Page 5 | Why the hate for modern “made up” style names

RobertSmithsLipstick · 15/08/2022 06:28

I've nothing against made up names, it just seems that people aren't able to make up many good ones.

That said, I can't stand all the "Augustus, nn Binky" type names, either.

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RosiePosie80 · 15/08/2022 06:31

mathanxiety · 14/08/2022 18:49

The horror stems from conservative elements in the culture.

The distaste is bound up with the class system. People who are heavily invested in being middle class can't stand it when others clearly don't give a hoot about their preoccupation.

'Made up' names are associated with American culture too, though the distaste for American culture is also classism in disguise. America is a more free and easy society where people are defined more by income than by something considered innate like class. This is seen as a threat by people who define themselves by the values and aspirations they associate with notions of class.

See also outrage over Hallowe'en, trick or treating, baby showers, bridal showers, gift registries, gifts of cash for weddings, Santa Claus replacing jolly old Father Christmas, and people giving their children Irish names which are allegedly completely beyond the ability of the English to wrap their heads around...

The combination of Little Englandism and insistence that class markers are important results in the exclamations of horror you see here.

Excellent post.

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lot123 · 15/08/2022 06:35

It would certainly be something in the field I work in if the highly qualified people I know with these names turned up to, for eg. cut your family member from a car wreck, deliver your premmie baby, tube your unconscious child, stabilise your grannie's dislocated hip, etc etc and you turned them away because their name was hyphenated -mae or they had a random eigh or ay where you believed some more traditional letters should be!!

I'm sure you know far more medical staff than me but I've seen quite a number of doctors over the years for various medical conditions and they've had the most traditional names of the lot.

From the top of my head for the most recent consultants, Angus, Michael, Simon, Matthew, James, Jonathan, Kate, William and Giles. I can't speak for paramedics and nurses, perhaps their parents were more creative and original.

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liveforsummer · 15/08/2022 06:43

There is nothing made up about Paisley. It's a town and a pattern and has been a word/the name of something for centuries so not the best example. Everleigh is a town in Wiltshire and also has a beaning in old English. Made up is things like Nevaeh (it's heaven backwards 🙄) that doesn't even sound like it's spelled or names made ridiculous by 'creative' spellings. Baylee instead of Bailey for example. I don't know about Braylee- maybe it's more common in America as it has that sort of sound but let's face it, it's a really ugly name!

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BuenaVistaAntisocialClub · 15/08/2022 07:11

When choosing a name all parents will obviously focus on how the name sounds. And there’s nothing inherently wrong with how ‘Braylee’ or ‘Everleigh’ sounds.

But in addition to how the name sounds most parents will also give some thought to how the name looks written down. And - yes massive generalisation - I think it’s the parents who read a lot, engage with written texts frequently, and have a higher level of literacy and education who will then be turned off names like Braylee and Everleigh. While the sound of the name might be okay when written down I think names like these just grate with readers.

But - if you’re the kind of person who sees a name as primarily verbal rather than written - this is not going to be so much of a consideration.

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WaffleAndGelato · 15/08/2022 07:45

Almost all parents choose the name they give their child with utmost love and thought. We might not care for the name someone else
chooses, but why the need to be so ungracious? It's no different to how we decorate our houses or what style we dress ourselves in - we're not all the same. We tell our kids to celebrate difference, that it's ok to be a flamingo in a crown of pigeons, and then people go on to judge a child based on a name they had no choice in. Such a shame.

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pinklavenders · 15/08/2022 07:46

And there’s nothing inherently wrong with how ‘Braylee’ or ‘Everleigh’ sounds.

There doesn't have to be anything ´wrong' with the sound of a name for people to dislike it.

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UWhatNow · 15/08/2022 09:02

“Almost all parents choose the name they give their child with utmost love and thought.”

I disagree. The ‘thought’ is mostly always about themselves.

