Can you predict based on names?

[Xenaaa]

Hello,

I have been reading the baby name forum a lot recently as I am expecting, and am surprised to see quite a few comments that associate certain names with class. I was not aware that class and baby names were linked at all!

Just out of curiosity what class are these girls names? Some of these names are on my list, and some are children or close acquaintances where I know what “class” they’re in.

I just want to know people can actually predict what class they’re in based on their child’s name.

Sienna
Aurelia
Sophia
Amelia
Evie
Ottilie
Amélie
Ophelia
Isla
Emmeline
Cassia
Ruby
Darcey

Interested to see if there are correct predictions!

(No offence meant in this post, all the above names are all beautiful and a lot of them are on my own personal list)

Sienna and Ophelia are in Class Robins Year 1

Isla and Emmeline are in Oaks Class year 4

Evie and Amelia in Saxon Class year 10

If you mean anything else you are vile.

Those are popular names with middle class parents right now. That doesn't mean that working class or upper class parents don't use these names though.

Read the chapter on baby names in Freakonomics.

They all seem to be popular names and I'm guessing would be in or near the top 20 of names in recent years - so I would guess they are spread evenly amongst all demographics.

Isla, Ruby and Darcey might be more popular with working class parents though.
It's not vile to acknowledge class exists and people make judgements all the time and WC face discrimination all the time.

Interesting thank you, I’ll take a look.

This post wasn’t meant to be offensive, I truly was interested.

Most of the above names I would say are on trend…but interested why a certain cohort may pick certain names, and another cohort pick others.

For example I love the name Sienna but read on here that it’s downmarket? Why is Sienna “downmarket” and Sophia not? It’s all quite confusing…

What a crazy question to ask

Isla, Ruby and Darcey might be more popular with working class parents though.

Really..

If Sienna is downmarket, someone forgot to tell Princess Beatrice!

If you read the baby boards enough a lot of posters will call names chavvy or posh, so I think your op is a reasonable one @Xenaaa.
Judging childrens’ names is not ok, but it doesn’t stop it happening.

DS goes to a very middle class independent school. The only name on your list that I’ve seen or heard is Ruby, and they are identifying currently as a girl. I can’t remember what name they used when they identified as a girl.

If you read the baby boards enough a lot of posters will call names chavvy or posh,

But just because some posters have a (pre conceived) view on names does not mean that you can predict a person's 'class' (whatever that even means....) based on these names!

Freaknomics is written about the US.

In the UK it isn't that simple.

Lots of parents regardless of class will name their child after a famous person like a royal, actor, sportsman or well-known fictional character e.g. Archie, Freddie, Harry, Charlie, Arthur and George.

People name their kids after grandparents, other relatives or people they know e.g. Arthur, Freddie, George, Charlie, Joseph.

Others will use religious names either because they are religious or they like them e.g. Noah, Jacob, Joseph, Mohammed.

So how would you know whether a parent named their child "Charlie" after an fictional character, a royal or because their grandfather was called it? Or just because they always liked the name?

BTW I do know adults with some of the "popular" girls names you listed but boys names were quicker to think of examples.

This is mumsnet where absolutely everything is related to class!

I really don't think you can accurately predict someone's class based on a name. Especially not in the age of the internet, when the average parent is exposed to a much wider variety of names than what was the case in the past. And when you consider different ethnic backgrounds too - Aurelia is unusual in the UK, but I believe it's a fairly standard name in countries like Poland and Romania?

I'd assume those names are spread throughout different demographics.

@Ducksurprise

Sienna and Ophelia are in Class Robins Year 1

Isla and Emmeline are in Oaks Class year 4

Evie and Amelia in Saxon Class year 10

If you mean anything else you are vile.

Are you denying class exists @Ducksurprise ? There's data that demonstrates certain names are associated with different socioeconomic groups.

2 of my girls names are there. We are working class

I was not aware that class and baby names were linked at all!

Seriously, it hadn't occurred to you that Thomas Wentworth Somerset Dunstan Rees-Mogg and Princess Tiamii Crystal Esther André might be from different social classes?

There are quite a few girls with names from that list at DS's school. We're in a pretty working class area.

I would say all of those names are aspirational working class. People trying to sound middle class. Bit try hard.

OP there are definitely class differences in names whatever anyone says. Of course there is overlap between the names that each group chooses. I would say Sienna is an overlap name and possibly Darcey. Your list is middle class I would say. I think middle class are more likely to choose classical names.

I definitely think that different classes choose different names, but ask yourself this. Why are you so bothered by how a chosen name is perceived? That's the question. If you like the name, use it. There are so many variables in life, and you can't predict everything, nor should you be able to. Worry about what you like and think, not what others like and think.

It's always a contentious topic on MN but I believe people do judge others by their name. Those on your list are fairly universal, though, which is probably what you were aiming for. Some names are used almost exclusively by very posh people, others alomst exclusively by those often termed "chavs" on here.

@helpmum2003

OP there are definitely class differences in names whatever anyone says. Of course there is overlap between the names that each group chooses. I would say Sienna is an overlap name and possibly Darcey. Your list is middle class I would say. I think middle class are more likely to choose classical names.

I know children name "Amelia" and "Sophia" who have working class parents. However I also know and have known both children and adult "Amelia" and "Sophia" who are very middle class.

I wouldn't choose Darcey.

Seriously, it hadn't occurred to you that Thomas Wentworth Somerset Dunstan Rees-Mogg and Princess Tiamii Crystal Esther André might be from different social classes?

No not different 'classes'!

But definitely different level of education!!