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.

Cheese - are we reading the same thread?

cheese you spectacularly miss the point. Whilst name may not be a long term indicator of success - and not one person on this thread has suggested that you can't do something because of your name, despite assertions to the contrary - people are discriminated against because of their names which is the point made in Freakonomics and numerous additional.

Oh and Rachel no mumsnetter would ever criticise a name as "gay"

It's daft to try and say that we don't judge a parent on the names they give their child. However, the vast majority of names give me no thoughts whatsoever on the type of mother who chose it.

Names such as Esme-She could be anyone who has come from anywhere.

I have worked in education and have just trained as a sw. I see dozens of childrens' names everyday and only a tiny minority bring out my judgy pant such as the memorable Jaydenarama.

But I'm judging the fact that they haven't thought about the impact of such a name on their child with regards teasing etc. Certainly not judging the child herself or thinking she can't possibly amount to anything.

"The MC tend not to have such short names - more like Henrietta or Elizabeth."

Disagree - that would be one particular sub set of the middle classes (a very wide class stratum)namely the aspirational, wannabee subset with pretensions to grandeur...

HMC, you can't include Elizabeth in that. I've seen Elizabeths everywhere from Moss Side to Windsor.

Elizabeth is definitely one of those who knows where she's from names.

Admittedly I was thinking more of Henrietta in this instance (plus GorgeousX just got on my tits so I wanted to type something pithy..)

HMC - If you call your child an MC name then you are WITHOUT doubt MC!

In the States, you can be called Randy and people keep a straight face!

LOL! You can be called anything in the States - even Barack!

I do love the US of A!

No Nancy, I didn't miss the point, I got it, I just happen to think you're wrong.

You said that if you want your child to get ahead in life calling them Ruby-Lou probably doesn't help. You also said they'd be discriminated against. I pointed out that if you want to quote Freakonomics it might be best to check what they actually say which is that calling your child Ruby-Lou has NO bearing on whether they might 'get ahead' in life or not.

Of course our children may be judged on their names, they'll also probably be judged on their weight, appearance, accent, dress sense, gender etc. There is a big difference between judged and discriminated against though which is the point I am trying to make.

To say you think Araminta is a name favoured by the upper classes is one thing. To say Esme won't be an MP and calling your child Ruby-Lou will hinder their future chances is total crap.

I'm off to America now to live with Randy, GorgeousX can send me a postcard there to confirm that my use of the word 'crap' has now demoted me to the working classes.

The word 'crap' is used by the MC. Have a good trip.

Take me with you CheeseandBunion, take me with you!!!

This thread is really confirming my view that I'd love my children to spend some part of their eduction abroad - because I really want them to realise that this UK class obsession is not shared by the rest of the world, and I want them to grow up more open-minded.

cheese are you deliberately being obtuse?

There is a difference between discrimination and whether someone actually "gets ahead". A point that is actually covered in Freakonomics....

Getting back to the OP's original point, round here (up north) the typical MC names where I live are Olivia, Isabelle (and variants), Isabella, Alice, Ella, Matilda and Amelia. Lots of Lilys and Evies of all classes.

Yawn to the above (nice enough names but way too popular IMO).

I went for a classless name for my DD chosen primarily for its meaning (and yes I probably am what some demographic statistician would "define" as MC). My DD's name may have raised an eyebrow or two amongst my friends, most of which have daughters named as above. Most people don't seem to care what names mean anymore!

If you are bright and motivated you will get on in life career-wise regardless of your name.

Amen to that Zozzle!

We have Hattie,12 Dexter,5 and Felicity,2 are these unusual? I fucking hpoe so! I can't stand to hear my kids names uttered by the Froot Shoot,Sausage roll scavengers...

Oh such angst. We just picked a name we liked, glad I hadn't read this sort of thing first! Dd's name is perfect, we think anyway!

dexifehat LOL! Lovely middle class names IMO - no worries there - Loving Felicity.