J Names. really? do most naughty boys name start with J?

My dad used to say he could do French setting based solely on the kids' first names with about 80% accuracy. Shane, Wayne, Dwayne, Kevin, Sharon and Tracey were likely to be in the bottom set.

But then this was 20-30 years ago when I think names were far more divided (in terms of what relatively "posh" or academic families would or wouldn't use) than they are now.

FWIW he was always highly delighted to be wrong.

People absolutely make assumptions about you from your name - they may then change their minds when they meet you, but that's the first impression people get.

Massimo Falco = I'm guessing you're Italian
Ffion Evans = I'm guessing you're Welsh
Bankole Adegbesan = I'm guessing you're Nigerian
Jago Hamilton-Cox = I'm guessing you're posh
Audrey Taylor = I'm guessing you're English and over fifty
Isla Parker = I'm guessing you're English and under ten!

Teachers are free to do it as much as anyone else is. They will find themselves changing their minds as often as anyone else is, when it turns out that Massimo Falco is Welsh and Audrey Taylor is four

I don't think any of those J names is especially associated with "naughty" for me - maybe Jaden if any, but not the others.

I know naughty children called James, Jonathan, Jack, Jayden, Jordan, Joleyn, Jamie ...

I know well behaved children called James, Jonathan, Jack, Jayden, Jordan, Joleyn, Jamie ...

Some of those children are the same children. Sometimes they are naughty and sometimes they are well behaved. Irrespective of their name.

I've worked with children and the names I've been told to watch out for at different times have been Michael, Daniel and Ryan. I'd slightly agree about Ryan, but haven't had much trouble with the other two. In fact I think I've known slightly more naughty Lukes than any other name - but Jade has the worst associations out of the girls' names.

The single most annoying child I've ever met has a name too distinctive to mention on here, but it doesn't begin with J and it's "surnamey".

My kids go to school with a few Caolans (boys) - NI

Oh I thought Caelan was the Scottish Gaelic version of Nicholas. Must have got my wires crossed!

Caelan might be an Irish name anglicised - but you don't get 'ae' together like that in Irish. But there are lots of not dissimilar names in Irish with spelling variations, like Caoilfhionn/Caoilinn.

Back to the j name thing- is it not just because there have been loads of popular j names for boys over the years therefore there's gonna be more naughty j boys than anything else? And more good j boys etc. Ie. popular j names through history include: John, Jacob, jack, Jeremy- these have all been top 10 at one stage. We can all think of a naughty jack, a naughty John, cos we all know a few.

The khaleesi/ Catherine thing is more an issue of judging class imo. Freakenomics talked about this so I won't repeat them.

I thought caelan was an Irish name. It's often pronounced kaylan (I don't know if that's right; it's just the way I've heard it pronounced).

I think the Catherine/khaleesi thing is simply illustrative of how much people want to ensure that their lives insofar as possible remain filled with people from similar backgrounds to them. Because, it would be terrible if other types of people weren't held back by other people's prejudice.

sorry but if two CVs landed on my desk and one was for Khalessi and one was for Catherine I know which one I would take more seriously.

Presumably, the one with the most relevant qualifications and work experience?

I didn't know Callum was Scottish, Bean, learn something new every day.

Wrt Caelan, that's Scottish too isn't it? What is the correct pronunciation of it?

Tbh, there seems to be general prejudice against scottish and Welsh names to some degree too. It's not on the scale of the anti-Irish naming prejudice though. And I agree, it's perfectly normal Irish names that are singled out for 'naughty boys' far, far too often.

None of it has anything to do with 'truth'. And teachers are just as susceptible to prejudice and stereotyping as the rest of the population so them saying it doesn't prove anything.

There is still a distinct prejudice against Irish male names in the UK - and it's not 'new' names, it's names that are in Ireland very ordinary and classic, like Connor, Liam etc - while Irish female names are often seen as Celtic and charming. Callum is Scottish, not Irish - the Irish version is 'Colm'. But don't let that get in anyone's way.

OP, the perception as regards 'naughty boy' names is down to a depressing reactionary obsession with naming and social class, whereby Jayden, Kayden, and Kai are troublesome 'chavs', Araminta and Ptolemy are tiresomely posh in an upper-middle-class kind of way, and Edward, Sophie and Poppy are all-round good eggs.

While stereotypes do exist for a reason, that reason is not their accuracy! Stereotypes exist so that people can marginalise particular groups and feel like they're in the right in doing so.

Stereotypes are generally wildly inaccurate about a population as a whole. The problem is that people get confirmation bias whenever they meet anyone who fits their stereotype (and they don't pay any attention to the people who don't fit it, or view them as anomalies).

The apologism for prejudice and social exclusion on the baby names board is always astounding.

I have a Jayden
He is polite
Quiet
Well behaved
Thoughtful
Amazing child and I'm not just saying that because he's mine you only have to ask his teachers and anyone else around him.
A name doesn't define a child

It's wrong to judge a person by their name just the same as it's wrong to judge a person by their appearance but we all do it everyday, even if we make a specific effort not to, that's only necessary because we do. And the reason for that is that we've learned that in the majority of cases that judgement will be right. Of course there are exceptions but our learned behaviour is that in most cases (most being 51% or more) a name and a person's appearance does reflect their character (or more accurately their upbringing)

to add: if you think class does not exist in the uk you are deluded I'm afraid. we might not want it to, it might not be right but that doesn't change the fact that it is there.

exactly what lazymummy said.

sorry but if two CVs landed on my desk and one was for Khalessi and one was for Catherine I know which one I would take more seriously.

stereotypes exist for a reason, because there is a notable proportion of people that fit the criteria of the stereotype.

I think it's all to do with perception of class. England is such a weirdly class ridden society and I think most people will 'read' a class / parental educational background in a name. So you are more likely to be working class and/or have a low educational attainment if you call your child Kylie than if you call them Perdita. And because as a society still equate behaviour and class, this filters into how we expect kids to behave. It's sad, but it's not necessarily 100% inaccurate.

I don't know but I love Jimmy and think it should be brought back.

...I do find it interesting how many Irish names are considered "chavvy/naughty names" on here though. The comment above about Connor and Callum illustrates it. Last bastion of the long held anti-Irish sentiment in England?..

I'm Irish and I think its more that 'newer' names are often perceived as chavy. It amuses me as in Ireland 'Connor' is completely neutral, even quite middle class.

I agree, my comment about my uncle with a J name was a joke.

Because I think it's silly that people genuinely think calling a child a particular names destines them to be naughty.

You can say you dislike a name without using it as excuse to show your prejudices though.

I wasn't trying to say it does usual. It was more a statement of fact than a defense.

I judge names on here, because that is what the board is for. I judge names (not the owners of the names) in real life insofar as I'll think to myself "I do/n't like that name because xyz".

I do find it interesting how many Irish names are considered "chavvy/naughty names" on here though. The comment above about Connor and Callum illustrates it. Last bastion of the long held anti-Irish sentiment in England?

Welsh names don't fair much better on here mind. Either too "other" or "chavvy/made up". Hayden is a Welsh name, for example.

This sort of judgemental shit is simply the face of class prejudice.

Hayden is a proper name, ffs.