[name_m]Even[/name_m] though almost all the Whitneys I’ve met in my life have been mildly obnoxious, even though it’s going out of style, and even though I have no desire to memorialize [name_u]Whitney[/name_u] [name_u]Houston[/name_u]. When you take away all the accumulated associations of the 80s and 90s and give it a clean slate, I think [name_u]Whitney[/name_u] is a darling little girl’s name.
It’s got strong British/Celtic origins. It sounds like winter, which to me evokes calm, crisp, strength. I could see [name_u]Whitney[/name_u] being smart and creative. It shortens well to [name_u]Whit[/name_u]. To me at least, it feels versatile enough to picture it at all stages of life - childhood, adulthood, and old age.
Would the pre-existing associations be to much of a turn off for you? Does the big turn-down in popularity mean a newborn [name_u]Whitney[/name_u] could expect a clean slate? Full disclosure: I am not the mama to be. I’m helping my sister look into names for my very first niece or nephew!
Whitney is one of those names I don’t think I like much, but when I actually think about the name itself and remove all associations and biases as you suggest, it actually has a crisp, bright, clear sound that I quite enjoy.
I’m assuming you’re in the US, but unfortunately as a Brit I always hear “Whitney!!” and think of Eastenders (a British soap opera), which is a bit of a turn-off. Elsewhere, I guess the Whitney Houston association is probably the dominant one, but I don’t think it’s so strongly tied to her as to be a one-person name.
I do think Whit is a charming nickname for a girl or boy. I’d probably prefer Whittaker or Whitman for a boy and maybe Winslet for a girl to get there, but Whitney is actually quite sweet and refreshing for a 2022 baby.
This is an interesting question and I think the answer is probably largely yes, certainly among her own age group.
Personally I’m not a massive fan of [name_u]Whitney[/name_u] mainly because of the Eastenders association that @katinka said however that’s only my opinion I can definitely see [name_u]Whitney[/name_u] working on a baby/young child. I do not believe the strong connotations with a particular era should prevent someone from using a name and in fact if the name comes from an era that’s connected to your childhood it can make the name feel nostalgic. Regarding pre-existing associations unless it’s the first thing in my head it wouldn’t prevent me from using the name. I could imagine a [name_u]Whitney[/name_u] may have occasionally be serenaded with [name_u]Whitney[/name_u] [name_u]Houston[/name_u] songs but I wouldn’t say that’s terrible.
With the whole would [name_u]Whitney[/name_u] have a clean slate I think she could be the only one in her class whilst having a name that is also recognisable which is a bonus.
@leafygreens i feel like [name_u]Whitney[/name_u] is a very this Berry’s name so I think @leafygreens would answer this question perfectly
So to start I actually really like [name_u]Whitney[/name_u], while it’s not like my usual style I think it’s very sweet and spunky, for a boy or a girl! It definitely has a 90s feel to it but I honestly really like that! It feels more fun, spunky, tiny bit grunge, just a very fun and sparkly vibe to me vs mean girl, I honestly don’t get mean girl at all from it. I absolutely love [name_u]Whit[/name_u] too!
To your question if associations would be a turn off, not really for me. Personal associations are harder to get over vs associations like [name_u]Whitney[/name_u] [name_u]Houston[/name_u] (which I personally like), but once you meet someone like a newborn family member usually they take over that association vs the mean girl in high school. I also think because of the drop in popularity it would have less super strong associations like one born in the 80/90s would, so would say there would be a clean slate!
Overall, I really like [name_u]Whitney[/name_u], it has a really nice sparkly fun 90s feel and it would be such a nice surprise to meet a baby [name_u]Whitney[/name_u]!
I’ve known some Whitneys I didn’t quite gel with, too!
I would say [name_u]Whitney[/name_u] is inseparably tied to the 80’s/90’s. That’s not to say every single [name_u]Whitney[/name_u] has to be born at that time, but it even sounds 80’s/90’s. If that doesn’t bother you (or your sister, it sounds like?), then I think it’s actually pretty cute.
A major plus would be the confidence that she’d be the only [name_u]Whitney[/name_u] in her class at school. In fact, she’d have a much higher chance of sharing her name with a teacher.
It’s not to my personal taste and I agree with other pp that it sounds very 90s, along with rhyming [name_f]Britney[/name_f]? I think it could be one that comes back though - W names seem to be having a moment, and I think it could feel fresh used now. The 90s associations we have will mean absolutely nothing to peers.
[name_u]Whitney[/name_u] is lovely! I actually know a little girl with the name and she wears it beautifully! It’s a bit unexpected now, but in a delightful way.
I love [name_u]Whitney[/name_u]! It’s not often used but everyone knows it! I’ve seen lots of posts of people liking names such as [name_f]Stephanie[/name_f] and that’s of the same era!
I could see [name_u]Whitney[/name_u] working, however I would say it’s very taste specific - just because you like it, doesn’t mean your sister will! I would guess not many people would use [name_u]Whitney[/name_u], even aside from the associations, it’s dated. You would have to really love it to use it. For me, it’s the same as say [name_f]Brittany[/name_f] or [name_f]Jessica[/name_f] - all pretty names but very dated.
I’ve always really liked [name_u]Whitney[/name_u]! While it was more popular in the 80s, I can very much see it as a sister to [name_u]Harper[/name_u], [name_u]Everly[/name_u], or [name_u]Avery[/name_u].
It’s a bit unexpected now, but in a delightful way.