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Help[Opinions] Miley
I wonder what all the girls (one day to be grown women) will think of being called Miley once they are old enough to understand that it isn't a name (it's a shortening of "smiley"), it's a time capsule dated to the peak of Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana's popularity, which will make it very difficult for a woman named Miley to lie about her age (this also happened to 1930s-born Shirleys), and Miley suits a toddler, not a businesswoman.
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I used to think like you, but people probably thought the same thing when Shirley became popular. I don't think names psychologically impact people as much as people complain. Miley also sounds like Meili which is a traditional Estonian name, so I don't find it that problematic.
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It will eventually be a old fashioned name in the same thread as Ethel or other names like that when all the Mileys get old, have jobs, mature, and all will likely be well. Miley can also be a nickname for Milena or Milana.
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Why do women need to lie about their ages?
This message was edited 1/23/2019, 10:10 AM
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I also don't know any women who lie about their age, but there is that whole idea that you should "never ask a woman her age", which I scoff at and think should be done away with already. But of course the social stigma against women "past their prime" still lingers so I don't doubt there are still women out there who feel pressured to lie.
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I almost don't know any women who lie about their age. I did know one women, mother of a friend , who wouldn't say how old she was,made a large deal of it, even made sure her children didn't publish her age in her obituary.
She looked pretty much her age. She dressed nicely and fashionably, but not in teen-type clothes. She did, all winter, wear high-heeled boots, on our icy roads, sidewalks, and stairs to buildings. Bad idea.
I wouldn't be bothered telling a lie, about my age. Especially with my adult children with me, who are close to each other in age. Look at my older son, add 21 years-that's me.
She looked pretty much her age. She dressed nicely and fashionably, but not in teen-type clothes. She did, all winter, wear high-heeled boots, on our icy roads, sidewalks, and stairs to buildings. Bad idea.
I wouldn't be bothered telling a lie, about my age. Especially with my adult children with me, who are close to each other in age. Look at my older son, add 21 years-that's me.
This message was edited 1/24/2019, 5:38 AM
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Yeah, I hate this idea that women should remain young. I don't know any women who lie about their ages, either; I think this was probably more common in the past, not so much, now.
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My mom never wanted to tell anyone her real age. She'd always lie and say 28 or 28 again. I think she dreaded the idea of getting old.
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I share your feeling, that Miley has a kind of frivolous air about it (like Kylie or Rylee), that doesn't seem like the most appropriate name for a businesswoman. But then, if I met a businesswoman named Miley, I don't think her name would damage her professional impression - instead her professional impression would buff the name.
I also share your sense that it seems like an unfortunate name for a young woman to have, if she were born right before Miley Cyrus transformed into a ... well god knows what she is, and the name fell out of favor.
(But did you see the bounce last year? It bounced a little. So, maybe it's not so bad for them after all.)
And anyway, two more things to consider - 1 Bajillions of women have names that become dated as we age. A Miley's age might be guessable, but at least it'd be guessed right, and not guessed too high - thanks to the abrupt drop in usage. If it had trailed off gradually, there'd be tons of Mileys whose name sounded 20 years older than they are. 2 News flash. As women age, we do get older, along with our names, and they stay appropriate, and this isn't a bad or shameful thing at all, it happens to everyone. It's a choice to pretend you're young when you're not, that is pathetic - not the aging itself. Sane, accomplished older women, generally speaking, are just not concerned with making an impression that they are fresh ingenues. Having fashionable young girl names is actually undesirable for grownups - as you noted, a name like Miley, or Riley for that matter, does not seem to suit an accomplished woman of 40 today ... it makes her seem, not younger, but less competent and intimidating. And neither does a currently fashionable name like Ava or Harper seem to suit her - it might even make her seem older than she is, not younger. By the time Ava, Harper, and Miley are 40 though, their names will be 40 too, and seem appropriate.
Consider that when you meet a real person with a name you have had a strong negative impression about ... how fast does your impression of the person change your impression of the name, versus your impression of the person being colored by the name? YMMV but for me, an impression of a real person is much more important than that of a name on paper, and I can forget entirely my emotional navel-gazing about your name, when I'm interacting with you personally.
