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HelpPoshest British Baby Names of All Time?!!
The posh British magazine Tatler published this list earlier this month, of names that have ostensibly withstood the test of time with posh Brits over the past few generations.
I think they must be having a joke by including Tracy on the list!
WDYT?
http://www.tatler.com/article/poshest-baby-names-of-all-time
I think they must be having a joke by including Tracy on the list!
WDYT?
http://www.tatler.com/article/poshest-baby-names-of-all-time
Archived Thread - replies disabled
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Replies
Second thoughts on Amanda
I've just had a flashback: Noel Coward, "Private Lives". Saw a production years ago so I can't be totally sure, but the somewhat middleaged heroine's name was Amanda, and the younger woman, soon after they meet, says "I shall call you Mandy!", to which Amanda languidly replies something like "Yes, I suppose you will" in a dazzling display of ageist and classist superiority.
Something similar in one of the late Margery Allingham novels.
So, in general, Amanda for the toffs and Mandy for the rest of us?
I've just had a flashback: Noel Coward, "Private Lives". Saw a production years ago so I can't be totally sure, but the somewhat middleaged heroine's name was Amanda, and the younger woman, soon after they meet, says "I shall call you Mandy!", to which Amanda languidly replies something like "Yes, I suppose you will" in a dazzling display of ageist and classist superiority.
Something similar in one of the late Margery Allingham novels.
So, in general, Amanda for the toffs and Mandy for the rest of us?
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Quintana and Youngblood
Uhhh... what?
I'm just a lowly American, but here, Quintana is a Spanish surname (which I've mainly heard in Mexican families), and Youngblood would be an Ellis Island Americanization of the German surname Jungblut.
These names are honestly used by "posh" parents? And no one laughs (particularly at Youngblood)?
Also, I kept expecting Hypatia to show up, and she needs did. :-(
Uhhh... what?
I'm just a lowly American, but here, Quintana is a Spanish surname (which I've mainly heard in Mexican families), and Youngblood would be an Ellis Island Americanization of the German surname Jungblut.
These names are honestly used by "posh" parents? And no one laughs (particularly at Youngblood)?
Also, I kept expecting Hypatia to show up, and she needs did. :-(
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This is quite bizarre! Some of these are ultra-common across the board and some are just.. wtf. Youngblood sounds like some kind of joke vampire. And it looks like one person *ever* here has been called Quintana; and nobody since 1970 has been called Unwin, and going by the last name he was from a Middle Eastern or Indian background, not posh British. I think you're right, someone is having a laugh.
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LOL, I must be considered "posh" then because I used Katherine and Victoria for two of my girls. I also like Daphne, Jemima, and Lucy.
BTW, where I'm from, many of these (Amanda, Frances, Grace, Harriet, Nancy, Olivia, Rosemary, Sarah, and Tracy) are anything but posh. Re: the male names, nope, not posh at all -- just very ordinary with the exception of Inigo, Rupert, Unwin, Xerxes, and Youngblood which is too strange to be considered posh, imo.
BTW, where I'm from, many of these (Amanda, Frances, Grace, Harriet, Nancy, Olivia, Rosemary, Sarah, and Tracy) are anything but posh. Re: the male names, nope, not posh at all -- just very ordinary with the exception of Inigo, Rupert, Unwin, Xerxes, and Youngblood which is too strange to be considered posh, imo.
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Haha, my name is on the list! I have never heard of Quintana or Youngblood - I clearly don't mix in the right circles!
And Tracy?! The most stereotypical non-posh name (along with Sharon) of recent years? Hmm, I suppose before it became trendy it may have been used by the upper classes but I've never met any posh Tracies.
I'm not sure I agree about Willa either, but that's another name I have only rarely come across. I'd say it's too unusual to be classified in any way. The rest though I could see moving in posh circles, some like Harriet, Imogen, Rupert and Sebastian more than some of the others.
And Tracy?! The most stereotypical non-posh name (along with Sharon) of recent years? Hmm, I suppose before it became trendy it may have been used by the upper classes but I've never met any posh Tracies.
I'm not sure I agree about Willa either, but that's another name I have only rarely come across. I'd say it's too unusual to be classified in any way. The rest though I could see moving in posh circles, some like Harriet, Imogen, Rupert and Sebastian more than some of the others.
