OK - I'm going to start this thread and go out for the day and only come in wearing an asbestos suit, but

[seeker]

...I've just been looking through the class lists at dd's grammar school and I've realized that there are 150 girls in her year and there are no - and I mean no - unusual or differently spelled first names. There is a Cherry and a Jordan and a couple of names from other cultures that I don't know whether are unusual or not, - but apart from that they are ALL called very traditional, very top 100 for the past 500 years type names. Any thoughts anyone?

Pandora is not just unusual, it is rare!!

agreeing with booge

I remember being very bored at DD's parents' evening at her very middle class oversubscribed state girls' comprehensive, waiting to talk to the Maths teacher. They had a list of the whole year, so parents could sign to show they'd turned up - out of 200 girls,(all now aged 18) 43 had Louise as one of their names.

Have you read the book freakonomics? The authors have a theory that economic "success" can be closely linked to what a person is called.

if I name my daughter CEo will she become one?

Will try to find a succinct summary - v interesting. Not sure I agree mind.

i still don't understand the point you are trying to make seeker. are you suggesting that there are lots of other children locally who do have 'unusual or differently spelled first names' but they are not at that school? if so then come out and say it. perhaps you are worried that your dd's school is over-selective and possibly racist?

What did you expect out of only 150 girls? If unusual names were so popular they wouldn't be unusual would they?

Those freakonomics guys had me confused. On the one hand they were saying that the names most likely to get called back for interview were David and Susan (can't remember exactly but you get the drift).

But ultimately, it was having the type of parents who might be inclined to name their child Kaiwondeesha that would be the major influence. If Kaiwondeesha was a winner she would overcome her name.

STill. I wouldn't risk it. Your child might be very mediocre. Bit of risk presenting him/her with an extra hurdle.

I think it's an interesting point about how your name affects people's perception of you.

I have a very traditional first name. My younger sister had a name that was considered very whacky and frivolous at the time (mid 1970s).

We were very similar at primary school, then went to the same secondary school, at the same time, but were three years apart. The same school and same teachers, had higher academic and sporting expectations of me, but (and she agrees) none so, in any discipline, on my sister. I went on to post grad education and she left school at 16. I know that there are thousands of other influences on your personality, but this is an example my mum quotes often.

I think it's an interesting point about how your name affects people's perception of you.

I have a very traditional first name. My younger sister had a name that was considered very whacky and frivolous at the time (mid 1970s).

We were very similar at primary school, then went to the same secondary school, at the same time, but were three years apart. The same school and same teachers, had higher academic and sporting expectations of me, but (and she agrees) none so, in any discipline, on my sister. I went on to post grad education and she left school at 16. I know that there are thousands of other influences on your personality, but this is an example my mum quotes often.

Isn't there something in the book 'watching the english' by Kate fox or someone that argues there is a cultural divide amongst names...

Upper classes and upper middle classes uses posh/ slightly offbeat names (Think Tarquin, Crispin etc etc)

Middle Middle and Lower middle uses very traditional names (Hannah, Elizabeth etc etc)

Working classes uses trendy names (Kylie, Jason etc...)

So what does this say..? That'l you're probably lower middle class I guess?

sorry, class divide, not cultural

Of course there's a cultural divide (if you're called Dong Hong you're probably Chinese for example), and a class divide, as well as trends over time. I read some stat a while ago that I can't remember exactly, but it was along the lines that about 50% of black american babies have completely original names. Things like Kwaiwondeesha or Channelle. It's a question of doing the things that the people around you in the "club" you feel you belong to do. So if you want your children to fit in a certain place on the social ladder then you should pay attention to what name you give them. Most people probably aren't so cynical, but choose names that they feel comfortable with given their own circumstances, and then also choose schools they feel comfortable with, and the two go together.

There was much fuss when teachers on the TES website discussed names that = trouble.

DH & I teach in very different schools and the names of the pupils reflect that, although there are a core of names that are common to both e.g. Alex, Tom, Jack, Ben.

Seeker

my children have obscure and even pop star names

they do very well academically

my sons' grammar school ofsted contains the line

'could be described as the top performing boys school in England'

I'm not sure what your point is, seeker. Do you reckon that kids with unusual names will be less likly to do well in life -- or gasp, never make it to grammar school?

Or, women with unusual forenames/spellings won't be successful in life? Sorry, I can't buy that.

Or are you alluding to the fact that it's the less well-off who tend to choose alternative names -- is it surprising that the middle and wealthy classes tend to be conventional?

I don't know what my point is either. I just know that Aleesha and Alice could both sit the 11+ - and Alice will pass. Ditto Chantilly and Caroline, and Kylie and Kate.

i think your school must have some very dull parents

however ds1 has gone off camping with a Graham but also Seamus and Tomos

Ah, so that's why DS2 - the one with the popstar name - doesn't do as well academically as DS1 and DS3 who both have traditional names.

Even though DS2's proper name is also traditional, we just use a short-form.

good thinking unknownreal being

makes such sense - all thing considered!

I have never been given a class names list before.Is this the norm in some schools?

We go it with the induction pack, ggirl. Don't know whether it's the norm or not - haven't done secondary school before!

Dd and I were looking through it on Friday because she wanted to see how many of the 150 she had met over the year - and whether she could put a face to every name. She was amazed to find she could - last September she was convinced that she would sink without trace in a sea of girls!

Glad to hear your dd has found her feet, seeker.

I have to admit , both DH & are were high academic achievers & WE have given our children traditional names with traditional spellings. Not that I mind at all names like Apple, Moon Unit, Rio, Ashlyn, Elisha, Saffron, etc., they just aren't my first choice.

And yet... I myself have a traditional name with a bizarre spelling, so I know it's not cut & dried.

Have you read Freakanomics -- the tale of the two brothers named Winner & Loser (Lou for short). Winner ends up in prison long term, Lou is a popular guy, high flyer in his chosen field.

I must get that book - so many people have recommended it to me!

I have two DS's, one has a very normal name and the other a more unusual name. I hope they both do fine at school, life. If I have another child they are more likely to have an unusual name as that is my style.

DD's class of girls are all pretty much traditional or more popular names. Most unusual name in class is Liberty. Most of girls in her school have similar types of names to TBH, nothing way out or very different really.