Hello,
What are some posh/upper class and lower class sounding girl names in your country?
Thank you for your help.
I’m from the US…posh would probably be names that are popular in [name_m]Britain[/name_m] (a [name_m]George[/name_m], [name_m]Oliver[/name_m], [name_m]Theodore[/name_m], [name_m]Louis[/name_m], [name_m]Reuben[/name_m]) lower class would be made up spellings and made up names (Mckinzley, [name_f]Nevaeh[/name_f], [name_u]Kamryn[/name_u])
Anything ‘made up’ or with an alternative spelling is probably considered lower class (or ‘bogan’ as we say here in Australia). I would also include modern, word names.
Posh would probably be traditional, British aristocratic names. But as much of these are on trend at the moment I think it would be less defined as a category.
For the Netherlands, “upper class” girl namds would be longer, slightly [name_m]French[/name_m] names like [name_f]Juliette[/name_f], [name_f]Anne[/name_f]-[name_f]Sophie[/name_f], [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f], [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f]… lower class to me are mostly names borrowed from English/American media, can’t come up with any girl examples right now but [name_m]Kevin[/name_m] was definitely that for the 90s and in the current era [name_u]Jayden[/name_u] is very populad.
For Spain posh names are mostly longer and older sounding as well… [name_f]Paloma[/name_f], [name_f]Carlota[/name_f], Cayetana, [name_f]Amelia[/name_f], [name_f]Eugenia[/name_f] for example. “Lower class” makes me think of Anglo names such as [name_f]Jessica[/name_f] and [name_f]Jennifer[/name_f] in a Spanish context (including more phonetic spellings such as Yesica and [name_f]Jenifer[/name_f]) and for the current generation, Basque and Canarian names used by people outside of those cultures, like [name_f]Yaiza[/name_f], [name_f]Naiara[/name_f] or [name_f]Nerea[/name_f] (like my username… I confess to always having loved this name in spite of that haha)
I’m from Greece, here upper class are either Ancient Greek names (especially on girls, on boys not so much) or names that sound foreign (I know an [name_f]Amelia[/name_f], something very rare here)
Lower class names would be any girl name ending in -o and nicknames that are common in villages here… [name_f]Poppy[/name_f], [name_f]Tula[/name_f], [name_f]Sula[/name_f], [name_f]Margalo[/name_f], [name_f]Marjorie[/name_f] (Greek pronunciation), [name_f]Marika[/name_f], Lakis (boy), [name_m]Mitsos[/name_m] (boy) etc
In [name_f]England[/name_f]. very traditional names are usually associated with the upper classes, for example: [name_f]Louisa[/name_f], [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], [name_f]Arabella[/name_f], [name_f]Beatrix[/name_f]. It’s also usually common for the upper classes to have two middle names which give names a heightened sense of grandeur.
It’s also common for a lot middle/upper class parents to give their children shorter names or diminutives of traditional names, for example: [name_f]Edie[/name_f] is very popular.
Amongst the lower classes it’s usually more popular sounding names or unusual spellings. [name_f]Erin[/name_f], [name_f]Aimee[/name_f], [name_u]Kelly[/name_u], [name_f]Lauren[/name_f] and [name_f]Gracie[/name_f] are popular.
Sometimes traditional names or nicknames are quite popular, for example: [name_f]Hattie[/name_f]/[name_f]Hettie[/name_f]/[name_f]Ettie[/name_f], [name_f]Tilly[/name_f], [name_f]Lucy[/name_f], [name_f]Rosie[/name_f] and [name_f]Ellie[/name_f].
It’s also not uncommon for double barrelled names, [name_f]Ellie[/name_f]-[name_f]May[/name_f] and [name_f]Ellie[/name_f]-[name_f]Rose[/name_f] are popular.
