Bentley

Pretty tacky in my opinion. Don’t feel bad if this is your name though, people are judging your parents- not you.

As a girl with the name, I love it and think it's unique. I've never met another girl with the name before and I do think it's more masculine than feminine. I am still really happy to have the name.

This name makes me think of a spoiled little boy whose grandma buys him $1500 outfits that he refuses to wear and who has meltdowns constantly, but his parents do nothing because they find it charming.

I actually kind of liked this name but working in the field of welfare/human services, I’ve heard it used several times recently and that has turned me off to the name.

Too associated with the car
Childish
Tacky
Better for a dog.

Great for a boy, but not so much for a girl.

I love the name! It is beautiful I don't see why ya'll are hatin' on me! I am proud of my name!

I prefer this name on a boy, plus it doesn't make me think of cars at all. Why do people call this "white trash" in the comments? What's with all the hate?

Bentley is a really nice name. My husband comes from a big family and someone already took Benjamin which we were going to use. We stumbled upon Bentley accidentally and it goes perfectly paired with his full name. I've seen a lot of hate for this name online and a lot of people comparing it to teen Mom. Who cares that that happens to be on that show and being named after a car well if anyone is going to choose to be named after a car you might as well pick the most expensive car which is a Bentley. Either way at first I was upset to see all the hate for the name Bentley, now I'm overwhelmed with joy to post how much it is a wonderful name for a boy or a girl, for that matter I've only seen it for a boy but it would go good if anything.

My son aged 15 months is named Bentley, his middle name is Charles.

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Before Bentley was born I mentioned the name Bentley, I had never heard the name before so I don't know how I thought of it!

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We knew his middle name would be Charles and Bentley Charles goes so well together!

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It's a beautiful name and if you like the nickname Ben but think Benjamin is too popular, Bentley is a good choice!

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My son gets called Benny.

A snobby rich white name. Anyone who has this name and is a male just would seem very stuck up and pretentious. "Uh, go back to the slums where you came from", Bentley said to the waiter. Doesn't help that I got this image from the car. The meaning and everything is fine, just the associations are bad.

I don’t really have a problem with it to be honest with you. But I can’t say it’s honestly good either. Imo there are better car associated names like Maxima, Mercedes, or Cooper.

Sort of tackey.

So um, my name is Bentley, I'm not from the US, we never watched Teen Mom so maybe the context is lost on me but my father was a car salesman once. It started out as a reference to a car, but after digging into the origins I grew to like it. It's Old English for a "meadow of bent grass". So by that respect it's like tranquil or whatever. No one else had that name so it made me memorable, it is a bit cutesy but that made calling me by my name kinda endearing. To me it sounds gentle and understated but unique. I was surprised many people dislike it.

For some reason my brain associates "Bentley" with "bent knee." I'm not a huge fan of it.

The name dosen't give me bad vibes at all and I don't understand why people don't like this name. I think it sounds cute on both genders, but a little bit better on girls.

Um, just because a name ends in "ley" doesn't mean it's feminine. I agree, this name sounds really tacky, especially on girls.

Admittedly, I dislike Bentley. It isn't my style and I do not plan on using it.

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But stop calling it a "teen mom" name.
My older sister was a teen mom.
She named her daughter Annabel Jeanine.
Not all teen moms name their children trendy names.
Just because some do, doesn't mean you have to stereotype certain names as "teen mom" names.

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I beg you to stop calling names "teen mom" names. It's rude and immature. Being a teen mom is not a joke.

How does Bentley sound too masculine when it ends in ‘ley’? And who the hell cares if it’s the name of a car?! So is Shelby, Lexus, Lincoln, etc and there are SEVERAL people with those names! Stop being so critical and let people name their kids whatever the hell they feel like! My daughter’s name is Bentley Sage and it fits a girl perfectly!

I don't like the car association, and even then, it sounds childish. It's even worse on a girl. Sounds way too masculine.

My daughter’s name is Bentley Alexandra, a lot of people think it sounds like a Princess’s name and think it’s so beautiful.

