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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Would you mistaken these names as other names?

60 replies

emjan · 25/06/2015 05:46

  1. If someone introduce himself as Jason, would you mistaken it as Jackson? (maybe you hear wrongly or cannot remember the name after some time)

  2. Would you mistaken Jason as any other name?

  3. If someone introduce himself as Alan, would you mistaken it as Aaron or Ellen?
    (maybe you hear wrongly or cannot remember the name after some time)

Thanks

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WorldsBiggestGrotbag · 26/06/2015 10:33

Agree with something like Ben or Tom. Right generation and very difficult to mistake for anything else!

SavoyCabbage · 26/06/2015 10:32

I understand what you are looking for now I think. Something that when you say it, people are sure of your name. And something that is age appropriate.

Lucy
Emily
Grace
Vivian
Samantha
Rachel
Natalie
Elizabeth

Peter
William
Nathan
James
David
Michael

MrsHathaway · 26/06/2015 07:07

British men our age are mostly called James or Richard - I have lots of each on Facebook! However I'd avoid both of those in this case.

I'd recommend Ben, Sam or Tom. Plenty of those as well but much more straightforward.

nooka · 26/06/2015 06:38

Depends which country you are likely to most work with though. The US and the UK tend to have different fashions in names.

Here is Jason in the US over time: biggest in the 70s (like the UK) but pretty popular in the 80s too, and then dropped right off. Jackson on the other hand is a much more modern name. Looks like Jacksons would be teenagers or younger.

The same graph for Alan has a very different picture, with a drop in popularity just when Jason was big.

Interestingly I think that would be very similar in the UK, Alans mostly 60+ and Jason popular for 35-45 year olds. Unfortunately the nice charts for the UK only go back to 1996.

Other names with 80s peaks look to be Andrew, Matthew, Geoffrey, Adam and Joshua (in the States anyway)

WorldsBiggestGrotbag · 26/06/2015 04:42

You wouldn't get many 33 year old Jasons or Alans. Alan is much more suited to a man in his 50's or 60's. I am 30 and men in my age group have names like Thomas, Richard, Daniel, Michael, Adam, Stephen...

Original poster
emjan · 26/06/2015 04:20

MrsHathaway, what sounds/letter/names do you think Chinese have problems pronouncing or tend to pronounce wrongly? Thanks

OP posts:
Original poster
emjan · 26/06/2015 02:13

MrsHathaway, I am 33 years old. Yes, I am choosing a Western name for use in business. Any suggestions are welcomed.

How old should a Jason or Alan be?

How do you determine if a name is old fashioned? Is there a guide somewhere?

OP posts:
Original poster
emjan · 26/06/2015 02:12

MrsHathaway, I am 33 years old. Yes, I am choosing a Western name for use in business. Any suggestions are welcomed.

How old should a Jason or Alan be?

How do you determine if a name is old fashioned? Is there a guide somewhere?

OP posts:
katiegg · 25/06/2015 19:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MrsHathaway · 25/06/2015 18:12

Ah ok are you choosing a Western name for use in eg business? Lots of people did this at my school - often they found an equivalent, so Mei Ling became Grace; sometimes they chose something they just liked the look of, eg David.

The names did stand out though because they were often old fashioned (like Alan or Jason in your OP). We would definitely be able to make suggestions for you if you'd like us to.

I'm guessing you want a male name but we'd need to know vaguely how old you are.

Pastamancer · 25/06/2015 15:50

Sam? Short and simple

MitzyLeFrouf · 25/06/2015 15:46

The best way to find out is to go to Starbucks and see which name they call out when your coffee is ready.

Original poster
emjan · 25/06/2015 15:28

English is not my first language. I am choosing a name for myself, preferable easy to pronounce and no confusion. I am living in Singapore. Thanks everyone for the replies.

OP posts:
WinterOfOurDiscountTents15 · 25/06/2015 14:20

More than once when I've said Alan on the phone the other person has heard Anne. Perhaps I have a weird speech impediment though?

Zakken · 25/06/2015 13:08

I could imagine some potential confusion between Alan and Ellen if the name was mentioned, let's say in a telephone conversation. And possibly Alan and Aaron with its ambiguous pronunciation. But many names are misheard in daily life and it usually gets cleared up quickly enough.

I don't think Jason and Jackson are easily confused.

MrsHathaway · 25/06/2015 13:01

No problem with 1 or 2.

As for 3, I'd be very surprised to meet an Alan under the age of about forty, so I might think you were pronouncing Aaron the American way as some people do in the UK.

I have hearing problems and rely on lip reading to support my listening to people talking.

MuddyWellyNelly · 25/06/2015 12:34

OP, is English not your first language? I ask because of a couple of sentence structures you've used, and your concern over pronunciation also hints at it. This could be why you are concerned but most posters don't seem to think it's an issue.

I don't think there is much risk of mis-hearing in the way you describe. But the only Aaron I've known was at school, he was American, and his name was pronounced Ah-rin, not Air-ron. So I guess if that's what you mean, it's a tiny bit possible it could be mixed up with Alan. Not that likely though.

WorldsBiggestGrotbag · 25/06/2015 12:33

No to all three. I would be very surprised if someone introduced themselves as Alan and it was mistaken for Ellen as I'm guessing the person introducing themselves would be male?

reuset · 25/06/2015 12:32

But no if you're thinking of using for siblings. An Alan and an Ellen would be too similar.

reuset · 25/06/2015 12:31

No, I don't think they're similar enough to mistake

FishCanFly · 25/06/2015 10:47

Jason and Alan are very popular names, can't mistake them

TheCowThatLaughs · 25/06/2015 07:23

It could happen, my name is nothing like Jackie, and someone thought I had introduced myself as that. I just corrected them though, so it was a bit of a non-event

Gdydgkyk · 25/06/2015 06:52

It could unintentionally happen.

AuntieStella · 25/06/2015 06:52

Well, I suppose anyone can mishear a name.

But you examples don't seem to be terribly closely confusinpbke names.

(air-un is the traditional Church pronunciation, and the invariable one for people over 40ish. I've never heard it any other way in RL)

MackerelOfFact · 25/06/2015 06:51

No I wouldn't.

However if someone introduced me to their baby Jason or Alan I would probably be thinking to myself 'Have they actually called their baby Jason/Alan? Did I mishear?' Confused

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