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Original poster

Has Kevin surpassed naffness to enter a new era of acceptability?

141 replies

MrsSeanBean · 23/02/2009 18:57

I would not use the name personally, but it seems to me that a whole new raft of names have come to the fore these days, making names such as Kevin (Gary, Barry, Lee etc) seem almost quasi-respectable.

What do you think? Maybe it still needs a few more years yet.

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Kayteee · 26/02/2009 00:00

My brother's called Kevin...coupled with my name, we had a time being introduced to people. Don't do it

tigerdriver · 26/02/2009 00:07

no no no no no

Just heard about someone with a baby Alan.

Alan.

why????

Also not up for a revival

Susan
Carol
Joanne
Leslie
Lesley
Colin
Philip

Can you guess my age?

PlumpRumpSoggyBaps · 26/02/2009 00:18

Nope. No. Definitely not.

Nor:

Colin
Clive
Douglas
Sharon
Trac(e)y

tigerdriver · 26/02/2009 00:20

also know someone with a baby Trevor.

I suppose that could be quite sweet, in an ironic sort of way

Jaquelinehyde · 26/02/2009 00:23

Its a big fat No and Kenneth is off the list too before you ask!

AllThreeWays · 26/02/2009 00:28

The Australian Prime Minister's name is Kevin, was actually a bit of a conversation starter prior to the election....."will Australia vote for and accept a man called Kevin"

twentypence · 26/02/2009 00:32

I have a Gordon to teach this year. But I haven't had a Kevin yet.

I also predict that Susan will come back.

EyeballsintheSky · 26/02/2009 07:38

DD could have been Susan, it was in the running and very high up on the list. My dad is an Alan, what's wrong with it?

confusedperson · 26/06/2011 12:05

Interesting.... I am from continental Europe and I actuallly quite like the sound of Kevin.

GwendolineMaryLacey · 26/06/2011 12:09

Alan is a fine name for a person, I would use that.

Bandwitch · 26/06/2011 12:17

It has never gone away completely in Ireland. It has a kind of old school catholic classic feel here though. In the UK I think it is perceived as being totally naff and downmarket though, which is a bit unfair to the name.

I wouldn't use it myself though! I really don't like it. But it wouldn't raise eyebrows here. hth a bit.

aliceliddell · 26/06/2011 14:25

All these make fantastic pets' names. We've had Janet, Sharon, Neville (cats). Alan Helen and Ken (friends cats). Cannot go wrong.

theDudesmummy · 26/06/2011 14:28

What's wrong with Douglas?

flagging · 26/06/2011 14:43

I used to live in Europe with DH (a Kevin) and quite a number of friends said they wanted to name their children Kevin because it had such a nice sound. We tried to explain its naffness in the UK but they couldn't understand. As a result, one of our friends did!

5inthebed · 26/06/2011 14:45

There is an Asian family who live a few doors down from me who have just had a baby Kevin. There other three DC have very asian names though. I think Kevin was their try at English names.

lisianthus · 26/06/2011 15:35

Alan is a lovely name. It is on my list of possibles. Gorgeously Norman French/Sir Walter Scott connections. I associate it with names like Hugh.

FWIW, I was told by a French friend that Kevin recently went through a period of being extremely trendy over there. They pronounced it Kev-ANN, though.

mysteryfairy · 26/06/2011 16:17

There is a Kevin at DD's school - think he is in year one. According to DD he is very naughty, not sure if or how that is connected with his name!

suzikettles · 26/06/2011 16:20

I was thinking this week that Moira is a nice name. I wouldn't have been thinking that a couple of years ago.

It's crazy to think that Kevin, Lee, Darren etc won't come back. Their sisters will be called Maureen, Doreen and Lorraine.

suzikettles · 26/06/2011 16:21

I think Maureen & Alan will come in before Kevin and Lorraine actually. The former are from a slightly older generation.

catinboots · 26/06/2011 16:51

And what about Mark? My DH is a Mark. About 90% of his friends are also called Mark.

Never heard of a baby Mark......

suzikettles · 26/06/2011 17:12

Mark was in the top 100 boys names in Scotland last year, albeit at number 95 (joint with Mohammed, Jude and Luca).

It's a pretty 70s name though (there was always one in my classes at school and my db was almost a Mark) so I reckon it'll come back in with the Kevins.

emmanumber3 · 26/06/2011 17:32

There is a Childminder who drops a child off at DS2's school each morning - one of her little Mind-ees is called Kevin, he's about 3 years old. I was sure at first that she must have been saying something else - Kain, Keiran possibly - but, no, it's Kevin Blush. Poor kid.

suzikettles · 26/06/2011 17:35

See, I think Kevin is actually a really, really nice name. And definitely unusual. Far more so than all the "unik" names people faff about with.

You see all these threads with people wanting an unusual name for their child, something that's not in the top 100, but no-one ever goes for Pauline.

emmanumber3 · 26/06/2011 17:36

5inthebed - I knew an asian family growing up who had 4 boys - 2 of them had traditional asian names & 2 had traditional british names (Michaell & John if I remember correctly). There was also a daughter but I can't remember what her name was Smile.

pranma · 26/06/2011 17:42

I like Janet
How about Trevor or Clive
Valerie
Christine
Pamela