The cliches abounding in this topic

[LadyThompson]

I enjoy the Baby names section - I'm interested in names generally, and, furthermore, am expecting a DC2 so the choosing of names has some direct relevance to my life at the moment. However - I am wearing of some of the following:

1. People who claim to have overheard particular names called out in the supermarket (always derogatory in tone, as well);

1. People who say, in an uppity manner - well, it's ok for a BABY but it won't do for a lawyer/brain surgeon (my DP is a barrister and as any fule kno, as far as the legal profession is concerned, they have practioners with ALL sorts of names);

1. People who talk about names being common, 'chavvy' or 'council house'. I think this says FAR more about the people decrying the name than those contemplating using it ;

I could go on, but that's enough for starters. I'm not against robust discussion either, just a bit bored of the same old nonsense being trotted out...

Well, feel free to totally discount my opinions, that's your prerogative and I'm not offended. I'm here for me, not for other people. HOw selfish . I'm not somebody who categorises names into two neat pigeon holes. My geeky interest in names goes way beyond that. I am interested in what names mean, Saints' names and saints days (European custom) boys' names becoming girls' names over the years, how long it takes for a name to become unusable as a boy's name. Also, influences from America and Europe (the o trend?). Irish sur names are considered girls' names in the US! (Delaney, Cassidy) English sur names are considered boy's names. Parker, cooper, Tucker. It interests me. It's a pity I can't make money from it. It's a huge subject and one that bores 99% of the population. I realise that.

Good luck finding the right name for your next dc.

Magaly: All this talk of chav/council/poncey/posh that I've been reading on here lately had got me wondering... Are there really many names which can be ascribed to any particular class/stereotype these days?

Take the example of Saskia above: on this thread, Padraig is (I think) saying it's poncey, AntoinetteOuradi is saying it's chavvy (oof) and lockets is saying it's used by every type of person (which I agree with).

And I have to admit to a slight girl-crush on you after Disneyvita

Never in RL have I come across such heightened chavometres as youll find on MN!! I guess that stands to reason though. Maybe I should say "never on another forum..." To me it seems ridiculous to say that Zoe is chav!!!! . I have read that Amber is chav on MN too. Amber is a beautiful resin and Zoe is Greek for life. Saskia is an old Dutch name. So Saskia is chav??, no hang on, it's poncey, no it's chav again! wait, news just in! it's normal. My head is spinning!

Cakes, I'll have to start a thread about you stealing my name!!

oh LOL at Zoe=chav. Zoe is my 80yo Grandmother's name and the very last person anyone would call chavvy! I'm sooooo looking forward to winding her up on this though (if I can find a way to explain chavvy to her!)

Archie is FAR from posh!!!! Jesus, where do you lot live???

Archie isn't posh? Where do you live???

Archie is posh in Surrey if you follow the stereotypes - but if you are in Scotland where your name suggests you might be then I can see that is isn't (same way Ned down her is slightly middle-class trendy but I know it woudln't seem that way in Scotland!) - always regional contexts as well.

It depends where you are here in Scotland, and it depends on the age of the Archie.

I think it's inevitable that some names will have good/bad associations for individuals and/or communities depending on popularity within certain circles. Always has been the case, likely to be the case for many years to come.

Pointing that out to someone who asks your opinion can be helpful if the poster isn't aware that a large proportion of their community hold those views.

Ultimately however, a person can make or break a name with their own personality, character and behaviour. Opinions are useful, but are not the be all and end all, and I don't think anyone here pretends that they are.

So whilst I don't particularly LIKE the British obsession with class and social climbing, it is a fact and opinions will be given which reflect that.

Archie and Alfie are used by the same types (IE not posh). I'm in London and it is seen as the C word here.

"chav = unpleasant person who speaks badly, wears horrible clothes and is generally unpleasant. Has nothing to do with class"

This is certainly NOT what the word means to most people who use it.

For what it's worth, that is exactly what it means to me. Doesn't have anything to do with class; more behaviour and taste.

Thing is chav on mn means council estate imo ....thats what pisses me off

It's what it means to me too. It's nothing about money or class. Chavs are just not very nice people... Undesirables.

Archie and Alfie are not posh.

Archie and Alfie very middle class here - isn't it odd how a name can have completely different connotations depending where you are. Mama - that's exactly what chav means to me.

Oh and while I was in New Look the other day I heard a woman call her daughter Shar Pei. Really.

Never seen it.

some of the most knobby names i've heard are from the middle classes, seriously awful names poor children will definitely change as they get older.

chav pisses me off too, most people don't understand it's meaning, it's offensive but seems to be acceptable by sneering middle class types.

I heard a Nike yesterday, and no I don't think it was the result of a classical education.

MN told me my sons name was 'chavvy'. I imagine if it had been overheard in John Lewis it would be 'poncey' too. In my opinion it is simply 'Welsh'.

@ lockets

I wasn't actually making any commentary on the names (Saskia included) themselves, I was just giving my experience of the opposite of what the OP was saying about names being overheard in supermarkets (i.e. names being overheard in quasi-upmarket department stores). The Saskia example was the foremost memory I could think of purely because of the mother's accent (which sounded like something out of a comedy sketch show).

Same with Archie at those who think I was saying it's posh (although it's not what I would call a common name). Although Archibald is most definitely posh, but that's neither here nor there.

As for chaviness, I don't think I've seen any names I would consider chavvy in this particular thread (i.e. zoe is not what I would consider chavvy).

Hope that's cleared things up somewhat

I think Sharpay probably comes under the chavvy category

"Do you think you would survive a state school as a boy called Rudy, Corin, Quentin or Archibald? " (Padraig)

Yes, my 10 year old ds is one of these and is very happy and popular at our local state primary school .

It seems us parents have this desire to 'classify' names according to class. Do you really think school children really care if their class mate is a Cayden, Callum, Corin, Quentin or Christian? Really? I think they (sensibly) care more about the child's personality.