Actually it doesn't even need to be wholly masculine - gender-neutral would be fine.
AJ
Is the male version of 'Brittany' not normally shortened to 'Bret'?
(And because I have had a shitty day at work, so I am done with adulting for the evening, I' am also going to say that the male version of 'Brittany' is 'Paul'...)
Is the male version of 'Brittany' not normally shortened to 'Bret'?
Nope, Bret would be the male version of Brittany, and it's not short for anything.
The name Brittany is derived from the Brittany region of France. Bret is derived from Breton, which is what a person from Brittany is called.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bret_(given_name)
Nope, Bret would be the male version of Brittany,
So basically I was right then. Bret is the male version of Brittany...
Basically, yes, but you were technically wrong as you suggested that Bret is the short form of the masculine version of Brittany and that is not the case.
In SmokinDriver's Hindsight 20/20 the name Britt is used for the male MC. There are several other books with the male name being Brit or Britt.
Britt
"What is the meaning of Britt?
brit in British English
(brΙͺt ) noun (functioning as singular or plural) the young of a herring, sprat, or similar fish. minute marine crustaceans, esp copepods, forming food for many fishes and whales."
I thought it meant a person from Great Britain.
Brian/Brittany?
As Dominion's Son posted apparently Brett is short for Breton.
And a search showed that Brittany was originally a Male name, that became unisex, and while still used that way occasionally it has become a predominately female name.
As Dominion's Son posted apparently Brett is short for Breton
According to what I found, Brett is derived from Breton, but Breton was never used as a given name, therefore Brett is not short for anything.
According to what I found, Brett is derived from Breton, but Breton was never used as a given name
I personally know 2 Brentons.
It's not a common name, but it's not unusual (at least here in Australia).
apparently Brett is short for Breton
Origin of the name Britt: Variant of Brett, an English surname derived from the Old French Bret (a Breton), an ethnic name for a native of Brittany.
Brittany is: Originally the ancient duchy of Bretagne in France. Celtic Bretons emigrated from France to become the Bretons of England.
So I would guess "Britt" is the male version of "Brittany." Or "Brett."
Brittany is: Originally the ancient duchy of Bretagne in France. Celtic Bretons emigrated from France to become the Bretons of England.
It was the other way round:
Immigration of Britons
Toward the end of the 4th century, the Britons of what is now Wales and the South-Western peninsula of Great Britain began to emigrate to Armorica.
They replaced β and merged with β the indigenous Veneti.
HM.
Since you mentioned Brian, it's worth noting that it has a completely different linguistic origin. While Brett/ Brittany comes from the word Breton, which is of French origin, Brian comes from the Old Irish.
The precise word origin for Brian isn't certain, but it's believed to be either briΓ, meaning "hill," or brigΔ, meaning "power". Both Irish words derive from the same Celtic root: brixs.
The female equivalent of Brian is, of course, Brianna, first used by Edmund Spenser in The Faerie Queene (1590).
Thank you for the suggestions. Unfortunately none of the names gel with the name I'm dead set on for the guy's sister (not Brittany BTW) so I'm going back to the drawing board.
Perhaps I'm being overly fussy but I like to choose names for my characters that their parents themselves, if sane, might have chosen. For example, when saying the first and last names of a character, there shouldn't be any awkward pauses at the join. Ditto when reeling off the list of names of the children.
AJ
For example, when saying the first and last names of a character, there shouldn't be any awkward pauses at the join.
Most people will hesitate when first meeting conjoined twins, no matter their given names. (With the possible exception of those named 'left' the 'right').