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.

Daisy!

Lockets cassius is lovely and I would pronounce cass ee us as well. Kitty gorgeous.

Gosh I just nosed your profile your kids are lovely! So close together though you must be worn out - mine are 2.2 and 12 weeks and I'm feeling the heat!

hf daisy?

What's hers called?

Her's is called Herlinga.

now Herlinga that is a 'try hard' name if ever I heard one!

I think rafferty quinn and solomon are the dublin equivalents of oscar, harry and alfie maybe?

All lovely names but all very "of the moment" IYSWIM.

The other names I like are old biblical ones (thinking of soloman) like Gabriel and Raphael. Or maybe I have a thing about archangels

daisy!!!! i like it. and knew a very VERY feisty one.

Herlinga?

New one on me...

Stannie, just saw your earlier post. I'm not saying that we should name our children middle of the road names, in fact the names I chose for my children were far more exotic than the pretty but nevertheless compromise ones they have now, but as you say ones's reaction to certain names does depend on background. It's tribal, I suppose.
To be honest, part of my problem with "my" Ophelia was that she was a horrendous snob who thought she was a lot cleverer than she was and looked down on me. Don't suppose her parents thought "I think she's going to be a git. Let's call her Ophelia".
I did know a Quentin who was really fed up with people thinking he was gay because he was called Quentin.

giggle

It makes me want go and dig out my baby name book and list the names I like - but I must go to bed!!

From what I remember:
Girls:
Saskia
Honor
Theodora
Daisy
Alice
Phoebe
Ruby
Lucy

Herlinga ? Where does that come from ?? Sounds Viking-y or something..

S_Q - they probably are (the equiv of the London names) .. Dublin 6/Dublin 4 is very ChiChi.

hf that;s not a name at all though. Googling reveals it is a place where a specialist type of dog is bred. So you are joking?

Like all of those names some are quite popular round here though.

Honor - lovely..

MonkeyExpert - I think you are right re tribal connotations.. There are names I really dislike as I intensely disliked the person I first met with the name..

Another here that must go to bed! Will catch up in the morning..

Totally agree saul and ezra both great names.

Out of those 4 bible names I have known people called 3 of them, and had a huge bit of a crush on 2 of them, the other one had a crush on me!

Maybe that is swaying my judgement

Sorry, didn't mean to offend anyone!

And have to admit I'm guilty as I've charged myself, as I've got absolutely no Greek heritage so if I do call dd Persephone it would be pretentious by my own definition. (Btw it would be Seffi for short.)

I'm too embarrassed to say the other names on my shortlist!

These are all fab names. unusual and distinctive and not in the least bit pretentious.

Which means that we all have excellent taste

Or that we are all of similar backgrounds/aspirations/socio economic wotsit etc

I'm going with the first option!

Lockets I love your dc's names. Wish I'd thought of Cassius for ds! We nearly went for Caspian for him but when he was born it just didn't suit him. And it really would have been pretentious wouldn't it

Kitty was on our shortlist but sounds ridiculous with the surname. Others still in contention for dd are Ottilie, Isadora, Madeleine and Claudia. Got 5 weeks to think about it.

Loving Isadora!

Mind you my first though is of Isadora Duncan which is maybe not fab.

I have not heard Ottilie before, where is that from? Reminds me of Odette and Clotilde.