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?

Also wanted to add that we had a similar deabte about the name Jasper but we found what I mentioned above - that, increasingly, it is a name used by a wide cross section of parents so is losing it's posh, upper middle class associations. Good luck Marzipan - naming a baby is difficult!

I like it. It's exactly half way in between Kayden and Ptolemy.

ArthuriaAugustadArcy, what are your son's class mates called?

toby hmm...to me it always means Toby the Tram Engine who is friends with Thomas..so not posh but slightly declasse next to Gordon The Express Engine.

I love it and Tobias. It was top of my list but vetoed by ex.

If I was ever lucky enough to have another ds he would definitely be a Tobias.

Think Toby from the West Wing tis a great name.
Acceptable everywhere IMHO.

Valium, I couldn't possibly say. You never know who's reading MN!

As to prep schools, cat64, my children both go to them. DS's is really very posh. DD's isn't at all.

I've taught in a rougher-than-rough school and a rather more mixed school (both inner London) and have had a Toby/Tobi in my class only at the former.

I also know of 3 boys aged 3 and below named Toby, all of whom are in families where the other children are called things such as Ben, Emily, Joshua or Sophie and where one parent would describe themselves as middle class but the other staunchly working class.

Lovely name. I would never have thought it particularly middle class.

No, I don't think it's middle class. Please use it because I nearly did until DH vetoed it at the last minute. He said it was a little boy's name and not a man's name and only afterwards did I think - why didn't we call him Tobias and then Toby as a nn? Anyway, I do like the other name we chose and am not having any more children, but if I did, I would fight for Tobias/Toby - go for it!

I'm not even sure what MC is these days. I have a Toby 8 (Tobias) and a Jake 19 (Jacob) - Toby goes to a 'normal' North London primary school ....no other Toby's in his school. I love the name today as much as i loved it when i saw it in my sisters 'baby naming' book ....she went with Thomas !

My Ds is Toby, he is 17 now and it still suits him just as much as when he was little!
We are in no way posh!

I grew up on a council estate, had Toby at age 16 (nothing to do with my upbringing, just do you know ) Toby went to a state comprehensive school, and is now learning a trade in college.

It is the best boys name ever IMO!

Should read 'Justso* you know!

Well that went wrong!

Id say slightly MC but not very - almost neutral

Definitely not middle class IMO.

i like toby
what bout tobias?