Shay?

[isitfridayyettttt]

For a boy? Yes/no? And the whys? Any bad associations?

[quote daisypond]@TatianaBis
That’s a reasonable point re Lewis. However, it still goes to show that as soon as a Gaelic/Celtic name gets anglicised and especially if it becomes popular, its connotations change.[/quote]
...in the UK.

No everywhere. The UK is alone in its perception of Ireland. Im speaking very generally. Individuals' opinions vary.

But I realise this is a uk site.

I think the strong link between chav and Irish names in the UK is because of the view held of the people who emigrated from Ireland to the UK, also the socio economic standings this group when they first moved here.

I agree with the gist of your post @geesearego

I think the truth of it is underlined by the impression stated in the first paragraph.

Irish universities turned out hundreds of graduates year after year who got their first professional experiences in the UK - doctors, architects, science grads, and engineers often headed straight to the boat after graduation. There were multitudes of Irish nurses too.

Irish people don't go to the uk to stand around in their pyjamas!

Of course they don't and didn't.

But there was an unpleasant stereotype and a lot of prejudice and prejudicial behavior following from this.

There are still significant issues around sectarianism in the West coast of Scotland.

Sectarianism has nothing to do with actual behaviour of the people who are the targets of it.

I don't think it does but it is a sign of prejudice.

As an English person, whose only knowledge of the name is via Singaporean Chinese, I think you might be a bit too forceful on the Irish front. The prejudice towards Irish anything has disappeared from my world, and it was minimal to start with.

You are probably right.
I just got sick of the whole what school did go to? What football team do you support?
I may need to let it go.😄

@wanttomarryamillionaire

The chavvy connotation is nothing to do with the names being Irish! It's because names like connor and shay are very popular in certain sections of society, the types that wear pj's on the school run, and stand on their doorsteps in pj's while chain smoking. Its the same with names like jayden, lewis and kai and they are not Irish.

This

It does have a connotation and here it's not an Irish link that I'm aware of. It's been lumped in with the Jaydens and Kais.
If you like it, go for it. It doesn't really matter what other people think. It's a name. Plenty of Waynes and Brians have gone on to have fab lives and we now think they are daft names! If you love it, use it!

I agree it’s chavvy, although I know we shouldn’t use the word. Where I live, it would be along the same lines as Jaxon, Kai, Nevaeh, and a lot of those hyphenated flowery girl names

You wouldnt find an old man called jaxon or kai so i dont know how you can feel it's in the same category as Sé / Shay !!

You wouldnt find an old man called jaxon

All those Jaydens and Jaxsons will get old eventually, like Brians and Kevins did

I think it's a bit chavvy too and it's not because it's Irish because Seamus does not have the same connotation. But I do agree about Shane and Kai or Kyle.

Obviously all names that are really popular for young people will obviously be really popular for old people in 80 years, but no old Jaydens or Jaxson now so it's that Shay, Sé (Seamus) is a different type of name. One has a lot of history and the other became very popular overnight.

Beautiful name

Their is a Chey in my class! He is the loveliest, happiest kid but is a little bit of a chav. I quite like the name, it's unique.

I know a woman with that name but she spells it Shae.

@dizzydizzydizzy

I know a woman with that name but she spells it Shae.

Then it’s not the same name. Shae has a whole set of unrelated connotations.

It's Manx for 6 and I have seen it as a middle name for a 6th child of either sex.

I don't like it but I think that's because I associate it with a couple of nasty boys at school. Because of past experiences I can't actually imagine a nice man called Shay! But I don't mind the sound of it.

As is demonstrated by this thread, a one syllable name with phonetics which are really common in Indo-European languages is likely to have many different origins and connotations.

If you like it, go for it.

No.

There was a horrid boy in my son's class named Shay. He used to strangle the others.

Seamus is lovely. Shay not so much.