What are "American" names?

[CheerfulYank]

I've seen that term bandied about a bit and I'm curious.

Is it the whole surname trend thing? I love my country, but I have to admit I'm sick of all the little Parkers/Mackenzies/Carters running around as well as the Ayden/Kayden/Jayden business. So...just curious! And mightily bored. It's 2 in the morning here but am on vacation and can't force myself to sleep yet!

[IdontMN2makecopyforlazyjournos]

Warning - there was a thread about this a few months ago and it descended into one of the biggest MN bun fights I have ever seen.

Surname thing sound very American to me. Boys' names for girls also has a yank feel to it - Jamie, Tyler, er struggling to think of more but you know what I mean.

[BerylCole]

Old school - Bret, Brad, Chip etc
Nowadays I associate either 'surname as first name' type names (Brady, Riley, Mackaenzie etc) or totally loony made up names with Americans. Sorry Yanks!

[BerylCole]

Madison. Oh my God, why is every other American child called Madison?

[CheerfulYank]

Oh yeah, sick of Maddison. And Addison come to that. I don't know what's next. Kaddison? Thanks for the warning, IDMN2MCFLJ, but I'm tough to offend.

My DS is Samuel Robert and the next one (theoretically, as we haven't started ttc yet) will be William Frederick (Will) or Eleanora Josephine (Ellie).

[BerylCole]

Oh and I am not bashing Yanks. We have some 'baby naming' eccentricities over here, too .

Your names are lovely@Cheerful

[CheerfulYank]

If it's someone that's actually in your family Stewie then it's not so bad. But for instance I know a few little ones named Kennedy and they're definitely no relation!

[CheerfulYank]

Oh thanks Beryl. Most people think Eleanora is pretty but I've gotten a few at it. But I think it's gorgeous and it was DH's grandmother's name and I'm using it!

[dizzydixies]

the one that springs to mind is heaven spelt backwards giving Neveah - is that not quite high up the American top 100 list?

wonder how many wee Obamas will be running about within the next few years

[Prunerz]

Madison
Waverly
Trey
Shay
J'Majesty
etc

Surnames as first names v common in Scotland too but the pool of names is smaller and they are more common, so nobody rolls their eyes any more.

[Prunerz]

Anyway we had the Puritans

Constance
Felicity
Endeavour
Capability
Hate
Anger
Small-Hope
No-Merit
and so on

I don't think we're in a place to judge!

[pinkthechaffinch]

My DS is called Lyndon, which is rare over here but relatively common in the States.

I love it though because it's old english meaning is 'lime tree'.

[paisleyleaf]

Courtney used to be

[dizzydixies]

oh pinkthechaffinch I once met a wee boy called Linden/Lindan not sure of spelling, and he was lovely - he had a brother called Clyde too

[posieparker]

I named my ds1 after my grandmother, using her surname, and then an unusual name for ds2.... they are both in the top 100 boys names in the USA.

[dizzydixies]

and one of my girls has a boys name which is very common for girls in the US so I doubt I'd have a leg to stand on would I be inclined to judge

[5inthebed]

I think Corey is quite american sounding.

[gloomysue]

Randy.

[paisleyleaf]

Oh yes, Randy. Is that one of those words used differently/not used in the States.....like Fanny?

Pinkthechaffinch...ooo I like Lyndon, not heard it before.

[pranma]

McCauley like that awful 'home alone'kid
hyphens like Corey-Lee or Mary-Lynne
Gene for a boy
I knew a girl called Forest[US]
Maybelle
of course there is always Peggy-Sue which is unuseable but lovely

[AllThreeWays]

I had an American friend who used to tell me all about classrooms full of kids who's names ended in ...shah, but I think that was more a particular cultural group rather than "american", there does seem to be quite a lot of long winded made up sounding names that I associate with America

[Leln]

Slightly off topic...
I live in France and have french friends who have called their DD "Shanez" which apparently sounds lovely, slightly exotic, very unusual to the French ear. But to my ear sounds, ahem, very common.

I have another french friend whose DD is called "Ornella" which sounds like the name of one of the ugly sisters in Cinderella to me.

All a question of taste and local culture.

[Pyrocanthus]

Nothing wrong with a few more Obamas in the world. I gather he was known as 'Barry' when he was younger - wonder if that'll make a comeback.