“Pretentious” names vs. “tacky” names [I’m a foreigner]

[Anonymous]

1. Xanthe, Rupert, Whitaker (borderline: Dorian, Imogen)
2. Bryleigh, Jaxson, Chanel, Cash (borderline: Jamison, Kylie)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Atticus
Amber
Rhythm

(All names of kids in my neighborhood)

Rhythm?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pretentious names are trying to sound like you come from Old Money - particulary WASPy names. Surnames as first names, all three names sounding like surnames, a kid who is a III going by "Tripp", etc. The theme here is UMC aspiring to sound like Old Money. There's a less-scorned branch of pretentious names that are just literary to the point of absurdity: parents trying to make it clear they're English majors. Tennyson, Holden, Anais, Austen, Dashiell.

Tacky names are either fully made up, or things that very poor people think sound pretentious. Brynnsleigh, Paisley, Braxton, Lexus, Royal, Majesty. Theme here is lower-income people trying to seem extremely unique. The second theme is names that used to be in the first bracket but have become ubiquitous enough to trickle down to this one: Everleigh, Harper, Avery, Jackson.

Near the line varies for a lot of people. Some of the names scorned on these boards are just ethnic names and people either don't realize it or are fine with saying anonymously that they consider AA naming conventions "tacky", for example. Some people are more bothered by names that are surnames the family has no connection to, others by names that look misspelled, etc.

+1. If you are trying to sound "classy," or signal how cultured you are, you often risk coming off as pretentious or tacky. I have a high tolerance for names that are often rejected as "ethnic" or whatever -- America is full of different cultures, feel free to choose a name that reflects yours! But some names do just read as someone trying very hard to impress others, which is silly.

I will add that kre8tiv spellings generally read as low class. Paisley is on the edge; Paizlee is unequivocally tacky. Everly is fine, Everleigh reads as tacky.

Of course, I'm married to a guy who actually goes by Tripp, at least among family, but they are super WASPy (old New England family), although not old money.

[Anonymous]

Tacky
* Strange spellings to make a boyish or gender neutral name girly (Examples: Mackley, Ryleigh, Jaxyn, ).
* Words as names (Examples: Danger, Maverick, Precious)
* Using a culturally significant name when you're not from that culture or, even worse, what the namer thinks is a cultural name but is actually quite colonial. (Examples: Cohen, Denali, Egypt)
* For boys especially, taking the two-syllable name du jour and changing the leading consonant to come up with your own "unique" name. (Examples: Kyler, Hayden/Kayden/Bayden/Rayden/Zayden/Dayden/....)

I think pretentious names usually comes down to being from a lower class and giving names that you think are upper class, but missing the mark somehow.
* Place names associated with "class" (Example: London, Yale)
* Random nouns as names (Examples: Apple, Pilot)
* Names associated with WASPs of decades past (Examples: Sloane, Greir)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tacky
* Strange spellings to make a boyish or gender neutral name girly (Examples: Mackley, Ryleigh, Jaxyn, ).
* Words as names (Examples: Danger, Maverick, Precious)
* Using a culturally significant name when you're not from that culture or, even worse, what the namer thinks is a cultural name but is actually quite colonial. (Examples: Cohen, Denali, Egypt)
* For boys especially, taking the two-syllable name du jour and changing the leading consonant to come up with your own "unique" name. (Examples: Kyler, Hayden/Kayden/Bayden/Rayden/Zayden/Dayden/....)

I think pretentious names usually comes down to being from a lower class and giving names that you think are upper class, but missing the mark somehow.
* Place names associated with "class" (Example: London, Yale)
* Random nouns as names (Examples: Apple, Pilot)
* Names associated with WASPs of decades past (Examples: Sloane, Greir)

I forgot literary. To qualify, the name must be instantly identifiable as from a specific book. You can have literary-tacky (Reneesme or however it's spelled) and literary-pretentious (Atticus). If the name is from a YA or Fantasy novel written in the last 20 years, it's literary-tacky, and if it's from "literature", it's literary-pretentious. Of course there are some names that have crossed from literary-tacky/pretentious into just being names (Wendy).

[Anonymous]

Don’t forget about Blakesley. I know of two. Tacky as hell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Atticus
Amber
Rhythm

(All names of kids in my neighborhood)

Rhythm?

She lives next door to River and Canyon.

[Anonymous]

1. Eugenia, Regan, Blaise, Asher
2. Chase, Destinee/Destiny
3. Kailer/Kyler/Cailer, Jaxon etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sabine
Grayson
Ainsley

Sabine? That's so funny. I'm German, and about half of my friends in school were named Sabine. It's the Jennifer of Germany. (If you were born late 60s/early 70s)

[Anonymous]

I think pretentious names aren’t necessarily class related. Pretentious names come off as too try-hard. Like the name the parents give a child says something about them, their taste, their education level. It’s usually a name that’s uncommon and noticeable.

Tacky names are ones that are associated with lower classes. DCUM majored in tacky analysis so it’s already been covered here well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pretentious names are trying to sound like you come from Old Money - particulary WASPy names. Surnames as first names, all three names sounding like surnames, a kid who is a III going by "Tripp", etc. The theme here is UMC aspiring to sound like Old Money. There's a less-scorned branch of pretentious names that are just literary to the point of absurdity: parents trying to make it clear they're English majors. Tennyson, Holden, Anais, Austen, Dashiell.

Tacky names are either fully made up, or things that very poor people think sound pretentious. Brynnsleigh, Paisley, Braxton, Lexus, Royal, Majesty. Theme here is lower-income people trying to seem extremely unique. The second theme is names that used to be in the first bracket but have become ubiquitous enough to trickle down to this one: Everleigh, Harper, Avery, Jackson.

Near the line varies for a lot of people. Some of the names scorned on these boards are just ethnic names and people either don't realize it or are fine with saying anonymously that they consider AA naming conventions "tacky", for example. Some people are more bothered by names that are surnames the family has no connection to, others by names that look misspelled, etc.

Just so you know, even among AAs many of these are considered tacky. My DH and his brothers all have names like William and Andrew. (No sisters, so no idea what there names would be.) My name is more along the lines of Elizabeth/Katherine. So also "boring" according to DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Nevaeh = tacky

[Anonymous]

1. boys name for a girl (Spencer) or girls name for a boy (Ashley)
2. Braxton, Braedon

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1. boys name for a girl (Spencer) or girls name for a boy (Ashley)
2. Braxton, Braedon

Ashley was a boy's name first.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nothing beats Crystal from the 80's

Brandi and Misty are very close.

Amber.