Along with names such as Cooper and Ford, I think Bentley should remain a surname and a name of a car brand.

Great name.

I wouldn't name my child after a car and Bentley sounds Hilly Billyish.

Ugly name.

My fiance and I just had a little boy. His name is Bentley Michael John.. she fell in love with the name not because of a car that we can't afford but because it has meaning to her. I love the name. Beautiful name for my son.

An absolutely TERRIBLE name. Though at least the spelling is practical and isn't the obnoxious "Bentlee" spelling.

If blessed with another son I hope to use this name! I really like it!

Bentley is absolutely a boys name. Sure you can give your baby girl a name with Bentley, but if you live around my area you will be sorry! I have a baby boy rabbit named Bentley couldn't imagine the name for a girl. Please don't name your baby girls Bentley- this could lead to bullying in high school or even primary! Maybe try Brantley? Similar name but for a girl! Bentley is one of my favourite names and I would recommend using it for the right gender.

Bentley is always a masculine name, never feminine. It is very upmarket, and only the most intelligent and sophisticated of men should be named Bentley.

I think Bentley is a great name. I have a friend who just chose that name for her son, and I think it fits well. Just because it's the same as a car name, or it contains the work "bent" in it doesn't make it a bad name. Just because a name CAN be made fun of doesn't mean it will. And just because a name doesn't contain another word (bent) doesn't mean it won't be made fun of. I spent all of elementary and junior high being called "icky Niki" or "sticky Niki" or "hickey Niki" just because those words happened to rhyme with my name.

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If you choose to base your feelings of a name on what "could" happen, then you're making the name cheap when it's really not. I think it's a very regal sounding name.

While this is not one of my favorite names, I find a lot of these comments to be snobby and elitist. People do not have to like the name but to call any name, simply because you do not like it, "trashy" really makes the person look like an elitist snob. I find it interesting that people will on the one hand say it is too popular, but on the other hand say it will not age well. That is a contradiction. If it is getting to be so popular that it is "too popular" to use, then obviously it will age just fine come the 2040's and there will be tens of thousands of men and women in their 20's, 30's, and 40's with that name. There is nothing wrong with a name telling the age of the person. No one is going to think a 40 year old woman is 15 regardless of her name. The fact that her name is Jordyn, Bentley, or Emily is not going to change that. No one is going to think a 20 year old woman is 40 regardless of her name being Jennifer, Sara, or Heather.

The main issue I have with the name Bentley is the fact it contains the word 'bent'. I don't know about elsewhere in the world but here in the UK 'bent' is a playground word for 'gay'. Someone with the name Bentley wouldn't last five minutes at school in the UK without being severely bullied.

Any name with "Bent" in it, is not a good idea.

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Benley\Benlee I wouldn't have much of a problem with.

The meaning of Bentley is pleasant. It's a cool name that is very refreshing to hear! Plus it offers the great nickname Ben! :D.

Dear teen moms.

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There are far better names out there for your kid besides some cutesy-tootsie, made up, immature and juvenile type of name such as "Bentley". Your baby won't stay a baby forever. (Not physically) For a Bentley to be taken far more serious in life, he'd probably have to go with Ben or Lee. And in case you didn't realize it, Bentley is the most notoriously laughed at name especially among adolescent boys due to the "Bent" part. Do I really need to explain why? In my school, thank God, there wasn't any "Bentley's" because the name was joked around SO much.
Yeah, so choose something more respected and will actually age well. Picture a grandpa Bentley or a great-grandpa Bentley. Great-Great Grandpa Bentley and so on. Bentley is nothing more than a trend name that will die out. I don't see it lasting for generations to come. I know this is 2015, but my God. Please stop with the stereotypical teen mom type of names. Names that may not be picked by all teens but certainly scream that way.

I'm shocked at how popular this name is. It doesn't sound one bit masculine and makes me think of getting bent.

I named one of my boys Bentley, and I love the name. I just registered on this site to add my thoughts since there are so many rude, hateful, hurtful, and ridiculous comments about the name Bentley. It is a surname that has been around since far before the automobile. Out of my 3 boys, Bentley gets the most compliments on his name. I think that all of the people on this site who have the time and energy to express such distaste for particular names should maybe find a more productive way to spend their time.

