A Public Service Announcement: if you are middle-class and live in an area with a high proportion of Boden-wearers...

[PollyMorfic]

...you would be well-advised to take note.

Following my compulsory attendance at 7yo dd2's first music 'concert' (I use the term loosely, and yes I was bored) I whiled away the time doing a little research on the list of 'performers', which led to the following conclusion.

If you are middle-class and live in a reassuringly expensive but still very slightly boho area, possibly but not necessarily in London, and are currently pregnant with a girl, you are probably considering one of the following names:

Maya
Mia
Pia
Tia
Ella
Ellie
Lily
Lola
Evie
Edie
Esme
Izzy

These are all nice names. But everybody else thinks so too. So if you want to avoid in future years having half a dozen Boden-clad little mites do a double-take every time you call one of said names in a public place, you may wish to consider branching out a bit.

Eye thang yew.

Gorgeous - they're not short names, those are the nn's I assume

So

Isabella
Evelyn
Elewyn

err ok, i can't think of the rest

This thread is so funny and only in England do people have an obsession with 'class' in this way imo.

Personally I don't like most of the names listes as they are indeed very overused and a little boring. I think we will soon tire of these short cutey type names.

Both my DDs play violin, piano and cello and can play whilst balancing a pile of Latin books on their heads.

Brian - still too short.

I like all those names, they are very pretty.

Haven't encountered too many Pias thoug.

And both Henrietta and Elizabeth have just finished practising their instruments and are looking through the Boden catalogue, as we speak.

Gorgeous - bugger, will try to add a few sneaky letters to end of dd's name. Afterall, class is so important isn't it?!

Lol, I thought you were suggesting Brian for an unusual girl's name. Would certainly be unique!

It is more like

Katherine
Saskia
Allegra
Arabella
Isadora
Jane
Elizabeth
Clara
Sarah
Leisle
Alice
Beatrice
Tamsin
Sophia
Zara

round here, a bit more traditional on the girls and boys front too come to think of it.

This thread is so funny .

LOL! Brian Sorry but it won't count - you also can't hyphenate - i.e. Sally-anne

OK, so what are the boys equivalents then?

Shit, I was going to add '-Lacey' to the end, bet that would 'class it up'

Tarquin, Edward, Charles, Phillip - tend to be traditional.

Colin
Samantha
Sharon
Kevin

are the names to ensure you are ahead of the fashion pack

Brian You could hyphenate the surname. i.e. Andhisballs-Guthrie.

Sebastian
james
thelonious

In our working class household we have:

Jane, who is moderately good at music and ballet

Peter, good at violin and piano

Rowan, good at art but no ear for music

Jack, good at barking

Also several Boden coats, bought because we can't afford dry-cleaning and they go in the washing machine.

Ah, but Bunty - no cellos.

[weeps]

no cello.

I find the debate about class, who thinks what defines it, what class people think they are, absolutely fascinating! It's snobbery which is unpleasant.
I have always been interested in names and which ones get universal use or stick in certain social strata.
I disagree that it's only the Brits who care - although Americans for example may have been more adventurous with names across the board, there are still names which would scream 'trailer park trash' at a 'hockey mom'! Don't deny it!

Those names are so boring and overused, I don't think many are still considering them for their bump. Well, I'm not anyway. But then I'm not a Boden wearer .

halfcaff Surely you don't class this as a debate?

I've lived in Germany and Canada and those are both much more social, equal societies. This obesession with class and how it relates to names is definatly a very British think imo.