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?)

:)

[ineveram]

So Addison wouldn't be a good choice for a child in the UK!

Amelia (lacking one or more limbs). I never knew that! I know loads of Amelias

[ineveram]

Addison's disease, brought about by failure of the adrenal glands.

Who would have thought there was so much to a name!

[Legionofboom]

WeeClype Nothing wrong with the name Cody. I know a lovely one who is Australian.

[ineveram]

Turner is another one (to do with Chromosomes)

[DecaffTastesWeird]

Legion I think you are right, there are many names that are popular and widely accepted as traditional British names which come from other cultures.

However, I think the OP was asking about names which people on MN have said are "American sounding", not names which are of American origin. There are traditional English/European names which may be "American sounding" to some people.

When I say I think it's cringy to ape the culture of another country, I am not saying that all names from other cultures are cringy. For example, someone who has no French / Francophone heritage whatsoever or any link to any Francophone country being called something very French sounding, (I'm a bit scared to use an example in case I offend anyone, but maybe something like Jean-Baptiste?), would seem a little unusual to me personally. On the other hand the name Richard also has French origins, but has been used in the UK for centuries. I wouldn't think anything of meeting a British man called Richard.

I think people should be able to call their children whatever they like though. It's just my personal taste.

[BotoxedHighlightedSpanxdFossil]

I quite like Cody tbh! I'll allow that one

Turner and Addisons though! Syndrome & Disease

[squoosh]

WeeClype you could do a lot worse than call your son Cody. Not my style of name but does conjure up an image of an achingly handsome surfer type.

[BotoxedHighlightedSpanxdFossil]

I like the names Bruce and Shane too! Maybe not as siblings though

[TheWholeOfTheSpoon]

A brief look at the class lists of my children's classes (in the US) and the most popular names here are Kelly, Julia, Sophia, Gia, Ava, Emily, Dylan, Jon, Brandon, Michael, Nick and Ross. All names that can be found in a lot of British school, aren't they?

[bumbleandbumble]

Having lived in UK and USA...

most american sounding names I can think of or people I met:

Brad, Chad, Brett, Bodie, Camden, Hudson, Brandon, Brodie, Benny, Tyson, Chuck, Randy, Randall, Marty, Christian, Vinny, Jermaine, Montell, Chip, Cash,
Talbot, Shane

Madison, Kaylee, Tiffany, Neveah (heaven backwards), Paris, London, Wilson, Reagan, Bree, Brianna, Shannon, Michelle, Loren, Kylie, Cathy, Alannah, Emery, Chantell, Marissa, Halley, Keesha, Tracy, Stacey, Pamela, Kenya, Kristal, Britney, Whitney, Trina, Camron, Mandy

[Legionofboom]

I think the most American sounding are people known by initials like TJ.

Also John Smith III. Numbers are reserved for Kings and Queens in the UK.

[bumbleandbumble]

oh yes! TJ, PJ, JR

and Junior...as in John Junior

Also in the south, double names:
Peggy Sue, Mary Jane, Jessie Lou, Mary Beth..

[Momagain1]

And yet, my Brit husband was known by his initials in school. (To be fair, it was a founded in the middle ages Royal Grammar (he was a day student on scholarship) and all the boys (of course only boys) were required to use their initials and surname on their work. The boys who knew each others names (the boarders and actually posh day students) vs. the boys everyone only knew by their initials (day students with money but not posh,and scholarship students) was a clear social division.

[usualsuspect333]

I love American names, they seem much cooler than the stuffy English names that are so popular in certain circles now.

[bumbleandbumble]

cooler? not sure, maybe more fun...

Rather hang out with Cash than Rupert,
rather party with China than Imogen :)

[PercyHorse]

Mason and Logan are American names to me. They're also in the 2013 ONS top 30. Depressing.

[usualsuspect333]

Why is it depressing?

[Alisvolatpropiis]

I really like Logan.

[ineveram]

A brief look at the class lists of my children's classes (in the US) and the most popular names here are Kelly, Julia, Sophia, Gia, Ava, Emily, Dylan, Jon, Brandon, Michael, Nick and Ross. All names that can be found in a lot of British school, aren't they?

For some reason that name makes me think of barns on farms

[PercyHorse]

I find it depressing to me because I don't like them at all and they've become very widely used. They make me think of cheesy US soap operas.

[PenguinsIsSleepDeprived]

Some of them ineveram. Some, like Nick and Kelly, would be pretty rare in children.

[Pico2]

Ineveram - I think you might struggle to find Gia, Brandon or Ross in many schools in the UK.

I might be ignorant, but I've never heard of Gia as a name in the UK.

[PenguinsIsSleepDeprived]

... and Brandon would be very rare here in all ages I think.

[usualsuspect333]

Brandon and Ross wouldn't be that unusual around here.

[squoosh]

Ross is a pretty common name in the UK.