toby - a middle class name?

[marzipananimal]

first dc due soon, we like toby if it's a boy but don't want a name that associates you with a particular class. Is Toby fairly neutral or definitely middle class?

It screams middle class to me. Nice enough name, though.

I think its pretty neutral. Nice name.

Neutral.

Very Mumsnet

OK if i'm honest I think of it as extremely posh. Anthony/Tony much more neutral IMO. But I think it may have got less posh in recent years.

I love the name Toby and I wanted it had either of our DD's been a DS. If you like it, go for it.

Toby = middle class IMO. Sorry that's not what you wanted to hear.

I know a Toby, he is a third son, youngest child. I can't imagine a grown man with the name.

totally middle class - but cute - prefer full version Tobias (also v middle class) with Toby as nn

Cripes. If Toby is posh, my children are royalty.

I don't think of it as middle class at all, in fact the Tobys that I know are more working class!

it's neutral I think.

thanks for the responses, lots of difference of opinion though! Do you think whether you see it as middle class or not depends on what class you are? (I realise this sounds like i think class is really important - i don't, i just don't want a name that stands out as posh or chavvy)

I have a Toby, I went to school with a Toby, had a crush on him to be honest and waited 25 years to use the name. Didn't realise we are mean't to be posh!!

love the name Toby. Poss MC, but who cares? We couldn't use it as DH's old dog was called Toby, however our best friend called his son Toby and his daughter Genevieve. Both lovely names

I love the name and wanted it if we had a ds,but dh vetoed it on the grounds that he once had a tortoise named Toby. We once had a sheepdog with the same name,but it didn't stop me wanting it for a ds.We had dds so it wasn't an issue in the end.

Middle class IMO.

My son has a Toby in his class (posh prep school). It is striking for its relative not-posh-ness. So, yes, marzipan, I think your analysis is spot on.

I like Toby and I am fairly underclass.

Ha. My DS is Toby and we aren't remotely middle class!

i loved the name Toby but DH would only entertain Tobias - i spent 8 and a half months trying to convince him Toby was a great name to no avail - we ended up calling our rescue tortoise Toby (came to us 2 weeks before i was due - long story)as a compromise

I think of Toby as mainly a dogs name (it is quite a traditional name for a dog, perhaps because of Punch and Judy). But do remember a few Toby's at my boarding school, so I guess it's a name that posher families use. That's not to say it's exclusive though. I prefer Tobit.

I don't think it matters what class it is, if indeed, the name Toby does have a class. The wider the variety of people who use a certain name means that over time that name loses it's previous associations and becomes acceptable whatever your social status. That's my view anyway. Toby is a great name - go for it!