What about all those American girls names that sound like boys names, place names or surnames?

[Gunnerbean]

Things like Tyler, Taylor, Ashley, Ashton, Scout, Bristol, Atlanta, Harlow, Finley, Harper etc to name but a few.

They seem to be very big on it over there but it doesn't really seem to have caught on to such an extent over here yet. But I suppose it will eventually.

What do you think? I think some can sound OK but others - I mean Bristol is pushing it a bit surely?

I only post on one other public site besides here, FWIW.

I could try to think of who you are on there, but that would require more effort than it's worth.

I'm not hiding at all - I've seen your posts on UKY and Babycenter. American expats do tend to run into one another, and in fact I'm friendly with quite a few because we've run into one another on multiple sites. I've just managed to avoid clashing with your cynicism on other forums. And yes, you do tend to bang on about how glad you are that you left the US and how silly and stupid Americans are. I wouldn't have noticed you at all if you hadn't been so consistent!

Look, this is not what this thread was intended for, so go ahead, have your last go and let's call it a truce, okay? I'm done with any banter that doesn't apply to the original topic of the thread.

No, actually, you haven't seen my posts on Babycenter, whoever you are, because I made that entire thing up. I never went on Babycenter at all. I went on a site that is closed in 2003 and used a different name and posting style.

'and how silly and stupid Americans are.' I wouldn't have noticed you at all if you hadn't been so consistent!

And I wouldn't have gotten away with calling others silly and stupid on that site because it's heavily moderated.

'I wouldn't have noticed you at all if you hadn't been so consistent!'

Yet you not only noticed but also had the incredibly bad form to get personal about it on another site.

As for a personal dig, I don't recall having made one aimed specifically at you, not only because it's against the rules of this site but also because I really can't be bothered.

As you were, ladies.

BTW on UKY I'm usuk2004 - nothing to hide!

Sorry, then, not babycenter - maybe Fertility Friend. I had even FM'd to see if it was you but had no response. If it wasn't I apologize.

And I would consider this a personal dig:

"Many Americans are very easily wound up and touchy over relatively trivial matters in the grand scheme of things and have difficulty discerning when someone's taking the piss or having a laugh.

I mean, just read your posts"

Jester: "nowadays things are speeded up on fastforward. So that a boy named Finley in all good faith by his parents in 2009 will have female Finleys cropping up on American Pop Idol before he's 20. And before you say, no that won't happen, it will. Lisa Marie Presley kicked off the Riley trend I think. Her elder dd who is about 20 is called Riley."

I actually, I wouldn't say it won't happen. What I would say is "Who really cares?" I don't care if names evolve and get used differently by different cultures and people. Personally, I hate the last name as first name thing but it is a matter of taste and am not worried about the "purity" of a name getting distorted by other cultures. My point was more directed at Expat and the others who seems so worried about Scottish and Irish names getting "ruined" by Americans. I don't really see why they are so worried - if a culture is strong it should be able to withstand other cultures adapting aspects of it as they wish.

urrrr a stalker

go away lastboxoftampons you are v creepy

Honestly, this thread has got so nasty. Seems to have got that way when Expat arrived on the scene and started throwing puerile personal insults around the place about "eijit" Americans etc. People please. This is so unlike Mumsnet.

I disagree.

The thread went south when the poster lastboxoftampons divulged that she follows expat around the internet, taking note of her various postings on different parenting sites. Creepy.

Prior to that it was an interesting discussion.

Welcome to the thread BoysarelikeDogs...

Can I make something clear - I don't follow Expat anywhere. We're both American expats living in the UK and we both post fairly frequently on another website especially for expats abroad. I've noticed her posts on the other board because she's got the same screenname for both. I don't, which may be why she didn't recognise me - or maybe she's just never noticed me before.

This all has nothing to do with this thread and I'm very sorry to the original poster to have been involved in such drama and chaos. Can I suggest we return to discussing whether or not we think names that might be considered "American" - especially the tendency towards first names as last names - will catch on here?

I thought throwing around peurile insults was very MN. What threads have you been on?

Nope, never been on FertilityFriend because I've never monitored my fertility.

'your' is both a singular and plural pronoun.

'This is so unlike Mumsnet.'

PMSL! You've missed some classic threads on here.

Anyhow, Gunnerbean, you sure do know how to start 'em!

Flings baby dust at BALD.

Obviously not the breastfeeding v formula threads

I was going to say that this is very like MN.

Everyone on here knows that the only other sites Expat posts on are "davidtennantisverysexy.org and Ilovedavidtennant(therealonenottheonemadeofrhubarb).co.uk, so no way can tampons have seen her anyhwere else

lastbox - point is Bryn is a Welsh male name (and the word for hill). If Yanks want to adopt it, fair enough, but they should pay attention to the culture they are raiding and not fuck around with the spelling. You are currently top dog nation until the Chinese take over, other countries have no chance if you start messing with their language.

Wonder if the Chinese will start mis-spelling American English names in a few decades - or maybe Americans will be calling their children Jung or Ming or Gileng?

(Apart from Chinese Americans of course, who may do that already.)

Ahhhh, Expat you aren't my best friend in disguise are you??? She came round today and spent half an hour telling me how much she loves David Tennant, how awful it is that he is not going to be the Doctor anymore and when she has a boy he is going to be called David Tennant. I'm sure she is really 12.

Edam - have you read any of my posts? Who really cares if cultures use name from the other. The British have been using Hebrew names (and changing the spelling etc) for decades. If a culture is strong it should withstand others borrowing and adapting from it. Personally, I wouldn't care if the Chinese use English names (or vice versa)however they want. To feel otherwise indicates a clear insecurity.

Edam - that was the point i was trying to make. The name Eilidh is a Gaelic one, and if an American wants to use it then they shouldn't change it to Aylee.

I suppose it is similar to Dylan. My American friend sent us a card saying Dillon. She then rang me to say she thinks she spelt his name the American way and she was very sorry.

Why not? Honestly. What is seriously wrong with spelling a name differently?

chaya, Biblical names are fair game for any country with a Christian or Jewish background. I guess spellings reflected whichever translation of the Bible was being used at the time - English scripture has been translated from several different languages, including Greek and Hebrew, you are bound to end up with evolved spellings

Don't go trying to blame the Welsh for cultural imperialism, btw, they have NEVER oppressed anyone. (Unless the Patagonians got up to something I don't know about...)

Chaya, well, you may say "who cares?" but tbh, I do. For hundreds of years Finley and Rory (just to use 2 examples) were boys names.