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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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MaggieVirgo · 05/09/2009 19:48

Also............. Brooke. I know a Brooke, and she's very nice. But it rhymes with fuck, ruck, suck..

MaggieVirgo · 05/09/2009 19:46

pasturesnew, yeah, what's wrong with Shona?!

MaggieVirgo · 05/09/2009 19:45

just for the record, I love America, but obviously intelligent, liberal americans are fairly similar to intelligent, liberal brits, so it's the differences that are interesting. OK, the differences are at the lower end of the food chain (on both continents).

how about this to span the continents; Kardonnay???

Ponymum · 05/09/2009 19:23

Candy
Tamara

Podrick · 05/09/2009 19:15

CheerfulYank thanks for the pronounciation guide!

pasturesnew · 05/09/2009 18:48

Re Irish names for girls - American girls called Sean - it's a boy's name! Don't why this bothers me more than James and Jamie for a girl, but it does.

I did think Madison was naff but then thought actually it is traditional to name girls after places e.g. Florence so maybe it is not that weird. I've also warmed to Chelsea on the same basis.

Original poster
CheerfulYank · 05/09/2009 18:45

LOL LOL LOL LOL! I'm visiting my parents and my mom just came into the room to find out why I was screaming with laughter. I'd forgotten all about that site. Love it!

OP posts:
dizzydixies · 05/09/2009 18:43

I know a MNer with a Kingsley and my DD2 is Lexie so apparently I have American names for my irish/scottish kids

BerylCole · 05/09/2009 18:34

PMSL!@Sharmonica.

UnquietDad · 05/09/2009 18:33

And once again it's time for this

Do not eat while reading, you will choke.

Original poster
CheerfulYank · 05/09/2009 18:25

Oh WOW. Podrick the Neveahs I've encountered, and yes there've been more than one, pronounce it Na-VAY-uh. The place names are big too. I know of a mom who has six, all place names. Jackson, Savannah, Lexington (called Lexi), Clayton (town in Texas), Brooklyn and something else I fortunately cannot remember.

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Podrick · 05/09/2009 18:17

Girls names: Zoey, Genesis, Gianna, Bailey, Trinity, Brooke, Brooklyn, Avery, Neveah (how is that one pronounced?)Taylor

Boys: Mason, Hunter, Wyatt, Chase, Brody, cooper, carson, Carter, Brayden, Landon

BerylCole · 05/09/2009 18:04

Kinidi is ghastly. LOL!!! Oh God. It's just so bad.

I think it's time for a quick, mean spirited shifty through this little lot again. Always an MN favourite!

My personal faves: Alpha-Mae, LeVoid, Ja'Mon (mm, tasty with a nice bit of crusty bread!) and..... TaffiLynn. Beautiful!

MaggieVirgo · 05/09/2009 17:58

cheerfulYank, on the board that I used to post on back in 2002, there was a girl who called her son Hoyt. I just could not see the appeal of that. She didn't think much of my boys' names either!!!

Kinidi... was Kennedy not ugly enough?

Original poster
CheerfulYank · 05/09/2009 17:53

I do have to disagree with you, lljkk, on Alexander. I don't love it but it's a real name at least, right?

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Original poster
CheerfulYank · 05/09/2009 17:52

Yes, Beryl, those were what I thought of too. One of my dad's favorite things to do is read the "new births" column of his local newspaper and yell "THAT'S NOT A NAME!" He's quite a cranky old man really! For quite awhile the trend here seemed to be older names for boys (Jacob, Matthew, etc, always topped the charts) and more "different" sounding names for girls- Delaney, McKayla, and so on. I don't mean to sound snooty as I know what others name their kids is none of my business, but really! When I decided to call DS Sam (which narrowly beat out Will and Thomas) some of my friends thought it was "too plain."

Also- and this tops them all- I know of a family with a DS called Kyger (yup, rhymes with Tiger) and a DD named Kinidi. It's pronounced Kennedy. Stating again, it's none of my business, but "Kinidi"? REALLY?! FFS!

OP posts:
Prunerz · 05/09/2009 17:42

Cadence means the beautiful, rhythmic flow of a voice or a piece of music.

What's wrong with that?

UnquietDad · 05/09/2009 17:31

I thought Ornella was Italian. Like Ornella Muti, the very lovely actress.

MissGreatBritain · 05/09/2009 17:26

Anything double-barrelled ending with Sue, May/Mae, Jean, Jo etc.

BerylCole · 05/09/2009 17:15

Cadence for me is like Paighton, Paige, Pacey, Macey, Kayci, Mason, Brody, Brady, Caiden etc - just totally meaningless. And American.

MaggieVirgo · 05/09/2009 17:11

isnt Cadence a musical term?

but it means 'pause' so i'm still not loving it.

btw, it should be Kadence

MaggieVirgo · 05/09/2009 17:11

isnt Cadence a musical term?

but it means 'pause' so i'm still not loving it.

btw, it should be Kadence

BerylCole · 05/09/2009 17:10

Dylan for a girl is very American.

American children I know of: Mikayla (why?), Chastity (again...why? would you name a child this?), Macy (ohm and Pacey - not related! ). Paighton.

lljkk · 05/09/2009 17:05

Some American names are truly awful... SIGH (I am American, too, so I am ALLOWED to snigger).

The one I'm struggling with today is:
Cadence.
Did they know what Cadence is? It's how fast you pedal a bicycle, in revolutions per minute. How could they call a child that?

No Madisons in my American family, but Dylan, Taylor (girls) and Alexander all recur.

I always thought of "Brad" as an All-American name; it is very popular among DC's English school friends, though. My (American) cousin has a son-in-law named Chad and she chokes and sniggers every time she has to say his name (doesn't hold a high opinion of his deeply redneck family origins, to say the least).

MaggieVirgo · 05/09/2009 16:56

Kinsley!!!

There is a reverence for the letter K in the USA that we don't have here .

lol at Kassidy with a K. Very clever; that is two trends combind, Irish surname Cassidy on a girl, but trendy it up another notch by taking out the C and replacing it with a K.

I saw Kamden on babycenter.com/girlsnames back in 2002. Also, Oslo. I kind of liked Oslo taking two trends and combining them. Place name + ending in an O. very trendy.