why do names differ so much - USA/UK

Just to clarify some points (I'm awake now).

Yes, I was being sarcastic with my comments about British people (I am British btw).
Yes, US FAR more emphasis on grammar/spelling etc. I taught English in the UK from 1994 - 2008, now teach it in the US, so have a good idea of both education systems. I've also read up on and taught about the history of education in the US (good YouTube program by Melvyn Bragg btw) and US spelling is closer to the UK spellings from 1700s than current UK spellings are.

I'd say much harder to tell 'class' by name in the US. e.g. someone called Addison Russell Smith III could be very wealthy or very poor, and male or female (I think - I still sometimes get things wrong).

I do, genuinely, prefer the greater variety. I grew up with the kind of family who laugh out loud when they hear the names of DD's school friends, and I'm much more comfortable with 'anything goes' attitude. There is still judgement about names in the US (people here were astounded when someone chose the bizarre name of Declan for their son. Such an odd, Irish name hadn't been encountered before) but generally it is more accepting of different names.

Give us an example, lackingimagination.

*So the name really only makes sense when it's said in an American accent.

See also Sondra, Soosin, Kynadi, Megyn.

I find it infuriatingly arrogant!*

Can you interpret for me then? What is infuriatingly arrogant?

OK Derelict I will ask another question. Do you find it 'infuriatingly arrogant' when someone from Uganda or South Africa choose a name that is not designed to be pronounced correctly by Brits?

This is one of the strangest threads I have ever read! People do realise that America is a different country don't they? A different culture. In fact, it's a country that has hugely different cultures within it due to its enormity. And a country that's actually a long way away from ours. I'm truly baffled.

you find it infuriatingly arrogant for an american parent to give her american child a name that might possibly be pronounced differently by someone with a British accent.

Hahahahahaha! That's not what I said at all. Try again.

Dereleict do you find it infuriatingly arrogant when you come across a spanish or polish or chinese name that is not designed to be pronounced correctly by Brits?

No, because those people generally speak Chinese or Polish.

And it doesn't need a reason to have different naming habits any more than other foreign countries, such as Uganda, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, South Africa (just to name a few other anglophone foreign countries).

^This. The George Bernard Shaw quote comes to mind: "England and America are two countries separated by a common language"

Having said that, imo, some of those names are universally dreadful.

I find it infuriatingly arrogant!

you find it infuriatingly arrogant for an american parent to give her american child a name that might possibly be pronounced differently by someone with a British accent.

That is actually quite funny.

Dereleict do you find it infuriatingly arrogant when you come across a spanish or polish or chinese name that is not designed to be pronounced correctly by Brits?

I have a most unreasonable prejudice against American names which a spelled in such a way that they can only pronounced correctly with an American accent.

For example, 'Kadi', which is pronounced by Americans in the same way as 'Katy': 'Kaydee' with a very soft 'd' sound.

But many English people would see Kadi and pronounce it 'Caddy', with a hard 'D' sound - very different from 'Kay-tee'.

So the name really only makes sense when it's said in an American accent.

See also Sondra, Soosin, Kynadi, Megyn.

I find it infuriatingly arrogant!

In general, though, I enjoy the creative and exuberant approach towards naming in America. They seem to put more thought into names and less likely to be swayed by fashion trends.

Confess, Alis, do you have offspring called Kennedi and Trinidy?

I'm so glad my Mum didn't go for the 'maiden name as middle name' thing, else I'd be called Jeffery :)

She might well be right, given my misreading of her post

No, Alis, I think she said that there's more emphasis on spelling etc in US schools, compared to the UK.

I understand that kickass was being ironic with that comment but am slightly confused that in her first point she says the UK are more focused on spelling and grammar but then goes on to say we're "bad spelling"

The difference in names between the USA and the U.K highlights that there are a great many cultural differences between the two.

I didn't generalise in the least about 'American names' - I simply said that the majority of names the OP listed were ghastly, which I stand by, but of course that's my personal taste. And yes, the majority would be ripped apart as that delightful term 'chavvy' if they were proposed on the Mn baby names forum, but indicators of social class are largely culture-dependent. I assume it's possible (though I would have said unlikely from my time living in the US) that 'Kennedi' and 'Brandi' code as middle-class in the US (though of course US 'middle-class' doesn't transfer to UK 'middle-class').

Different country, different cultures.
Of course there will be differences. Would be the same in any other country!

Good thing about nowadays is that we have more variety, people travel/immigrate etc and we're more diverse. Anyone can use any type of name they like on their children usually without much judgement.

Well, if I was living in the USA and planned to bring my family up there, I would be using some of these names. It would be quite refreshing to be free of the constraints of British naming traditions and classism.

It's because no matter how much US telly is sold to other countries, making aspects of its mass-viewing culture familiar, it it a foreign country.

And it doesn't need a reason to have different naming habits any more than other foreign countries, such as Uganda, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, South Africa (just to name a few other anglophone foreign countries).

Sorry. Just being honest about thoughts on younique names US or UK. Having most of my family as teachers they can have a good guess who 'those' children / 'those' parents are going to be just from the class list at the beginning of term.

FWIW I did part of my postgrad in the US. Lots of Johns, Olivers, Kevins and Hanks often with a Junior or numeral and also Julias, Lauras and Tracys etc. Same (apart from Hank and the numerals!) as back home.

The thing that strikes me most about American names for girls, is that the fashion at the moment is to go for far more masculine names then we're used to. I quite like it - it's a refreshing change from all the a- and ie/y-ending girls' names we go for (of which my own DD has).

I think I was too!

I didn't know about the mothers maiden name used as a first name, I like that idea.
However a lot of names on that list are too inventive for me!

I think kickass was being ironic/sarcastic

KickAssAngel are you calling British people "stupid, ignorant, bad-spelling inbreeds" ( inbreeds? You're a teacher? ) isn't that making "derogatory comments about an entire nation"?