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Baby names

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Original poster

Demise of the ‘chav’ name?

193 replies

stilllill · 11/11/2023 19:07

I’ve lived on the same council estate for years. When I was younger every girl was Keeley, Courtney, Charmaine, Chantelle, etc.
Boys were Tyler, Liam, Scott, Riley, Bailey, etc.
Knew 3+ of each in school, and these names generally made our class very obvious.

Now I’ve noticed that the children on my estate have completely different names.

Girls:
Iris, Francesca, Esme, Belle and Elizabeth

Boys:
Roy, Jasper, Anthony, Isaac, Jacob

I think these are really timeless, classic names!

I know MN is very middle class, but anyone else noticed this change?

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Rewis · 11/11/2023 23:01

In my bad and poor area of the city the kids had the same names as the more affluent area (not in UK). So if you heard specific names they'd either be wealthy or "trailer trash".

aveline161 · 11/11/2023 23:01

I’m sure we used to call them Scally’s at school- or something similar. Midlands 25 years ago.

karmasacat · 11/11/2023 22:56

@hotcandle ooh that’s interesting, most people I know in my middle class social circle are giving their kids double barrel names so maybe it’s just a societal change that’s happening across social classes. And good on women for not changing their names! I hope that is a cross-class change.

karmasacat · 11/11/2023 22:53

Definitely think Alfie and Archie are way more “chav” names now. My circle is MC but my best friend teaches in a deprived area and there are so many Alfie/Archie/Isabella’s in her class, but in my social circle there are lots a few years older, so it’s filtered down.

MikeRafone · 11/11/2023 22:37

Sharon and Tracey were mates with Karen and Amanda back in the day, they had stickers in the car windscreen “Kevin and Tracey” names come and go with fashion

hotcandle · 11/11/2023 22:33

Double barrelled surnames are the new 'chav' names.

It's a horrible word though OP.

shorterthanaverage · 11/11/2023 22:31

When I was at school, it was

Darren (Daz)
Barry (Baz)
Gary. (Gaz)
Perry. (Pez)
Jeremy (Jez)
Laurence (Lozza)

AmazingSnakeHead · 11/11/2023 22:28

Agreed that there is very little difference now between MC names and the ones listed. The trend for A names that end in ee is fading too around here. A few years ago every other boy was Alfie, Archie, Albie. Also the completely made up names or noun names.

Gilpord79 · 11/11/2023 22:25

@Wehavealaughdontwe yes I believe it probably did originate up north.

MadeOfAllWork · 11/11/2023 22:20

I work in a school which is in a predominantly working class area.
About 15 years ago it was all Kayden and Kaci-Mae along with a lot of creative spelling.
Now it’s Oliver, Phoebe, Iris, Oscar.
I think most of the children in my class this year have very traditional English names.

Original poster
stilllill · 11/11/2023 22:20

@Gilpord79 I’ve got to say most of the people on my estate are as stereotypically chav as can be imagined Grin

OP posts:
Janedoe82 · 11/11/2023 22:12

Nevaeh still going. Heard of a new one a couple of weeks ago.

TeaGinandFags · 11/11/2023 22:11

Every name has its time in the sun. Then it fades and dwindles to be resurrected at dome latter date.

Wehavealaughdontwe · 11/11/2023 22:05

Gilpord79 · 11/11/2023 21:29

Being from Newcastle the original term for Chav was ‘Charva’ and used to describe a certain type of person how they talked, what they wore etc. It wasn’t a generalisation for people living on council estates. The word Chav is relatively new as I recall saying Charva when I was at school and that was over 20 years ago.

As a fellow northerner I was going to say the same thing. In the North we have been saying 'charva' since the 90s, 'chav' must come from that as it crept down south. It would be interesting to know where it originated

IDontHateRainbows · 11/11/2023 21:54

Does anyone remember the name Chardonnay? And is Nevaeh still going?

RichPetunia · 11/11/2023 21:49

My local chav area is definitely truly chav and not gentrified. Still has the odd Chantelle and Liam knocking about too.

PangramAddict · 11/11/2023 21:39

heetud · 11/11/2023 19:44

It's hyphens and quirky spellings now. And names more commonly known as surnames.

Yep, that's what I see. I live in a very mixed area and agree the difference has "flattened" a bit but no one who is MC is calling their kid Boe/Bow/Bowe/Bowee or Ivee-Lei.

SecretVictoria · 11/11/2023 21:31

IDoughnutKnow · 11/11/2023 19:28

I see them out and about. The boys are called things like Klaxon. Girls are, as PP say, Something-Mae.

Klaxon 🤣

Gilpord79 · 11/11/2023 21:29

Being from Newcastle the original term for Chav was ‘Charva’ and used to describe a certain type of person how they talked, what they wore etc. It wasn’t a generalisation for people living on council estates. The word Chav is relatively new as I recall saying Charva when I was at school and that was over 20 years ago.

SallyWD · 11/11/2023 20:52

I do think there's now a crossover of "chav" names and middle class names. For example, I know people from all classes who have little boys named Alfie and Archie.

heetud · 11/11/2023 19:44

It's hyphens and quirky spellings now. And names more commonly known as surnames.

AllProperTeaIsTheft · 11/11/2023 19:36

Read Freakonomics. He talks about names floating down social classes. Starts with the posh, then the MC wants to seem posh and so on. As soon as Tyler and Rae name their child Margot, it's done for the MC.

Yep. I haven't read Freakonomics, but this is a normal process. Same thing happens with goods/fashion regarded as posh. Once the 'lower classes' start buying/wearing them, the posh people ditch them and move onto the next thing.

KirstenBlest · 11/11/2023 19:35

@SeethroughDress , mine came from Wiki, and I have read a book called Chavs by Owen Jones.

@MrsTerryPratchett , I agree about Freakonomics, an IIRC it's also in Consumed by Harry Wallop

ElderMillenials · 11/11/2023 19:35

I've noticed the trend for 'ie/ee/ey' names- macey, masie, darcey, gracie or ralphie, Bailey, archie.

Older names with an 'ee' like Elsie I'd associate with parents trying to appear more MC than they are. Names alike ralphie, Gracie, Archie have definitely replaced the keeleys and Liam's of my classmates.

Original poster
stilllill · 11/11/2023 19:32

@MrsTerryPratchett That’s very interesting! Makes a lot of sense Smile

OP posts: