To be surprised by the names of the “posh kids” at DDs school

[marilee]

Hi all, my DD just started primary 1. The catchment area for her new school is super mixed with all the nicest houses in the town but also 2 council areas so a real mix. We live in a council flat, I can’t say I’ve rubbed shoulders with the more middle class half of the town and I grew up in a firmly working class area so this is the first time in my life I’m properly mixing with this group (I know that’s awful but it’s just how life has been for me so far).

I don’t know why but I was expecting all the posh kids to have more extravagant names but almost every single one of them is just a very basic name (James, Harry, Anna, Clara, Emily, Emma etc.). While the names I’d normally have associated as being more “posh” are actually the names of the kids from my area (Rafferty, Arabella, Florence, Theodore).

AIBU to be shocked by this? Is this normal or a little regional quirk?

Fashions in names are interesting. I know a bit about my family tree back to the eighteenth century. Ordinary sort of people - miners, iron workers, various crafts, postal workers etc. Up until the late 19th century they mostly had the sort of plain traditional names like Henry, William, Thomas, Jane, Elizabeth, Sarah.
Then suddenly they broke the pattern. It happened on both sides of my ancestors, in different parts of the country, which suggests a fashion rather than something particular to one family.
The general theme of the new names seemed to be romantically historical - surnames of noble families, like Stanley, Scottish names like Donald, Anglo-Saxon names like Edith. I don't know what the influences were - Tennyson? Scott? or things of that sort. It was very noticeable.

you no doubt also bitch about how the people who arent “originals” of the town don’t join in with the locals - maybe you might want to do some self reflection because I can be sure your behaviour causes them to feel unwelcome

Isn't it just, its actually still a big thing here. Its like a cancer that won't go away. Depressing eh

I’m sure that Martine McCutcheon’s son is called Rafferty. She was talking about him on some programme years ago and I remember thinking then what an odd name. But celebrities, innit? I mean it’s still better than Apple.

Rafferty is NOT posh. It literally sounds like scrufferty. Apparently rafe is short for Rafferty well the only rafe I know is a raging heroin addict.
No one with a crumb of class would consider Rafferty a classy name

What a horrible attitude

Lots of upper class people are drug addicts

FFS - the class system is definately alive in the UK if you judge kids' backgrounds by their names....

“A crumb of class” is hilarious 😂😂 you’re trolling us now 😭

It is and humans make judgments so pretending to see everyone as equals and never stereotype people is naive and a lie.

That’s not a good comparator for this thread. Just because everyone judges doesn’t mean all judging is ok and you shouldn’t be aware of it and try and reduce it.

Of course but this one definitely wasn't

Absolutely howling at some of these comments!

Deadly serious here. Go through the royals family tree. You see any "Raffertys"?
Makes me think of raggedy scraggedy old baggedy.

Sorry to anyone with that name. You can shorten it to rafe which does sound nice although like I said the only rafe I know is a heroin addict

I think the working class names where we live are Taylor, Sophie, Harrison, Chloe, Dylan, Stanley, Blake, Oliver/Olivia, tons of Harry’s.

Arty names like Lucas, Nathaniel, and Jake and Theo are classless, more boho.

I think solid middle class is Madeline, Tom, Jack, Isobel, Leo.

I don’t think there are any posh people were I live though unfortunately there is a child saddled with the name Allegra, which of course sounds like a car.

It’s Latin, not French. Claire is French. And so what? Chantelle is derived from a French name and nobody would argue that’s classy.

I am trolling no one just laughing my ass off at the idea "Rafferty" is considered posh on here and names like "Alfie" and "Amelia"are apparently peasant names. Have these posters never heard of Alfred the great? Or princess Amelia?

I don’t think it’s history that defines current tonality though.

The book hasn’t aged well. Lots of unsubstantiated facts and even more obvious biases e.g you can just feel the condescension of the authors in the chapter on ‘poor people’ names.

I think the Armchair Economist is better if you’re interested in everyday economics.

Why do people take the opinions of people who don't actually know/care about royal history seriously when it comes to how classy a name is.
I always see Alfie Archie and Albie called low class names on here. They're literally short for Alfred Archibald and Albert.
Then said posters try and say "Rafferty" is upper class.

Just funny shit at this point no actual upper class person would name a child rafferty

I don't know, the only really fancy names in my family were given to the children in my gran's family who grew up in slums. They all had romantic Italian names like Lavinia and Serena. Not many of them survived childhood. I think if you're really posh you can just call your kids Bob and Jane.

Rafferty, Arabella, Florence, Theodore will be in private school with a moat and hounds to keep the likes of us out 😉…

Let's hope they won't be interfered with in the private school by some in-bred visiting ex pupil or prefect. Oh to aspire to run with private school hounds!

Yeah i know a 16 year old Emma. Relative of mine