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)

@Xenaaa

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…

I think there’s a general perception that if you give a place name you probably don’t travel (there) much or it would be weird - marking you out as perhaps less wealthy. Of course this doesn’t always apply, for example Florence Nightingale was named after the city of her birth, and some immigrants like to give a name linked to their home country (eg Kenya or Cairo).

On the other hand, names from Latin or Greek (such as Aurelia or Sophia), or from historical or literary figures (such as Emmeline or Ophelia) might be perceived as implying a higher level of education and therefore a higher class.

If I had to judge, I would say Darcey, Isla, Ruby and Sienna on your list were more working class and Ottilie, Cassia, Emmeline, Aurelia and Ophelia are more middle class. The others are fairly classless.

This is a trash thread. Why on earth would you want people to slate kids’ names as being chavvy/posh etc etc? Because that’s all this thread would encourage.

If you’re so super duper interested get funding and undertake an official survey.

With my last paragraph, that should be read as ‘more popular with working class’ etc. A name obviously doesn’t make you a certain class. Also interesting to look at the birth announcements in different papers, I get the Times and you definitely see more Ottilies than Darceys.

I think there’s a general perception that if you give a place name you probably don’t travel (there) much or it would be weird - marking you out as perhaps less wealthy.

So parents of these are all poor

Brooklyn
Florence
Sofia
Sienna
Charlotte

@ThatsNotMyGolem

Why is everyone so touchy about class? It's statistically proven that the different social classes tend to go for certain names.

I don’t think people are touchy about class, but these threads are engineered for people to pile on with ‘chavvy/tacky/common’ at normal names. It’s not people making an observation, it’s people making a nasty observation and saying x name is bad because it’s associated with the working classes. Or ‘chavvy’ or ‘naughty boy’ etc. The associations made with the working classes in these threads aren’t good ones.

@Blubells not necessarily but if you went to eg Florence a lot wouldn’t it be weird/confusing that you named your child it? Brooklyn is weirder because it’s not the nicest place either, like naming your child Hackney.
Charlotte doesn’t count as it was named after the person (likewise Victoria, Carolina, Adelaide etc)

We also had Amélie in our list but I always felt like it was little bit of a cliche name. Even though my dh is French! But in France it's mega dated and I always felt like it was a name that was a bit too try-hard. Like a person who wants to be international but has been to Paris once and seen the film Amélie would call their kid that. So a bit embarrasing. But it is a beautiful name and that's just how I felt.

And the few Amélies I know are definitely from middle class families

@Leeloo1233

Thank you for your honest feedback

I really love Amélie , and the film! I feel that Amelia sounds pretty but has become sooo overused. Whilst Amélie is still unique and has a certain chicness to it.

But now I feel like all the names I like have a similar feel! Aurelia/Ophelia/ottilie are all not typically English and have that European feel. I wonder if it’s still “try hard” to use those names too.

@RedWingBoots I know who Emmeline Pankhurst is 🙄 and I am aware it is an actual name but it still sounds like a made up name to me. The OP asked for what the initial judgement is on her list of names.
I don't mix in narrow circles with a poor knowledge of history. Its interesting that it's clearly annoyed you that I have made a prejudgment on a name but then you have just publicly done exactly the same to me from my few comments. Pot... kettle

@Xenaaa
Just choose the name you like the best and has the most meaning to you. People will always have pre judgements for names based on their upbringing, trends, education, travel experience, experience in school, celebrity culture etc but your child will be her own person and people will get to know her. I don't meet a Sophia and think urgh you must be horrible because that girl in high school was called Sophia. I meet someone called Sophia( I literally think of that girl in high school for a second) and then the thought leaves and i get to know the new Sophia. It wouldn't then cross my mind again.

@ThatsNotMyGolem

Why is everyone so touchy about class? It's statistically proven that the different social classes tend to go for certain names.

How are you defining class in 21st century UK?

Like this
greatbritishmag.co.uk/uk-culture/what-is-the-british-class-system/
or this - www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-34766169#include-4

[quote nameisnotimportant]@RedWingBoots I know who Emmeline Pankhurst is 🙄 and I am aware it is an actual name but it still sounds like a made up name to me. The OP asked for what the initial judgement is on her list of names.
I don't mix in narrow circles with a poor knowledge of history. Its interesting that it's clearly annoyed you that I have made a prejudgment on a name but then you have just publicly done exactly the same to me from my few comments. Pot... kettle [/quote]
Emmeline isn't a made up name.

