Made-Up Names for Boys

[BroadcastHouse]

We've spent six years on the west coast of the U.S and had our first two kids over there. Now we're back in England I'm reading a lot on here about names that people view as made-up names - and also the assumptions people make here about kids with those names.
I've totally lost my radar on baby names in England. Our rather wealthy old-school US neighbors had young children named Porter, Hayden, Fife, Conrad, Riley (a girl) to name just a few, so I'm used to those names ranking highly along with more traditional names. Before we name this baby in England I'm keen to know - are these the types of names you would view as made-up? What are the worst offenders??
Slightly worried that where I imagine a cute, preppy young boy others might see a juvenile delinquent :)

[AuntieStella]

Porter and Riley would probably be assumed to be transferred surnames
Fife is a place, and so might be assumed to be a conception location name.
Hayden is rare but known (eg the actress in Drop the Dead Donkey)
Conrad is a mainstream European name.

So I wouldn't say any on that list are 'made up'.

But yes, different cultures have different naming styles and traditions, and they can easily be lost in translation.

[MyBigFatGreekYoghurt]

I'd say Conrad would be ok but the others yes NOBODY would imagine a preppy middle class young chap.

Isn't it funny the different perceptions.

[DontKillMyVibe]

The only name I would consider to be a bit strange from your list is Fife but purely because I've only heard of it before as a place name or brand of bananas.

Riley is becoming more popular over here IMO though I wouldn't associate it with 'wealthy' - more the opposite

[BettyBi0]

Agee about Riley being the opposite of preppy. I'd probably put Hayden in the same camp as it sounds a bit like Jayden. Porter sounds quite posh to me. I like Fife but it's a bit out there. Conrad is cute. Is that the American equivalent of the grandpa names like Alf and Fred that are popularish here?

[BroadcastHouse]

I think it is BettyBio. The differing trends are interesting. I'm originally a Scot and giving your son his mother's maiden name is a popular tradition, so giving boys more surnamey names has never seemed odd to me. Other popular ones in our DDs kindergarten were Bohdi/Brodie, Wyatt, Archer, Hadley, Cooper... I still think they're nice names for boys and men. The grandpa thing is catching on over there now, but it's way behind the UK. I wonder if the U.S. surname trend will become more acceptable over here as well in the future.
It's been tricky naming this baby, as we don't want to give them a name that doesn't translate to the UK.

[OneMagnumisneverenough]

Porter - very USA
Hayden - disagree that this is similar to Jayden etc. it has a similar sound but a nicer feel as it is a traditional name
Fife - I would say is more "made up" though I do know a Fyfe (In Scotland though where more surname type names are common)
Conrad - sort of in the middle a bit for me.
Riley - similar to your Jayden, Kayden type of name but not so much.

[sugarplumfairy28]

With so many different countries a lot names can come across as made up when the're actually long standing classics in a given country. I worked with a girl called Solange, my parents seriously thought it was made up, and I mentioned it to some friends where I live now, which is Germany. solange in German is so long as, and they just thought it was incredibly weird.

I think Porter is quite normal sounding, know a couple of Hayden's (Star wars fan parents maybe) Fife is a new one, but doesn't seem remotely odd for the US, Conrad heard that before, older generation name for me, and my son went to school with a girl Riley.

[Helenluvsrob]

Hayden isn't new - my father daughter with a gent called Hayden in the 1970s.

[StepAwayFromTheThesaurus]

Hayden is a traditional Scottish name (for a boy). There's nothing weird or made up about it.

The thing that amazes me on thes type of threads is quite how ignorant so many MNers are about the parts of the UK that aren't England, never mind anywhere else.