In Germany lower class names would be names borrowed from the english speaking countries, like [name_m]Kevin[/name_m] (“Home Alone” really boosted the name), [name_m]Jeremy[/name_m], [name_m]Joel[/name_m], [name_u]Mandy[/name_u], [name_f]Miley[/name_f] or [name_f]Chantal[/name_f], [name_f]Vanessa[/name_f], [name_m]Justin[/name_m], [name_u]Dustin[/name_u], [name_f]Jacqueline[/name_f], [name_m]Pascal[/name_m], [name_u]Tyler[/name_u] and especially double names such like [name_m]Jeremy[/name_m]-[name_m]Pascal[/name_m], [name_f]Sarah[/name_f]-[name_f]Jane[/name_f], [name_f]Serafina[/name_f]-[name_f]Joelle[/name_f], and names where people just “invent” names, which no one actually uses
Upper class/posh names are hard, because I don’t think there are names almost primarily used by the upper class, but traditional german names like [name_f]Viktoria[/name_f], [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f], [name_f]Katherina[/name_f], [name_m]Alexander[/name_m], [name_m]Maximilian[/name_m], [name_m]Leonard[/name_m], [name_m]Cornelius[/name_m], [name_m]Hendrik[/name_m], [name_f]Luise[/name_f], [name_f]Sophie[/name_f], [name_f]Emilia[/name_f], [name_m]Johann[/name_m], [name_m]Felix[/name_m], [name_m]Wilhelm[/name_m], [name_m]Karl[/name_m], [name_m]Otto[/name_m] especially “old” german names which were once used for german emperors, or kings and queens, but because names like [name_m]Maximilian[/name_m]/[name_m]Alexander[/name_m]/[name_f]Sophie[/name_f] are trending for years in Germany it’s hard to say
As above really, in Australia:
Longer, royal and/or “girls’ picnic” names for upper/upper middle class. But this group also has the luxury of using hip, whimsical or word names.
Less affluent/highly educated, use names that start with B, T, J, K, and M and contain “dyn”, “yla”, “ana”, and “ley” even with a hyphen or some added “ee”’s.
Lower middle class begin to use upper/upper middle class names over time.
The whole thing’s prefty absurd!
I live in the southern US, and around here, “older money” names for girls tend to be family surnames such as [name_u]Campbell[/name_u], [name_u]Sullivan[/name_u], and [name_u]Flannery[/name_u] are ones I’ve come across in person. Lower class around here tends to be Top 10 or something with an extravagant spelling - [name_f]Khloey[/name_f], [name_f]Abigayle[/name_f].
Names like [name_f]Victoria[/name_f], [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f], [name_f]Penelope[/name_f], [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f], [name_f]Evangeline[/name_f] and so on to me would be upper-class names.
Wheras [name_f]Chrystal[/name_f], [name_f]Chloe[/name_f], [name_f]Lola[/name_f], made-up names and alternative spellings would be considered lower-class or chavvy in the U.K.
No offence to anyone with these names.
Interesting replies, in [name_f]France[/name_f] English/American names are also considered lower-class…
Lower-class in the States are names like [name_f]Nevaeh[/name_f], [name_f]Treasure[/name_f], Mackenzleigh, per the book “Freakonomics”: “urban” names, hard-to-pronounce names, and misspelled names, [name_u]Remington[/name_u], Ruger, names with -leigh or -lynn added to them or changed to those.
[name_m]George[/name_m] and [name_u]Amal[/name_u] [name_m]Clooney[/name_m] are classy and named thier daughter an “upper-class” timeless name, [name_f]Ella[/name_f]. The Kardashians are about as low-class as can be, and have daughters named [name_u]North[/name_u], [name_u]Dream[/name_u], Chicago. That about sums it up.
Interesting. I think the name [name_f]Ella[/name_f] is lovely, but to me it’s definitely a trendy choice right now — not necessarily timeless in the way that, say, [name_f]Anna[/name_f] or [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] is. It doesn’t strike me as particularly “upper-class” here in the UK, but maybe that’s different across the pond.
Across the pond, [name_f]Ella[/name_f] has been around for several hundred years, and never lost it’s beauty or soul. For me, “upper class” names are akin to timeless beauties such as [name_f]Anna[/name_f] and [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] and [name_f]Ingrid[/name_f], [name_f]Kate[/name_f] and [name_f]Cecelia[/name_f], [name_f]Sophia[/name_f] and [name_f]Vivienne[/name_f], [name_f]Caroline[/name_f] and [name_f]Susannah[/name_f], [name_f]Catherine[/name_f] and [name_f]Juliet[/name_f]. These are the types of names can’t be attributed to a specific generation. I think [name_f]Ella[/name_f] fits in there. Yes, it has become a bit more popular lately, but I don’t think it’s “trendy” nor will [name_f]Ella[/name_f] forever be associated with the 2000’s, like all the sur-name names, word names, nature names, misspelled names, and made-up names. Which, in my humble opinion are “low class.”
