I went to a college open day with my daughter today, and i was really glad she wasn't called....

[Tortington]

poppy or daisy type names

but a lovely traditional name.

she wants to do Law - and i would have felt silly saying "poppy wants to do law"

i really think people should think beyond the immediate future.

not putting on hard hat cos am hard !

Aviva? Isn't that an insurance company?

My friend's daughter is named Aviva, it is a Jewish name.

TBH if someone calls their child something daft like Watermelon Light Socket they deserve all the embarassment they get.

Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know that.

Aviva is (also) an insurance company. Commercial Union/Norwich Union/General Accident merger.

Americans use what UK people would think of as surnamees for first names to keep old family names alive I suppose. Then someone else hears the name, likes it and uses it too and so it gets spread as a first name.

I'm strugling with the list of high-educated white names.

I obvioulsy don't know many highly educated Americans.

Glad the OP doesn't worry about anything so middle class as hurting people's feelings or pigeon holing people based on something so superficial as a name. I am also glad you weren't mortified by your choice of name, it must be refreshing to be so confident (or is that smug).

Ah, scifinerd, you must be new. I see you havent' met custardo yet. let me intorduce you, Scifinerd, this is custardo, custardo, this is scifi......

Actually although Custardo can be blunt to the point of offensivness rather often, I never had her pegged as the self satisfied smug type that brays 'Rebecca is going into Law, dontcha know!' and then would titter at the fellow student called Brandi, as the OP makes her sound.

Oh well...

I would quite happily and unself-conciously announce "Popsy/Tinkerbell/Lilylola/Ivo/Jamie/Charlie wants to do Law" to a University employee. I just honestly don't get why not.

And in fact freakonomics suggested that what you call you child simply doesn't make a difference at all.

Custardo you should just ditch the insecurity about this stuff, it weighs you down.

I was pissed off when I read this but now I am laughing, sense of humour has been regained.

am not weighed down at all.

"but Custy's point that judgement on these types of names will make them seem foolish for wanting to go into Law or medicine, is totally incorrect."

that wasn't my point, but if thats how you read, it well says more of your state of mind i think.

you mention me in all your posts annthecat, thank you and very unpleasant about it too, tut tut. behave yourself theres a dear.

I'm not keen on "sweet" names because who knows whether the child in question is going to be sweet, feisty, serious or silly, and I think the best names allow for the child to have some choice. I also think that when choosing something out of the ordinary parents should try out the name on themselves for a day or two. Your name is such an incredibly fundamental part of who you are that parents should choose with much care and thought. Some names can be seen in different lights - for example I think Daisy can be both feisty and shy, tomboyish and girly (although I'd still prefer something with shortenings possibilities), but do think names like Grace (what if she is clumsy) are too labeling.

And I dislike silly names intensely (thinking Fifi, Trixibell, Zowie here). That's what nicknames are for IMO, or pets.

We also did do the barrister/footballer test for our choices. I don't know what my children will choose to be when they grow up, or what sort of people they will be, so I hope the names we have chosen will work regardless. Most of all I hope that they will continue liking their names, which after all is the key thing.

Nooka - it is still a matter of personal taste to a certain extent as what you think suits a barrister might not suit them in my opinion. Likewise what you think is a 'sweet' name.

All those people who have chosen to call their children 'silly' names may well have tried them out on themselves and enjoyed being a Fifi!

Different strokes and all that...

By OP, (Custardo! difficult not to mention you, you are the OP

"she wants to do Law - and i would have felt silly saying "poppy wants to do law"

Sorry my mistake, your point was you would have felt silly (foolish) saying they wanted to do law, not them.

Same argument applies though. Their mothers won't feel 'silly' because all the other Poppies and daisies will be doing similiar, it will in fact be commonplace and expected.

And I still think the OP was ignorant and unplaesant. A stupidly flawed premise posted in the full knwoeldge that lots of mothers of Poppiesa nd daisies would read it and be offended. Pointless.

I am the mother of a Poppy (as said above) and I am not offended by the OP. I did think it was a different point of view and so gave mine as an alternative.

Any name we choose will have someone who doesn't like it. I am confident enough in my choice to be perplexed that someone else doesn't like it and marvel at the infinite variety of opinion. Perhaps the OP could post her DCs names so we can comment .

flightthebluetouchpaper,I know a lady called James ,yes really,she is about 70!

Oh I agree plinplink, I think it would be sad if everyone had the same taste (life would be very uninspiring). But I do think that occasionally parents are so absorbed in the "it's my baby, my choice" way of thinking that they forget that it's not them, but their child that will be most affected by the name they are given. Any 'tests' are of course completely subjective, subject to bias etc, and who knows what the future of that name will bring.

Of course being the op, i would expect to be mentioned. But Ann darling, your lingering and its becoming stale.

i think the only person who has been unpleasant Annthecat dear, is you.

your personal attacks speak volumes. tut tut, settle down, theres a good girl.

what a shame you dont rely on your daughters ability to do well but the sound of her name!! here here about daisy, lily, poppy etc being traditional names