Perhaps you should look into the origin of names before saying whether they are made up or not.

deadlanguage has actually listed some names that were made up and any girl given them is actually named after the first well-known person who had that name.

Perhaps you should look into the origin of names before saying whether they are made up or not.

Believe it or not, but every single name was once made up!

@RedWingBoots
I didn't say it was made up, I said it sounded made up. Surely everyone name was made up by someone, at some point

I think Evie and Darcey are more working class.

I guess the more popular a name the more working class it becomes. Like Isla and Sophia, both lovely names but have become more common.

Sienna I'm not sure on where it fits.

Certain names sound a bit posh, but maybe as they are less heard of like Otilitie.

[quote Xenaaa]@Leeloo1233

Thank you for your honest feedback

I really love Amélie , and the film! I feel that Amelia sounds pretty but has become sooo overused. Whilst Amélie is still unique and has a certain chicness to it.

But now I feel like all the names I like have a similar feel! Aurelia/Ophelia/ottilie are all not typically English and have that European feel. I wonder if it’s still “try hard” to use those names too.[/quote]
I dont think Aurelia or Ottilie etc. are in that sense too try hard in my opinion, because you don't immediately associate a country/culture with them, whereas Amélie is immediately French and the movie (which I also like but still it gets a bit tireing people always commenting "oh like the movie")

Just look at the Times birth announcements. You'll soon get a feel for the types of names popular with the upper middles and landed gentry.

Ottilie is vvv popular right now.

I actually think all the names on your list straddle the social classes, OP.

Also, Watching The English is a good book for an introduction to the British Class System. I recommend it.

One thing I notice about lower middle class British people on mumsnet and in my years in London is that they don't recognise anything foreign has having the space to be perceived as having solid, history tradition (or "class"). Real middle class people have more acceptance of other cultures' own traditions. Eg Conor, Mebh, Liam, Aoife and names taken from thousand year old folklore / history are lumped in with Naeveh! by teachers
I'm not "anti teacher" but it surprises me sometimes the judgments from (alleged!?) teachers!

@Lurking9to5

One thing I notice about lower middle class British people on mumsnet and in my years in London is that they don't recognise anything foreign has having the space to be perceived as having solid, history tradition (or "class"). Real middle class people have more acceptance of other cultures' own traditions. Eg Conor, Mebh, Liam, Aoife and names taken from thousand year old folklore / history are lumped in with Naeveh! by teachers I'm not "anti teacher" but it surprises me sometimes the judgments from (alleged!?) teachers!

Teaching isn’t a ‘real middle class’ profession?

Yes, a huge range of people go in to t3aching but some posters on mn post their judgment of a name as a teacher and sometimes it's a bit cringe

One thing I notice about lower middle class British people on mumsnet

I'd love to know how you define a lower middle class British person on Mumsnet!

Genuinely I would!

Well, it's notban exact science but people reveal things willingly.

I did givecan example though. Considering ancient names taken from Irish traditional folklore stories or the name of a high king as "chav". Followed up with the "endorsement" I am a teacher

@Lurking9to5

One thing I notice about lower middle class British people on mumsnet and in my years in London is that they don't recognise anything foreign has having the space to be perceived as having solid, history tradition (or "class"). Real middle class people have more acceptance of other cultures' own traditions. Eg Conor, Mebh, Liam, Aoife and names taken from thousand year old folklore / history are lumped in with Naeveh! by teachers I'm not "anti teacher" but it surprises me sometimes the judgments from (alleged!?) teachers!

I can't speak to the teacher thing, but my experience of the LMC mirrors yours. But not just in terms of Irish names (though yes, it's Irish boys' names that come up over and over again on those wildly irritating 'naughty boy names' threads) -- Irishness itself is considered a bit déclassé.

And I would say that the LMC are very thoroughly represented on Mn if there's a predominant class outlook on Mn, it definitely swings lower-middle. I don't mean income here I'm talking about mindset, tastes, assumptions about life and norms.