Tuesday’s child is full of grace, or so goes the old Mother Goose rhyme. And so perhaps, should your darling daughter join the world on a Tuesday, you’ll consider this unusual, but appealing, moniker.

Tuesday has never appeared in the Top 1000 in the US. But unlike some choices, it will never be misspelled or misunderstood. That alone, of course, is not enough to recommend it.

While girls have always been called May and June, and August has been a staple for boys throughout the generations, days of the week are seldom heard as baby names in English. However, some African cultures frequently bestow names that indicate the day of the child’s birth. A son born on Sunday might be called Kwasi; a daughter who arrives on Wednesday is Akua. There’s plenty of precedent for calling your child by a day name.

But which one?

Wednesday brings to mind the macabre daughter of Gomez and Morticia Addams and Friday is either Robinson Crusoe’s loyal companion or perhaps His Girl Friday, the screwball romantic comedy starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell.

But Tuesday is most familiar as the name of the celebrated actress Tuesday Weld. She was born Susan, according to her Wikipedia page, and adopted her stage name from a childhood nickname. Unlike the questionable associations some days of the week conjure, Tuesday feels like fair game.

It’s simple, it’s nickname-proof and it certainly stands out. And hey, if girls are called Autumn and January, then can Tuesday really be that outlandish a choice?

About Abby Sandel

Whether you're naming a baby, or just all about names, you've come to the right place! Appellation Mountain is a haven for lovers of obscure gems and enduring classics alike.

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4 Comments

  1. It was a Stones song, Ruby Tuesday. I’ve heard of girls called that in Oz too. (And we DO have the restaurant)

    Anyway, I still prefer Wednesday (despite it being full of woe) May, Winter, and Autumn for girls, and I have a thing for traditional August and not-as-traditional December and September for boys.

    Friday reminds me of an extremely explicit and somewhat strange science fiction novel I read in my youth, where it was the name of the female protagonist. Robert Heinlein handed out to his fictional girls-of-the-future some interesting names including: Friday, Wyoming, Podkayne, Pallas Athene…

  2. There were a handful a little girls named Ruby-Tuesday here in England&Wales last year, which I think is a rather sweet, if surprising combination.

    1. Oh wow. That immediately brings to mind the restaurant chain Ruby Tuesday. I’m guessing this restaurant isn’t anywhere to be found in Europe? I admit it does have a certain ring to it, but I could never name a daughter that over here. :/