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?)

:)

[PenguinsIsSleepDeprived]

"Yes, but I'm pretty sure that most of the people who give their daughter's boys' names don't call their sons Elizabeth, KWIM? If they really did believe in GenderFreedom as a sort of statement, that's what they would do."

That is because it is considered humiliating for a boy to be thought of as a girl, but not vice versa. I mean, a girl who is into things society considered 'boyish' is a tomboy. A boy in the reverse situation? Well the closest word is cissy. A girl can wear boys clothes, that's find, but for a boy to look like a girl is embarrassing and degrading. A girl with a boy's name, that's kooky and acceptable. Possibly not to everyone's taste, but not unacceptable in general society. Vice versa, not so much. Just look how names like Kim are now basically unuseable for boys.

Most people who believe in equality still wouldn't make a pointless and damaging statement with their child's name by giving a boy a 'girls name'.

[FrazzledMC2]

Thanks Mathanxiety, I appreciated that ! :D

[TortoiseUpATreeAgain]

But when people use a hitherto-exclusively-male name for their daughter they so, SO often say "we wanted a strong name" and that really boils my piss. There's an implied conflation of "strong" with "male" and an implied disrespect for generation upon generation of strong women who have gone before us. And I don't see that as a "Yay! Gender Equality!" move at all.

I actually have more sympathy (and I never thought I'd say this) with parents who call their daughter Elliot or Finlay or Rory on the basis that "it has such a lovely feminine sound" (note they never do the same with Henry, though).

[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.

[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.

[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.

[squoosh]

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

[DecaffTastesWeird]

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

[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.

[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.

[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!

[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

[BotoxednSpanxed]

Owen is such a soft sound.

[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...

[DunedinSunshine]

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

[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.

[Alisvolatpropiis]

That is such an awful name.

[WeeClype]

Poor kid, how is that name pronounced?

[Alisvolatpropiis]

Why-at

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

[BotoxednSpanxed]

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

[squoosh]

Wyatt is an odd choice for a girl.

[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.

[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.

[mathanxiety]

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

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

[SurfsUp1]

Happy is a shockingly common name there

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