To wonder why there's so many threads taking the mick out of the middles classes, yet one look on the baby name thread makes me vomit

[rooks14]

Bertram
Felix
Florence

No.
No.
No.

Perhaps I should reword that: the link between money and power is as strong as it ever was - on a local and on a global scale.

What subject was your dissertaion in?

I think you are confusing middle class with jumped-up-vulgar.

If this needs explaining, I rest my case.

darty I don't think the OP has defined what she means by "class" in her own mind let alone explaining to us what she means.

Why does anyone care what other people have named their children?

(baffled)

Oh no! My son's name has just been denounced as 'chavvy'! How ever will I get over this? I think I'd better re-name him Jonty.

Rooks (I hope that on this occasion you can forgive the use of bold. You might also note that on MN it's usual to bold a quote by another poster to separate from your own comment on the quote)

Anyway, I'm not misunderstanding you. I think it's actually you that's misunderstanding me. My point was that you wrote a dissertation pointing out something that is common knowledge; that class is not determined by money.

This has been a widely acknowledged truth for a number of years, and was perhaps best demonstrated by Jilly Cooper in "Class". I thought a dissertation at masters level was supposed to attempt to make an original point. Clearly I was wrong.

Which University awarded the first- the University of No Shit Sherlock perhaps?

I can see what you are saying OP. My middle class parents were horified at my choice of typical 'chavvy' names for my two. But I love their names and have used the boring family names as middle names, I really wont be offended if they decide to use those in the future instead. I dont like the typical middle class names my middle class family and friends have chosen for their children, (the sort BabyNames is filled with ). I dont judge them on it though, just wasnt my bag.

It also doesnt mean my children will be bought up with less aspirations that little Taquinious Macfinious, I will just have to explain how Deed poll works before there look at Uni

Verity- Ridiculous really isn't it. I suppose because I live in a council house, I shouldn't get idead above my station and name my son something deemed middle class.

FWIW I don't care if a name is 'chavvy' or 'pretentious', if I like it I like it, and if I dont, I don't. Couldn't care less what 'class' it's deemed. I think Felix and Bertram are hideous, but Florence quite lovely as it goes.

God Damn you predictive text!

My Granny was Florence. She worked 40 years (from age 15) on the looms of a textile mill in an (American) industrial town, raised three children on her own while her husband was off fighting two wars, and didn't have the luxury of an indoor toilet until she was nearing retirement.

I could never see the name Florence as anything other than salt-of-the-earth, and if I have another daughter, Florence she shall be. It's a beautiful name.

op i get what you mean, there's nothing wrong with those names if people want to chose it but i agree they do sound quite middle class/posh
but maybe not the same people who are making the name threads and the other threads

I have a Felix, a bugaboo, chickens, and a mooncup. My kids each sausage rolls and play unsupervised on the front though.

*eat.

I think the definition of 'middle class' is probably a more constructive debate. I think we all have different ideas of what it is, since the country doesn't have the three distinct classes it used to have, and it isn't defined by how much money you have spare to spend on bugaboo 4x4s or anything else.

My great aunty was called Florence, named after the pit where her dad worked no doubt .

Maybe those who called their children such names do not give two shits about class, but are searching for names they like. I think if you are attributing class to those names then it's just possible that it's you who has the obsession with class.

You need to get a less sensitive stomach!

You want to move round my way.

There's a child called DEREK in my ds's class.

And two girls called Chardonnay (actually one is Shadene, pronounced Chardonnay).

Oh, and twins called Storm and Lightening.

And lots of African children with lovely names like Harvest and Blessing.

Vastly more amusing than the baby names board on mumsnet.

I had never heard of the name Persephone before MN, where every other poster seems to have a daughter called it.

{bangs gavel and decrees that MN is indeed middle class}

My friend's old cat was Florence - from 'Magic Roundabout'.
And i had a great aunt Florrie from moss side.
So not a posh name.
I like the old biblical names for boys like Aaron.
A girl at work is called Tatiana and she's very sweet and pretty - if i had a DD i would use that name.