What's happened to boys' names?

[maxnhobnobs]

Last night I was at a high school reunion with friends I've not seen for about 20 years. Most already have kids (I'm expecting my 1st, have prioristised career over settling down lol).
Hearing the names of some of their sons made me feel really out of touch with the times: Kayden, Jayden, Kai, Kian, Storm. They were suggesting names for my DS (due in May) but I said I've already picked a name I'm happy with. One friend was like 'Jordan-Jayden', another was like 'Kayden-Kai'. I feel like a snob but they all sounds like names from benefits Britain. Friends were saying my choice (Ben) is too boring. Is it really?

I don't like any of those names at all. I suppose I like "boring" classic boys names: Ben, Sam, Tom, Edward, Joseph, William etc. Actually at my children's school no one has the names you list above - they all have fairly normal names.

I don't like nicknames as full names so Ben doesn't work for me. You are saying the names remind you of Benefits Britain but to be honest I don't think Ben sounds particularly upper class either. Not that I care about these things.

I would put Benjamin, Benedict or Bennett on the birth certificate but that's a personal preference.

Yes, I find it boring. I know so many Bens. Some are Ben, some Benjamin. I also know a Benedict and a Bennett. But I also find Jayden and Kayden boring (and dislike the look of them, Jaden and Caden would already be a million times better).

Kai is actually a classic name in many countries. Pronounced KY. It is more classic to me than just Ben.

Kian is an anglicisation of Cian, I guess? I dislike the K version but Cian is more classic than Ben to me as well.

I dislike Storm but at least it doesn't look super trendy (no Ys!) so I think it's okay.

Ben peaked at #21 in England/Wales in 2002 so most Bens are in their 20s now. It is fine, really. But I'd really prefer a full form.

Your son is going to be a lot better off being called Ben. You aren’t behind with the times, if you look at popular baby names many are traditional. There’s just a social gap between you and your school mates because you’ve followed different paths

Ben is a great name. Totally classic and classless. I don’t see a need to have a full name on a BC if you don’t intend to use it. Ben works for all ages, all jobs and in all walks of life

IME

Naughtiest boys:
Kayden,Jayden,Reilly and any first names with hyphens / apostrophes
Naughty:
Kai, Kian
Cheeky (rather than naughty):
Callum, Charlie, Teddy, Connor, Freddie, Eddie, Alfie, Harry (Archie could be in this group or one above)
Nice boys:
Ben, Matthew, Daniel, Euan

IDK any Storms

This is 100% accurate IME (4 schools, 20 years)

Names are like anything else, music, clothes, they go in and out of fashion. Wouldn’t it would be boring if we all had the same taste? It sounds like they were just making conversation about names as you’re pregnant. By the way your comment about “benefits Britain” does make you sound like a snob, very condescending. I prefer Benjamin as a full names to Ben but there you go it’s just differing tastes and opinions which makes the world go round.

Oh I have two of those - Kian and Jayden...both in their 20's now....I've never been on benefits and neither of them are naughty (well no more naughty than any other child called any other name tbh)

I can't see that anything has happened to boys' names. Looking at the current top 10 they're all very safe and middle of the road names.

1. Noah
2. Oliver
3. George
4. Leo
5. Theo
6. Arthur
7. Freddie
8. Harry
9. Charlie

10. Jack

You've picked a name you're happy with and presumably they're happy with their kids' names. Don't see the need for the 'benefits Britain' comment. Maybe stop watching trash TV that encourages you to mock the poor?

Those are names that will date. Ben will never date. It will always be a classic name.

In my experience Ben’s are true good guys. Never known a nasty Ben. Good solid chaps.

My boy choice names were Harry, Rupert and Toby.

Ben on its own isn't classic to me. Neither is Bill or Sam or Joe or Jim on its own. It is a decent name, but rather a 90s/00s nickname-name.

They are classic as nicknames for William, Samuel, James etc.

I suppose the more popular a name is the more likely you are to meet a naughty kid with that name.
I work in a school and the naughtiest boys are
Alfie
Charlie
Teddy
But they are extremely popular names so I suppose that’s not a surprise. I’ve no idea if it’s a social class thing but I work in a private school and we have no
Jaydens
Kaydens
Kians
But could be a coincidence.

I would put money on the fact you could plot the popularity of Jayden, Kayden etc against declining incomes. I understand the 'benefits Britain' comment isn't very pleasant but I don't think there is any doubt that these names are associated with a certain type of person, and those people, amongst many other things, don't have high incomes. That is not to say many people on a low income don't choose completely different names, nor is it to say there is anything wrong with such names. But schools in deprived areas vs middle income areas have very different name trends.

When I met DH 20 years ago he said if he ever had a son he’d like to name him a very old man name, his grandad’s name, which I vetoed at the time as it was so completely different from other boys names and I thought imaginary DS would be teased. Fast forward 15 years and boys names have become completely different and anything goes - I think they’ve really changed over the past 10 years. DS’s friends are all called names like Cassian, Buster, Rex, Albert etc

Benjamin is a classic so it won't date terribly at all but it will still date a tiny bit. Just like Stephen doesn't sound very young right now even though it is a classic.

As for Ben, it will date more along the lines of Steve. I would therefore prefer to use a full name but it is up to the OP. Not that it is terrible to date like Steve, just something to consider.

Ben went from #21 in 2002 to #327 in 2020 which is a huge drop. Benjamin went from #6 in 2002 to #40 in 2020 so not nearly as significant. So Benjamin will date more slowly.

Kayden will date worse than Ben, no doubt about that.

I can't imagine Ben ever dating. It's got no era. It's always current.

I'm sure I've read that boys do much better with 'classic' names?

FWIW at DS's selective state school, 25% of the boys in his year group had but four names!

Ben is a nice name, I like it, it was on our list but ds just didn't look like a Ben when he was born so we went with Liam.

Ben is a complete name, it's not a 'shortened' version. I have a well respected mid 40's 'head of' at work who is a Ben and a 30 year old free spirited / carpenter friend called Benn (slightly different spelling)

It's a classic name that doesn't date. Good choice

My grandson has Benjamin on his birth certificate but we all call him Ben. When he’s older it’s up to him if he’s Ben or Benjamin.

Couldn't agree more with you.

I can't stand the types of names your friends have chosen and I cannot imagine burdening a child with one of them.

It's sadly a sign of the times when people are choosing names that they feel reflect on faddy trends rather than setting their child up for success.

No one will judge or discriminate against a child called Benjamin. Sadly I don't the same will be true for a Jayden-Jaxxon....

@yorkshireteaspoonie

Ben is a complete name, it's not a 'shortened' version. I have a well respected mid 40's 'head of' at work who is a Ben and a 30 year old free spirited / carpenter friend called Benn (slightly different spelling)

It's a classic name that doesn't date. Good choice

It's a shortened version. Shortened versions are often put on birth certificates in the UK (not so much elsewhere).

@Snowbell99 🙄 ok then, how about

"most people don't consider it to be a shortened name"

@mumofEandE where would you put Tristan? (born in 2003)

Don't see the need for the 'benefits Britain' comment. Maybe stop watching trash TV that encourages you to mock the poor?

This. Noone here believes you're actually feeling insecure about naming your son Ben. You just wanted to be goady.

Sorry, but pretty sure that most people do consider Ben, Will, Sam, Joe, Jim, Ted to be shortened names. Doesn't mean that that is bad.