Do you see these names as middle class, working class, or posh?

[OneRareSquid]

we've plenty of time to decide..just wondering what images they conjure and honest opinions on each.

Lydia
Abigail
Natalie
Naomi
Cady
Ramona
Nancy
Melody

Maybe your preconceived ideas about class are incorrect? Maybe names you regard as ‘working’ or ‘upper’ or ‘whatever’ class actually belong to normal intelligent people?

I'm not doubting anyone's intelligence based on their name...never said I was. But it's disingenuous to say that we don't have preconceived ideas when we hear names...I'm just saying I like names where people don't have preconceived ideas of someone's social class.

@Reddelilah , whether you like it or not, people will have preconceived ideas. Some names suggest a class, culture, age, or that the parents were very young or whatever. It's nothing to do with intelligence.

Some names are so neutral that people won't have any preconceptions.

‘Vile’ is a very strong word though 😬 Why does something being working or lower class make it vile?

@wehavea2319 , because on MN, things can only be gorgeous, stunning, grim or vile.
They can be unique, but only if they are a bit more/less unique, very unique or super unique.

All are mc except for Cady and Ramona, which are wc to me.

Me too. I defy people to guess which social class the perennially popular boys names belong to (which have never left the Top 100 historically) - William, James, Thomas, George, Joseph, Alexander, David, Daniel, Michael etc. Similarly names like Elizabeth, Alice, Sarah, Laura, Catherine, Anna, Lucy, Rose, Emily, Charlotte etc may rise and fall out of the Top 100 (as girls names are more subject to fashion whims apart from perhaps Elizabeth) - but these classic type of names are used throughout all social classes.

Personally I think it’s a great bonus if your name doesn’t give away your social background- even better if it doesn’t give away your age or nationality either. And there are plenty of names like that, especially if you aren’t bothered about popularity.

Where are you from?

Ruth, Rewth and Rooth are all the same to me!

@Golidlocksandthethreeswears , the ew in 'Rewth' is like the u in cute or cue. The oo in 'Rooth' is like the oo in coot.

There are three Ruth's in my family, and I can tell you that the only difference in pronunciation is down to the accent of the speaker. There is only one way to pronounce Ruth, to claim otherwise is absurd.

@ScouserInExile , Not absurd at all, @ScouserInExile . Not all Ruths are English.

I realise that but it isn't what you originally said.

Naomi pronounced “Nay-oh-mi” is middle class; pronounced “Nigh-oh-mi” is working class.

That’s interesting. My daughter is a Naomi and I have noticed some people use one of these and other people use the other pronunciation.

I’ll have to have a think if it does split along MC/WC lines!

All normal working class names except Cady which is lower

@ScouserInExile , The ones who say it as Root aren't English.
The ones I know who say it as Rewth are not English.
So not due to accent, but due to not being English.

Ruth is an OT book, and the name is written the same in more than one language.

All working class except possibly Lydia. And I think it's a lovely name. Though I once knew one and absolutely everyone called her Liddy.

My take as someone who grew up in a socially deprived, WC area and then raised my kids in the proverbial 'leafy', MC suburb.

Lydia and Nancy - remain fairly solidly MC

Abigail, Naomi - originally MC, expanded to include WC from 80s onwards

Natalie - originally MC, then pretty much exclusively WC from 80s

Cady/Melody - generally WC, influenced by US popular culture (Mean Girls and little Mermaid)

Ramona - boho, artsy - 'cool' parents of any class

Does anyone actually use Nancy?

I’ve not met any except very old ladies .

There's a Nancy in my DC's year at school. Posh-ish family, well-heeled demographic.

@Calliopespa , Babies called Nancy in England & Wales since 1996
Babies called Nansi in England & Wales since 1996

David & Samantha's daughter.
Jacob R-M's sister.

That’s interesting. I have Dc born since then and don’t know a single post 1996 Nancy. I must be the wrong demographic for it!

@Calliopespa , name popularity tends to be regional. The top girl's name where I live isn't even in the top 100 nationally.

I included the Welsh version because it is popular in the Welsh-speaking community, which isn't reflected in the data because the data is for England & the whole of Wales.

@Calliopespa I called my offspring Nancy - but named her after a pirate. No idea what class that makes it!

Nancy and Lydia MC, Ramona unsure, rest WC