Jayden

[Southwestinmybones]

Is this a reasonable choice for a baby boy? My friend wants to choose it... she's white and middle class. It just seems a strange choice to me.

I really like the sound if it. I would personally spell it Jadon.

Certain people will turn their nose down at any name that’s never belonged to a monarch.

I'm with OP and hesaidshesaidwhat.

It’s awful but your friends choice. Nothing to do with you

Yes, I’d be surprised if one of my friends chose this name. No, I wouldn’t say anything.

I don't like the name, but unless a close friend or family asks for genuine opinions the the correct response to name discussions is something neutral and move on.

Colour and class don't come into it. Snobbery however is well and truly in the door here.

You could go for Goady Goady-Boots

But it might be a bit close to your own name?

LilQueenie
Or people just happen to like different names.

I think your observation is right in that yes it's typically a white, working and "lower" class name.

It's an unusual middle class taste in baby names whereas anything from Michael to Bodhi or Rafferty (personally much prefer Jayden to both Bodhi + Rafferty) would be more expected?

I'm sure working class people bleugh 🤢 at very middle class names in the same way that I'm sure many middle class people bleugh at working class names.

Which is one of the appealing things about names like Michael, Alex, Anna, Jack, Holly, Marie, William, Sophie, Anthony, Alexandra etc.

I think that classic names are less divisive.

The names that @Felicity88 has posted don't say much about the socio-economic background of the individual.

Yes, precisely! @MikeUniformMike

I really like Jay as a name. Not Jayden so
much.

I like it (also white middle class etc). I find the "classics" really boring (but I get the appeal as less judging) so I get people mixing it up a bit.

Colour and class don't come into it. Snobbery however is well and truly in the door here.

Urgh, this. What a cunt of an OP. Keep your snobbery to yourself, Jesus.

Not my cuppa but not my baby or business. Very judgemental, OP. Are you sure you're her friend?

Thing is, snobbery exists whether you like it or not, and if your name says something about your socio-economic background, it will affect how some people will pre-judge you.

A name might define you as being a certain age group, or your social class, or your cultural background and so on.

If OP said her friend was going to name her baby Darren, Nigel or Gary you'd probably say something that was ageist.

What's in a name? that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

A brickie, Neuro surgeon and carpenter could all have a daughter named Charlotte and no one would blink whereas it would be surprising for a hairdresser to have a Cuthbert or Persephone / lawyer to have a son Kyle or Jayden.

Who knows why your friend is naming her kid Jayden but I wouldn't say it's unreasonable.
Poopy would be unreasonable.

That's snobbery too.
And I would judge anyone who would name their children those names regardless of what they did for a living.

Well, thanks for your responses, especially the angry person calling me a CU next Tuesday! Haha.

I'm not planning to say anything to my friend, don't worry. And at least from these responses I can see that Jayden is not suddenly a hipster choice since plenty of people know what I am saying and agree with me.

I work in a PRU. We get a lot of Jayden's.

I know it can't be because if the name itself but there are a handful of names over represented. Kai and Tye are others.

In the whole our kids are lovely but have very difficult lives and their names do relate to their socioeconomic situation.

However, its not something for you to express an opinion on.

I'm a teacher and have taught a number of Jaydens in recent years, both male and female. Without exception they have all had a number of behavioural issues and never been in any group other than bottom set. Seeing the name Jayden on a register at the start of term brings sense of dread before you've even met them.

Seeing the name Jayden on a register at the start of term brings sense of dread before you've even met them

Poor kids.

Think it’s chavvy too tbh