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Baby names

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

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Original poster

Mercedes yay or nay?

71 replies

escorpion · 09/07/2015 19:02

We live abroad, my husband is South American and here there would be no problem with this name. It´s on our shortlist for a girl. I just worry if we come back to the UK to live about how this name is seen. i.e. chav. Thoughts?

OP posts:

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TakesTwoToTango · 09/07/2015 19:05

If you were in UZ or think your daughter may want to live her adult life here, then I think it would be easier on her to chose a different name.

RuddyHellItsSoftCell · 09/07/2015 19:07

I like it maybe because I know a nice one in rl. My brother has a friend Mercedes nicknamed Sadie which is a gorgeous name imo.

GummyBunting · 09/07/2015 19:08

I can only comment from the UK perspective, and yes the name carries strong chav vibes.

Original poster

escorpion · 09/07/2015 19:09

oh nooooooooo lol. It´s the only name we can get near to both agreeing on.

OP posts:

sallysparrow157 · 09/07/2015 19:14

I don't get the chav vibes from it but I worked with a Mercedes once, lovely girl but maybe lacking a bit in initiative, she was known as skoda as she wasn't fast enough to be a Mercedes...

BothEndsBurning · 09/07/2015 19:16

In the UK she can be Mercy for short. Lovely underused virtue name. Not chavvy in the slightest.

MirandaGoshawk · 09/07/2015 19:17

I think it would be totally fine. Your DH is from there so no problem. In any case, it doesn't scream 'chav' at me. Since when have people named their kids after cars, or am I being naive? Cortina! get 'ere!

MirandaGoshawk · 09/07/2015 19:20

Sorry, might not have explained that very well - if an English person named their DD Mercedes some ignorant people might raise their eyebrows because they don't realise that the car was named after a person, and not the other way round.

Original poster

escorpion · 09/07/2015 19:21

I was thinking of Mercedes coupled with a religious second name, so maybe it wouldn´t be so chav especially if her surname is Spanish.

OP posts:

BothEndsBurning · 09/07/2015 19:23

Yes, I don't understand why anyone would say it is chavvy. Mercedes is a highly unusual name in the UK, and would generally only be found where there is a Spanish or South American background.

Yes, Miranda, cars are occasionally given women's names, not vice versa! Marina, Clio spring to mind as well as Mercedes of course.

Mintyy · 09/07/2015 19:30

I was coming on to say that I completely love the name Mercedes, especially if there is any Spanish ancestry, and I have known a couple of Mercedes in my life.

But then I saw your horribly snobbish comment about the name being seen as "chav" and I completely changed my mind about saying something nice.

Original poster

escorpion · 09/07/2015 19:38

Mintyy I was only asking whether it was seen as chav as I have seen other threads on here in the past saying it was. I am far from a snob lol.

OP posts:

SantanaLopez · 09/07/2015 19:42

I worked with a Mercedes once, lovely girl but maybe lacking a bit in initiative, she was known as skoda as she wasn't fast enough to be a Mercedes...

SunshineAndShadows · 09/07/2015 19:48

I have to say it falls a bit into the 'brand name' school of names e.g Chanel, Armani, Chardonay so may be seen to be aspirational even though it's a perfectly nice Spanish name. At a minimum she'll probably get a lot 'what, like the car?' comments

Smartiepants79 · 09/07/2015 19:51

With the babies South american background I think it's fine.
A bit chav over here but there are worse!

reuset · 09/07/2015 19:51

Fine name and one I like, but not 'ideal' choice for the UK. Doesn't mean you shouldn't use it if you wish

BleachEverything · 09/07/2015 19:52

No!

Mintyy · 09/07/2015 21:08

Ugh, this is a nasty thread. People dissing the name Mercedes as "chavvy" just because they are ignorant and don't understand that is a Spanish name.

Bue · 09/07/2015 21:14

I love it and I know a very nice one in her 20s but a lot of people in the UK don't seem to realise that it's not a brand name - the car was named after the girl!!! For that reason alone I would probably avoid.

TRexingInAsda · 09/07/2015 21:21

It is seen as chavvy here, but not if you're actually Spanish and with a Spanish surname.

SunshineAndShadows · 09/07/2015 21:26

It's not Nast Mintyy it's realistic. It doesn't matter that it's a perfectly nice Spanish name when that association is not strong in the UK but the brand/car association is. It would be nasty to pretend otherwise and not be honest with the OP

WhyCantIuseTheNameIWant · 09/07/2015 21:42

It was on our short list for dd...
I like the name, but I am not that keen on the cars!

BothEndsBurning · 09/07/2015 21:44

Do all these people who allegedly see it as "chavvy" actually know many people called Mercedes? Or are they just making an ignorant assumption? If the latter, I would say their opinions can be safely disregarded.

Mintyy · 09/07/2015 21:53

Sunshine - but (to go with the terminology being used on this thread) only the chavviest of people would think Mercedes is chavvy? Everyone else with the merest hint of an education or awareness of the world around them would know that it is a classic Spanish name and nothing to do with Chardonnay or whatever.

So why worry about what an ignorant person would think of the name?

maggiethemagpie · 09/07/2015 21:53

I knew of a 'lady of the night' who used it as her prozzie name. I actually like the name but it has been forever tainted by that.

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