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Baby names

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Original poster

I was told Zachary was a “council house name”

90 replies

Nononotacceptable · 25/06/2019 23:07

Hmm

I am only guessing at what they mean by a “council house name” but I assume they didn’t mean it in a kind way.

So, assuming they mean a big downmarket (apologies to council tenants, not my opinion) it isn’t anyway is it?

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SlipperOrchid · 27/06/2019 11:39

It’s a biblical name is t it? Then again so is Levi. I don’t think either sound ‘posh’ tbh if that bothers you? Zach is infinitely better.

Describing any name as a council house name is very rude. I’m sure many posh people end up in council houses when marriages break down or I’ll health means they lose higher paid jobs and so on. The implied notion that only the dregs of society live in them is really shocking. There are many decent working people living in council houses because they work in lower paid jobs. It doesn’t mean they are less worthy of a name than somebody living in a quaint little village.

Names are a matter of personal taste but at the same time it is nice not to name a child something others will not have a preconception of. I know only one Zack. He lives in an estate (not a council house but not a particularly desirable estate). The only other Zack I know was from a tv programme called Saved by the bell Grin

Handsoffmysweets · 27/06/2019 09:11

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AverageMummy · 26/06/2019 22:41

@Handsoffmysweets probably true

Camomila · 26/06/2019 22:35

I'd think the parents were religious but I wouldn't have any thoughts about their social class.

PissOffPeppa · 26/06/2019 19:16

Zachary/ Zac/ Zak was very popular on my council estate. Not that it matters.

I agree with PP who said it’s classless. A Zachary could be part of any class.

MikeUniformMike · 26/06/2019 19:05

It's Zac Goldsmith.

Fullmoons · 26/06/2019 17:19

The short form Zack doesn't work in German for example. But the full name Zachary would be fine I guess.

Handsoffmysweets · 26/06/2019 16:58

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growlingbear · 26/06/2019 16:57

It's a biblical name. It's a classic. I love it.

Original poster
Nononotacceptable · 26/06/2019 16:56

Fullmoons What do you mean? The pronunciation? Is it a British name? I actually don’t know, never thought of it!

Googled:

“English cognate of the Ecclesiastic Late Latin and Ecclesiastic Greek Zacharias (remembrance of the Lord), which is from the Hebrew Zecharya, a derivative of zĕcharyah (God remembers, memory).”

OP posts:
Fullmoons · 26/06/2019 16:52

Ed and Pete are much nicer nicknames imo

Fullmoons · 26/06/2019 16:51

It also doesn't travel well into many other languages.

Fullmoons · 26/06/2019 16:51

Zack sounds like Zig Zag Zack, a combinations of sounds in a comic.

Not a very masculine sounding name imo.

AverageMummy · 26/06/2019 16:44

Actually thanks OP I think I’ll add Zachary to my boys list Grin

AverageMummy · 26/06/2019 16:43

I think Zack is a nice nickname compared to most boys names. Edward is ruined by Ed for me. Peter / Pete.

AverageMummy · 26/06/2019 16:41

@Nononotacceptable I think James though might have more associations with Jim? But yes the use it’s so widespread it doesn’t overly shout any demographic.

Zachary is actually great because I don’t think having an overly posh sounding name is ideal either - Zack could be a Professor or cabbie without seeming really odd.

The trickle down thing though tends to gradually stop others using the names (I guess which you’re seeing with that comment / this thread). So hyphenated names start posh, move to all & the end up being too common for the posh. I guess there’s a risk of that with a name like Zachary.

I over analyse EVERYTHING & pretty much hate all names Grin & even I’d still use Zachary - it’s a really lovely name

Peitho · 26/06/2019 15:21

I think that it has trickled down though

And that's fine. People in council houses are perfectly capable of choosing nice normal names too.

fishfingersandhummous · 26/06/2019 14:45

I’m not sure why going to grammar school means you don’t live in a council house!

SweetJasmine17 · 26/06/2019 14:43

I go to a grammar school and there's about ten Zachs in my year. All of them are middle class, what a load of shit it's not council at all.

I personally don't like the name, but it's a perfectly normal name.

InsertFunnyUsername · 26/06/2019 14:32

Do you give a shit though OP, that's what matters? (obviously you do to start a thread) But i mean, will it keep you up at night if a jumped up twat thinks the name is too "council estate"

redexpat · 26/06/2019 14:29

I only know one. When he was born his father was a member of parliament.

Original poster
Nononotacceptable · 26/06/2019 14:05

Well the majority verdict is that it’s a perfectly normal name!

I think that it has trickled down though. Interestingly I think some names, like James, can trickle down and never get connotations.

OP posts:
Fullmoons · 26/06/2019 13:47

The thing I don't like about the name are the nicknames including Zac, Zack, Zak, Zak, Zach, Zacky etc and to me they all sound like sounds from a comic book.

Bluerussian · 26/06/2019 13:26

AverageMummy, Zachary comes from the ecclesiastical Greek, Zacharias or the Hebrew, Zecharya or Zecharyah. I googled :-).

Good names all.

BlueMerchant · 26/06/2019 13:19

Not a 'council estate' name at all imo.
Certainly not part of the Kayden/Jayden et al brigade.