What makes a name (in your opinion) pretentious and why ?

[Stannie]

Just wondered really..

I think labelling something/someone pretentious is very dependant on where your own background/standing but as we all are only very loosely gathered into social groups/trends it's fairly impossible (IMO) to call a name in particular pretentious.. what might sound so to one person maybe a perfectly normal name to another..

What in your opinion makes a name fall into the dictionary meaning - which is "characterized by assumption of dignity or importance" - and why ?

For example I don't think Persephone (mentioned in another thread) is in any way pretentious but I went to school with a Mungo and I have a very, very unusual name which I love.

huxley

No that's not pretentious. It's a sur name. I liked Brave New World, so I say it's a good one.

not that were looking for anybody's blessing!

Not pretentious. Too unusual to be pretentious.

Back.

Great discussion going on

MaggieBeauLeo - I don't routinely post my name online as to date (and I'm 34) I have never met another person with my name. And a google search on the name revealed only one other with this name in the US - it's truly unique, so finding me/my details/email addressess etc is a bit too easy so posting it on open forums is a no no for me personally.

I disagree about unusually named children having to go to private or public school to avoid teasing etc. I know of three Apples that are attending state schools - maybe they would have been possibly teased previously for having hippy names but now they are not because it's an unusual name that has become mainstream through 1st celebrity use and therefore usage.

SardineQueen - "too unusual to be pretentious" (out of interest not in arguement) why ?

Because people who are being pretentious in an aspirational way will choose names which they hope are unusual or original but then realise they have missed the mark and the primary school is full of kids with the same name.

Or the names will be utterly ridiculous and not "suit" the family at all.

Whereas people who are truely original/bonkers/eccentic can call their children whatever they like and, while people might think their choices weird, will not accuse them of pretension. They just think "oh it's just so and so".

For eg your Apples, you will be able to tell whether the parents called them that due to celebrity endorsement, or because they have dreadlocks and once lived in a ditch with swampy for a month. Totally different ball game.

Oh and so yes, a name which no-one has ever heard before can't be pretentious as by definition you're not trying to be anyone else, as no-one is called it IYSWIM...

For me the pretentious names are all the "quirky" ones which are beloved of certain (pretentious) areas in London, and the ones which are thought of as being very posh.

Ooops I think it was me that suggested Persephone on that other name thread

I stand by it though. It was a contender at one point for a while for our imminent dd in fact. I just think it's really pretty, and unusual, and has an interesting background.

IMO giving a child a name which is totally unsuited to their environment/nationality/heritage is pretty pretentious. Eg calling a girl Mercedez if you're not Spanish.

fatti that is exactly what we have done. We have got quite a few , as expected, but fuckit, who cares

For me the real pretentious ones are a certain type of person in London who are very pretentious anyway, and their children's names just sort of accentuate the whole ghastliness of it all.

Would persephone get shortened to Percy? I like it though. But wouldn't have the balls to use it myself!

PMSL @ SardineQueen

I see what you mean now. DH & I both have unusual names (and fairly odd parents in my case!) and we are keen on some names for first born due in two weeks that could be construed as pretentious from some posts on MN. We don't actually care as WE like the names and we also don't live anywhere that it would be a case of impressing others/wanting to be seen as something we are not (on a hill in the middle of Ireland!)..

@ the quirky names in "certain" areas - I know exactly what you mean ..

As for the posh ones.. hmmm.. dunno.. depends on what personal opinion as to what that is I suppose..

Fatti - no offence but we are in real danger of being uber pretentious from your definition ... Choices for new baby are far far far from Irish names which would more suited to our environment.. I suppose we dredge up some tenous heritage/nationality links to use them though..

It's really interesting to see how others define pretentious.

I have a friend with a dd called (say) 'Persephone'.

Her sister had twins and called them (say) 'Ruby and Magnus'. She was horrified and thought they were very odd names indeed.

It's all relative!

Stannie you should use the names that you like.

I knew that with ours (which are not difficult, just not English) we would get people thinking we were twats. But we like the names and so use them confidently so it doesn;t matter. I don't care what other people think - we chose them genuinely and with no thought of trying to impress other people with our coolness/richness/poshness/originality whatever.

Just go for it

I am called Roxanne and did feel a small amount of pressure to be lively, amusing and sexy, given the assumptions of the name.

I definitely wouldn't have felt like this if I'd been called Sarah, Kate or Gemma (the most common names of my age group, born 1983).

I'm definitely giving my daughter a more unusual name, no one wants to be ordinary do they?

Stannie won't you tell us the names?

Has everyone heard the expression 'try hard names?'

The silly thing with that hf though is, surely everyone tries hard with their childrens names. To get the right/best one.

What people mean by that expression, IMO, is "trying to be something they're not" names.

yep.

roxy - how did you feel about the pressure? i'd be v interested to know... as i had a pretty common name myself. so don't know what it's like from the other side.

Of course everyone wants the right name for their child - many hours of thought goes into it.

But I do think some people want to fit in with social expectations and please other people with their choices.

My understanding of a 'try hard name' is one that you think you should use, rather than the one that you really want to.

interesting...

Surely no-one does that though? I mean choosing a name they don't actually like because it is the "right" one.

That is . It hadn't occured to me that people might do that.

Sardine Queen - I can't be persuaded I'm afraid ..not for any other reason but for superstition! When he/she lands I'll post them..

hf - try hard names ? I am a clueless 1st timer so no .. try harder as in trying harder to be . ... You'll have to cut me some slack - about 4 months ago I didn't know what a Quinny Buzz was.. (I do now. And I also know that I'm not trendy because I have a Graco buggy)

Roxanne - What are your potential names for DD? nosy and do you regret being called Roxanne ?