Savannah? Yay or nay?

[lotuseener]

Dh loves the name Savannah. Although I am not pregnant with # 2 yet, we still argue over baby names as a sort of hobby.

The name Savannah for me conjures up images of gazelles galloping in Africa.

FWIW neither Dh or I are British and it is very unlikely that we will still live in the UK once our child(ren) are school age. The reason I say that is some names work in some countries and some names don't.

So what do you think of Savannah as a girls name?

Dd has a friend called Savannah, I like it.

I think it's tacky.

No

unless you have amibitions for hollywood starletdom

No

I hve the antelope image too

Susannah is much more unusual atm

and because it's biblical will at least have a local variant wherever you are if the name itself doesn't work.

Nooooooooooooooo. Not ever ever ever. Pleeeaase. Tacky tacky tacky and try hard.

Sorry.

Nay

Nay

Do like Susannah though

Not keen

It's an eye-roller. I prefer Susannah. It's not trying so hard. Susannah is still very unusual. Don't know one under 35.

I love Susie. Susie make a nice change from Sophie. I like Sophie but you know what I mean.

Nay, nay thrice nay. If not more. Sorry.

Nay. Sounds like the heroine of a Mills & Boon novel circa 1991.

I can't wait to show this thread to dh when he comes home tonight! :0

That was supposed to be a big grin!

No! It's awful - horrid, cheap, American, naff.

Susannah is gorgeous

what's with the anti-Americanism?
"It's awful-- horrid, cheap, Chinese (Irish, Russian, whatever), naff." Would that be acceptable?

I knew a very cool gal called Savannah, it got shortened to Vanny. I always thought of it as rather bohemian, as her brother had a cool name too.

It's a very pretty name, but sounds very much like 'spanner' when said quickly
I actually thought someone was calling their child cruel names in the swimming pool until I realised she was called Savannah

Theory, are you American? Just interested.

I see a link between new names and America. Lots of new names originate in America, such as Madison, McKenzie, kayla, Kennedi etc...

But I think it is their invented quality and the fact that they are used out of context (ie, boys names on girls, sur names as first names etc) and not their country of origin which makes some people look down on them.

It's not at all the same as being anti-american. The american names statistics show that MOST Americans are also loving Emily, Olivia, Isabella, Sophia etc....

I hope that makes sense. I asked if you were American because I think most GB people would understand this, even if they hadn't given it much thought iyswim. Therefore a comment such as 'seems American' seems more loaded and anti-american than it is.

If you have a link to Savannah its cool if not is just weird a bit like Americans who have kids called Hamish you just think -WHY???

I got the comment, but that doesn't mean it's any less disparaging of American culture-- a certain idea of American culture, that is (cheap, naff etc.) Some people feel free to pop out with things about American culture that they wouldn't dream of saying about others. I think it's a low-grade, socially acceptable form of anti-Americanism.

Isn't Savannah the name of Sienna Miller's sister?

Bleurghghghghg

Right. Well I do see your point but I also think it's an oversimplification to say that names such as Madison and McKenzie aren't liked solely because they are American, and to interpret that as anti-americanism. There are some shitty trends that come out of America. Most Americans would think McKenzie on a little girl was a bit

I do connect the name Savannah with America but that's not the reason I don't like it though. It's too self-consciously trendy and that's why I don't go for it.

btw, it wasn't me who made the comment.

No.

Totally agree. I wasn't talking about people generally disliking names like Madison, just the comments that sometimes come along with that. For the record, I'm no fan of Madison OR Savannah or Kennedy etc. for the same reason as you say- the trendiness problem!

Part of it is ignorance. An American was telling me she was going to call her daughter Quincy and my first reaction was bleurghghghghhghghgghhg! But then when I later heard that QUincy had been one of the politicians at the boston tea party and had been instrumental in the signing of the american constitution I thought, ok I still hate it, but at least it is just poncey and political now, rather than ugly, weird and Disney-inspired.