I also share your sense that it seems like an unfortunate name for a young woman to have, if she were born right before Miley Cyrus transformed into a ... well god knows what she is, and the name fell out of favor.
(But did you see the bounce last year? It bounced a little. So, maybe it's not so bad for them after all.)
And anyway, two more things to consider - 1 Bajillions of women have names that become dated as we age. A Miley's age might be guessable, but at least it'd be guessed right, and not guessed too high - thanks to the abrupt drop in usage. If it had trailed off gradually, there'd be tons of Mileys whose name sounded 20 years older than they are. 2 News flash. As women age, we do get older, along with our names, and they stay appropriate, and this isn't a bad or shameful thing at all, it happens to everyone. It's a choice to pretend you're young when you're not, that is pathetic - not the aging itself. Sane, accomplished older women, generally speaking, are just not concerned with making an impression that they are fresh ingenues. Having fashionable young girl names is actually undesirable for grownups - as you noted, a name like Miley, or Riley for that matter, does not seem to suit an accomplished woman of 40 today ... it makes her seem, not younger, but less competent and intimidating. And neither does a currently fashionable name like Ava or Harper seem to suit her - it might even make her seem older than she is, not younger. By the time Ava, Harper, and Miley are 40 though, their names will be 40 too, and seem appropriate.
Consider that when you meet a real person with a name you have had a strong negative impression about ... how fast does your impression of the person change your impression of the name, versus your impression of the person being colored by the name? YMMV but for me, an impression of a real person is much more important than that of a name on paper, and I can forget entirely my emotional navel-gazing about your name, when I'm interacting with you personally.
This message was edited 1/23/2019, 10:02 AM
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My sister told me that one of my favorite names (Edith) was a 'grandma name' - I pointed out that her name, Emma, was also a grandma name once (very literally in her case, she's named for our dad's grandma) but no one sees it as that now. One day, Miley too will be a grandma name. I actually can picture a Grandma Miley pretty easily. There are definitely names I think aren't suited for all ages - mostly cutesy nicknames. But with trendy or seasonally popular names, they age with their bearers.
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1. Miley is a name. You can see evidence of this in the fact that many people have used it as a name for their daughters.
2. Why would a woman need to lie about her age? Do you lie about your age? Or is this exclusive to women?
3. Miley suits a toddler because it’s mainly used on toddlers. In 30 years when all the Mileys are grown, it will suit a grown woman. That’s literally how name trends work. I wonder if people said nonsense like this in the 50s. “Barry??? That will never suit a grown man! Why didn’t you name him John?”
4. Wooow you dont like Miley Cyrus. How original. Hating celebrities makes you so interesting.
2. Why would a woman need to lie about her age? Do you lie about your age? Or is this exclusive to women?
3. Miley suits a toddler because it’s mainly used on toddlers. In 30 years when all the Mileys are grown, it will suit a grown woman. That’s literally how name trends work. I wonder if people said nonsense like this in the 50s. “Barry??? That will never suit a grown man! Why didn’t you name him John?”
4. Wooow you dont like Miley Cyrus. How original. Hating celebrities makes you so interesting.
This message was edited 1/23/2019, 1:26 PM
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Completely agree. Miley is not a name I'd use or even like, but some of these name purists go a bit too far with their arguments against using particular names.
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You're a hero. Thank you for putting this so articulately
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I have an Irish great-aunt named Miley, she was named after her grandfather (yes a male Miley), and he had been given his mother's maiden name as a first name. Miley is, first and foremost, a surname (albeit not a common one) of Irish origin.
I'm sure my 97-year old great aunt would be thrilled at being mistaken for a tweenager, but alas, I don't think she'd get away with lying about her age! ;-)
NB: I should add, Great-Aunt Miley was thrilled when the name became fashionable for a while, it stopped people looking at her like she had two heads when she told them what her name is!
I'm sure my 97-year old great aunt would be thrilled at being mistaken for a tweenager, but alas, I don't think she'd get away with lying about her age! ;-)
NB: I should add, Great-Aunt Miley was thrilled when the name became fashionable for a while, it stopped people looking at her like she had two heads when she told them what her name is!
This message was edited 1/23/2019, 6:15 AM
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