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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

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Original poster

Is Kayla chavvy?

57 replies

SarahScot · 04/03/2011 20:31

Okay, okay, I know it's not PC to use the term 'chavvy' . . . but is it?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

candleshoe · 04/03/2011 22:10

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-363230/Chav-names-feared-teachers.html

Kayla isn't on this list but it definitely IS chavvy!

usualsuspect · 04/03/2011 22:12

better than Percy though

ShowOfHands · 04/03/2011 22:13

It's not an I'm better than you term. I'm certainly not 'better' than my sil except at sudoku but she doesn't care about that. She refers to herself as a chav, unless she has self esteem issues it's not a value term to her.

It is used in a derogatory fashion though which is where the problem lies I suppose.

But names are described as all sorts of things. Aspirational, middle class, hippy etc. Just people wondering if they're associated with a certain group. Some people don't want names that seem to be indicative of any of these groups.

usualsuspect · 04/03/2011 22:24

Its a sneering term...like anyone would start a thread and say 'is Olivia too middle class' and posters would say 'well yes'

FunnysInTheGarden · 04/03/2011 22:27

yes, tis, sorry. And Shayla bird?..............no,no,no

ShowOfHands · 04/03/2011 22:30

People say names are pretentious or try hard all the time. Threads asking if Lawrence and Hugh would be bullied for example. They only would be if they had associations. Which names do.

Chav is a sneering term now yes and it's not pleasant I admit. But it does refer to a recognisable set of values be they fashion values or anything else that like it or not, judging by the responses on here, people do rate names according to.

candleshoe · 04/03/2011 22:32

Is Kayla ever going to be taken seriously? Would you vote for a Kayla? Will she be a surgeon? Could you take her seriously as the CEO of a multinational company? NO

But Olivia could be any of those things ...

lilyberry · 04/03/2011 22:38

How about Michaela, with Kayla as a nickname?

usualsuspect · 04/03/2011 22:40

Its just a name ..anyone who judges a name has the problem

candleshoe · 04/03/2011 22:48

Naive and simplistic usual everyone judges everyone else all of the time ... there is no getting away from it.

smother · 04/03/2011 22:50

yes. and don't you want to call her Marnie anyway??!

usualsuspect · 04/03/2011 22:53

really? so all the many diverse names from my multicultural city will never be lawyers or doctors then?

only the acceptable names will make it? yeah right

candleshoe · 04/03/2011 22:58

We need a university research team here right now to properly look into this ... do doctors and lawyers have generally have 'traditional' or 'classic' names? Will a child called 'Kayla' suffer career disadvantages? The makings of a phD study here for someone surely...

ShowOfHands · 04/03/2011 23:03

I don't think that a name stops you having any career.

But if you think people don't make judgements on things like name, appearance, body language- and in an instant - you're naive.

It's normal to judge. It keeps us safe. It's inbuilt. We built up patterns and norms and expectations and they are how we navigate life.

I'd like to think that what marks you out as an evolved adult is that you don't discriminate. There are lots of names I don't like because I just don't like them and I recognise that. If I happened to meet a person of that name I'd still not like the name, but I wouldn't treat that person any differently.

Elizadoesdolittle · 04/03/2011 23:16

Yes it is.

hmc · 04/03/2011 23:18

Totally

usualsuspect · 04/03/2011 23:18

I'm not naive..I know that people judge on names and addresses,postcodes ,the right school etc...doesn't mean I have to agree with it or accept it though

NorthernGobshite · 04/03/2011 23:19

Its chav-tastic!

ValiumSingleton · 05/03/2011 10:57

Maybe Michaela might work better? That's got to be classic hasn't it?

Original poster

SarahScot · 05/03/2011 11:40

smother, have I banged on about it so much it's stuck in your head now? oops, sorry!

OP posts:

mamawhoboreme · 05/03/2011 15:40

Kayla to me isn't chavvy per say it's just one of those names that will date and not age well with the child, in my opinion (but I was considering naming unborn dd Spencer so I can't really speak)

Michaela is a beautiful, classic name and you could call her Kayla as a nickname, spelt any way you want.

I like the name Ayla though actually, it's a very old Hebrew name which means mighty, I think. So no one could accuse you of being chavvy -it's in the Bible! haha

washngo · 05/03/2011 19:22

I agree that nobody should be judged upon their name. And actually I have no problem imagining a doctor or a CEO called kayla. However, I also think that asking if a name is "poncy", which frequently happens, is v similar to asking if it is chavvy. One of my dcs has a name I have seen described on here as chavvy, the other dc's name I've seen called poncy. So you can't please everybody and you shouldn't try. If you like it and ate comfortable with it go for it.

washngo · 05/03/2011 19:23

are comfortable with it.

plonkerr · 05/03/2011 19:24

Yes

gpage · 05/03/2011 19:27

There are nicer names out there...

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