why are people obsessed by whether names are 'chavvy' (nasty expression)..

[MaryAnnSingleton]

..can't you just choose a name you like - doesn't anyone have a mind of their own anymore ?

Everyone has names that they like or don't like and that have connotations for them that other names do not have.

For example, I have a Finlay and if people find it "chavvy" that is entirely up to them. It is traditional Scottish name and I am Scottish, so to me it is just a "regular" name, like Cameron or Scott or something.

Still it probably has different connotations for other people - I really don't care!

I do generally avoid these "naming" threads because I think that they are rarely constructive/instructive.

How on earth do people presume to know what the perception of a name will be 25 yrs on? Did all the mums of Sharons have any idea back in the 1970s that the name would become a kind of by word for 'chavvy Essex girl dancing around her handbag'? Of course they didn't. Go with the name you like and sod it. You could name your child the poshest, least chavvy name in the world and all it takes is one tarty Big Brohter contestant or trashy popstar to have the same name / name their child the same and bang! there goes your 'classy' name! You can't predict these things. Just make your own choices and be proud.

just right mrsMattie I think we'll all have grandkids called sharon, tracey etc as by then they'll be seen to be old lady chic!

Great post MrsMattie. I totally agree with you. Nobody can predict the future, even if they think they have special naming abilities. If Jade Goody names her next baby Clementine, bang goes that one. If Jordan names her next Benedict, bang goes another.
Nobody knows which names will stick around and which will die out and become dated. Names like Daniel, Matthew, Samuel, Ben etc only became very popular in the 70s and they stayed, so there will more than likely be newly popular names of today that will remain popular for a century or so.

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my problem with the who chavvy thing in relation to names is, that people who call a certain name chavvy usually are just ratehr ignorant and uneducated about names from other cultures, and well, isn't it just completely normal that in a multicultural society names are used from all different cultures....

Mrs Mattie I agree I named my daughter Grace and what do you know a Big Brother contestant portrayed as a complete bitch pops up that year!! I dont even watch it all I can hope for is that she pales in to insignifigance which lets face it is fairly certain!!

I hated that Grace on BB but it wouldn't spoil the name for me - it's lovely

Avoiding the whole 'chav' thing, the reason why I think it is important to think about the name of your child carefully is that people do make judgements about you on your name, whether you like it or not. You don't need to look far for evidence - look at the row in the TES website a few years back, where certain names were deemed to be names of 'troublemakers' by teachers. Other research shows that the typical middle class 'safe names' tend to dominate the board rooms and higehr positions in the Uk, there has been all sorts of research which shows that people do judge you on your name. And, as a parent, you can't stop that!

I therefore believe that naming your child is not simply a matter of going with what you like, but it is also a responsibility entrusted to you. The name you give will mark your child out for the rest of his life, and he will be judged by it. Give a child a particularly ludicrous name, and he will be judged on that name for the rest of his life.

So yes, It is important to take this decision seriously. Its not just a matter of going with what you like, Its about making the best decision for your child. And for some people, asking others can help with that decision.

but elkat....noone is saying give your child a ludicrous name...! Unusual doesn't equate ludicrous now.

And anyway, I have been involved in a few "oh that name is so chavtastic" threads and honest....people are just simply to ignorant to realise that just because "they" didn't know a name etc...that it doesn't mean it is a made up name....and tbh, I am really sure that boardroom domination may well shift over the next decades...simply because the world is becoming an increasingly diverse place to be on, no matter where you originate, if that makes sense...

chavvy does NOT equal common. Emily and William are both common names (as in frequently used) but could never be considered 'chavvy'