Feminine Names or Masculine Names?

(Women Should Act Like Women!)

Richard Hollerman

Recently I did a Google search to discover how women seek to act like men and why they choose to do this. I was surprised! There seemed to be dozens of articles, written from a secular standpoint, most of them saying that women should act like women. They should dress like women and have employment like women. Of course, most of these articles are written with little or no thought of God and His will, plus it would seem that they are promoting women having their own place in the world instead of seeking to live for God and His truth.

The point about these articles, however, is that women should act like this to earn more money, to have better jobs, and to feel good about themselves. Apparently Google is not that concerned about what God has to say about this subject. They would say that regardless of what God has said in His Word, women should do what is best for them. They would have little regard for the will and ways of the Lord!

But think about the way women today do want to live like a man and have employment like a man. We even know that many women greatly want to even have masculine type of names! Think about these women with men’s names and see if you recognize any of them:

George Eliot

Michael Learned

Daryl Hannah

Stevie Nicks

Sean Young

Radclyffe Hall

Gene Tierney

Glenn Close

Here are a few more women (perhaps not as well known) who wear men’s names, It may be that their parents chose the masculine name or it may be that they (as women) changed their names when they reached maturity. Or it may be that their friends just chose to begin calling them by these masculine names.

Maxwell

Drew

Daryl

Cameron

Blake

Stevie

Sean

In my own acquaintance, there would be such women as Freddie, Charlie, Willie, Tommy (or Tommie), Joni, Toni, and others. Then there are Aaron, Glen or Glenn, Shane, Shawn, and others. There must be dozens and dozens of different women who choose to adopt men’s names or masculine names that cause us to think of men.

Of course, in one respect, people are free to choose whatever name they want and parents often are the ones who choose their children’s names, but think of the implications of this! Does this make a woman more feminine or more masculine? Does this practice encourage feminine characteristics or masculine ones? We know that some men also have women’s names, and this can be a problem as well, but right now we are addressing the reverse practice.

Although we do not want to make our comments here very broad, even including wearing clothing typical of the opposite sex (see Deuteronomy 22:5), we just want to refer quite briefly about this matter of names. A name identifies you. Do you want your name to bring images of the opposite gender into the minds of those who hear? Are you promoting a society that is more godly, more Biblical, more in keeping with the way God has made you—as a man or a woman?

We are only speaking about names here. We know that there are some perverted men who want to think of themselves as women and some women who want to think of themselves as men. This transgender practice must bring much grief to God who created us male and female (cf. Genesis 1:26-27). And we are not speaking about those men or women who prefer to dress like the opposite gender. This too is a perversion. No, we are only speaking about names here.

We know that most of today’s names are not found in the Bible. Think of the names of women and ask whether they actually were given by God or not. Surely not every woman is known as Rachel, Rebecca, Esther, Mary, Martha, Lydia, and the like. In fact, names—even in the Bible—were given by parents (generally) and not taken by the person herself (or himself). And some of the names have positive meanings while others have negative ones.

The meaning of names may not be a true indication of the person’s heart. Think of the names given by the commander in Babylon. The four godly young men were given pagan names: Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. It was their hearts that God loved and respected. Similarly, today a man or woman may have an entirely secular (or even pagan) name and they can rise above the meaning and live godly lives. This is good news for all of us who were born into a culture far different from the ways of God. However, we would suggest that it might be better to officially change one’s name in the courts if the name brings the opposite sex to mind to others.

If a name is too closely identified with false doctrine or a false teacher, the owner may choose to change the name in the court. We find no specific teaching to this but wisdom would suggest this. For example, if a Muslim were to choose to become a follower of Christ and he had the name “Muhammad,” it might be wise to renounce this name and chose another one that is either neutral or even positive. Such a name is too closely identified with gross false doctrine to use. This would be true of the girl or woman as well. Regarding former names, for example, if a person were given a name such as Stalin, Adolph (Hitler), Barack (Obama), or a similar name, it might be wise to take a different one since too much wickedness is associated with the former ones.

At one time, the Puritans (and perhaps others) gave names with character qualities to their children. Think of the young girls called “Charity” or “Prudence” or “Patience.” One family had Hope and Faith. Then there are such names as Chastity, Liberty, Truth, Honesty, Verity, Serenity, Felicity, or Honor. There must be dozens if not hundreds of character names for girls. A good “Baby Name” book will help with this. And an internet search under “girl’s names” or “boy’s names” would also help. We find, for example, these female names: Resolved, Constance, Damaris, Elizabeth, Humility, Joan, Mary, Priscilla, Remember, Rose, Sarah, and Susanna. Of course, there would be many others, as an Internet search will reveal.

In all things, let’s seek to please God our Creator and Redeemer. If this means changing our name, let it be so. If it means using a different name, let it be done. If it means attaching a positive meaning to a negative name, this could or should be done.  Whatever we choose, let us do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31) and in the name of Christ Jesus (Colossians 3:17).