Have I saddled my baby with a chav name?

[KateBeckinsale]

My DS is 2 and as soon as I found out I was pregnant, DH picked the name Kaeden for a boy. I really liked it and we stuck with it.

I chose to spell it this way for the following reasons:

1. Kaiden would get Kai and he has a cousin called this. 2)Kayden would get Kay 3)I didn't like Kaden as thought it loooked like kad-en rather than Kayden and it is arabic and I have no arabic connections.
2. Caden means round lump and is usually the girl version.
3. Kaeden is sometimes shortened to Kaed and we just like it.

But since then lots of people have called their kids Kayden/Jayden/Hayden/Aiden/Brayden, etc and people have started calling it chavvy.

This really upsets me as neither DH or I are chavs, we're teachers with a nice house, etc and we DS going to be judged on his name for the rest of his life and is it really a horrible name or are people just being snobby and trying to label others?

Sorry, newbie, hope it is OK to post.

I think.....Names are names and people will always have some kind of opinion on a name, whatever you choose i.e. chavvy/posh/boring/pretentious/tryhard/etc.

Even if people judge a name at first, within a few minutes they rearrange their preconceptions based on the person they are speaking to (maybe the parent if its a young child).

And actually, I think the nn kaed (pronounced cade?) is rather nice actually. Could imagine Kaed being the popular, cool, hunky guy at school.

Don't worry! I think you should be proud, I bet your DS is lovely and will be a cute little ambassador for the name.

Also, if it makes you feel better, a friend of a friend named her baby boy something which by common consensus is a girl's name....

If you like the name, thats all that matters. Of the most popular names isobel, chloe, jack, harry etc how many of them do you think have been used by so called 'chav' parents. If someone feels they have to try and put you down because of the name you have chosen, more fool them.

I would say very chav. Name itself is chav and spelling makes it worse. Sorry! As long as you like it though.

I am really surprised how much emphasis Brits put on the whole class issue - why are you so keen to categorise and label names according to class structure?

I personally do not like the Kaeden, but not because of any class association, I just don't like the sound of it. I honestly wouldn't pre-judge a Kaeden just because his parents gave him that name. But then, I'm not English .

I don't like the name personally, but each to their own. Not sure I'd say it was chavvy, just not a name I'd choose for my own DS.

Just be happy you both agreed on a name you liked! some of us can't even do that as couples!

If you don't like the -ayden connotations, what about using the abbreviation Caed as his name? I think that sounds quite nice.

Or think of a really middle class nickname for him that you shout in piercing middle class brays from the side of the rugby field or school sports day.

Something like 'Scrumbo' or 'Fothers' or 'Rahrah' or 'Boodle'.

Yes you have. But where have you gone?

I honestly don't get it. If you like it, you like it. And you say you do. And he is 2, so even if you didn't like it (which you do) then its too late.

Yes, where have you gone?!

LOL at Slambang

Kade is far less pigeon-holeable. (not a verb, but ykwim)

Kade or Aidan.

Is OP real or just trying to start a ding dong?

i like it my ds2 has a chavvy name too but i could not care less ,its no one buisness !

I always thought of certain names as chavvy but then when I heard a friend of mine who is not at all chavvy and actually very beautiful and classy used such a name for her child it instantly changed my perception so do not worry about that, people have preconceptions about lots of names that are often changed and it really depends on the person I think.

Hi I'm back.

I should probably explain my reasons for starting this thread. My friend is having a baby and someone had suggested 'kayden' as a name on her status on facebook. She said 'no way, too chavvy' and a conversation followed about whether it was 'rough' or not.

We teach adults so don't have the issue of names and classes.

We generally call him Kaed (as in cade). I don't want him to be stereotyped. He's a lovely little boy. I would associate 'chavvy' with a blatant disregard for others due to values not being instilled by parents (obviously because the parents were too busy swigging cider, smoking and watching Jezza Kyle to bother with their children ). I don't want people to perceive him as disrespectful as he isn't like that.

But it's picked and we like it and he likes it... Plus no one has ever mentioned it being 'chavvy' until now.

Queen- I hope I'm that friend

Yes personally wouldn't dream of choosing any of the Kaeden, Brayden, Jayden names but I'm sure it will be inconsequential to your son in later life as he'll be judged on the person he is not his name.

However some people can make judgements based on names when looking at things such as class registers and CVs - such is life!

Names are labels by definition but it's clearly better for the child if they don't carry labels that denote socio-economic backgrounds.

Take Hugo. You see the name and you know that he is a stranger to benefits.

This name Kaeden. It sounds a bit made up. You automatically know that he isn't a pupil at Eton.

I do think life is easier for the children, if you avoid names that connote too much.

Lockets, some people might have said, not it's an Eastenders name so maybe for that reason it might 'go downhill'. and tbh I'd have avoided a soap name, but that character was years ago now, and the name is quite privileged-sounding iykwim. I don't want to use the P word either.

btw, what about lord Baden Powell?!

I agree it is the person not the name that maketh a chav.

Although I did think that many avoided "ayden" names since Jayden James.

oh! Baden-Powell? I didn't know that.