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)

@Blubells

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!!

And you don't think there's an association with educational attainment and class?

Darcey is very chavvy.
Evie is very popular but widespread.
Amelie is pretty but pretentious.
The rest could come from anywhere and any group.

There are associations with names. I know siblings called Jonty, Leopold and Camilla and I also know siblings called Jaxx-Ray, Lola-Demii and Milee-Ocean. They have different socioeconomic backgrounds. Lots of names cross boundaries. Others don't.

And you don't think there's an association with educational attainment and class?

I genuinely don't understand the precise definition of 'class', no. I'm not originally from the UK so perhaps you could enlighten me?

@Blubells

And you don't think there's an association with educational attainment and class?

I genuinely don't understand the precise definition of 'class', no. I'm not originally from the UK so perhaps you could enlighten me?

It would take an entire dissertation!

If you want a very readable introduction - which is a bit dated but still rings true enough - try 'Class' by Jilly Cooper

@demoness interesting.

But does that mean that ethnic background takes part?
Is a white English Aurelia “upper middle class”
Whilst a Romanian “Aurelia” working class because likely to be an immigrant eg. Labourer family. I’m really generalising here, but just making a point.

Why is it ok for an English Aurelia to be viewed like this and the Romanian girl not to be?

Or an English “Bodhi” seen as hippy middle class or upper, whilst an Indian Bodhi isn’t…

I know that this isn’t your point, I’m not targeting you, but just a thought I came up with…

@Grinling I see your point…

But I’m more aware of the names from my generation that are seen in such light eg. Tracey/ Sharon.

For some reason it didn’t occur to me that there would be “new” names seen this way, and if so…which?

@Blubells

And you don't think there's an association with educational attainment and class?

I genuinely don't understand the precise definition of 'class', no. I'm not originally from the UK so perhaps you could enlighten me?

It's complicated. Google (or jilly cooper ) is your friend

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/SocialclasssintheeUnited_Kingdom

What about (educated) European parents (say French or German) moving to the UK - can they ever be considered 'upper class'.

What if they liked names like Aurelia or Hugo?

I'm not sure I could tell. Princess Beatrice chose Siena after all.
Aurelia sounds like the most ludicrously middle class name to me, but I'm middle class but maybe not middle class enough!

Bhodi is classless! self-consciously conscious parents!
Names like Amelia, Sophia, I think they're just so popular they don't tell you anything. Same as Rachel and Louise and Claire don't really tell you much.

I agree that if a name becomes really popular really quickly having been almost never used before, eg ''Freya'' then it is almost a formula for the name being tarnished later. But I don't know if that will happen with Freya.

@LuluBlakey1

Thanks for that . Could you please explain how Amélie pretentious. Pretending to be what? French? Or trying to sound posh. That’s one of the names I personally liked.

I am surprised about Darcey, because that is the name of a girl I know who goes to private school. I would label her parents as hippy upper middle class.

@Blubells

What about (educated) European parents (say French or German) moving to the UK - can they ever be considered 'upper class'.

What if they liked names like Aurelia or Hugo?

No idea. As far as I'm aware the British class system applies only to British people. (In a similar way that the Indian Caste system applies only to Indian people.) Class isn't specifically about education or what names you choose. It's just that those things are class signifiers to someone who has the British social context to interpret them

@KidneyBeans

Interesting! Never thought of that. But what about mixed race people mixed with British?

What about second generation immigrants in Britain?

What if they pick a name that works in both corresponding cultures…eg. Lara for Indians. Where does that fit in?

They all seem like quite nice ordinary popular names to me. Not outlandish at all.
What names would you think are "Classless" OP?

No idea. As far as I'm aware the British class system applies only to British people.

Great so they can choose whatever names they love without fear of being 'judged'?!

But what about when they grow up with a british accent....

I would label her parents as hippy upper middle class.

Hippy? Upper? Middle class? Wow that's specific

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

Class isn't specifically about education or what names you choose.

If it's not education, what is it then? Money?

@ShirleyPhallus

This is mumsnet where absolutely everything is related to class!

this is so true. i just don't experience this crap in real life. why is mumsnet so obsessed with class?

@StScholastica

Hmmm I’m not sure now. I wouldn’t have known before reading all of this.

Most probably the top 10 names are classless? Though someone has now said “Isla” is working class, even though it’s number 3.

I’m not even sure there are classless names anymore, I’ve become very confused! I never noticed at all before reading this forum

@JustWonderingIfYou

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

this is just mean, and clueless. the real world does not work like this, thank god.

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

But how on earth do 'working class' parents know how their children do in life....?!

@Xenaaa What I'm saying is that sometimes the names that are regarded as "middle/upper class" on Mumsnet are just standard names in other countries. An Eastern European couple choosing Aurelia or Sebastian probably aren't trying to sound like "posh" Brits - more likely, they're choosing that name because it's normal in their culture. They probably don't even think of it as being a British name.

@demoness

Yes I see your point!

Maybe being posh in Britain is having more of a continental name? Perhaps seen as more cultured?

Perhaps maybe that’s why Amélie was seen as pretentious by another poster here.

@Blubells

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

But how on earth do 'working class' parents know how their children do in life....?!

What do you mean? Do you mean that if the children are class jumpers, the aspirational names ‘worked’?