A Public Service Announcement: if you are middle-class and live in an area with a high proportion of Boden-wearers...

I think a lot of mumsnetters are very discriminatory and very quick to 'label' a name as chav, poncy, gay, dogs, cats or whatever.

I've worked for international companies, have lived abroad and find that most people in real life (especially non-Brits!) are much more open minded and relaxed about someone's name.

Charlie - you must live amongst nice people, no open sniggering at names or raised eyebrows. It might not be discrimination, just a feeling that it's not the done thing.

The only place I see discrimination about names is on this website.

charlie You only need to read the names threads on MN to realise people are discriminated against because of their name!

I find the fact that you are arguing agaist that point astonishing. It is a fairly widely accepted phenomena. But like I said check out Freakonomics or any of the other myriad research in the subject.

I've lived in Wales for almost thirty years and have come across very few children with traditional Welsh names - I live near Cardiff.
The names on your list are rife here, as are Eve, Amelia, Ruby, Poppy, Isobel, Imogen, Olivia, Maddie, Sofia, Sienna, Jasmine, Anabelle, Lily and Lexie. None of these names are exclusive to a particular class model.
I also find this utterly ridiculous, names come in and out of fashion, once one parent /celebrity chooses an unusual/rare name other's catch on and so the popularity rises. For example four years ago my friend named her baby daughter Esme, she did so as is was not at all popular at the time, now Esme's are just about everywhere!
Each to their own I say!

Sorry - should have said, I've changed my name from WC to UC.

Christina You're right - and I was being tongue-in-cheek.

How can you say people are discriminated against by their name all the time? Like who? I have honestly not come across it in my professional career (only on a surname) and here we're talking about first names.

Just looking at a few MPs names, there's a Gavin, Karen, Angie, Kevin, and Rosie...oh and Charlie too. We ASSUME these professions are rife with Elizabeth's, Edwards, Williams, etc, but they're not.

I know I should stay out of this. The way I read it was that, firstly, GeorgeousX didn't start the thread and, secondly, I think she meant the poster couldn't be accused of being MC because she jumped in with totally uncalled for language on a silly but not vicious thread. But she was worng. Swearing happens in all classes.

charlie some teachers do have that mindest though and you are naive if you think they don't.

It is not right or fair but people are discriminated against by virtue of their names all teh time.

If you want you child to get ahead in life, calling them Ruby-lou probably doesn't help.

Freakonomics has some interesting info on the subject.

No you haven't, but LaydeeC was quite rightfully miffed after a post about her daughters name...and you tell her its lighthearted. Its not.

CharlieBoo You've just answered your own question "it's complete nonsense".

I haven't said anyone can't be anything.

GORGEOUSX - Do you really think this is a light hearted thread? Really?

I think people have taken their opportunity to be rude and snobby about peoples choice of name for their children.

Why can't Esme be an MP? I'm sick of reading this utter nonsense on this sight. Can our children not be anything they want to be? Why would a name stop you from being bright and intelligent and having the world at your feet? Oh, because you're named Ruby-lou, you can just work in Asda? Can you imagine if our teachers had this mindset? Its complete nonsense and discriminatory.

My sister is called Bronwen. I don't know any others.

I have never met a Bronwyn. I've lived here all my life. Branwen is the Welsh name (from the mabinogion).

It's funny, I went on some name websites when I was pg and looked at Welsh names- Lots of them were not Welsh names at all, just Welsh words (including ones which meant hate and torture). Was very

Is Bronwyn not popular in Wales?

Move to Wales. Around here boys are all called Tomos, Steffan, Rhys, Sion, Owen or Osian. Girls are all called Cerys, Megan, Tirion, Sian, Ffion or Seren. You don't get a lot of variation between the children of university lecturers and the children of binmen TBH. Perhaps we're classless

oh and he had a grammer school education! I was a lowly comp girl, but my name is Josephine and my mum is Finnish (pretty classless society) so what assumptions can you make?

Isn't everyone mc these days? Not sure who considers themselves uc or wc now. I think my dad who was a plumber is probably mc now since he earnt more than us and we are both graduates in professional jobs!!

LaydeeC It's because it's pretty obvious that this is a light-hearted thread, and that people have been posting tongue-in-cheek.

You have come on here and told a poster to "fuck right off".

I live in a "non London" middle class area and I can confirm all these names still being used. I think the whole "Flora, Beatrice,Eliza" cockney flower girl/scullery maid type names is more of a London thing isnt it?

Ive pretty much always grown up in working class areas and apart from the occasional really dumb upper class waste of space had never been aware of class at all. I now live in a middle class area and trust me I have never been so aware of it in my life - it drives me MAD!

Mee too flower38.

This thread has made me feel ill.

Actually Gorgeous, having looked at your posts again, I realise it wasn't a tongue in cheek comment.
I can only assume your judgy knickers are too tight.
Fwiw, I said perceived as we 'seem to tick all the boxes'. Fundamentally, we believe the class thing is a pile of tosh and allows people (much like the majority of posters on this thread) to hide behind an illusion of superiority.

^^ not sure how to take that
is it cos we don't wear boden or cos our litl'un is named Esme? Or both?
Or have you got your tongue in your cheek?
Actually, this thread has put me in a bad mood.