Outgrowing names

[Happydoingitjusttheonce]

In dentist waiting room yesterday and dental nurse calls "Alfie". A near 6ft 16 year old with a tracksuit and key wig rises from his seat. He probably made a cute Alfie when he was a toddler. Do kids outgrow cutesy names?

It's not scientific Francis, that much I'll concede

I was given a diminutive name with an 'ie' at the end. Great for a cute little girlie. I grew out if it by the age of ten and have just been 'e' (one syllable) ever since.

bonbonours
Yes! I totally agree re Beau. I teach French and definitely judge people who name a girl Beau. It is a masculine adjective.

Objecting to the use of Beau as a name for a girl = grammar pedantry and sexism. In my experience, people choose names primarily because they like the sound/look of them - meaning is secondary. (Would you prefer the spelling 'Bow' and the resulting heteronym confusion that would entail?)

As for anybody using names to assess candidates for jobs - I would advise losing prejudices or opting out of future recruitment.

I was told to think about my child's future when naming him so he wouldnt sound stupid applying for either a builder's or a lawyers job!! Sound advice!! Unlike the couple i know who named their child Pebble!!
Yes you read that right..... Pebble!!! And sorry to say that's a CV I would over look!!

I feel the same about all -illy's. Lilly, Milly, Tilly... Not so cute when you're overweight middle-aged woman.

Is her name chardonay -bluesoubriquet

Urm no! Come on it's not that common!

It's Shardunnay-Bloo

At my NT house last week a mum arrived with baby called Van (as in Morrison) which I thought was quite unusual. He was adorable.

Headofthehive55

I think you're missing the point, we all know that the op thinks that it's logical to exclude working class people from her 'professional' work place. We just think she is a snob for doing so.

Because people like her are responsible for hiring all over the country, they are also responsible for a huge amount of wasted working class talent. This drags down our economy and is also the reason that many young people from working class backgrounds feel so hopeless about the future.

No badabing, you are missing the point. I am working class talent. Manual workers for parents, from an oft maligned city (though it's an amazing place) I'm educated to A level only, I chose to fall for a lad and join the workforce instead of taking my place at university. Through years of hard work and taking my opportunities when they came along, I now earn enough that would put me firmly in Labour's new rich tax bracket (no complaints about that, it's fair.) My parents called me a modern name for the first 3 days of my life, thought it through then deliberately went for something serious and very, very old. I went to a rough local comp but they pushed me to achieve more than they had, they never gushed over minor achievements, they just expected me to fulfil my potential. We never had money for luxuries, just life's basics and all the love in the world. So to those who say I'm ashamed of my roots, I won the parental lottery. My parents were driven to drive me. The friend I referenced earlier, hers were not. They named her after a pop song and told her to not worry about education. So if cvs from Jaxon or Paul land on my desk, or Ella-Mae and Sarah, I'm going with my gut. And I truly make no apology.

What on earth have you got against Sarah?

I really think you should stop digging! Your justifications don't change what you're doing, or make it ok!

Alfie isnt a cutesy name. Its hardly teddy, destiny or bear. What would you rather..... Wayne.... Darren.... Michael. Wondering what you are called and wondering if it is claire, julie or lisa......

Reetgood - you missed the bloody point! I'd choose Paul and Sarah over Jaxon and Ella-Mae

I think reetgood that the OP means she would be favourably inclined towards a Paul and Sarah over a Jaxon and a Ella-Mae - and I understand where she is coming from.

You sound a bit jealous clark.

Thanks Crumbs

I hated my name growing up because it was the name all the elderly ladies in the congregation approved of the day I was baptised. It's short but it gets shortened even more and lengthened, and changed. Claire and Julie are amongst my past hires.

And reet, I'm not justifying anything, I'm just saying what I do and why. ' I'm not looking for approval from anyone.

They named her after a pop song and told her to not worry about education.

These are two facts which are not actually related in any way. The first one alone could mean you are friends with Chelsea Clinton (although you would never hire her).

But I find your candour refreshing, OP. This kind of winnowing out of people "not like us" or making inferences based on one fact alone goes on all the time. In the UK it is more about sussing out class. In the US it is more about detecting race. DH has an unusual but english-sounding Irish name. When he arrived at his training programme in the US a senior person asked someone who knew him "is this guy black?"

OP, do you work for the Daily Liar?

I don't see the point of denying that name-based prejudice exists - nobody is suggesting it's right or fair but it does exist.

I was not born in the UK, I have a very foreign sounding name (v typical for the country of my origin) and people tend to make a double-take when they meet me because I am just oh-so-acceptable
I've been in the same job for 18 years, I'm a partner in the business so unlikely to be applying for jobs anytime soon (although who knows these days?!), so I have no idea whether my name would get me through a short-listing process.
But I am in hurry to find out tbh.

'Rough local comp but they pushed me to achieve more than they had, they never gushed over minor achievements, they just expected me to fulfil my potential.'

OP- what is 'rough' about this school? It sounds like a 'good' local school. Why tarnish it?

This thread is shocking! I have a new colleague called Craig - My first thought on meeting him was, god what an awful name to be saddled with. He momentarily went down in my estimation before I remembered that I would be a terrible person if I judged someone on their name.

Of course people have opinions on names but letting it influence your attitude towards them and admitting it affects your chances of employing them is really bad! To me, Craig, Sarah, Paul etc suggest your parents are so boring they couldn't even be bothered to think of a decent name for you and if they couldn't do that they probably couldn't help you at school or encourage you to do anything remotely interesting.due to their uncaring attitude. But I KNOW that's me being an irrational judgey bitch. Or should I be like OP and avoid employing the Sarahs of this world cos I can't imagine them being intelligent or original?

In my friends case Pallisers i believe they are related. I wouldn't hire my friend because she's not up to the job. She's not up to the job because she was never motivated or given ambition. Her parents choice of name for her reflects their lifestyle and priorities. I might miss a good one in Chelsea Clinton, I did say my method wasn't foolproof.

And Mike, I'm a professional so no