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WhereTheFuckIsMyFuckingCoat · 15/08/2022 09:43

@lot123
Don’t get me wrong, a large proportion of the 35+ (Age bracket) medics I work with do have pretty “traditional” names - Anthony, Elizabeth, Jerome, Cathryn etc etc, but the younger ones (junior Drs, surgical interns, nurses (in both junior and senior roles), paramedics, flight medics), without outing myself by giving examples, have names I’ve seen included on this thread, and even more unusual.

I even know three in their mid 20s who are at pretty senior levels, admittedly really quite senior for their age, who have not only uniquely spelled names, but names that you would 100% make you think they were the opposite sex. (Think Miss Luccaas Jones)

Now whether they came from upper/middle/lower class families, I honestly couldn’t tell you, but their unusual monikers obviously haven’t held them back in any way, and I would defy anyone to “choose not to use them” because of their name, given the range of situations that they would be likely to be needed in.

I’ve got a feeling that the snobbery would go right out the window in that case and there might even be a few “Dear MacKenzeigh, thank you so much…” letters being penned afterwards!

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pinklavenders · 15/08/2022 10:35

their unusual monikers obviously haven’t held them back in any way

But this thread isn't about the correlation between names and 'success' in life.

It's about whether people actually like such modern made up names.

Condoleezza or Barrack are very successful but I personally dislike their names.

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Krakinou · 15/08/2022 11:02

For me 3 reasons:

If it isn’t a recognizable established name, my natural inclination is to look for some meaning in it. So a day-of-the-week name, or object name, or value name makes sense even if I’ve never heard it before, but Everly… what’s that supposed to mean? Forever? Infinite? And Braylee…. like a donkey? The “ly” ending is especially irritating for this - it just seems weird to call a kid by an adverb. Prefer “Happy” to “Happily”.
Surname names: I think a first name should give some kind of individual identity, not just label someone as part of a clan. And a surname-name that doesn’t even have any relationship to your own family is even worse. Also, why are we calling girls “Mac” and “son”? Worse than the boy’s name as girl’s name trend.
Weird spellings: depends on the spelling and linguistic background I guess. I can understand why you’d choose a non traditional spelling that is phonetically more logical in the country you’re in (eg changing Sean to Shawn or Niamh to Neve). But don’t really see the interest in making a spelling more complicated than necessary, eg leigh over lee/ly, or adding a random silent h.

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DuchessOfSausage · 15/08/2022 11:04

@pinklavenders , his name is Barack, it's not a new name, it's an arabic name meaning Blessing or something similar. It will get autocorrected to Barrack.

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Palmfrond · 15/08/2022 11:10

@WhereTheFuckIsMyFuckingCoat
“I’ve got a feeling that the snobbery would go right out the window in that case and there might even be a few “Dear MacKenzeigh, thank you so much…” letters being penned afterwards!”

And yet the feeling of sadness that MacKenzeigh’s parents had given them such a fugly looking name would remain.

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WhereTheFuckIsMyFuckingCoat · 15/08/2022 11:59

@Palmfrond
ya think? My name is an alternative of a fairly common Scottish girl’s name. I’ve spent my entire life spelling and explaining it. I’ve only ever heard of two other people in my life with the same name/spelling of it.

I can categorically say that despite my name being unusual (or fugly as you so vulgarly describe it) has never, not once, taken away from the good that I have done for people in need, and indeed the lives that I have managed to save.

I would go so far as to say that I pity the people who think that my unusual name gives me sadness, or indeed pause.

have I occasionally wished that my name was more commonly known or easily understood? Yes. Does it leave me with a long lasting sadness, or take away from my accomplishments in life? Abso fucking lutely not!

It’s who I am, it’s my identity, do I care what judgemental, snobby, wanna be upper class people think of it? Fuck, no! I can guarantee that me and my Neveah type name has done at least as much, if not more for people than your Elizabeths, Olivias and Mias out there. And I have never been held back professionally by my “younique” name.

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Whatkindoflifeisthis · 15/08/2022 12:13

WhereTheFuckIsMyFuckingCoat · 15/08/2022 11:59

@Palmfrond
ya think? My name is an alternative of a fairly common Scottish girl’s name. I’ve spent my entire life spelling and explaining it. I’ve only ever heard of two other people in my life with the same name/spelling of it.