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Quintana, Unwin, Vere and Youngblood sound awful. The rest are not bad.
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All seems about right
Amanda is incredibly posh, and happens to belong to the biggest toff I’ve met. Tracy is a name used on about every demographic but no one really uses it now, so I would disagree with it lasting generations. As with that and the more classic sounding ones (e.g Catherine, Harriet, Imogen, Charles, Henry, Thomas, William, etc.), they’re used by everyone, but of course of course Tatler think they belong to the upper classes.
Amanda is incredibly posh, and happens to belong to the biggest toff I’ve met. Tracy is a name used on about every demographic but no one really uses it now, so I would disagree with it lasting generations. As with that and the more classic sounding ones (e.g Catherine, Harriet, Imogen, Charles, Henry, Thomas, William, etc.), they’re used by everyone, but of course of course Tatler think they belong to the upper classes.
This message was edited 12/31/2017, 3:52 AM
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I also know a posh Mandy ;)
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Same here. I grew up with a ton of Amandas, Kristens, Jennifers, Ashleys, Taylors .... I don’t consider these names upper class or lower class, just “80s/90s trendy.”
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I'd personally say that Amanda was fairly ubiquitous in the UK as well (though not nearly as popular as it was in North America). I was at school with several Amandas in the 80s and 90s. Some very middle class, others from a council estate and some in between. I can see it being used by posh people though. I suspect it started out as being upper class and then spread when it became popular.
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Tongue firmly in editorial cheek for quite a few, IMO!
Girls
Amanda - really? Not Alice, Alison, Ann or Anne?
Beatrice - yeah, maybe.
Catherine - right.
Daphne - eh? I know many more Dorothy people: perhaps they aren't posh enough.
Edwina - right.
Frances - OK; not much competition among F names!
Grace - once again, where's the competition?
Harriet - right.
Imogen - right.
Jemima - maybe.
Katherine - right.
Lucy - not just the posh, but maybe also them.
Margaret - yes, probably.
Nancy - like Frances and Grace, what else is there?
Olivia - maybe.
Poppy - no, surely? 1920s fluff and millennial trendy, but not a lot in between.
Quintana - giggle! Well, they couldn't very well use Queenie!
Rosemary - right.
Sarah - same as Lucy: pretty universal and that includes the posh.
Tracy - bwah-ha-ha!
Ursula - at least they didn't try to fit Unity in ...
Victoria - yeah, with Lucy, Rosemary and Sarah.
Willa - perhaps Wendy was too down-market for the Tatler?
Xanthe - nonsense
Yseult - nonsense
Girls
Amanda - really? Not Alice, Alison, Ann or Anne?
Beatrice - yeah, maybe.
Catherine - right.
Daphne - eh? I know many more Dorothy people: perhaps they aren't posh enough.
Edwina - right.
Frances - OK; not much competition among F names!
Grace - once again, where's the competition?
Harriet - right.
Imogen - right.
Jemima - maybe.
Katherine - right.
Lucy - not just the posh, but maybe also them.
Margaret - yes, probably.
Nancy - like Frances and Grace, what else is there?
Olivia - maybe.
Poppy - no, surely? 1920s fluff and millennial trendy, but not a lot in between.
Quintana - giggle! Well, they couldn't very well use Queenie!
Rosemary - right.
Sarah - same as Lucy: pretty universal and that includes the posh.
Tracy - bwah-ha-ha!
Ursula - at least they didn't try to fit Unity in ...
Victoria - yeah, with Lucy, Rosemary and Sarah.
Willa - perhaps Wendy was too down-market for the Tatler?
Xanthe - nonsense
Yseult - nonsense
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LOL at Tracy. Maybe it has a drastically different vibe across the pond... Ditto Nancy, Kenneth, and Zach (as a given name).
I have no idea what Unwin is, but it's ugly. Are there seriously enough people named Youngblood to make any kind of generalization about it at all? o_O Ditto Xerxes and Vere (huh?).
I have no idea what Unwin is, but it's ugly. Are there seriously enough people named Youngblood to make any kind of generalization about it at all? o_O Ditto Xerxes and Vere (huh?).
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A lot of these names have the exact opposite connotation here in the US. Interesting.
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