Thank you Marie85! My son is also named Bentley, after his grandfather, who was named for a beloved doctor in the town he's from. All these folks saying it's pretentious or snooty... it's a very traditional surname, and because two brothers Bentley happened to design a car it's now off limits forever? How silly. Better not name your child William, you're obviously trying to tie yourself to an overpriced cooking supply store... maybe a name is just a name, and folks should judge others by their behavior, like jumping to so many conclusions...

It is you people that make picking names for children so difficult. Reason being you are so judgemental and ignorant that you feel you are superior to someone with a different name. Guess what you are not. Good people don't judge someone by their name nor make fun of a name that many already have. You should be ashamed of yourselves.

I wish people didn't hate this name so much. I really like it. I see it as just a surname used as a first name rather than being named after a car.

Ok with the whole car thing, it's a known fact that a lot of cars are named after the PERSON who designed them and even if it wasn't just because it's the name of a car doesn't mean it can never be used as a human name. And who cares if it was on teen mom it's just a tv show and last but not least it doesn't matter what someone says about upper class this lower class that, one it's rude two if YOU like the name that's all that matters.

The name Bentley was actually given to 245 GIRLS born in the US in 2012. Sad, I know.

This is definitely a name I just don't get.

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I find the first syllable Bent so unappealing. Say I had a friend with a son named this, and they asked me something like "Would you go get Bentley" I don't know if I could resist saying "Hey that's not nice, and my name isn't Lee"

And then there's the whole car-name thing. Which until I read the origin on this site I never considered it a surname-name I always though of the car when I heard it. And it's not that I think their so class it's that so many other obviously do even off baby name sites.

I'm willing to bet that a good percentage of boys named Bentley born in the last decade have a sister named Mercedes. Naming both your children after expensive cars. So cute and clever, right?

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Alright. This isn't the worst name in the world. At least it's not a made-up name, and the kid could always go by Ben when he's older. But aside from the teen mom association, it's just a little too cutesy for my taste. I prefer Benjamin or Bennett.

This name is absolutely terrible! What is wrong with people? Why not just name your kid "Honda"?! And I feel physically ill hearing that people not only name their poor little sons this, but their DAUGHTERS. Disgraceful. A girl named Bentley? I can't even bring myself to believe someone would do that. It's seriously like naming your daughter Joseph, but at least that would age well, unlike "Bentley".

It's getting too popular. You know something's wrong when this is more popular than many normal, classic names. And Bentley is the name of a car - it's as stupid as Lexus, Porsche, Honda, or Toyota.

Ridiculous. It's the name of a car, and it SOUNDS like the name of a car. If I ever meet a Bentley in real life, male or female, I will have to stifle my laughter. It's THAT bad.

I am appalled at all of the comments about this name being "trashy."

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I'm absolutely sure that the baby on "Teen Mom" has inspired the upsurge in use of this name. And I am almost as sure that it is probably appealing more to working class and poor parents than to highly educated or wealthy parents at the moment because of that.

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But that does NOT make it a "trashy" name. Human beings do not deserve to be called "trash" just because they are poor or because their tastes in names (or anything else) are different than that of people in the upper classes. Calling poor people and their tastes "trashy" is just as discriminatory and prejudicial as using pejorative terms about people because they are of a different race or sexual orientation. I look forward to the day when using the "t" word about poor or uneducated people is seen as being just as bad as using the "n" word about African-Americans or the "f" word about gay men.

Brilliant comment by clevelandkentevans! What a rational, thoughtful response. I wish more people would think before judging.

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When it comes to Bentley, I like the word. If it weren't for me automatically thinking of the brand name, I'd like it as a boys' name.

My ten year old dog is named Bentley. I don't know anything about this Teen Mom kid that others have commented on, but I must say I can never take this name seriously for a human. Of course, I am biased, and I also have a sudden fear of taking Bentley to the park and calling his name, and then some crazy mom being offended.

