Names for a Child, Should it Matter?
From chapter 5 of The Incarnate Word, “Perhaps the greatest (and smallest) mistake humanity has made is to give our babies opposite gender names — such an innocent but terrible mistake, heavy as a second feather on the scale of Maat” from Lev Vigotsky. If one is to look at present time, names of today, this should not matter. With a search of Google “Unisex Names”, a large list of names is provided. There are many unisex names to choose from.
A good example of someone given a unisex name is the famous actor John Wayne but this was just a stage name. If you look back on his past, his given name is Marion Robert Morrison. Marion is a very prominent first name for males (#290 out of 1220, Top 24%) and also a very prominent surname for all people (#2307 out of 150436, Top 2%). (2000 U.S. Census) Other famous people with opposite gender names Reese Witherspoon, Cameron Diaz, Chris Evert, Drew Barrymore and many more.
Today’s current society, there has been an increase of parents giving their child a unisex name. Maybe it’s just a trend set by celebrities. The most common names given are Taylor or Peyton. Many parents are picking unisex baby names for the baby girls or boys because it is a trendy way to give them a name that is cool and unique. The parents that do not agree with unisex baby names argue that their child will have a hard time or confusion from others with a name that could be mistaken as belonging to the opposite sex.
When it comes to naming a child. It can be one of the most difficult things for parents to be. For some parents, their decision for coming up with a name of their child it all depends on some factors. Such as sound, think of how it would sound calling for your child. Other factor includes uniqueness. Parents often want to find a unique name to distinguish their child. But sometimes an extremely unusual name can bring your child unwanted attention instead. Another factor is significance. The other factors are initials and names that age well.
Whether trying to decide to choose a masculine, feminine, or unisex name, there’s no right or wrong way to pick a name for your baby. The most important consideration is to choose one you love.
I would leave off with this question to you, “Would you give your child a unisex name or a name considered for the opposite gender?”
