Do girls with "guy"/unisex names have their sexuality questioned?

I don't want to make out that this happens a lot, especially not after people know me. But one of the biggest irritations that I have about being named Alexandra is not being asked repeatedly when people first find out whether my mom had wanted a girl, because that does seem a fair question. Rather it is the assumption or implication that I am either gay or a sissy as if I chose the name for myself.





I am wondering if girls who have more typically guy/male based unisex names have this assumption/question put to them too, or whether it is a kind of double standard/inverse sexism.





Alex

Do girls with "guy"/unisex names have their sexuality questioned?
There's a lesson to be learned here folks: don't name your little boys Sue, Debbie, or Alexandra! Why set them up for this? I know a gal named "America Star" and even SHE hates her name...it's not that she doesn't love this country, but she's just sick and tired of having to answer "patriotic questions" and tired of having to "tell the story" (even though there's no real "story" to it...no patriotic event or entertaining narrative to be told) behind how she got her name, to every single new person she meets (because they ALWAYS ask!) She hates having to say "I have no idea why my parents named me this." She says she's sometimes even tempted to make something up! She's even been asked (on more than one occasion) stupid questions like "why aren't you wearing red, white and blue?" She wishes her parents had given her a name that no one gives so much special attention to. She's even thinking of changing it for that reason. But giving boys girls' names just causes even more problems for the boy. Our culture (in general) is much more "o.k." with girls having boys names, but not vice versa. It may not be right, it may not be fair, but that's the way it is. I have no problems whatsoever with a guy who has a traditionally female name. Most of us don't. But the questions and the prying that people do when they encounter an unusual name can probably get very old after awhile.
Reply:I remember a question you asked about your school counselor asking if your name bothered you, and you insisting it didn't. Sounds like maybe it does. Report Abuse

Reply:First off I don't find anything wrong with your name, a name does not dictate who you are.





I know a few girls with guy's names, like my friend Joey, she gets the same reactions from her name that guys with girl's names get, her reaction is normally a one finger salute to the one who asked her if she was lesbian just because of her name.
Reply:Alexandra, I am going to take a guess that these stupid comments come from insecure jock machismo guys rather than any girls or guys that are more secure in their sexuality. Seriously, my thoughts are that your name makes them feel insecure about the way they feel inside so they lash out at you. It's wrong of course, but it's not about you, it's about them.





I think it is the same for girls who have more "guy-ish" names. But again, I don't think in general the comments come from other girls, but rather guys.





I just don't think girls will have a problem with your name for the most part. It's actually a rather nice name and a strong name. Don't worry about those kinds of comments.





Just to add reading some other comments. It may seem easy to "blame" whoever named Alexandra, but I think that is shifting the blame for where the problem Alexandra stated lies. Blaming his mom or whoever is just making an excuse for the people who are being abusive and takes responsibility off them. This just shows why it would be better to have less strong gender associations to names in the first place and let parents choose the names they like just based on what they like.





Jess
Reply:i know a couple of ambiguous names.


there's JOEY ALBERT a famous singer, female. and i have a male friend named "JUAN MARIA". i also have male and female friends named "RIO", "LESLIE", "LISA"
Reply:I think parents who give their children unique names have done them a favor, or at least given them the tools of an advantage if they are strong enough to utilize it.
Reply:It's only that guys tend to tease each other about their sexuality a lot. I'm a victim of that too. But I took it well.





I'm fat, so I got boobs. People used to keep calling me a girl or bisexual. Please never respond to stuff like this. Take it in your stride, because you know what's true. Maybe your mother did want a girl, but did that stop her from loving you any less? No. Always remember that.





Many people get their lives ruined when this goes too far. Many college boys in my country are teased about sexuality, and when it goes overboard, they rape a girl to 'prove that they're men'.
Reply:nope, guys are obessed with calling eachother homo and fag for anything and everything. I have never met a girl with this issue
Reply:Alexandra? That's not unisex. That's feminine in any language I've ever heard of.





Masculine would be Alexander, Alejandro or Alexandros.





I don't believe their is an ungendered equivalent.





If a girl was called "William" she might get hassled the same way. (Again, not unisex - masculine).
Reply:I have to say that from what I've seen a girl having a "male" name really doesn't run into problems. And if her nick name is male it's still cool for her. Toni or Vic or Dan or Ken are common short versions of girl's names. And even a girl being called Jack or Sam will raise eyebrows but not too much.





Unisex I think is ok for both sexes but others may have had different experiences. Guys with girl's names or ethnic names that in America are usually girl's names seem to have strange looks sometimes but I think more from insecure guys.





It's stupid but I'm not suprised by much.