Too Girly?

Hello again Nameberry experts,

We are narrowing down a name for our second son as his due date rapidly approaches.... We have just about decided definitely to call him Finlay, which is to honor my MIL (last name Finlayson). I thought it would be great to have my mom's name in there, too, but wonder if you think the following looks too feminine (or you simply don't like it) for a boy's name:

Finlay Bly McMaster

I know more people are naming their daughters Finlay these days, and Bly is supposedly a name for either gender--so maybe together they look too girlie? And if you do think it's too feminine (or simply don't like it), I'd love to hear any of your middle name suggestions. Thanks again.

Separately I don't think either name is too girly. I love Finlay for a boy (I wish it weren't being used for girls). But reading the names together, you can't tell what gender the person is. That may be ok with you. I wouldn't automatically think girl but nor would I be sure it was a boys' name. Is there another name that could honor your mom? Or would you consider using two middles?

Personally, if I saw Finlay Bly I would think boy.

I think it has a handsome quirky sound to it (like Jasper or Felix) and I love the family connection it has.

Overall, it gets a thumbs up from me :)

elea wrote:Personally, if I saw Finlay Bly I would think boy.

I think it has a handsome quirky sound to it (like Jasper or Felix) and I love the family connection it has.

Overall, it gets a thumbs up from me :)

I second this!

I like it. To me, Bly is very strong. If I were to learn that a person with this name were female, I wouldn't exactly be shocked, but I definitely think of it as a male name first. It would be a very masculine name for a female. As a male name, it's not hyper-masculine, but I don't find it at all feminine either.

I'm not sure that its "girly" I just think its very gender neutral. You can't tell what sex the child is from the name.

Hmmmm, thanks for the comments. It is surprisingly hard to honor mothers when you have two boys (this will be our last child). Did any of you select "gender neutral" names for your sons? Or for that matter, for your daughters? Does it bother you that someone (future employer, etc.) down the line might read the name on paper and not know if your son/daughter is male or female? I don't know that it bothers me--obviously, those who meet him will know he's a boy, and in my experience middle names don't come into play very much-- but my husband may be another story.

Does Bligh (as in Captain Bligh) read more masculine? I kind of like the repetitive "Y" in Finlay Bly, but someone suggested elsewhere that "Y" appears more feminine.

Thanks for all the heads up :)

Hi, again!

I do think that, when paired with the unisex Finlay, Bly looks a bit off, so I would encourage you to go with a more sturdy masculine name for the middle name. Perhaps something Scottish like Finlay would be nice?

Finlay Callum McMaster (is this the correct last name?)
Finlay Cameron McMaster
Finlay Glenn McMaster
Finlay Ross McMaster
Finlay Stuart McMaster

I really like Finlay Ross, personally, or even Finlay Callum! GL!

sloppyart wrote:Hmmmm, thanks for the comments. It is surprisingly hard to honor mothers when you have two boys (this will be our last child). Did any of you select "gender neutral" names for your sons? Or for that matter, for your daughters? Does it bother you that someone (future employer, etc.) down the line might read the name on paper and not know if your son/daughter is male or female? I don't know that it bothers me--obviously, those who meet him will know he's a boy, and in my experience middle names don't come into play very much-- but my husband may be another story.

Does Bligh (as in Captain Bligh) read more masculine? I kind of like the repetitive "Y" in Finlay Bly, but someone suggested elsewhere that "Y" appears more feminine.

Thanks for all the heads up :)

I posted before I read your response! Personally, I think Bligh looks like blight, blegh, etc, so I wouldn't even be tempted to use that spelling! I'm assuming that your mother's name is Blythe. Is that a correct assumption? If so, Blythe means "happy," and I think a nice way of honoring your mom could be to use a masculine name that has the same meaning! According to babynames.com, Bly was originally an English surname, but it is now a female name meaning "gentle" and "happy".

I honestly couldn't find any names meaning "happy" that sounded right with both Finlay and McMaster (Asher doesn't work with McMaster and Seeley doesn't work with Finlay!), so maybe an English B name, like Bly?

Finlay Baldwin McMaster
Finlay Barrett McMaster
Finlay Beckett McMaster
Finlay Blake McMaster
Finlay Boone McMaster
Finlay Brent McMaster
Finlay Bryce McMaster

Any of the names I've suggested suit your fancy?

Well, Finlay is technically a boy's name, so it's not too girly at all! I like it! :)