Trashy, tacky, awful name. When one of the white trash "stars" of Teen Mom picks this winner for her son, you know it's garbage.

My nephew, who is 6, is named Bentley. I think it is very cute and adorable for a boy. My friend has a 1 year old little girl named Bentley. I think it is befitting of a rough and tumble boy, but never a girl. It is far too masculine for a girl.

I agree with the above poster who said that people who can afford Bentley's do not name their kids after them. This name is so, so trashy.

Gahh, I do not like this name! That's cool if you like it, but I personally think that it may not age well and that it is becoming uber-popular so if you name a kid Bentley, expect at least 6 kids or more to turn their heads every time you call for your child when you are someplace.

I take back what I said about guiltily loving Bentley. I don't guiltily love it, I fully admit I love it and it is one of my favorite boy's names. I don't associate the name with the car, I more see it as a surname being used as a first name. I fully respect those who dislike the name, everyone has different taste!

I do not feel this name is tacky or "white trash." Also, I don't think people choose this name because "they can't afford a Bentley." I think such comments are snobbish of people who think that their wealthy lifestyle is being invaded. This is an old English surname, and a respectable name with a true meaning and origin. In past years surnames have been becoming common as first or middle names. Names that come to mind are Cooper, Cohen, Jackson, and McKenzie. I do believe it is true that this name may be made more popular due to recent figures on television, such as Bentley from Teen Mom and Bentley from the Bachelorette. Despite that, I think it is a good name, even if it happens to be the name of a car. You don't hear people saying, "Oh, they named her Portia because they couldn't afford the car." That's silly. These names existed before cars were invented.

This sounds extremely low-class and uneducated. No one who could afford a Bentley would name their kid Bentley.

I honestly really like the name Bentley for a boy (hate it for a girl, though). Yes, it's the most hated name in America, yes it's linked to the car and yes people instantly think of that Teen Mom show, but I still can't help but love it.

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My friend's great grandfather was named this, long before it was a brand. I do understand why people dislike this name, but I still love it (guiltily)!

I don't get why this is so trendy. It sounds ugly and trashy. Plus, it's a car. And why do people have to copy a girl from that annoying show 16 and Pregnant who used it on her son? That's even weirder than naming your kids after the kids of REAL celebrities, not to mention that 16 and Pregnant is unrealistic and not a good influence on society. If Bentley wasn't that trendy, maybe it would sound fine. But no, it has risen from obscurity to almost the top 100 in just a few short years. Please, pick something else!

Just screams white trash. Nakedly aspirational name. No one who could afford a Bentley would ever name a child Bentley. And how soulless is it to name a child after a material item or a brand name, anyway?

I love this name. It is absolutely adorable. Perfect for a girl, okay for a boy. I want to name my daughter Bentley. I think that for a girl, Bentleigh would be a cool way to spell it, no?

It's not bad for a boy. It just makes me think of the car.

Tacky and trashy. Used by people who couldn't afford a Bentley, but hope their child will make it big in hip hop, rap, or r'n'b so they might one day. Far too boyish and infantile for girls, people! At least a guy could go by Bent, but what would a girl go by that wouldn't sound like a guyish name? Sorry, the full name may be short, but cute it isn't.

I think it's an adorable name for a girl. I would never use it on a boy.

My name is Bentley and while I like it, it doesn't fit my personality which is that of a naturalist, manual laborer, who finds religion to be a key to life. I like my name but it doesn't fit me too well. I think my name is a little upperclass, plus everyone always asks if I'm named after the car and after the 300th time I tell them no, it begins to get annoying. A famous bearer of this name is Bentley Warren, a Super Modified racecar driver and a successful trucking company entrepreneur from MA.

I like the name but wouldn't use it because of the car.

I love this name, I think it is very underused though. I don't know how anyone can name a girl Bentley though, that's horrible.

I absolutely adore Bentley for a girl. Never for a boy. I think it is unique and could fit the personality of many different girls (e.g- Girly, Sporty, Academic, Sweet, etc.). I think the combo "Bentley Charlotte" is beautiful.