Names applied to both Sexes

The following may be mentioned as commonly in use:—

Florence.

Sydney or Sidney.

Evelyn.

“Cecil” may now be placed in the same category, reports having been received from Registrars in various parts of the country of its use for females as well as males.

In certain parts of County Donegal “Giles’’ is applied to both males and females. It occurs also as “Giley” and “Jiley.” A marriage record from Milford Union, in that county, came under my observation, in which the bride, and one of the witnesses (a female) were named “Giles.”

Sometimes ordinary Christian names distinctively belonging to one sex are given to the other. Thus a child named “Winifred” was recently registered in Cork as a male. On inquiry it was ascertained that the name and sex were both correctly entered. This name contracted to “Winfred” has also been found applied to a male. “Jane” has also been notified as applied to a male, and “Augustus” to a female.

“Nicholas” has been reported from two districts as applied to females, and “Valentine” from another district. In Belfast a female child was lately registered from the Maternity Hospital as “Irene,” but the name was subsequently corrected by the father, on statutory declaration before a magistrate, to “Robert.” In reply to a query on the subject, the Registrar stated the name given to the female child being a male name (Robert), he called the attention of the father to the fact at the time, and the father replied it was his wish to have the child called “Robert.”

The names of saints are frequently given to male and female children as Christian names without reference to the sex, for instance, “Joseph Mary,” or “Mary Joseph,” for a male; “Mary Joseph,” or “Johanna Mary Aloysius,” for a female.

There are some names similar in sound, where the sex is indicated only by a slight difference in spelling, which, when badly written are liable to be mistaken, such as Francis—Frances, Olave—Olive, Jesse —Jessie.

Occasionally surnames are used as Christian names, and applied to either sex.