I can categorically say that despite my name being unusual (or fugly as you so vulgarly describe it) has never, not once, taken away from the good that I have done for people in need, and indeed the lives that I have managed to save.

I would go so far as to say that I pity the people who think that my unusual name gives me sadness, or indeed pause.

have I occasionally wished that my name was more commonly known or easily understood? Yes. Does it leave me with a long lasting sadness, or take away from my accomplishments in life? Abso fucking lutely not!

It’s who I am, it’s my identity, do I care what judgemental, snobby, wanna be upper class people think of it? Fuck, no! I can guarantee that me and my Neveah type name has done at least as much, if not more for people than your Elizabeths, Olivias and Mias out there. And I have never been held back professionally by my “younique” name.

Senga?

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Kingharoldshairstyle · 15/08/2022 12:25

Sadly I think they say something negative the parents don’t wish them to say. And it’s saying it about the parents. Not the child. And it is absoltely about class.and not in a good way.

im sure some names could be made up that sound ok unfortunately your examples are awful, so that doesn’t really help your argument.

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FriedasCarLoad · 15/08/2022 12:27

@pinklavenders @DuchessOfSausage Barak is an Old Testament name, from the book of Judges. He lacks quite the courage needed and a woman called Jael saves the day.

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eggandonion · 15/08/2022 12:29

My grandparents called my mum and her brother after themselves, John and Mary. They got middle names, from their grandparents.
Then had another baby girl and called her Thora. Im sure there was a lot said about that!
An ancester in the 1880s was called Clover which is pretty.

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Bananasalad · 15/08/2022 13:38

I don't think it the actual name that's working at a disadvantage to the child, it's the demographic of the people giving those names that puts the kid at a disadvantage. There will always be exceptions and some of the kids will go onto further education and good jobs. Their just names that are indicative of class.
I don't think most people beyond a fleeting first impression, give much though to names once you've said it a few times and get to know someone, Bryleigh will always just be Bryleigh that works in accounts in 2040. You'd have to be a particular kind of twat to turn your nose up at an otherwise lovely Bryleigh, on the basis of their name alone and turn them down for a job.

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pinklavenders · 15/08/2022 14:09

You'd have to be a particular kind of twat to turn your nose up at an otherwise lovely Bryleigh, on the basis of their name alone

I can be good friends with a Bryleigh. But I still do not like her name .

This thread is about whether we LIKE certain names, not whether we like or dislike certain people.

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Bananasalad · 15/08/2022 14:17

I can be good friends with a Bryleigh. But I still do not like her name

This thread is about whether we LIKE certain names, not whether we like or dislike certain people.
Yes, but the reason for the dislike seems to be tied into the connotations of the names, rather than the sound. The connotations mostly being negative about class.
Can't imagine giving much thought to my friends, colleagues name beyond that's their name. It would only be an issue if Bryleigh was generally unpleasant and I was looking for something to add to the list of my reasons to dislike them.

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Alwayswonderedwhy · 15/08/2022 14:23

Because they sound awful and made up names either make parents look like they've made a spelling mistake or they're trying too hard to be unique. Kids with those type of names are often from uneducated families and are already at a disadvantage.

Why make life more difficult than it needs to be.

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pinklavenders · 15/08/2022 14:30

Yes, but the reason for the dislike seems to be tied into the connotations of the names, rather than the sound. The connotations mostly being negative about class.

Regardless of WHY I don't like a name, I can still LIKE the person. I just don't like their name.

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Bananasalad · 15/08/2022 14:34

Regardless of WHY I don't like a name, I can still LIKE the person. I just don't like their
What is it in particular about those names that you don't like and why then, it's just a sound ?

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pinklavenders · 15/08/2022 14:45

There could be lots of reasons why - the sound, the spelling, the associations, the inability to travel well into other languages etc etc.

But I can still like be friends with people with these names. I can still hire them. That's the point I'm trying to make!

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Baby names

Why the hate for modern “made up” style names