American names = bad?

[thecaroline]

Hello, everyone,

I'm not a mom or pregnant, just very interested in names. I've been reading here for a while and am a regular on another name website, and I've noticed that lots of posters here seem to feel a certain disdain for "American" sounding names. I'm curious about this, partly because I'm American, and partly because I don't understand the categorization.

So, what are these American names you speak of? And I'm wondering if all "American-sounding names" are inherently tacky to the British/Irish ear, or... what do you think? Where do "Australian sounding names" fit into this equation?

I have a feeling that this category of names is what a good number of Americans would label "tacky" or "trendy"... or at least I hope so.

Thanks, y'all (I might as well play up my Americanness, right?)

:)

[GreenKay]

I know an American little girl called Addison Lee. Imagine her parents' dismay when they moved to London and found out it was the name of the city's largest mini cab company!

I have a few guilty pleasure names that I feel are 'American' sounding. Hadley, Piper, Aspen for girls and Cooper and Chad for boys. Maybe I could get away with Chad

[spamanderson]

Personally I'm not keen on American sounding girls names but I love the boys names. I find their names to be quite 'surnamey' strong names. A few I love for example Wade, Clarke, Gray, Harrison etc.

[SurfsUp1]

OP, as an Australian I'm not sure what names would be considered "Australian". Wayne, Shane? (they're considered pretty terrible even here but are used as stereotypical names for "okka" Aussie bloke names.
Tracey? Sharon? Kylie? See above but for women. They are all very dated now and I'm not sure there are modern names that have replaced them.
Australia has started to adopt a slightly more American style of naming, but those sorts of names are probably considered a bit down-market in some circles (similar to England).

When I think of American names I think of Chuck, Chad, Randy, Chad, Brad, Wyatt etc.

I think outside the US they just sound a bit cheesy?

[SurfsUp1]

Happy is a shockingly common name there

Happy?? Never heard it here! Who told you it was popular?

[mathanxiety]

I would pronounce it like 'quiet' without the Q.

I think it takes the boy-name-for-a-girl trend too far.

[CheerfulYank]

I know at least five little Wyatt's, all boys. Here it's more wy-it. I like it for a boy.

Ick for a girl though.

[MollyBdenum]

I really like Wyatt for a boy.

And I think of Emma as a very strong name, possibly because of Emma Goldman, while Juliet and Caroline are more dainty. I vaguely associate Caroline with crinoline which doesn't help.

[squoosh]

Wyatt is an odd choice for a girl.

[BotoxednSpanxed]

wyatt is disappointing. I expected something better from them. No idea why. Wyatt Isabel could be wiz for short so that's nice

[Alisvolatpropiis]

Why-at

It's a very male name. Odd choice for a girl. Thought they would go for a normal name.

[WeeClype]

Poor kid, how is that name pronounced?

[Alisvolatpropiis]

That is such an awful name.

[NadiaWadia]

Speaking of American naming habits, apparently Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher have just named their baby girl .... Wyatt. Yuck!

Poor child. Such a masculine name, and an ugly one for a boy, even.

[DunedinSunshine]

Much of the American practice of using surnames for first names came from Scottish settlers, especially in the South.

[Strokethefurrywall]

Bizarrely enough, I have a Carter and a Sullivan. I'm a first generation Brit, my husband is Scottish but we live overseas. Not American or Irish.

DS1 was going to be either Carter or Elliot, DS2 was going to be either Sullivan on Lachlan but he was born on St. Patrick's day so Sullivan it was (which was my preferred name).

Both DH and I like the surnames for first names (he has a surname as a first name, it's a Scots thing apparently) and we chose the names on preference alone.

I think where we live (melting pot Caribbean island) means there is a huge variety of names from many different cultures, from the "cutsey, twee" names favoured in the UK right now, and the "American" names, which is probably why we don't get many raised eyebrows to our boys' names.

Lincoln was also on our list but decided that having a Carter and a Lincoln would make us sound like presidential freaks...

[BotoxednSpanxed]

Owen is such a soft sound.

[TeWiSavesTheDay]

Cheerful - we have 3 and got some delightful How Will You Cope!! Comments from family. No one believes us when we say it's fine

[CheerfulYank]

When my BIL told MIL they were going to name her first GC Owen, you should have seen the cat's bum face on her :) She's fine with it now, he's nine and it's just his name. But I've always been slightly scared to tell her my DCs names ever since!

Haven't told her we're having another yet, I wonder how that's going to go. Eeek! They still treat DH like the baby and I'm sure they'll be worried for him, having to provide for 3 kids. Sorry, tangent!

[NinjaLeprechaun]

And some boys names sound a bit weak to me. Like Noah, or Owen. That's just my opinion. I wouldn't suggest that they suit girls. Just wouldn't pick them as they're a bit blink and you miss them.
Funnily enough, Noah is the top boys name in the US right now and Owen is in the top 40.

[SconeRhymesWithGone]

Many women's names are the feminine form of a male name; Caroline mentioned above as a strong name is a feminine form of Charles.

[DecaffTastesWeird]

Tortois I actually know a female Henry! Think it's short for Henrietta, but everyone calls her Henry. She's in her 40s.

[squoosh]

It's funny, I see Noah as a big booming name.

[FrazzledMC2]

And some boys names sound a bit weak to me. Like Noah, or Owen. That's just my opinion. I wouldn't suggest that they suit girls. Just wouldn't pick them as they're a bit blink and you miss them.

[FrazzledMC2]

I know what you mean Tortoise. Femininity shouldn't be considered the polar opposite of strength. I like strong names for women, but I think they come and go out of fashion. Rachel, Susan, Caroline, Margaret and Juliet sound stronger to me than say Ella, Leila, Emma and Lily. It's partly cyclical but there's more to it than that.

[PenguinsIsSleepDeprived]

I would agree with that. Of course a traditionally female name can be strong. It was the 'it makes it hard for boys' argument I was responding to.