Noel?

[PattnFmly]

I only know males with the spelling of Noel. All grown men, not children. Off the point, though, I don't really like mixed-gender names, too much potential to mess up medical and school records!

 

[cjb1879]

I agree with previous posters...I've met several girls named "Noel" and it is always pronounced "No-ell". As a matter of fact, DBF's youngest sister was born on Christmas and her name is Jewel Noel, pronounced as above.

Despite all the "Nole"s of the world I would venture to guess that "No-ell" was the original pronunciation because it evolved from the French word for Christmas which is in fact, pronounced "No-ell". In fact at Christmas, the French wish each other "Joyeux Noel" and the word has since made its way into English.

So in a roundabout way, I'm saying that I think "Noel" is fine for a girl.

 

[DramaQueen]

I'm from Quebec and I know a lot of girl names Noël, never met a Noelle before. Noël means Christmas in french, the 'ë' make it sound like 'no-ell' as opposed to 'nohl' , though I'm not sure an anglophone would spell the name with the accent, so it may get confused for the male 'nohl'

 

[aprilgail2]

If its a guys name pronounced to rhyme with Pole----wouldn't it be spelled Nole rather than like the girls spelling of Noel??

 

[Aisling]

If its a guys name pronounced to rhyme with Pole----wouldn't it be spelled Nole rather than like the girls spelling of Noel??

It would be two syllables, but No-Uhl. like the famous Noel Coward.

The male Noels I know, however, do pronounce it No-El.

 

[5 'LIL *TWINKERS*]

My dh had a male co-worker years ago that was named Noel.

Im all for unigender names.....My dds' names are Taylor, Jordyn, Camryn and Hayden!

 

[clgwli]

I know several Noel's and they are all spelled that way, all female. I don't know of anyone that spells it Noelle. It was a pretty popular name when I was growing up.

Same here.

I do not think I've ever met a "Noelle" and I have honestly never heard the name pronounced nole and for a guy either.

 

[Mickeypooh99]

I only know one female with that name and it is spelled "Noel". But she was born on Christmas so that may be why her parents chose that spelling.

My DS was born on Christmas. If he had been a girl I would have named him Noel. However he was a boy so he we named him Noah.

 

[Feralpeg]

My daughter's middle name is Noel. I like that spelling better. Of course, her first name is Kendall. Kendall was traditionally a male name until recently. Now, I see a lot of young female Kendalls.

 

[My2Cinderellas]

I love the name Noelle for a girl - and really dislike the spelling Noel for a girl. Noel is a boy's name - the feminine spelling has a much better flow to it and leaves no doubt in anyone's mind about how to pronounce the name and that the person is a girl.

I grew up with a family friend named Noel (boy) and never knew any girls named Noel or Noelle. I ran across the name Noelle in a book many years ago and loved it so much I gave it to one of my daughter's as a middle name.

 

[lisajl]

My DD's middle name is Noel. We have the marks above the E, so it is pronounced No-elle. Btw-my dh's name is Leon...get it? NOEL=LEON

 

[maelstrom]

With the two dots above the "e", Noel is pronounced as Noelle. I'm not sure if you can use that character on an American birth certificate or not, but, yeah.

 

[Trish5768]

My middle name is Noel and I've never heard anyone pronounce it Nole.

 

[wdwcoltsfan]

My middle name is Noel and I've never heard anyone pronounce it Nole.

I agree. My middle name is Noel and not one person has ever pronounced it Nole, nor has anyone ever said it was too masculine--well, until now.


Rachel

 

[Feralpeg]

My middle name is Noel and I've never heard anyone pronounce it Nole.

You are probably much to young to remember him. There was an actor, Noel Harrison (son of Rex Harrison). His name was pronounced Nole. He was the sidekick to Stephanie Powers in the 60s show The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.

 

[Liberty Belle]

I agree. My middle name is Noel and not one person has ever pronounced it Nole, nor has anyone ever said it was too masculine--well, until now.


Rachel

I don't think it's too masculine when pronounced No-ell. That's very feminine. I just have never heard N-o-e-l pronounced that way. It's always been a boy's name and always pronounced Nole/No-uhl (rhymes with Joel). I see that is not common everywhere, though.

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

My daughters middle name is Noelle, but I knew to spell it that way from taking French in high school. One of her friends (female) is named Noel and it has always bothered me because I know Noel is a masculine name. But please don't anyone named Noel take it personally. It's just personal preference. If it wasn't for the three years of French I took, I wouldn't have known the difference.

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

I love the name Noelle for a girl - and really dislike the spelling Noel for a girl. Noel is a boy's name - the feminine spelling has a much better flow to it and leaves no doubt in anyone's mind about how to pronounce the name and that the person is a girl.

You said it better than I did...this is how I feel too. But no offence meant to anyone female whose name is spelled Noel. It's been forever since I took French, but I think "elle" is always feminine in French.

 

[MariDisney]

I've known several female Noels pronounced "No-elle" . I've also known several male Noels pronounced "Nole"

 

[Becky2005]

I didn't even know Noel was a boy's name. It would have been pronounced "Noelle" here but written Noel.

I absolutely LOVE that name and would have used it if I had a different last name. It's too similar sounding to our last name and would have been downright cruel to use it for my daughter. It would have been a tongue twister.