Ethan - common or suitably middle class?

[nnaturegirl]

My dh and I love the name Ethan, particularly because we thought it was really unusual, but when we consulted the top baby name lists it appears to have been Top 20 for years (neither of us have ever met an Ethan though). Are we going to find that naming him Ethan means he is one of many of the same name when he gets to school?

Also, being middle class parents, we do not wish to unwittingly bestow a chavvy name on our pfb, but we have no point of reference for Ethan. Is it suitably middle class or does it belong with Kai and Jayden?

Thank you!

I don't understand the Kai comment? Sorry...

There were 3 ethans in my sons class

2 with the same initials...made naming school uniform a pain in the arse

Ethan is what hapoens when you let my husband pick a name

I really don't like Ethan. It doesn't sound elegant or classy to my ears. I just prefer other names.

But I find your op quite arrogant and don't like the term 'chavvy'.

I didn't post the original...Thank you

BluesandI - re-read the OP to understand the Kai comment.

It depends where you live and how you would feel if the 'th' was pronounced as 'ff'.

Ah thank you Blue. Actually the only Kai I know is a lovely guy and half Swedish

It's best to start your own thread instead of resurrecting an old one. As you can see, people respond to the op most of the time.

Nowt wrong with Ethan btw. I know several. All lovely young boys.

I know several (at least 6) Ethans age 7 and under. Never met, or heard of, any others apart from Ethan Hawke. One is the son of an aneathatist, one is the son of sn unemployed fork lift driver. Mske of that what you will.

When DNeph was called Ethan, 4 years ago, FiL commented on how unusual it was, and a name he'd never come across outside the USA (he travels a lot, and widely, for work). He was genuinely surprised when we looked it up on the ONS charts and it was something like 18th most popular boys name the previous year.

I don't think you can hang any social assumptions on Ethan, but it screams "2010s".

I hate people who describe themselves as middle class.

Me too...and I hate the word 'chav' but as awful as it sounds you don't want a name with negative connotations for the majority of people. Anyway Ethan doesn't seem to fall in that category thankfully

I know a late teen Ethan who was born a week or so before Mission:Impossible was released.

His surname is Hunt.

Dont do this!

My DS has a friend called Ethan. I never went to school with any but I gather over recent years it's picked up some popularity. I think it's (as someone up thread said) along the same lines as Joshua or Samuel. Kind of average, middle of the road? Doesn't scream out 'chav' nor middle class to me.

Seriously, who refers to themselves as middle class, do people actually say that sort of thing now days?

The problem with Ethan is most children say 'eef-fam', there are 4 in DS's year, and yes, a Jayden and a Kai too.

It's a naughty boy name in my school.

Op isn't from around here?? Where, Mumsnet?

Ethan is hardly a Vicky Pollard type name ffs. Ethan and Kai are normal names IMO. Although it's true what pp said that most kids will say ee-fan, so unless you have plans for a 'suitably middle class' private school steer clear

Where does she claim to be American? No self respecting American would refer to themselves as middle class anyway, they don't do the whole class system in the same way, and they wouldn't give a toss what class British people would consider their kids names.

In my experience Ethan lines up more wiith Jaiden or Connor than it does with Tristan or Quentin. It's in the "naughty boy" pile