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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think that Americans have weird first name preferences!

366 replies

Lycidas · 01/12/2019 22:10

Why do so of their popular first names sound like surnames?

Chace
Trace
Brock
Blake
Penn
Tucker
McKenna

Etc

Of course there are the usual standard names too, but it’s odd that you just don’t see the above kinds of names in the UK.

OP posts:
Ylfa · 03/12/2019 15:24

I always loved Ichabod - the spirit has departed. So bleak.

One of my gt grandparents was a Protestant minister, his first name was Carlos.

Ylfa · 03/12/2019 15:29

As far as saint names go though, is that a Protestant thing? I didn’t think they had saints.

meyouandlulutoo · 03/12/2019 15:34

One of our neighbours in 1970s Yorkshire named her son Barclay. We lived next door to a Blake a few years ago, probably Mum was influenced by Dynasty though, also know a young lady called Riley.
Surnames as first names are not as unusual in the UK as you think.

isabellerossignol · 03/12/2019 16:10

On the religious names thing, I'm from N Ireland where this is also a big thing. And I noticed at my daughter's school that when you have a Timothy, his brother will be Jonathan. And where you have a Hannah, her sister will be Esther or Rebecca. I've got so good at this game that if my daughter introduces a friend with a biblical name, most of the time I can guess their siblings names as well. Grin

phoenixrosehere · 03/12/2019 16:12

Yes, 330 million plus Americans have such weird name preferences.. 🙄

Many of the names I’ve heard here are in the US. I have never thought to myself living in the U.K. about how Brits name their children, how weird or any of the sort nor do I know any Americans who are bothered by it. It has never come up. I’m more concerned that I’m pronouncing names right.

Endofthedays · 03/12/2019 16:34

Ylfa, Catholics, Anglicans and Orthodox all have Saints. There may be some other denominations that do.

Ylfa · 03/12/2019 17:35

Thank you! But who makes the Anglican saints if there isn’t a Pope?

Endofthedays · 03/12/2019 18:08

They have the Saints from before the reformation. They honour some other people but I’m not sure how!

SlightlyBonkersQFA · 03/12/2019 18:16

Protestants or anglican catholics do have saints!

midsomermurderess · 03/12/2019 18:34

What you think of surname type forenames were not uncommon in the 19th century in Britain. If find the sneering over them on here a bit 1950s lower-middle class posh.

Endofthedays · 03/12/2019 18:41

‘I mean, Christians use them, but neither David nor Adam was a Christian.‘

Just to come back to this, but according to the Catholic Church (and also presumably in similar denominations) Adam ascended to heaven with Christ on Ascension day, so Adam has been a Christian for about 2000 years, as far as many Christians are concerned.

bellocchild · 03/12/2019 18:54

Chelsea. It's a place. :-)

NameChangedNoImagination · 03/12/2019 18:58

I have a lot of Americans on my fb.

One has just had a DD called Bristol. I actually love that, I think it has a lovely sound.

phoenixrosehere · 03/12/2019 19:05

What you think of surname type forenames were not uncommon in the 19th century in Britain. If find the sneering over them on here a bit 1950s lower-middle class posh.

This! It is nothing new and several “normal” names started out as surnames or even switched genders.

Devilinatwinset · 03/12/2019 19:27

When unskilled - typically Irish - labourers went to America to work their bosses often called them by their surname. My not-very-common Irish surname is very popular in America as a boys first name

woodhill · 03/12/2019 19:30

I must admit some American male names in films are fascinating

Not forgetting Chevy Chase.

It took me years to realise Art as in Art Garfunkel was Arthur 😊

woodhill · 03/12/2019 19:36

Parker Stephenson

Greensmurf1 · 03/12/2019 19:38

I don’t think you can limit it to the Yanks. A few years after Gladiator was in cinemas, some friends in Manchester heard a local yelling to her son, “Oi Maximus come here!” And think of all those British celebs who give their children names that sound like cartoon flower fairies.

Retired65 · 03/12/2019 19:48

I know a Chase and a Blake in this country.

ClinkyMonkey · 03/12/2019 19:56

My grandfather was Wilson, born in 1900. That's a long time ago. He was not American. Using surnames as first names is not new. And not uniquely American.

astralweaks · 03/12/2019 20:04

I live next door to a Wilson and we are not in the US!

shock

happyjules · 03/12/2019 20:07

Actually, Piper is of old English origin and means pipe player. I get quite miffed when people assume that I have given my younger daughter an American name and politely correct them.

Lincolnfield · 03/12/2019 20:21

Sorry to be a killjoy but I think this is a slightly racist post? If you were asking ‘why are so many people in Pakistan calling their sons Mohammed’ there’d be an outcry., or ‘Why are so many Germans calling their sons Werner.’ Just because the USA have a virtually identical language to ourselves, they still have a different culture.

aliensprig · 03/12/2019 20:28

Love the name Brock, it's on our shortlist :) nature names are lovely, not pretentious at all!

JassyRadlett · 03/12/2019 20:38

Not forgetting Chevy Chase.

Real name Cornelius. Grin

Apparently got his nickname from his gran, after an old English and Scottish ballad of that name (possibly linked to the Cheviots?). Same origin as the place name in Maryland.