why do names differ so much - USA/UK

[Summerbluues]

So just a late night thought and after seeing a post about a girls' name that I think would be totally accepted in the States but not so much here. It seems that across the pond they are much for "daring" with names, like there is more emphasis on trying to find something unique. I just commented on another post how "masculine" names are not all that rare for girls e.g Brynn, Ryan, Jamie.

My sister lives in Chicago and just through having a quick browse at her FB friends list I've found

Kayli
Kristi
Kenzi
Brandi
Tinley (x2)
Dakota
Desiree
Avery (x2)
Adalyn
Ariel (x3)
Westley
Charity
London
Trinidy
Darriyan
Shallise
Shelby
Delaney (x3)
Payton
Brynn/Brynne for a girl x 2
Lark
Raleigh
Logan
Tulley
Maydee
Lincoln (x2)
Tyree
Porter (x2)
Genesis
Braylon
Jett
Kamryn
Reese for a girl (x2)
Hadley (x2)
Brielle
Kennedi
Raina
Landry
Kaelyn
Piper (x4)
Madalyn (obvious Madeleine very common but never seen this spelling before!)
Sharise
Dixie
Presley (x3)
Haeliey
Kylynn
Kodi
Keilah

And those are just the ones that really stood out..it's like I would see those names and know straight away it was someone from the States and not the UK. Why do you think it is that across the pond they are more "out there" with names?

you find it infuriatingly arrogant for an american parent to give her american child a name that might possibly be pronounced differently by someone with a British accent.

Hahahahahaha! That's not what I said at all. Try again.

OK Derelict I will ask another question. Do you find it 'infuriatingly arrogant' when someone from Uganda or South Africa choose a name that is not designed to be pronounced correctly by Brits?

This is one of the strangest threads I have ever read! People do realise that America is a different country don't they? A different culture. In fact, it's a country that has hugely different cultures within it due to its enormity. And a country that's actually a long way away from ours. I'm truly baffled.

*So the name really only makes sense when it's said in an American accent.

See also Sondra, Soosin, Kynadi, Megyn.

I find it infuriatingly arrogant!*

Can you interpret for me then? What is infuriatingly arrogant?

Give us an example, lackingimagination.

Just to clarify some points (I'm awake now).

Yes, I was being sarcastic with my comments about British people (I am British btw).
Yes, US FAR more emphasis on grammar/spelling etc. I taught English in the UK from 1994 - 2008, now teach it in the US, so have a good idea of both education systems. I've also read up on and taught about the history of education in the US (good YouTube program by Melvyn Bragg btw) and US spelling is closer to the UK spellings from 1700s than current UK spellings are.

I'd say much harder to tell 'class' by name in the US. e.g. someone called Addison Russell Smith III could be very wealthy or very poor, and male or female (I think - I still sometimes get things wrong).

I do, genuinely, prefer the greater variety. I grew up with the kind of family who laugh out loud when they hear the names of DD's school friends, and I'm much more comfortable with 'anything goes' attitude. There is still judgement about names in the US (people here were astounded when someone chose the bizarre name of Declan for their son. Such an odd, Irish name hadn't been encountered before) but generally it is more accepting of different names.

I'm sure that it must depend on the circles that people mix in just as it would here. I've many American friends and loved there for a few years and my friends children have really unusual names like Jake, Ethan, Joe, Isabelle, Emma & Jessica

My own American friends have equally unusual names, Rebecca, Charlotte, Jason, Peter, Jennifer, Cynthia and Steven. They're all New York / Boston families so perhaps more traditional

Canyouforgiveher - the thing I find arrogant is I imagine that the parents assume that Kadi will be called 'Kaydee' all over the world, when in fact to most Brits it looks like 'Kaddy'.

They have chosen a name that can only be pronounced correctly in an American accent. That middle 'd' sound doesn't really exist in British English. I have a London accent and would feel a right fanny saying 'Kaydee' like an American. But if I said 'Kaydee' in my own accent, or 'Kaytee', it would be wrong. So I would have no option but to sound foolish.

I did say it was an unreasonable prejudice of mine. maybe you missed that bit.

Derelict - Tshegofatso and Thandolwethu. 7th and 10th most popular South African girls names in 2016 according to Parent24.

?

Everything DixieWishbone said on page 1.

It's a "slag off American names" thread, what a thrill. I wonder what would happen if an American parent was on Mumsnet and started up a thread about English names and how all her friends on facebook have kids called Lily Mae, Ellie Mae, Sophie and Amelia and how the parents must lack imagination.

As for the trailer park comment...

No, I wouldn't find it arrogant for someone to name their child Tshegofatso or Thandolwethu.

