just because your “working class” dosent mean u have the right to judge a name. It’s down to personal preference. A name is never a burden and if u think that way I think you should get off this nameberry website. You will find Everyone has different name tastes and they don’t need people like you looking down on them for what names they think will suit their child.
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I simply like the names chosen in [name_u]Britain[/name_u] more than the names chosen in [name_u]America[/name_u]. Not all of them of course. I love old names, historical names, literary names, flower and tree names, poetic names. The invented names I love are [name_f]Araminta[/name_f] and [name_f]Thelma[/name_f] rather than [name_f]Raelynn[/name_f] and such. [name_f]Chardonnay[/name_f] is to me an awful name. Let’s hope it remains legal to have opinions.
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A name is never a burden? Is this a joke? There is a reason you don’t meet any baby Adolf’s. I met a [name_u]Chris[/name_u] Peacock the other day who has endured a lifetime of teasing. Names can be burdensome for a variety of reasons.
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I agree with the top statement you’ve made. But the one at the bottom saying [name_f]Emily[/name_f] is a “classic name” really shows how britan and US differs [name_f]Emily[/name_f] was solely a 90s/2000s number 1 name over here and now is dropping because it has a bit of a dated reputation. It’s funny how it two countries can be so different.
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No one is saying it isn’t legal to have an opinion 
At the same time though, some blanket statements and generalizations about lower-income families and races regarding names can be very harmful and offensive, and I feel it’s important to bear that in mind.
Not in this thread, but, in the clip I shared, and in real life examples, I have very much heard comments made about names that are really, more about race or socioeconomic status rather than about the names themselves. Those instances are when the line between “having an opinion” and saying something offensive becomes blurred.
The clip was really just because a comment reminded me of that rant, it wasn’t saying I’m for or against any of the names she discussed, or if I’m pro or against any of the opinions stated.
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This is not a fair argument since neither is Russia or the UK in many places. After recent political events, these two major countries are facing international backlash. It’s probably more the fact that the US is a young country — Canada, Australia, and the US share a lot of similar names simply because they’re all young countries with similar backgrounds (if we’re using a Eurocentric timeline) and with less deference toward European traditions than their European counterparts.
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It’s a class thing!
Modern names are considered chavvy. I’m not sure if there is an American equivalent to a chav but they are considered very lower class, a type of underclass who are work shy, slovenly and of low morals. People who dress like a typical chav (no matter how lovely they might be as a person) do tend to gravitate toward these type of names (probably because they are fresh, unique and modern). However, because chavs are looked down upon in society, the names they tend to like are also looked down upon. So if someone ‘respectable’ decides they want to name their child [name_u]Skyler[/name_u], for instance, their friends will try and dissuade them by saying “oh, it’s a bit chavvy don’t you think?” (true story, my sister was convinced not to use a name she loved because of other people’s opinions).
It works the other way around as well. Some names are considered very posh and upper class, and if someone who isn’t upper class uses it they are mocked for being snobby or try hard and thinking above their station. [name_f]My[/name_f] children have typical ‘upper class names’ and I’ve had people laughing and calling me [name_u]Hyacinth[/name_u] Bucket. It couldn’t possibly be because I love those particularly names.
You can’t win unless you go for one of popular, overused traditional names that never go out of fashion. You only need to go on the dreaded mumsnet to find this!
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Yes! I’m on Mumsnet and I’m probably touchy about the subject because I’m American, but the constant use of “American” as an insult is so irritating. I’m sure it’s just as irritating as America calling itself the “leader of the free world” 
I also find the obsession with class fascinating — I’d never thought of a name being “middle class aspirational” before I joined Mumsnet. In the US, I believe we view class primarily through race, which is why even though both societies have entrenched class systems, they look different. I think in the UK, class is more noticeable through accent, surnames, location, ethnicity, etc. However, both societies have their turn of phrases which can act as dogwhistles for racism.
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This is wild to me…very interesting to hear how naming works and is related to class there.
I’m in the US & not offended in the least if they think American names are not as aspirational? [name_f]Fancy[/name_f]? 
eh to each their own.
I looked up what another poster mentioned about kevinism and one part struck a chord…it mentioned how a child’s name might reflect on the parents. I’d say that is true to some extent.
I can’t imagine anyone ever telling someone here not to name their baby ‘above their station’ I think embracing a better quality of life is encouraged here:)
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It’s not an argument, just a blanket statement.
I think a few things missing from this conversation are:
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[name_u]America[/name_u] typically places a higher importance on rugged individualism (at least as an aspirational theory even if social systems aren’t set up to support it) than other countries. This is likely at least partially due to the lack of a monarchy or other feudal system in which in which names and lineage out of outright importance as opposed to the more behind the back importance in [name_u]America[/name_u].
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Americans also absolutely judge made up names not only along class lines but also along racial lines. Made up names tend to be more or less accepted based on the selected consonant and vowel combinations and whether they are more similar to names typically used by the Caucasian or African American communities.
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I’m American, and I agree with this too. I often wish I could live in [name_u]Britain[/name_u] just so I could use some of the names I really like.
