Jaydon/Haydon/Cayden

[candyflossbaby]

I neither dislike/like these names but a friend of mine is considering all of these for her son due next month. Why do so many people hate these names, she asked my opinion but I said I wasn't sure, but had got the impression from mumsnet in the past that these names should be avoided??

5dollarshake, yes of course, any society has its good and bad aspects. Having myself lived in 3 different countries, you realise that no one country 'has it all' . No, a holiday abroad is unlikely to change people's attitudes, but a few months living or working abroad may help people look at their own country with a more open mind.

What I meant with the private vs state issue is that in the UK it helps to have money - because there are private schools and private doctors/hospitals, in addition to the state options. All this leads to a rather unfair society, which reinforces the class system.

Coming back to Jayden/Hayden/Kayden, the reason for me not liking these names has nothing to do with me regarding them as 'common' or 'lower class', and it would be nice if we all tried to be less judgemental about names in terms of 'classes'.

I just think they sound ugly, and some are made up. Aiden is ok, Hayden not made up (composer?) but I don't like it, a friend has one, she calls him Hayds, awful, like Hades. Jayden/Brayden(shudders)/Shayden/Caden just all sound made up.

And I'm no snob, hate the word chav, but they are popular 'working class' names. That doesn't mean the children will grow up 'asbo teens' or anything, but names are social signifiers and many people don't want that image attached to their children. I wouldn't, but likewise I abhor the middle class cupcakery attached to names like Ignatius and Hector. My DS has a beautiful arabic name so who knows what kind of signifier that is - I suppose he confounds expectations by being purely caucasian in looks.

Hate them. Each to their own though.

I do get pretty pissed off with Aidan and Hayden/Haydn, which are all solid, traditional names, being lumped together with the likes of Jayden, Kayden, Brayden, Shayden and any number of other awful made-up names, just because they have a similar sound.

The name Ken is unpopular at the moment, but that doesn't stop thousands of people calling their sons Ben, and nobody would comment 'ooh, Ben, how awful, it sounds just like Ken!'.

I hate Aiden. DS2s name is constantly misspelt like this and his is fecking spelt correctly!

They often have negative associations in the way that Kevin, Wayne, Sharon and Tracey did in the 80s. As many ppl do, I know perfectly lovely ppl with these names, but they were derided as 'common' or associated with a way of life that we generally like to mock or are the focus of TV documentaries and satire. A friend with one of these 80s names has said she always felt she had to prove herself, no thanks to her name, however, this name has no such connotations in the US or other English speaking countries.

how stupid. most people on mumsnet are NOT middleclass. To be a true middle class family in britain, you need A HOUSE HOLD INCOME OF 65000, own three cars, and own your own house, and have savings above 50,000.

Are you all telling me you are all middle class? And you have the cheelk to look down on the working class and say they choose names such as caydon, haydon, jaydon etc??

my great grandad is called caydon, and its an old irish name.

FFS.

kizzibear how is that the definition of middle class? What if our household income is 100,000, we own our own house, have half a mill in the bank, but only one car? Or what if we won the lottery and met all of your criteria, but are poorly educated, unmannered and crass? What if we have the potential to meet all your criteria easily, but don't do it as we don't give a damn about money or social status? What if I am the daughter of an aristocrat but am also a down-and-out drug addict? There is SO much more to class than material belongings and wealth. And I will never understand why anyone aspires to mediocrity anyway. I don't disagree with your point though - I also hate the 'better than you (even if it's only by a whisker and I gave my left arm and leg to be)' attitude in the UK. It's ridiculous. And it's so true what annasophia said about living in a different country for a while. I didn't realise just how obsessed Britain is with class until I moved out.

I get it. Names are social markers. But why? Is a Carly a 'better' person than a Kylie? Not sure why people think that by meeting certain requirements they become more valid as a human being than someone else.

Bah.

I didnt make that definition up! I have just read it in a journal may 2010 at work sat next to me- it is a rough guideline I suppose but my point was that lots of people were judging names based on class.
AND i forgot to put in the definition that at least one parent will have a degree (I didnt realise I hadnt typed that out) (but that was the wealth side) alot of people have the attitudes of middle class, but that doesnt mean they are, (half the women here would like to think they are though!!!)

And I totally agree that attitude and the way in which you lead your life has alot to do with your class, BUT I was trying to get across that alot of mumsnetters come across as snobs to me, but are they really in a position to be judging? If a little boy is called Jaydon, it doesnt mean he comes from a working class family. People are entilitled to dislike names, but for reasons such as them being too working class for them is riduclous.

Fair point, kizzibear There are tons of ways of defining class, I don't think that there is any one which covers it all, but yes, I did totally get the point you were making. I think your grandad's name is nice, btw.

So, Kizzi: we have one crumbly old car, we own four properties and have two DPhils. Our children are at prep schools and we earn decidedly less than 65K pa.

So does that make us upper class, I wonder?

If I add my Dad's five cars to our one, that would make both us and him middle class.

no it makes you working class

psammead and kizzi make very good points- totallywipedout- the point was more that alot of mumsnet seem to think they are better than other people, when the truth is they are all the same class.

totallywipedout- I never mentioned upper class either- I was reffering to the people who had been talking about the working class using stupid names, and how middle class neames were meant to be so much more classier.
Its nice that you have dreams of being upper class though one day hey

What soup said. Those 'names' are hated beause they are made up and/or have 'creative' spellings.

And not just in MN. You don't get these comments in RL only because people are more honest online.

someone has to create the spellings of all names.....

Jadon is a Hebrew name meaning "thankful" (according to Strong's Concordance) or "he will judge" It appears in the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament as the name of Jadon the Meronothite, one of the builders of the wall of Jerusalem in the Book of Nehemiah (Nehemiah 3:7).

About as traditional as you can get don't you think?

rach - And when those names already have a spelling, people should not go about inventing new ways to spell them, lest they look ignorant.

And no, "Its spelt that way in Swahili" is not an excuse for said ignorance, unless you have some connection to that region.

kizzy - That Jadon is pronounced "yadhon", though, is it not? Besides, how many Jadons named in the last five years are born to Jewish families? How many parents of these Jadons are even aware of this connection? And if they are aware, why do they spell it Jaden and pronounce it funny?

What about suggesting

James Aidan, with a nick name of Aidan, and then he has the option to go by J.Aiden Sur name.

Or maybe that's just stupid. I don't know. Have had this argument on mn umpteen times before and loads of posh people get hot under the collar if you try to gently steer people (nobody they know personally of course away from Jaden Kaden Bailey Kenzie etc

Kizzi, did you not see the or the ?

Sigh. I bet you voted Labour.

Did you not see my face's?? :-)

Touche, kizzi.

No voting for me this year im afraid. Was the anniversary of the death of my still born baby. I guess you wouldn't have seen me round the site?