Indiana?
What do you think of Indiana for a girl? What about for a boy?
Indiana is on my and my husband's girls list, but we are reconsidering it for our boys list as well. It has a great deal of personal meaning for us (as opposed to being just a "random" state that we like the sound of), and it's meanignfulness would be rather apparent to anyone who knows us at all well. My original reasoning for liking it for a girl rather than a boy is that it ends in -a. Althow there are masciline names with -a endings like Ezra and Ira, I see an -a ending as being a general hallmark of femininity. Additionally, Georgia, Virginia, Carolina and even Alabama are all decidedly female names that are also state names that, I feel,Indiana fits right in with, -a ending all. I know that Dakota, is somewhat more unisex,or atleast it was when it began to get popular, but lately it seems to have "gone to the girls". So while, Indiana is considered masculine right now, I feel like if it ever were to gain popularity, it would probably sway female. In any event, I can picture it on a girl and it passes the "Would you be Ok with this name for yourself test?" for me. But when I try to imagine how I would anwer that question if I were a boy/man, I am not so sure how I would feel. I am OK using a unisex name, as long as it is not a burden to the one who has to wear it.
However, it seems that many people think of Indiana as a masculine name, largely because of Indiana Jones (who was really Henry Walton Jones, Jr. and nicknamed after a dog).
And as far as actuall usage, I do not know any Indianas IRL, but I do know of it being used by Casey Affleck and Summer Phoenix, for their son and in tribute to his disceased uncle (who played a young Indiana Jones) and by Ethan Hawke for one of his daughters (he has another named Clementine, which I also love).
Basically, I am wanting to know what others think about Indiana as a name. If you met a little Indiana what would you think? What if they were a girl? or a boy? How do you feel about the name in general?
Wed, 04/18/2012 - 2:05pm
Replies
It reads slightly more "spunky female" to me. If it were male I'd put it in the cowboy/nature category along with Wyatt, Phoenix, River. It's kind of like Rowan or Payton. I NEVER know which gender to think when someone mentions those names.
I think when you break down the name into syllables you have In- which ends many names both girl and boy; -dee which to me is girl; and -anna which is also girl. I am thinking that is what gives it the girl feel. But taking the whole name itself it feels very western and many of those names are male.
I think it's a bold choice but still very cool choice-- especially with the Indiana Jones association and the nickname Indy (like Indy 500). Those are both pretty masculine associations. Henry Walton Jones Jr. doesn't bring up the same roguish appeal. Without the associations it does look like a girl's name. I think it works well with your last name and sibset you should go for it!
This is hyz [nli] -- Since I mentioned it before, I will say that I personally know one 3 year old boy Indiana (nn Indy) right now, and I've heard of others (more distant acquaintances, online, etc.), all male. I've also known a few male dogs named Indy (generally short for Indiana, although one was short for Independence), and a male horse with the same name/nn. I have not known any females. I think that it probably is Indiana Jones which apparently makes this name read masculine to most people--my generation grew up on those movies. As the movies age and maybe fade from cultural prominence, younger namers might start seeing the name as more feminine, since there's not really anything inherent to the word that I know of that would make it obviously masculine. So, I see what you're saying there, about the danger of a shift, but to me, right now, it's pretty much all boy.
It doesn't actually bother me on a girl the way a traditionally male name (like George or Michael) would on a girl, but it reads much more male than unisex, so I would tend to strongly assume it was a boy until I learned otherwise. Even seeing it with a feminine middle name is a little jarring, in the sense that my split-second gut reaction would be that it was a boy with a feminine middle, not a girl. It would only take a second for me to realize that was wrong, but that's what I mean by jarring. I might also do the same thing on being introduced to a young child named Indiana--not if the kid was in a pink dress, but if they were in jeans and a t-shirt I'd take another look to see if I could tell for sure that it was a girl or a boy (kids don't really look so different before puberty, and I have made mistakes a few times thinking a kid with long pretty hair was a girl when he turned out to be a boy, and parents are generally not amused by such mistakes). Like I said, though, I have no fundamental disagreement with using Indiana on a girl, and I'm sure I would get used to it quickly after knowing the kid, so I don't think it would really be a huge burden to either sex.
In general, for boys, I would group Indiana with things like Colton, Brodie, Bryce, Maverick, Gauge, Landon, Cash, Hunter, Paxton... For a girl, maybe Sierra, Savannah, Paisley, Presley, Preston, Oakley, Quinn, Taylor, Jordan... Most of these are too "wild west" and/or trendy for my tastes, but I think a lot of them, including Indiana, could be awesome as a middle name. That might be the solution if you have some reservations about using it on either sex.
I really like it, and like someone else said, I would not venture a guess on boy or girl, could really go either way. If I really had to guess, I would probably say girl. Beyond what others noted, it also has the "Anne" sound right in the middle, and is close to India, which I definitely would say girl for.
But I do really like it for a boy! I think Indiana Jones will make it forever acceptable for a boy, even if he grows up feeling outnumbered by girl Indianas. Plus, it's such an uncommon name that he would never be in a situation (class, social group etc) where there's 2 or 3 girls and no boys sharing his name. He'll be the only one most of his colleagues know, so they'll associate him the name.
I definitely feel like it is a unisex name. But if I saw it on a list for like a soccer team or a class roll I would probably guess boy. Especially with Indiana Jones.