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Personally I wouldn’t let that stop me! The great thing about the US is we do have a wide variety of names (made up and otherwise) and I don’t think any one would bat an eye at a little girl named [name_f]Lakshmi[/name_f] or [name_f]Boudicca[/name_f], it’s just unfortunate that more people wouldn’t understand the meaning, origin or significance of the name.
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Yes! [name_m]Even[/name_m] though I’m American I’ve been on mumsnet and that’s (from a US perspective) one of the worst at mom shaming. One of the nice things about the US is while we do have class issues, names are not as strongly associated with class in our culture (not to say they aren’t any associations but it’s less stigmatized)
I think [name_u]Britain[/name_u] will get there, [name_u]America[/name_u] also had a huge era where constructed names were considered low class and trashy (Because racism) I think the only reason it has more mainstream appeal now is because celebrities are naming their kids more unique names and…American’s are strf**ers to a extent with our popular culture and trends. There’s a huge push to prove oneself as unique in an appropriate way because we have a weird worry about being too homogenous from all the media based on the horrors of the suburbs and being seen as too provincial, you usually want to be provincial with just a tend of regional or cultural exoticism without going too far.
I think [name_u]Britain[/name_u] is a bit okay with being standard and not standout…Conformity is in at the moment because there’s a pressure to prove oneself as solidly British and less international going at the moment. At least in my purely anecdotal observation.
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I will also add in that names that are popular in [name_u]America[/name_u] are now becoming popular here by babies born maybe 2015 and later. Names like [name_u]Parker[/name_u], [name_u]Hudson[/name_u], [name_u]Carter[/name_u], [name_u]Carson[/name_u], [name_u]Paisley[/name_u], [name_u]Kennedy[/name_u] etc. But we tend to stick to familiar names, names that have history and a background familiar to us in comparison to newly invented names or names with American history. I prefer the names used in the UK than the US but it isn’t unheard-of anymore for British families to pick solely American-feeling names. But it is usually the families with younger parents who are picking these, so the classism definitely comes from the generation before. Class divide is also a real thing here that is evident everywhere you go in the UK, imo anyway.
I don’t agree at all that Brits aren’t as adventurous with their naming as Americans. It’s just a different type of adventurous. Brits who shy away from traditional names like Olivia, Lucy, James, Henry etc are more likely to use names like Antigone, Juno, Artemis, Caspian and Ziggy than they are Raelyn, Paisley, Kinsley etc, so names drawn from history, literature and mythology. Those are very specific examples but you know what I mean.
In saying that, perhaps those sorts of names are more commonly used by upper class Brits (I’m Australian so I can’t be sure) than your average ‘adventurous’ namer but even so, looking at the UK top 100, I think there are a wide variety of names from traditional classics to quirkier classics, Anglo to Arabic, gender specific to unisex, & full length to nicknames. Certainly a wide enough variety that it isn’t quite fair to say that Brits tend to stick to “old fashioned common names.” Although yes, I do think there’s a tendency in America toward invented names that there isn’t in Britain, but I don’t think invented names or surname names equate to “adventurous” necessarily. I think it’s much more to do with the “rugged individualism” someone mentioned that’s inherent to America’s identity as a newer country not tethered to centuries-old traditions and history.
I was also surprised to see someone say that Australia is more like America in terms of naming tastes because we’re also a younger country. I may be wrong but I find Australians tend to gravitate toward similar names as Brits, likely because we’re still a part of the monarchy. I’m Australian and the names I come across in the playground and amongst my friends’ children are names like Oscar, Hugo, Remy, Louis, Rafferty, Felix, Otis, Lucian, Matilda, Astrid, Frankie, Clementine, Audrey, Margot, Luella and Olive. All names that are more popular/trendy in Britain than in America.
And if I’m thinking of some more adventurous namers I know, their kids are Rio, Avalon, Sequoia, Bloom, Onyx, Atticus, Banjo, Tabitha, Sunday and Clover as opposed to the sorts of modern names you mentioned. Names like Kinsley, Paisley, Raelyn etc and surname-names that are somewhat trendy in the US like Collins, Kendall etc are, at least from my experience, very rare here. I can only go off my area of course; perhaps they are more commonly used in other parts of the country.
Anyway, just my two cents!
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Agreed
I’m not an expert, but I thought Australia had both British and American influences in its culture. For its 2022 top 100, girl names like Harper, Harlow, Maddison, Willow, Peyton, Mackenzie, Savannah, Piper, and Quinn show up. As for its top 100 boy names, Australia’s included Ashton, Hunter, Cooper, Jayden, Austin, Jaxon/Jackson, Lennox, Hudson, Carter, Ryder, Parker, River, Lincoln, and Fletcher. Popular Names in Australia | Nameberry
Whereas the UK top 100 for 2022 only has Harper and Willow for its girl names and Harrison, Mason, Jaxon/Jackson, Hunter, Grayson, Harley, Oakley, and Jayden for its boy names (Popular British Names | Nameberry).
So, it seems like Australia has quite a few more American baby names on its top 100 list for both girls and boys than the UK, whereas the UK only has a smattering of mainly American boy names.
*I counted Willow, River, and Piper as American names since their popularity has skyrocketed due to American TV shows/celebrities.
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Also, I agree with this. I think the premise of this thread is needlessly inflammatory.
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