Andrew for a Girl (family name)

[jenna5128]

I want to name my daughter Andrew after my father in law. Here are my reasons besides liking the name for girl:

-I dislike Andrea/Andy/other female versions of Andrew
-I imagine the first female Ryan/Jordan/Camryn/Daryl probably got some strange looks too, it's a matter of getting people used to it.
-If she doesn't like her masculine name, she's free to be Ann, Drew, Anna, Andi or whatever she chooses
-Yes, I'm aware it means "manly" but it also means "wise" Besides, if she ends up being a CFO like her daddy or a journalist like her mommy, it wouldn't hurt her to be a little manly anyway
-We plan to nn her Annie while she's small

How "out there" is this?

[marissalou]

I love Andrew for a boy, so it pains me a little to consider it for a girl. I would probably go with Anne or maybe even Anna Drew. It's sweet that you want to honor your father-in-law, but perhaps it would mean more for him to have a grandson named after him than a grand daughter? Sorry if this isn't helpful at all. Good luck!

[dindlee]

I think Andrew is too firmly in the boys name camp. I agree with marissalou- Anna Drew is a nice option. Or even just Drew a la Drew Barrymore.

[alexa400]

Honestly I wouldn't choose it, but in this day and age with little girls commonly named Cameron, Alex, Morgan, Riley, Ryan etc. I wouldn't be surprised to meet a little Andrew, and personally I know a little girl named Stanley and it works just fine for her. So if you really love it, go for it

[lexiem]

My SO's name is Andrew so I'm having a really hard time to wrap my head around the idea of a girl named Andrew. The idea reminds me of the song "A Boy named Sue".

I love that you want to honor your FIL and I understand not liking the feminine versions of the name (I don't really either).
I have some suggestions (I'm sure you've already thought about and probably veto'd) that I thought I'd share. I realize some of the name suggestions might be reaching but I like throwing ideas out there. If you like them great, if you don't maybe it will lead you somewhere new and unexpected.

- Why not call her Anne? (If you plan on nn' her Annie it seems like a logical conclusion). It could still honor your FIL with the spirit of why you choose the name if not with the exact name.
- How about Andrew as a mn?
- I never knew it could also mean "wise" where did you find that info? (I'm curious because everywhere I look it just says "manly" and - I'd love to find more detailed info on a lot of name). Maybe you could choose a name that means wise as well? A variant of Sophie or Sage would seem an obvious choice but, Maiara, Athena, Emer or Minerva or Metis could also be nice choices. (I tried to stay within Greek, Western European, and American origins but every culture as a name that means wisdom).
- behindthename.com also lists Andrew to also mean "of a man". Which automatically made me think of Eve - forged from a man ribcage.
- If you FIL is still alive why not ask him what he thinks? Or what his favorite girls name is? Having help choose a name for a girl could be just as meaningful as naming a girl after him. He might also love being honored in the way but not like Andrew on a girl. If he's not and your MIL is, maybe she remembers what he thought would have been a great name for a daughter. Something they didn't up using might speak to you.

Good Luck, and keep us up to date, I'd love to hear about your decision making process.

[huddymom]

I actually often like boy names on girls (I know that makes me not very traditional!), but unfortunately this is not one of those instances where I think it works. I'm sorry! It is so sweet that you want to honor your FIL but I just don't love the idea of Andrew for a girl. But if you love it, go for it! Like you said, someone had to be the first to name their daughter Jordan, etc.

I like the suggestion as Drew as a first name or as a middle.

[strawberry shortcake]

I think its far too masculine for a little girl. I second (third?) the suggestion of Anna Drew.

If Anna Drew isn't an option, I'd suggest holding out in case you have a son in the future and name him after your FiL.

[monablanche]

While I wouldn't choose Andrew, I do love Drew and Andi on girls and love the idea of the nn Annie while she's little, so I say if you love it then go for it! Like you pointed out, there are so many nn options for her to choose if she doesn't like Andrew. I also understand the feeling that you will lose a little bit of the meaning if you choose something other than Andrew. My daughter's name is Mattie, we named her after a friend, Matthew, who passed away. I've gotten a lot of heat for choosing a nickname name but it wouldn't have been the same if we had named her Matilda or Martha and simply called her Mattie. I'm now considering the middle name George after my grandfather for a girl and I love it but a lot of people don't like it. Go for Andrew! It's cute!

[kashah]

This name comes from the actual word for MAN, andro-. It is very masculine. Some names can go back and forth because their meanings are not specifically related to men or women. This is not one of those names. I think etymology is very important when choosing names for people. This ones meaning can't be overlooked and makes it really not an option for girls.

[mischa]

I would use Anna Drew/Annie Drew as a first name or Andrew as a middle name. Have you asked your FIL what HE thinks about naming his granddaughter Andrew? I find your statement "if she ends up being a CFO like her daddy or a journalist like her mommy, it wouldn't hurt her to be a little manly anyway" quite perplexing and somewhat sexist in tone. Why does a woman have to be manly to be successful in any profession? And before you make your final decision, think about what would you call a son if you have one in the future? Would you use a more feminine name for him?