Why do certain sections of society give their children such stupid names?

[dave50]

I saw one mother the other day and her baby was called 'Tee-Jay'! When you hear names like that you can be almost certain to know what the parents are going to be like. It has also been found in studies that those people with these pretentious names have less chance of finding employment but of course this wouldn't even have been considered in the circles that these people move in.

[askyourgran]

Today I heard of a child called Carlton Humpleby, he looked to be a nice little boy and I wondered how he would fare through his school days with a name like that. I couldn't make up my mind whether it was nice or not.

Wasn't Mir a space shuttle or something jomifl?

[Stevee]

"of course this wouldn't even have been considered in the circles that these people move in"

Kal-El - Nicholas Cage
Pilot Inspektor -Jason Lee
Fifi Trixibelle - Bob Geldof
Apple - Chris Martin
CoCo - Courtney Cox
Sage Moonblood - Silvester Stalone
Memphis Eve - Bono
Rocket - Robert Rodriguez
Moxie Crimefighter - Penn Juliet
Broklyn, Cruz, Harper Seven - Beckham

Which circles are they then.

[Duncer]

The hard of thinking?

Add in Moon Unit, Dweezil and Zowie Bowie to that list of horrors.

[Negomi]

Dotty -
Willow, Anya and Spike were all characters in Buffy the Vampire slayer, Eliza was a cast member, anyone called Buffy in your family?

[HowardKennitby]

apparently, in America, Buffy is a recognised short for of Elizabeth.

[Duncer]

Apparently in America they once voted for Ronnie Ray-guns?

[HowardKennitby]

and don't forget Woody Allan who called his kid Satchel.

[Duncer]

Is that the kid he had to one of his "kids"?

[boxtops]

why is Michael Jackson's youngest known as Blanket?

[Duncer]

Is there a punch line, or is this a genuine question?

[naomi24]

Boxy, I think that's his name.

[EvianBaby]

His real name is Prince Michael. He is nicknamed Blanket because he was always covered with one.

[factor-fiction]

I taught a girl called Lucky - it sounded like a pet's name to me

[sandyRoe]

I don't see what's wrong with good old fashioned names like Kylie and Jason

[Hopkirk]

The Nigerian president did alright for himself, with the name Goodluck Jonathan.

[ummmm]

My Dad was called TJ :-)

I know loads of people who are known by their initials.

[Hopkirk]

CJ in Eggheads

[daisya]

Lol @ sandy

[FredPuli43]

The British class structure and of U and non-U in play! Use the wrong word, have the wrong name, and you are identified with a class. Dave thinks you can be associated with an underclass by it.

The Fifi Trixibelles of this world won't have trouble finding employment, but that's because of social advantage, not because of the name, and the opposite is true of the socially disadvantaged, whatever the name they bear, they will have difficulty.

TJ isn't pretentious, but it may conceal a fairly recent fashion here for hyphenated given names. It may be 'Theresa - Jane', for example.

[cathfromsaron]

my cousin used to teach a Pocahontas Jones!

i love most names and don't mind initials (very common in Wales where you often get more than one person with the same name, eg. JPR or JJ Williams etc)

TJ would not be a problem to me!

but i agree than illiterate, daft or unusual spellings are annoying, for both the child and anyone writing down their name forever!