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?

Sadly the "fundamental" differences are often to do with opportunities outside of school that need paying for, music lessons, dance classes, educational trips.

This - grew up firmly upper middle class and the posh kids had solid names, middle class splits between similarly solid names and off the wall types (for the woo-woo ones looking to send their kid to the local Steiner school like me 😆). Aspirational names that people think are posh tended to come more from nouveau riche or working class backgrounds.

Not seen that change over time or geographically tbf, but obviously it doesn’t hold true for everyone.

Louis is a derivative of Ludwig and it’s been a German royal name for centuries. The current royals have it in their names mostly as tribute to Louis Mountbatten.

Because its a 'stereotype'
Not everyone from London sounds like Dick Van Dyke out of Mary Poppins! 🙄🙄

🤣🤣🤣 what a stupid thing to say. Clara is a french name originally.

show me your lack of class without telling me

@marilee i think names goes in fashion. There was a time where Bear, Poppy, Apple and Moise, etc were the hype for the celebs,
maybe the classical names are coming back. I can see more regal names (Theodore) becoming trendier.

i personally love the classical names coming back and being used wider.

Literally no one sounds like Dick Van Dyke out of Mary Poppins. That accent was so bad it was practically Australian.

Ahh love the posters who call any identification of class signifiers “judgy” 😂

As we all know, Britain is a classless society!

Why are English people so obsessed with "the classes", it's...er a bit, err, classless

I think it’s ok to think this but not say it 😂
I will say someone I know who is very ‘aspirational’ let’s say, has called her baby Owen which shocked me because I always thought it was the most un posh name going. Everyone is different!!!

The ‘posh’ names you’re thinking of will be the upper class wains at private school.

Wholeheartedly agree. Thank you thats refreshing. Glad i moved too, and so glad we had our revolution in 1789!
i love being a republican, yes like everything it has its flaws, but we dont this class obsessed population. Horrid and suffocating!

Exactly my point!! 😂😂

Wasn't "Lilibet" originally a royal family nickname for "Elizabeth"? I don't think it was used as a name in its own right before the present holder, though.

I mean, there have only ever been a handful of tarquin charlmondey walker types per generation in history though haven’t there? It’s not like its a surprise they don’t exist in anyone’s day to day life.

The outcomes are massively different, but the kids lining up aged 4 or 5, going into P1 are the just same, and mix irrespective of background.

I’m working class with probably the most posh timeless name you can think of.

Yes truly posh people quite often have a given name which is very conventional and austere (Catherine or James), then a ubiquitous nickname which is straight out of Evelyn Waugh.

Among the posh set at my university (which I wasn’t part of), there was a Chimpy, a Minky and a Scruffs. No one knew what their actual names were.

Again, something which you can only get away with if you’re very secure, socially.

I think there are so many regional and cultural variations though. The posh names you've listed there are absolutely used by un posh people here 😆.

I live in quite an affluent town but there is still a class mix and everyone either uses completely average names or else slightly whacky ones of they want something a bit different.

The poshest family I know called their child Millie.

Judging families for their choice of names based on their socio economic status is disgusting. Not understanding the colonialism or neoliberalism behind name snobbery is disgusting. The lack of diversity displayed is disgusting.

There’s very little else here for people to be obsessed about. Oh wait, not quite true, there’s flags to be obsessed about now.

What I don't understand is that everyone who is critsising my comment knows deep down that it does hold truth. If not catchment areas would certainly not be a "thing" and people would be happy to go to any old school and not give it a second thought. People literally scramble to get into the more affluent catchments, because deep down they know their children will have an easier time and a better standard of education. To say this isn't true is just nonsense.

your comment is so disgustingly stereotyping, generalising, condescending, and hurtful that it makes me sick.

have a big long look at yourself in the mirror, and apologise to yourself you are really letting yourself down with comments like that.

Your basic names are the names lots of upper class people call their children. A lot come from the bible, are family names, are traditional names passed down through generations.

Posh people don't call their children Theodore or Rafferty.

Look at the Kings and Queens through the centuries. There's not a King Theodore or Queen Arabella in the long history of the British Monarch.

The main issue is you have so little awareness that you describe a working class vision of affluence (ie “catchments”) yet present it to yourself and others as though you are basically up there with the aristocracy whilst the working class are all whistling down the mine before they come home for a pint and a punch up.

you are closer to the latter than you can even hope to be to the former, but you are so desperate and aspirational yourself you’ve got in the habit of sneering at other “normal” people.

it’s distasteful, emotionally immature and shows a lack of awareness and diversity.

I don't think it's that deep. I say that as someone with an extremely extravagant name that was mercilessly teased as a kid for having a "posh" name even today people still comment if I tell them my name.

I also don't necessarily think you can tell much about wealth by a name like I said most upper class people I know give their kids basic names and the same goes for the lower class people I know. The only exceptions are arty farty people and they come in all different bank account figures