Indiana is exactly the kind of name that Laura W. is talking about here:
http://www.babynamewizard.com/archives/2008/9/of-names-and-politics-the-...
It's every inch a red state name.
Indiana is not at all to my taste (as a name). But, then, I'm a thorough blue-state namer - TTC in my thirties, West Coast, multiple graduate degrees. So, predictably, I would think that.
If you like names like the Palin kids have, if other people in your community have names like this, then it could work - for either a boy or a girl.
Indiana has been a girls' name for a long time-- it was somewhat fashionable in the 18th century and featured in several novels. George Sand wrote a novel titled Indiana about a heroine of that name. It reads frilly and bookish to me and always reminds me of India Wilkes from Gone With the Wind.
I don't associate it with boys or Indiana Jones, but my reference points are probably atypical. I like it for a girl. It's charming.
I disagree with the Red State comment. We are in a wealthy, but conservative, part of California. (Some people may be able to guess our location based just on that!) Most parents have multiple degress. There's an Indiana (boy), as well as a Justice (boy), Winter (girl), Reef (boy), and two Phoenixes (one boy and one girl). The Indiana goes primarily by Indy. I don't know his parents' education, but he is one of the highest scoring readers in my daughter's class. - Tirzah
Interesting. It does read "red state" to me (if you couldn't tell by the "sibling" ideas I listed above), but the boy Indiana I know is the son of two highly educated, very liberal people. At least one of the dogs I know also has two highly educated, liberal "parents"--both of whom are from blue states, one of which is CA! I can see it as an offbeat, independent sort of a name, which I guess is in sync with its bluer side. In that vein, I could maybe revise my sib list to include things like Tallulah, Winona, Rhiannon, Scout, Maisie, Harper, Ruby, Willow, Meadow, River, Shiloh, etc. But then, a lot of these names ride right on the border of hippie liberal and "Alaska" namers as Laura described in the post linked above. I am trying to see it the way Coll describes, and I can see how it makes sense, but I can't get there--maybe I just can't get past Indiana Jones.
Oops, sorry--the post directly above is from hyz--forgot I wasn't logged in!
gingerbreadprincess-I was flipping channels tonight and stopped briefly on "Toddlers and Tiaras" the beauty pagent show with the young girls. Well one of the girls (who apparently is a star of the show) is names Alaska. It made me think of you and this thread. I don't know if they call her Ally for short at home but it got me wondering if THAT was really a girls name. I also started to wonder which other states, besides the obvious already used Virginia, Georgia, etc., are really gender segregated.
I think it's bold and I love it for a girl or a boy. It's a very cool name. I imagine any child with that name to be kicking butt and taking names.
The name makes me think of the Deana Carter song "Angels Working Overtime" which is a great song and is all about a girl named Indiana. ("She was born at a rest stop on the Kansas state line in the back of a dodge in the summertime. Her mama named her Indiana like their license plate and with the hum of the tires on the Interstate, she was cryin'.")
If I break down the elements of Indiana, I see India (girl) and ana (also girl) so I can see how it could work for a girl. And given the popularity of unisex names and boy names "going girl" it could probably work, and she'd have the above nicknames to fall back on if she decided she wanted something more obviously girl.
But, when I put the elements together, it reads all boy. My perception of this name is very much colored by Indiana Jones. My 9 & 4 year olds know (amd love) Indiana Jones is, and given the number of Halloween costumes, toys and video games (Lego Indiana Jones anyone?) marketed to younger kids I'm not sure this connection is likely to fade anytime soon.
I know 3 Indiana's (amusingly all in the 9-11 age range). They are all boys, so it reads *very* boy for me. Two go by Indy (which also reads Indy 500 to me--very boy) and one goes by Indi (which seems more girl to me for some reason).
If I saw the name, I would assume boy.
Hi All :o)
My husband and I are both British, living in the UK and we have a 4 month old daughter who we've named Indianna. We added the extra 'n' to make it appear more feminine. We have no special affiliations to Indiana (the State) we just loved the name.
Very occassionally someone will turn their nose up at her name. They're not rude, it's just obvious they don't approve or like the name by the way their face begins to contort involuntarily. Overwhelmingly however, people absolutely adore her name and we get nothing but compliments about it.
Indiana Jones was and continues to be huge in the UK but that association doesn't appear to be there when faced with a baby girl. Actually, I watched Indiana Jones with my 2 boys the other night and they were in fits of laughter that a man had a girl's name ;o)
I agree that it's a bold choice of name for either a boy or a girl but it's one that I don't regret and would make time and time again :o)
I hope that helps.
I can see it as a spunky choice for either gender. The "ana" ending reads rather female, but "Indiana Jones" is a connotation that puts it firmly in the male court. Either way, expect a lot of confusion, as one gets with any unisex name. (People assuming you have a daughter when you really have a son, and vice versa, if they've see the name only on paper or etc.) I think the name has more longevity in the female court, actually. Females seem to be more "forgiven" of whimsical names in society -- I can see myself hiring a female doctor or a lawyer named Indiana LastName, but it seems more of a stretch to envision hiring someone in those capacities who's a man with the same name (not that I'd make a decision based on the name, I'm just imagining how "likely" it would feel). Maybe try Indiana as a middle?