Why is it so offensive to say that a name will date?

[LotusClover]

Hello everyone,

I've noticed on a lot of these threads, some posters get very angry and defensive when someone suggests that a name will date.

Why?

So okay, you might not agree - or even care - that it will date. Fair enough. But isn't the whole purpose of this forum to give our opinions in an honest and constructive way? No one's saying you have to agree with these opinions.

I see posters describing names as "ugly" and "downmarket", and saying that they "hate" them. And no one bats an eyelid. But as soon as you say you think a name is going to date, you have people jumping on your case like you've just committed a crime.

Sorry for the long post, but I feel like I'm missing something here. What's so bad about suggesting that a name will date?

Thank you

It's a name chosen by people who want their child to be anything they want to be, whether that is a barrister, an actress, a nurse, a professional athlete or a stay at home parent. (I know Katherines doing all these things.)

I just googled top barrister in UK and the first news item was an article about two up and coming future barristers called Sanah and... Jordan 🤣🤣

www.blogpreston.co.uk/2020/05/preston-barrister-in-training-wins-place-in-the-courts-for-prestigious-scheme/

As for actresses, well, if you look up top paid actress in the world, it is Scarlett Johansson.

Your name won't hold you back unless it is ridiculous, but your attitude might pepere as it is ungracious and reductive. Not very becoming of a Katherine if you ask me.

I think you are wilfully missing the point and I pity your children for whatever stupid names you have undoubtedly lumbered them with.

Pepere pour yourself a big gin and tonic, sit in the sun and breathe. Don't be so angry. Life is good! Even if you're called Teaghan 😉

But it's better if you're not called Teaghan.

Sadly I cannot have a G&T right now, much as I would like one.

I actually associate names like Katherine and Louise very much with my generation rather than the next, despite their classic status. I’m a Louise btw, in case anyone thinks I’m slating their name. I always thought it was one letter change away from being a name I love, but i don’t mind it, it’s inoffensive. However there are some names I have on my list that are quite classic and timeless in my opinion but others will definitely consider boring or even dated... for example I have Hannah which for me is perennially timeless but others on here very much associate with 80s or 90s kids when there was a wave of popularity, and I totally get that. Ancient origins can still turn into recent trends and memories in that regard, and associations are very subjective. Emma feels dated to me despite it being pretty consistently popular from Austen days, it was very popular in my generation so my limited life experience informs this for me... considering we’re only here for a short amount of time, it doesn’t really matter to me that it’s been around for hundreds of years, my personal frame of reference is that loads of people I went to school with were called it and I find it hard to think past that. Names like Sophia, Lucy and Elizabeth however while not my cup of tea whatsoever, are firmly classic and I can see why they’ve stood the test of time. But other people would group Emma together with them, it’s such a subjective thing. I also have some much more unusual options on my list, I tend to just like what I like regardless of popularity, to a degree, although I’d definitely want to avoid a child being one of 20 in the school if possible. I do think people picking very out there names is just the other side of the same coin, it’s reactionary to the notion of popularity. I guess I just like names that sound beautiful to me.

@ wolffgirl I work in a library, and most librarians are trying to be artists of some type, or pursuing something else interesting while choosing to work round books. It's not a profession for the boring/staid. Also, there are no Kathryns at my work, or any version of it.

Saying that, I like both Kathryn and Teaghan. Kathryn for the choice it gives, and Teaghan for how unusual it is. If it means little poet, that is gorgeous.

@theotherfossilsister

Well that's my illusion shattered!