To think this class-obsessed country uses DC's names to change theirs?

[GinDaddy]

I live in the South of England, I'm heading towards middle age, so this gives you some context before my OP, which is..

AIBU to think people are giving their DCs "posh" or "aspirational" names as status signifiers? (Which ironically immediately marks them out to me as such?)

I realise there's always been fashionable and unfashionable names since time immemorial. But what I'm talking about is the slew of names which I would previously only expect to hear on Made In Chelsea or Guy Pelly's guest list at Boujis.

Arabella. Annabelle. Isabelle. Amelia. Jasper. Oscar. Oliver (to be inevitably commuted immediately to Ollie in faux-braying tones). Hugo. Theo. Leo. Harry (not even bothering to use the proper Harold, just going straight to the diminutive because well, it sounds right).

It's just a bit odd really. People can and will call their child what they like, but why are so many folk (and it's always the same folk, the ones who are project managers, who love myWaitrose and head tilting, whose teeth chatter when grandparents offer DC a Kinder Surprise) enamoured with these names?

Can someone actually explain this to me? No one has ownership of names, but I cannot believe that some people aren't using this as some sort of social signifier. 15 years ago not everyone was called Ollie or Theo. I didn't know a load of Arabellas or Amelias, I knew a few but that was commensurate with the environment.

AIBU to think the popularity of these names comes from their associate social status?

Sarah was fashionable in the 50s and 60s

Loads of Sarah's at my Primary, Middle & Secondary too. 90's & Early 00's. So popular name in the 80's too!

U wot m8?

I dont know who guy pelly is and have never watched made in chelsea

15 years ago not everyone was called Ollie or Theo.

My 18 year old is a Theo.
My mate Ollie is 54.
Theo Van Gogh died in 1891.

They are names, OP. Nothing more to it.

Obviously I didn’t put enough thought in when I named my twins because I had never considered anything of this nature. I chose DS’ name because it was the name of my Grandfather who raised me and passed when I was a teenager (I’m weirdly annoyed that this name was back in fashion just before I fell pregnant 😂) and DD’s name just sort of popped into my head one day and DH and I agreed it was nice, it goes with her surname and that was that!

I do wonder now if anybody thinks I’ve named them pretentiously when I just went with what I liked the sound of

I have a Biblical name that is very out-of-fashion. If it is ever mentioned in baby names threads the response is always things like - sounds like a fusty old Aunt.
The idea that Biblical names never go out of fashion is rubbish.

No.

My gran was called Iris. My generation all thought of it as an old ladies name.

I'm still waiting on the OP to tell us what names are acceptable

DS was given two family names, both often used in diminutive form, and has chosen one. Should he wish to enter a very formal profession, he can use his given name if he needs to be taken seriously. But neither name marks him out as privileged or deprived.

Just take a look at tinder and your see a lot of names that seem common now were commonly years back.

Names like Theo were always common it's just the little change of spelling it or the nickname of teddy that make it seem new.

@TheVanguardSix I didn’t know that about Van Gogh!

My youngest is a Theodore, name after his grandad and great grandad. We call him (and them) Ted. But others call him Theo and Teddy, I named him after two great men in my life and to keep with our family traditions.

I think what frustrates me about this thread is that the OP whilst making a valid point that some people to choose names for classist reason the actual lions share of people as evidenced by this thread simply choose names because they like them or for emotive/traditional reasons.

I'm working class, went to a top uni and love homous as do my kids. They don't like coleslaw though.

It is about changing tastes and what becomes popular.

I think we should spend less time caring that MC people are 'stealing' upper class names and more time caring about the number of names stolen from the black community. Very often with little thought or knowledge of the names provenance.

more time caring about the number of names stolen from the black community

Names can’t be stolen. They’re a mash up of sounds. Or is this the next leaf to the Cultural Appropriation thing?
Can’t it just be seen as a nod to the fact someone likes a name

My two are Oscar and Arabella. (Arabella would have been Jasper if a boy.) I didn't choose them to be "aspirational". I just liked those names. I'm quite an avid reader so I suppose I may have chosen names I liked from literature but mainly because they sounded nice to me. I did try to go for fairly classic names that wouldn't date too badly. (Is that aspirational? I'm not sure.)

I don't think they are posh names. Oscar in particular is common as muck round these parts.

why are so many folk (and it's always the same folk, the ones who are project managers, who love myWaitrose and head tilting, whose teeth chatter when grandparents offer DC a Kinder Surprise) enamoured with these names?

You sound rather snide, OP - why do you even care what other people name their babies? Are you worried they'll be mistaken for someone of your class?

Tens of thousands of families give their child a name in the top 10.

It seems highly unlikely that they all did this for the same reason (or that they're all project managers..).

Names like Theo were always common

Don’t know about names like but Theo has only become common fairly recently.

@GinDaddy you sound like a journalist from a particular type of rag.

Theo was unusual when a teenager called Walcott played for England for the first time.

The idea that Biblical names never go out of fashion is rubbish

It was me who posted that and I specifically said that it was in relation to where I live. My teenage daughter's school is awash with Sarahs, Hannahs, Timothys, Jonathans, Andrews and Rachels. Just as it was many years ago when I attended the same school. Basing my knowledge solely on the MN baby names board, it seems that those are very out of sync with the rest of the UK.

I actually attended an event at the school before Christmas where the names of all who took part were listed on the accompanying programme and I was tempted to post a photo of it on mumsnet just to prove that I'm not making it up (as I've chatted about this before with posters who were clearly not convinced) but I didn't think it was appropriate to do so.

I agree.Think of all these people who call their DC Harry yet scoff at Barry/Gary.
Similar sounding names but Barry/Gary are not very 'posh'.
Not a fantastic example but I know what I mean

What a British post! As an outsider this is so interesting to watch. We happen to have a DC with one of the "common" names, named after an early pioneer in their field, didn't realise it was popular or "aspirational".

Maybe not everyone are naming their children because of "aspirational" motives.

And also, what's wrong with wanting to better themselves? I think the Brits could do a bit more of that In other cultures, those who have come from humble roots and live a better life than their parents are celebrated and congratulated, not shamed.

I have son with one of the names on your list and you are talking utter shite.😁