I would imagine that they are pronounced similarly in either accent, albeit far more difficult to get the hang of!

I don't object to foreign names, is that what you thought I was saying?

I object to the spelling of names being adjusted to suit the American accent, rendering them impossible to pronounce correctly in an English accent. It means that the person will never have their name pronounced correctly outside of that country unless someone tries to do an impression of that accent. Soosin will get called Soo-sin in the UK when she is actually supposed to be 'Susan'. But the English way of saying 'Susan' isn't right, either. Soosin's name will only ever be correct in the US.

I'm from London and I can pronounce Kaydee without sounding like a knob. It rhymes with Brady. Do you think you sound foolish saying Brady?

Kaydee is a name in its own right, not a variation of the spelling of Katy.

You pronounce a hard 'd' in Kaydee, though, don't you? That's not her name.

American 'Kaydee' sounds more like 'Kayleigh' than 'Kaydee' in an English accent.

You object to the spelling of names being adjusted to suit the American accent... In America... By Americans...

I give up!

I did say I was being unreasonable.

Touché 😊

Having lived in the States for 10 years, including attending school there, I have rarely come across any of those types of names. Yes there is an occasional Logan or Wyatt that may not be mainstream UK, but the majority were no different to my English friends names (plenty of Charlottes/Elizabeth/Catherine's). If you actually look at the equivalent of the ONS for the US top 10 for 2015:
1 Emma
2 Olivia
3 Sophia
4 Ava
5 Isabella
6 Mia
7 Abigail
8 Emily
9 Charlotte
10 Harper

you'll see except for a few (expected) variations, the popular names are very similar to the UK top 10.

I would wonder who your sister is hanging out with

Aw, I quite like them. I like how the Americans seems to want their kids to be individual and stand out. Of course there's 'unique' and then there's a whole other level of 'yoneek'.

My octogenarian Devonian grandmother is called Avery (waves to anyone who knows me ).

I'm sure Soosin and Kadi don't give a shit how random British people pronounce their names!

I work for an American bank and all my Yank colleagues have kids with very normal names: Mason, Caleb, Marcus... One thing I notice is that there are lots of fashionable names there that seem a bit dated over here: Jeremy, Derek, Diana. The weirdest one by far is Brighton (girl)!

Simon Cowell of course called his baby Eric, which raised a few eyebrows. It's an old man name here - not in a good way! They seem much more accepting of odd names over there.

Just came back to this thread after a couple of days- lots of interesting input!

To those saying this thread is a "slag off American names" thread, or one intended to be judgemental and prejudice, it wasn't that at all. I have a genuine interest in names and cultural differences. I studied in Sydney for a year where there were students from all over the world and to be honest it was only American names that really stood out as "different." Names of students from other English speaking countries (Canada, NZ, Aus) were all very similar to the British student names. It was only with my American friends/classmates that I'd stop and think "oh that's different."

So that's all this thread was about- a genuine interest. I never meant to insult, criticise or judge anyone.

Derelict, you're not making a lot of sense. It's the American T that is softened, so that Katy sounds like Kaydee. The name Kadi would be pronounced the same by most Americans and Brits, to rhyme with Brady. It would only make sense to say Caddy if there was a double consonant in the middle, which there isn't.

We moved back to the UK recently after a 7 yr stint on the west coast of the US. I am repeatedly surprised by how anti-American British people are and how Americans are blatantly stereo-typed in a way that we would never treat other cultures. I'm also dumbfounded by our total and paralyzing obsession with class back here.
We lived in a very over-priced, let's say, part of the US where most families were far wealthier and than us. I agree with the original point that more masculine names and surnames were popular for girls. There were none of the weird spellings from that list, but Devon, Marlowe, Wallis, Ryder, Averly, Blake and Thalia were all local toddler girls. Personally I like these strong sounding names and I think the only reason people in the UK are terrified of these types of names is that others might 'find them out' as not truly middle class. You know it's true. In the States people aren't held back by this fear when naming their children, that's all.

My US friends all seem to be naming their babies much more middle of the road names that my Britush friends. My Britsh friends are into the old man name trend my US friends have recently had: Nicholas, Sam (x3), Marcus, Mark, James, Rosealie, Ben, Maggie, Jacob, Emma....

Derelict you sound totally deranged...

Why would an American consider how a Brit would pronounce their child's name if they live in the US?

You do realise most Americans have never been to the UK and don't even know how British people would pronounce any specific word?

The idea that Americans should specifically consider British pronunciation when naming their children displays your overwhelming arrogance. How things may be said in the UK is not a priority for most people in the world. This country is not that important.