) to try and "girly it up." That all seems quite counterproductive, and saps all the class out of James entirely. I actually do like Jamesina, shortened to James, but that's a personal choice. ;)

Answer 3

I find that most people confuse unisex names and people will always assume that James is a male first. Our oldest son is named Loren which was originally a name only for males and now it is probably more popular as a female name. It has cause a headaches at times because of the assumption that he is a girl.

Answer 4

I live in the USA and I've never heard of a girl named James. I do not think it's as unisex as you think it is. (I've known girls named Jamie, though.)

I think James is a lovely name, but I would only use it for a boy. So many nice boys' names keep getting feminized, what's going to be left for the boys?

Edited: The whole humor about the scene in Friends where Rachel suggested James for a girl was that they were each suggesting what the other thought were "horrible" names.

Answer 5

actually the actress you are refering to is named Jamie, she used James as a way to gain attention for herself, it was never her legal name.

While many traditionally masculine names have transitioned into female names, James is still considered a male name. I would think seriously about the possible problems that could arise from your daughter having a masculine name. And then do what you feel is best.

Answer 6

I'm so used to it being for a boy, yet for a girl it has a certain distinction. It would also make a great middle name when paired with the correct name. James Melanie Kayanna James

Answer 7

Well, I'm going against everyone else... I like it for a girl. I PREFER it for a girl.... Of course, I've always liked "boy" names for girls. I have a couple of outright boys names on my list for a girl (Garrett, for example). I don't think there's anything wrong with it. I remember that actress James King also. Technically, her name is Jaime but James was a nickname that she preferred.

Ignore all the crap about her being teased blah, blah blah.... in the U.S. if you don't name you daughter one of the top ten names like Emily or Ava or Madison everyone hates it....

I say go for it! And for the people that mentioned if you give your daughter a traditionally male name it means you really wanted a boy, or your daughter will assume you wanted a boy - come the f*ck on people....

Answer 8

i love it!!! my name is Jaime and all my friends and my parents call me James. i think its so cute and different. yeah it might confuse people on paper but once they see the beautiful little girls face it will be hard to deny that in this case its a girls name. go for it. i bet she'll love it too because she will be the only girl James.

Answer 9

I think it's too masculine, although I do like some unisex names. One of my best friends was named Ed, but was actually a nickname derived form her real name, Enid. My nieghbor's parents were Mike and Bill; took me a long time to figure out Bill was her Mom!

Answer 10

i think if you like it then go for it. my daughter is called Brett. i got the name from the book north and south by john jakes. its a girls name in that. everyone thought i was mad to name her Brett but i went with it anyway. no-one else at school was called the same. unlike when i went to school there was loads of karen's. Brett likes her name though as it makes her different from the others. its also helpful now she is into drama and acting as people remember her because of her name.