I’m British, but I’m also familiar with [name_m]French[/name_m] naming trends, so since you have ample replies about English names that I agree with, I’ll focus on [name_m]French[/name_m] ones instead.
“Posh” names would be quite long, old-fashioned and refined [name_m]French[/name_m] ones such as [name_f]Apolline[/name_f], Clémentine, Céleste, and [name_f]Victoire[/name_f] for girls, and Théodore, [name_m]Anatole[/name_m], [name_m]Maxence[/name_m] and Arsène for boys.
“Low class” names would be anglophone pop culture-inspired names such as [name_f]Tiffany[/name_f], [name_f]Jessica[/name_f], [name_u]Madison[/name_u], [name_m]Liam[/name_m] and [name_u]Logan[/name_u], and overused upstarts such as [name_m]Enzo[/name_m] and [name_f]Lilou[/name_f].
It’s easy to see the difference. If you name your child Euphrasie, the message is “I’m traditional, my taste is refined and I read [name_m]Victor[/name_m] [name_m]Hugo[/name_m]” whereas if you name her [name_u]Madison[/name_u], the message is “I watch American TV”.
Personally, I think the whole idea is a warped one. The subconscious urge for parents to align themselves with a social class in their choice of a name for a child shows that classism is still far too prevalent in our society, in my opinion - and what’s worse, that it’s intruding on a domain where it has no right. Parents should be able to name their daughter Euphrasie or [name_u]Madison[/name_u] simply based on what the name means for them personally, no matter their social class. Children’s names should be free of these kind of social identity conundrums.
This is very interesting. For me, coming from the UK, [name_f]Ella[/name_f] is in the “middle class, current, vaguely stylish, don’t want to stand out” category. Along with other classics such as [name_f]Lily[/name_f], [name_f]Sophia[/name_f] and [name_f]Evie[/name_f], it will definitely be tied to the 2010s (and maybe 2020s), in the same was as names like [name_f]Louise[/name_f], [name_f]Sarah[/name_f] and [name_f]Rebecca[/name_f] are mildly tied to the 80s.
Although I really understand where you are coming from (I love historical and classic names too), I would be wary of correlating beauty and soul with upper class tastes, and inventing names with the uneducated. Parents have a right to invent names if they feel it’s meaningful for them and their child, and those names can be beautiful too.
Lower class names here would be like [name_f]Misty[/name_f], [name_u]Storm[/name_u], [name_u]Ocean[/name_u]/[name_f]Oceana[/name_f], [name_f]Honey[/name_f], [name_f]Nevaeh[/name_f], [name_f]Tayla[/name_f], [name_f]Desiree[/name_f], any -ayden name, [name_m]Chance[/name_m], [name_u]Chase[/name_u], [name_m]Tyrell[/name_m], [name_m]Xavier[/name_m], [name_u]Harlem[/name_u], [name_f]Legacy[/name_f] and overly kre8tiv spellings (re Kl@ssique, J@hkai, Kle@’[name_u]Shae[/name_u])
Upper class names would be like [name_m]George[/name_m], [name_m]Alistair[/name_m], [name_m]Monty[/name_m], [name_m]David[/name_m], [name_m]Reuben[/name_m], [name_f]Natalie[/name_f], [name_f]Zara[/name_f], [name_f]Victoria[/name_f], [name_f]Laina[/name_f], [name_f]Margo[/name_f]
I’m in the US and in general I would say misspelled names or names that get too creative would be seen as less prestigious. Classics are good, but also I hear a lot of unexpected surname names and old family names. These are such broad generalizations though.
One thing that has surprised me recently is hearing names like [name_f]Zara[/name_f], [name_f]Savannah[/name_f] and [name_f]Mia[/name_f] in the list of [name_u]Royal[/name_u] family names. I love those names and they sound very typical everyday American to me.
[name_m]How[/name_m] interesting! In the UK, [name_m]Xavier[/name_m] seems to fit more in the upper-class category! (Although I hate to generalise.)