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Baby names

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

Original poster

What are "American" names?

105 replies

CheerfulYank · 05/09/2009 08:15

I've seen that term bandied about a bit and I'm curious.

Is it the whole surname trend thing? I love my country, but I have to admit I'm sick of all the little Parkers/Mackenzies/Carters running around as well as the Ayden/Kayden/Jayden business. So...just curious! And mightily bored. It's 2 in the morning here but am on vacation and can't force myself to sleep yet!

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CharitySchmarity · 12/12/2019 23:16

Surnamey names, especially for girls. Tyler, Parker, Harper etc.

Brian for anyone under about 50 (I have American friends with a 13 year old Brian and they said it was quite popular in his age group).

Names with Le or La or De at the beginning (and usually nothing particularly French at the end).

Ashley, Jamie or Rory for girls.

The practice of making up entirely original names based on parts of other family members' names smashed together.

courtlee · 25/11/2019 11:34

Kinsley
Blakely
Paisley
Kennedy
Kylee
Bailey
Addison
Kayla

BonsoirAnna · 11/09/2009 20:54

Jennifer. The most popular American girls name of all time.

simplesusan · 11/09/2009 20:49

I agree with duchess, plus for girls double barrelling names( quite often those assumed to be male). For example Billy-Jo, Jamie-Leigh. Or quite down on the farm sounding names such as Daisy-Mae.

duchesse · 11/09/2009 10:49

I'd say classically American names include surnames given as first names (eg Hunter, Barclay, Madison), boys' names used as girls' names (eg Reece, Shawn), naming a child after their forefathers (eg Otis Smith III). Otherwise much as UK names.

printguru · 11/09/2009 10:45

Well my wife's grandmother was called Scarlett Lulabelle - was nearly the name of our first, but then we had boy, and so he got an equally unique name, British though of course.

MaggieVirgo · 09/09/2009 19:54

lol at shandy EVEN amongst her sisters, shandy still sounds cheap.

twirlymum · 09/09/2009 19:12

A friend of mine worked in the schools admissions dept of a large london authority. There was a family who had girls called

Brandy
Shandy
Tequila
Champagne

I wonder if it was what the mother was drinking when she got pregnant???

Maybe George Foreman has the right idea......

lljkk · 09/09/2009 18:48

Morgan horses, I can't help but think of the breed (American breed, I think) every time I hear that name.
An old friend (living in USA) called his daughter Morgan. I hope she's not horse-faced, harhar....

MaggieVirgo · 09/09/2009 18:29

Sheepgomeep, I think it's American because they made it a name.

In Ireland Clodagh would be the river name. Although, I like Liffey used to be my screen name, and I like Slaney too! my grandparents from that area so Slaney would have to be my river name.

Sheepgomeep, are your family from the limerick/clare area then?

Actually, Hammie the hamster would have to be my river name of choice.

mathanxiety · 08/09/2009 04:31

Shannon as a girls' name got its start in America. There are a lot of them, depending on age group. It's related to the placename as name trend in the US, like London or Paris, and also to Irish American identity pride. Names related to Ireland like Shannon, Erin, Kelly, Ryan (as opposed to Mary Kate, Eileen, etc.) began to surface in the 1950s when the immigrant Irish made it to the middle class.

coralanne · 08/09/2009 01:54

My nephew has Morgan (Boy) Hunter (Girl) and Mackenzie (boy), My grandchildren very tame, Sarah, Adam, Amelia, Kiara

wahwahwah · 07/09/2009 18:30

I was thinking of Britany (there's another one) Spears son Preston. I have met a 'Scotia'.

sheepgomeep · 07/09/2009 18:29

I named dd1 Shannon after the river shannon in Ireland. How on earth is that American?

Or am I missing something

wahwahwah · 07/09/2009 18:02

I missed out place names.

Original poster
CheerfulYank · 07/09/2009 18:00

That's pretty much an accurate breakdown, wahwahwah I go with the biblical myself, but also just like classic names (William, Eleanor, etc)

OP posts:
wahwahwah · 07/09/2009 17:35

I find they tend to fit into the following categories (wild generalisations here):

Biblical (Noah, Joshua, etc)
Ye Olde Occupations (Flethcher, Page, Atcher)
Weird and Wonderful (Alora - eh??)
Odd spellings
Girls names that are really boys names/ Surnames as first names

Original poster
CheerfulYank · 07/09/2009 17:31

I knew a boy once names Aspen Jade...

OP posts:
dizzydixies · 07/09/2009 09:59

I know a family with a dd called Aspen which I take to be quite an 'american' name

bellissima · 07/09/2009 09:39

Hmmm, before we all start sniggering too loudly, that Utah Mormon name list, (just to give one 'loony American' reference cited here) does in fact include several of the names suggested and lauded on this forum - Elodie et al. (Okay I've got a downer on Elodie, Aurel etc etc ikky pretty fairy story names - but how come when mentioned here they are 'lovely', whereas when Americans fall for their charms they are laughable).

On the surnames as names though, I have to agree. Far from too much fairy story imagination that just suggests complete lack of.

florence2511 · 06/09/2009 20:12

oh dear

I hope you got my drift!

My post above doesn't really make sense does it??

What I mean is sharn (sian to us) i how they pronounce sean.

florence2511 · 06/09/2009 20:08

I can now see how Americans got to naming their girls Sean. It's how they pronounce Sean/Shaun/shawn!!!

Sian in the UK is pronounced sharn which in the US/Canada is sean etc!!!

Thanks Pranma.

Knew there had to logic to all this naming your girl sean thing!!

PMSL!!

pranma · 06/09/2009 12:17

Sian=Sharn I think
I know a Canadian girl child called Aytanna
there are also a few Robyns[girls]
I quite like Robyn actually

GrendelsMum · 06/09/2009 10:31

DH's a very keen cyclist - he might like the name Cadence for a girl! Or Kadence.

MaggieVirgo · 06/09/2009 10:19

true!