why are people obsessed by whether names are 'chavvy' (nasty expression)..

chavvy does NOT equal common. Emily and William are both common names (as in frequently used) but could never be considered 'chavvy'

but elkat....noone is saying give your child a ludicrous name...! Unusual doesn't equate ludicrous now.

And anyway, I have been involved in a few "oh that name is so chavtastic" threads and honest....people are just simply to ignorant to realise that just because "they" didn't know a name etc...that it doesn't mean it is a made up name....and tbh, I am really sure that boardroom domination may well shift over the next decades...simply because the world is becoming an increasingly diverse place to be on, no matter where you originate, if that makes sense...

Avoiding the whole 'chav' thing, the reason why I think it is important to think about the name of your child carefully is that people do make judgements about you on your name, whether you like it or not. You don't need to look far for evidence - look at the row in the TES website a few years back, where certain names were deemed to be names of 'troublemakers' by teachers. Other research shows that the typical middle class 'safe names' tend to dominate the board rooms and higehr positions in the Uk, there has been all sorts of research which shows that people do judge you on your name. And, as a parent, you can't stop that!

I therefore believe that naming your child is not simply a matter of going with what you like, but it is also a responsibility entrusted to you. The name you give will mark your child out for the rest of his life, and he will be judged by it. Give a child a particularly ludicrous name, and he will be judged on that name for the rest of his life.

So yes, It is important to take this decision seriously. Its not just a matter of going with what you like, Its about making the best decision for your child. And for some people, asking others can help with that decision.

Mrs Mattie I agree I named my daughter Grace and what do you know a Big Brother contestant portrayed as a complete bitch pops up that year!! I dont even watch it all I can hope for is that she pales in to insignifigance which lets face it is fairly certain!!

my problem with the who chavvy thing in relation to names is, that people who call a certain name chavvy usually are just ratehr ignorant and uneducated about names from other cultures, and well, isn't it just completely normal that in a multicultural society names are used from all different cultures....

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Great post MrsMattie. I totally agree with you. Nobody can predict the future, even if they think they have special naming abilities. If Jade Goody names her next baby Clementine, bang goes that one. If Jordan names her next Benedict, bang goes another.
Nobody knows which names will stick around and which will die out and become dated. Names like Daniel, Matthew, Samuel, Ben etc only became very popular in the 70s and they stayed, so there will more than likely be newly popular names of today that will remain popular for a century or so.

just right mrsMattie I think we'll all have grandkids called sharon, tracey etc as by then they'll be seen to be old lady chic!

How on earth do people presume to know what the perception of a name will be 25 yrs on? Did all the mums of Sharons have any idea back in the 1970s that the name would become a kind of by word for 'chavvy Essex girl dancing around her handbag'? Of course they didn't. Go with the name you like and sod it. You could name your child the poshest, least chavvy name in the world and all it takes is one tarty Big Brohter contestant or trashy popstar to have the same name / name their child the same and bang! there goes your 'classy' name! You can't predict these things. Just make your own choices and be proud.

Everyone has names that they like or don't like and that have connotations for them that other names do not have.

For example, I have a Finlay and if people find it "chavvy" that is entirely up to them. It is traditional Scottish name and I am Scottish, so to me it is just a "regular" name, like Cameron or Scott or something.

Still it probably has different connotations for other people - I really don't care!

I do generally avoid these "naming" threads because I think that they are rarely constructive/instructive.

I called my daughter Rebecca when there was no-one I knew except an 80 yr old aunt with tha name. I loved it so much (and still do)but there were LOADS of Rebeccas in her years at school.

Names are like that....they come and go.

I think it's ok to think Oh my goodness to yourself of your nearest and dearest but very rude to actualy say it to someone who chooses that name. We all know that we brood over things like that...or maybe it's just me!

It's an interesting theory about the different classes, but completely fails to take into account working class pride in their heritage, which IMO can be extremely powerful.

And you see, when I was young "Chantal" was considered posh.

(And no I'm not called Chantal)

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of course it is madame
I think people band the word about without realising its quite offensive

if you're posting on here asking opinions re a name choice you're always going to get a mixed bag of opinions so have to expect some people not to like it

I would never judge a child to be chav either on the strength of its name.

Nor would I use the term chav in front of mychildren as one poster 'jolly well' suggested. My children wouldn't know what that meant! I don't go round categorising people in to chav and non-chav all day long!!

It is because I don't like to see any child labelled as chav, that I would try to be helpful and steer posters away from names I sense might be the Madisons of tomorrow.

It is only ever the name that I would label, never the child. I thought that would have been obvious!

That makes me a lot of sense Madamecholet.

But I have to add that it would never make me think that I won't like a child with a name I don't particularly like iyswim

I dislike the term 'Chavvy' I would never judge a child by their name. A name is a name! Why shouldn't parents be able to name their child the name that they love without it having a label?

There rae names I don't really like, but not because they are chavvy or posh or anything else, I just don't like them!

Kat2907 and squiffy, good posts.

This is not my observation by the way, I read this.

Working class people do not have histories that make them happy. Stories of a struggle to survive or to make ends meet are their past history. Subconsciously or consciously, they want to cut off the past and feel that future is their 'ticket'. So they are drawn to names with a modern feel, names with no associations (as yet).

Middle-class or upper-class people as the American book would say, revere the past, they glory in their own ancestry. Their past has been good to them. Why would they not want to honour their grandfathers and great grandfathers? And use proper, classic, old-fashioned names. (The kind of names their staff would hate )

Don't shoot the messenger. CK Evans put it much better than that.

I prefer to use the word popular, rather than chavvy or common. I think if a name becomes very popular it is called common and therefore chavvy, which is a bit derogatory. I am as guilty of this as the next person (perhaps even more so, if a name appears in the top 100 list, I'm NOT using it) so please don't think I'm on my high horse here. Common (as in popular) is not a bad thing for everyone. I've posted a similar opinion before - if a name is popular, it is therefore, by general consensus, a nice name. I prefer more unusual names and realise that they may not be to everyones taste, but its my decision at the end of it. I post threads requesting opinions because a) they make me laugh, and b) they can throw up some lovely alternative suggestions. Call your kids what you like and take everyone elses opinions with a pinch of salt & a giggle

Awful, awful word! Never use it and jolly well hope my children never will either. I think such terms should be banned on websites like this.

it's such a drama choosing a name. I spoke to my mum and she said the same thing! 30 years ago my parents picked a name that they both liked and went with it. It is, unfortunately, a very common name of 30 years ago but they liked it and it wasn't popular on the army base where I was born so they went with it! I don't think you will ever win but I don't like the use of the word 'chavvy' as, imo, it just sounds rude.
some of teh names I have had in mind are on the 'hate' list but that doesn't stop me liking them!

walt is nice though?

its my mother who's hated all the names my girls have and most are family names!!! no pleasing some people