ADDISON, SON OF ADAM: THE PRINCIPLE OF PATRONYMICS

March 11th, 2009 at 10:45 am

This is one trend/fad I really hope dies quickly. Patronymics, by definition should be used on boys and any other use defies logic (at least to me). Seems like more mass stupidity, from my vantage point. But then, my surname is on this list and I’m quite annoyed that my boys now share a surname with a host of little girls with that as a first name.

Quinney strikes me as way too close to an unfortunate word and Bevis brings back memories of “the Lumberjack Song” by Monty Python – not for girls, Bevis, not in *my* universe! Boys names on girls, surnames on girls, blech. Surnames on girls should stay in the middle, where they belong!

But you guys knew I was going to rant here, didn’t you?

March 11th, 2009 at 11:39 am

One of our strollers is a Quinny. And yes, Lola – my sisters and brother-in-law all made that exact same comment.

I’m not opposed to masculine names for girls. If anything, I think it is a smidge unfair that boys have always been the ones to “carry on the family name.” Though I can’t understand choosing, say, Addison or Mackenzie for a child unless there was some personal meaning.

Here in DC, we know a handful of Southerners who use the mother’s maiden name for their firstborn regardless of gender. So we know a female Tucker and a male Catesby. *Shrugs.* I wouldn’t give my kid my crazy maiden name for all the tea in China, but if my last name were something lovely like Ellison? Maybe.

March 11th, 2009 at 1:08 pm

I don’t care for boy names on girls at all, and especially patronymic ones. The only one I can remotely stand is McKenna, but I prefer the unrelated Makenna, which is an African name meaning ‘joy’, according to behindthename.com I think it’s a much nicer meaning, and simpler to spell. I’m also going to third the Quinney comment!

March 11th, 2009 at 1:23 pm

Guess I really struck a (dis)chord with this one!

March 11th, 2009 at 2:49 pm

I think these names should belong to boys *and* girls. After all, both males and females have the surnames McDonald and Stevenson. Even though it says “son,” it really means descendant of either gender.

In other words, just as Mankind really means Humankind, Johnson, doesn’t mean just *son* of John, it also can mean *daughter* of John. Otherwise, sons and daughters would have different last names, which does happen in some countries (but not here!).

BTW, my kids don’t have these types of names so I’m not biased either way.

March 11th, 2009 at 5:52 pm

My son is named Addison, after his father Adam, so just imagine our shock and horror when we seen this name climbing up the girls chart! He’s only 3 as well so all these little girls are going to be in his playgrounds too.

*sigh* Addison Raven seemed like such a beautiful, masculine name too. He’s going to hate us when he gets older.

March 11th, 2009 at 6:07 pm

I think that boy’s names turned to girl’s names are annoying.
For example: Mackenzie. Look at how high up it is in the popularity charts! It’s means “son of Comeley,” and SON is masculine. I adore the name Mackenzie for a boy, and if I ever did use it, it would be for a boy.
It just really bothers me when people do that.

But, I do love those types of names, as well as first names for last names for boys. On my favorites right now:
Anderson, Macaulay, Jackson, and Dawson

Seriously, though, I think masculine names need to stop being used on girls.
Addison, Mackenzie, Makenna, Emerson, Jameson, Parker, Ryan, etc. (I know Parker and Ryan aren’t on your post, but it’s part of my rant) aren’t girl’s names. They are boys names and have a place.
I know that other people have different opinions, but I think that you should definitely do a post discussing “unisex” names, because I know that’s definitely a big issue.

Ha ha pardon my rant…

March 11th, 2009 at 6:14 pm

We will do a post–and we also have a long, in-depth treatment of the current state of unisex names in our next book, BEYOND AVA & AIDEN, due out in a couple of months. This certainly is a subject that seems to arouse stronger feelings than almost anything else.

March 11th, 2009 at 7:17 pm

Boys names are so hard to choose and when they are being used for girls it makes it so much harder! I like a lot of these names, for boys though.

March 11th, 2009 at 7:18 pm

Also! Linda, I am really looking foward to Beyond Ava and Aiden!!!

March 11th, 2009 at 8:05 pm

Linda –
cool I’m excited. People are very opinionated about that, and so am I!
I’m excited for the next book, I love getting new ideas for names.

March 11th, 2009 at 8:21 pm

I may have a niece named Delaney sometime this fall. My sister-in-law says she can’t picture the name on a boy, so she’ll be looking for other names if the baby turns out to be a second son. I normally don’t like trendy surnames, but these are the types of names that I can only see on girls. On boys they sound kind of wimpy. If the baby is a girl, chances are good she’ll be a very pretty, tall, pony-tailed blonde, soccer and basketball playing little jock like my sister-in-law’s four nieces. On that sort of kid, the name Delaney sounds appropriate. It’s also got a pretty nickname in Laney.

March 11th, 2009 at 8:27 pm

I should add that I don’t mean I can’t see the above names on boys, just names in the style of Delaney or Mackenzie or McKenna or the like that are already used more for girls than boys. I think the “ee” or “a” ending makes a name sound feminine. Addison is another that is so similar to Madison, which is almost entirely female, that I have a hard time seeing it as a boy’s name any longer. Every Addison (and I’ve seen a number of them under age 10) I’ve met is a girl.

March 11th, 2009 at 8:35 pm

I don’t understand the appeal of boys last names on girls, why?! I agree with a previous poster that these names generally belong in the middle, not first name spot! As first names, I prefer just the name, without the -son: Morris, Hugh, William, James, Jeffrey. Those that are more acceptable as is include Ellison, Addison, Niles, Pierce which don’t sound as much like last names as most of the others.

March 11th, 2009 at 8:55 pm

No words can express my hatred for boys’ names on girls (well, some words can, but I won’t post them), and Addison, for me, is the worst of them all. In addition to being a masculine name, it’s the name of a horrific adrenal disease, Addison’s disease! AAAAHH!!!

March 11th, 2009 at 8:57 pm

i am dying to know “the unfortunate word” that is close to Quinney. Is it that obvious that I am just not seeing it? Give me a hint!

March 11th, 2009 at 11:28 pm

Jillian, I’m dying to know, too! Hmm….

March 12th, 2009 at 1:32 pm

Is Quinney too close to a word I may have picked up reading The Other Boleyn Girl? Urban Dictionary’s “most hilarious slang term” for the lady bits?

March 13th, 2009 at 11:50 am

It’s British slang. Chop off the “y” and change the “nn” to an “m.” You now have a vulgar term for female genitalia.

Honestly, I don’t think Quinney is that close to the word. And I don’t think the word is that well known in the US. But if my *stroller* caused my nearest-and-dearest to comment, I suppose it would be one of those unfortunate teasing names for a child.

But every name has drawbacks. The connection is lodged in my brain, but if it is news to you, you could probably happily overlook it.

March 28th, 2009 at 5:39 pm

Hello!
Very Interesting post! Thank you for such interesting resource!
PS: Sorry for my bad english, I’v just started to learn this language
See you!
Your, Raiul Baztepo

April 7th, 2009 at 6:49 pm

Hello !!!! ^_^
My name is Piter Kokoniz. Just want to tell, that your blog is really cool
And want to ask you: is this blog your hobby?
Sorry for my bad english:)
Thank you!
Piter Kokoniz, from Latvia

April 7th, 2009 at 8:32 pm

Thanks for writing!

April 7th, 2009 at 8:37 pm

Piter–
No, this isn’t really a hobby–the two of us have authored nine books on baby names, with another one coming out soon.
We’d be interested in knowing what names are popular in Latvia these days.

April 9th, 2009 at 1:55 am

My fellow on Facebook shared this link and I’m not dissapointed at all that I came here.

April 15th, 2009 at 11:23 am

I read your posts for a long time and should tell that your posts always prove to be of a high value and quality for readers.

September 17th, 2009 at 10:15 am

As a mother of a little girl named Addison, I find some of your responses a little offensive. I assume most of you are mothers of boys. Why should anyone care what someone else names their child? Most modern girl names originated from boy names. Should girls only be limited to Emily, Victoria, or Sarah? It is the 21st century. Get over it…

October 10th, 2009 at 1:35 am

Addison is a beautiful name for a girl!