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Male or female ?

ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

Christine in Herts

Christine in Herts Report 16 Apr 2006 16:25

The current convention is that Francis is male & Frances is female - but people weren't always so strict in the past, one gathers. And there's no point in saying, absolutely, that Leslie is male & Lesley is female (and it may be offensive to some poeple if you do so) when there are people of the opposite gender carrying the unexpected spelling - all you can say is that one is more usual than the other. Christian is another name which has migrated. It was usually female and is now usually male. There was a thread on this topic a few weeks ago. That time it include Vivian/Vivien, Hilary, and so on. Christine

marie from stoke

marie from stoke Report 16 Apr 2006 16:11

Leslie is Male and Lesley is Female Marie

Sarah

Sarah Report 16 Apr 2006 16:02

Leslie is the male name Lesley is the female name

Unknown

Unknown Report 15 Apr 2006 00:25

I have various friends called Catherine Catharine Katherine Katharine and Kathryn not to mention all the Cathy/Kathy/Kate/Katie/Katy/Kateys!!!!!!! Leslie is a male version, though Humphrey Bogart's daughter was given this name, I think after Leslie Howard, but not sure. Frances is the female version. Then there are all those names that do for either sex - Kim/Beverley/Hilary/Vivian etc. nell

Sue in Somerset

Sue in Somerset Report 14 Apr 2006 23:47

My father, grandfather and great grandfather were Francis. My husband has an Aunt called Frances. I believe that Leslie is normally the male version in the UK but that spelling is often used for girls in the USA. As for the C or K in Catherine etc then it is a matter of taste. We have a daughter called Katharine. When choosing her name we looked at meanings and found it came from the Greek word Kathara so we decided we preferred the version that looked most like the original with a K and 2 a's. If you look in a book of names then you'll find more different ways of spelling Katharine than almost any girl's name. The way we chose is the way Katharine Hepburn was spelled. Sue

Alek

Alek Report 14 Apr 2006 17:50

Francis is the male version, went to a Catholic school and was a very popular name then for the boys

Alek

Alek Report 14 Apr 2006 17:49

daughters boyfriend is Leslie!

Joe ex Bexleyheath

Joe ex Bexleyheath Report 14 Apr 2006 17:30

I get totally confused with Francis and Frances ..............duh !

Christine in Herts

Christine in Herts Report 14 Apr 2006 17:10

Sorry to put the cat among the pigeons, but LESLIE is ''usually'' not ''always'' the men's version. I had a school-friend/classmate at a (definitely) all-girls school, called ''Leslie''. I should say that I've had endless trouble with that name ever since! Christine

Shirley~I,m getting the hang of it

Shirley~I,m getting the hang of it Report 14 Apr 2006 16:48

Leslie is def the male version. Our daughter is Karen Lesley!! T.....

margarete101

margarete101 Report 14 Apr 2006 15:29

Right , LESLIE ........now what was the surname ..........!!??

John

John Report 14 Apr 2006 15:24

Leslie definitely male, and Lesley female. Leslie Crowther/Howard. Male. Lesley Ash/Judd. Female. John

margarete101

margarete101 Report 14 Apr 2006 15:23

I'm going for the ie - before I get completely confused ! Thank you all

KathleenBell

KathleenBell Report 14 Apr 2006 15:22

Leslie is the male version. Kath. x

SueinKent

SueinKent Report 14 Apr 2006 15:21

Leslie is the male version. Sue

Right said Fred

Right said Fred Report 14 Apr 2006 15:20

trying to think of a famous lesley ( male or female)..................... on the ready steady cook website Lesley (F) is spelt -ley

PinkDiana

PinkDiana Report 14 Apr 2006 15:18

Leslie is the male version of the name to my knowledge!! But as I am typing this I am doubting myself!! :O) xx

margarete101

margarete101 Report 14 Apr 2006 15:18

Thanks, I've been trying to find out for ages.

Right said Fred

Right said Fred Report 14 Apr 2006 15:17

i think it is leslie. altough I might be wrong - looking on a census there seems to be a fairly even split. Sorry. Think you need to wait for someone with a Les in their family to come and sort it out.

margarete101

margarete101 Report 14 Apr 2006 15:13

Can someone tell me if Lesley or Leslie is the male name ?