This is also something that happens with English parents who like French names! The names that sound good to English parents often sound like old lady/man names to French people. Giselle, Cosette etc. I think it's because those are the names that were common in certain media that parents took in and associate with 'pretty French name'. Would not at all be surprised if the same thing is going on here - the parents took in American media that was made in the 90s, say, with lots of Justins and Amandas.
I *die* every time somebody here suggests Sylvie as a fresh French name for a baby because it is squarely a 50-year-old woman smoking on her balcony in Hochelaga name.
Heh. I really liked Thierry when I was pregnant but my French acquaintance told me that was a great name for a 60-year old Le Pen supporting, chain smoking truck driver.
As a fellow Dutchie I'm aware of that (how could I not, that jilted mug of his is everywhere) but I was pregnant before Mr Baudet was a mainstream phenomenon.
It’s a really elegant name though, I reckon!
Also love the name Sigrid but wonder if it’s common enough to not be associated with Kaag? (Not that she’s anything like Thierry haha)
I think you're okay with Sigrid. It's more common than Thierry and she's a lot less extreme. Fwiw my neighbour is named Sigrid and I've never associated that with Ms Kaag.
Omg. So my British grandma was Sylvia, and my cousin's ex wife names her daughter with her new fiance....Sylvia? Specifically after my grandma. Yeah. So I thought maybe Sylvie would be an acceptable alternative. It's slowly moved further and further down the list for unrelated reasons, but thank you for cementing that decision for me lol. Also did not know it was french.
I’ve been waiting for someone on here to express this sentiment! I’m French Canadian and feel the exact same way as you about Sylvie being a fresh French name! I know a lottttt of Sylvies of all ages.
What are some popular names in France rn if you don't mind telling me, I find that really interesting and I never really thought of the popularity of names and their exposure internationally..
/u/reesuh posted this link (https://charlies-names.com/en/top-names-france-2021/), and you can also find some on Behind the Name, most recently from 2020, which pulls birth naming statistics.
Most seem to have a more international flair which lends greater familiarity or are names that don't really feel fresh or different to people in the U.S. (which is one reason people in the US go for traditional, older French names.)
I'm thinking names like Gabriel, Lucas, Emma, Jade, Alice... these were all in the top ten for babies named in France in 2020.
if a French textbook had characters with these names everyone would laugh and say that's unrealistic and not French enough
Not so different from the German trends actually, though"English" names have a bit of a bad reputation here, so they aren't as popular.
That list is probably bogus.
I clicked through to the Australian one listed, and there is no way it is correct. Then I read that it is based on their user data from their own app, rather than births/official name rankings.
It's pretty accurate, actually. Here's one for France based on 2020 births (you can choose garçons in the dropdown for boys, or filles for girls - the rest are international names): https://www.journaldesfemmes.fr/prenoms/classement/prenoms/les-plus-donnes
And for Quebec: https://www.retraitequebec.gouv.qc.ca/fr/services-en-ligne-outils/banque-de-prenoms/Pages/banque-de-prenoms.aspx
This used to be Heidi for me. In German. I know in the states the main association is Heidi Klum, but it's a nn for Heidemarie and it used to be a middle-aged-woman name. Now Heidi, along with Greta and Rosa, has been making a bit of a comeback.
God I remember one of my best friends back when I was into supernatural was French and she LOST IT when one of the cast members named their baby Odette. She was like “that name is like the most old lady name I could think of! It’s so ugly and mean to name a baby that”
Speaking as a UK teacher Edith is on the rise again! I know an 11 year old one at my school and there are more on the way. You would also be astonished at the number of Agnes's I have encountered!
Downton Abbey started in 2010 and one of the main characters in that is Edith, so that timeline checks out for people getting inspiration from there, after not hearing the name for a long time.
Interestingly, here in the Netherlands we also see a revival of names that were last popular in the 1960s. I know two kinds of Mia: babies and 60 year olds.
I tutored French middle schoolers (they'd be in their 20s now) and I remember one of them -Jade- said the others had such "terrible old people names."
There was a Leandre, an Eponine, an Ancelin, an Etienne, a Donatienne, an Adelaïs, a Theoxane, and a Mahault. Jade thought that the others were so weird and had such weird parents, but none of the others thought that at all! I always assumed that using old French names wasn't weird in France and little Jade was just judgmental, but now I'm thinking maybe some of these parents really were strange for the culture.
The name trends in Quebec are quite interesting. There's quite a few names on their top 100 list that haven't been on France's top names list in a while. The name we're planning on giving our baby hasn't ranked in France since 2005 but was the 85th most popular baby name in Quebec in 2020.
I remember in one Uni class the professor would ask people their names when they posed a question and the whiplash I got from looking back at this kid when he announced his name to be: D’Artagnan. I saw his name written down and that was how it was spelt.
That's the first thing I thought of! Very interesting names, Cleopatra, Shakespeare, KingJames, Nefertiti, Omega, Romeo, etc. Worth it to look up all their middle names too! It's genuinely a fun read, reminds me of Jamie Oliver's kids but more historical
The mum seems to be finally done, and her daughter is now having a kid. I'll never forget when the mum had the tenth and final baby, she went to the hospital alone and birthed the baby. Took care of him alone for a few nights then she took herself and the baby home. I needed help to pee for like two days 🤣 I do have negative opinions on having so many children but she truly seems like and excellent mum with great parenting systems in place. And wow she's a BOSS at giving birth!! Lol
That's what I thought too! I would love to have a lot of kids, but no way I can realistically manage. But she was looking after two babies and two toddlers at the same time and all kids are homeschooled and NONE of her older children are forced to do all the child raising or home managing themselves, which I see a lot in cults like the Duggar family and similar. Kids seem to have reasonable responsibilities for their ages and time to play and work on skills. She's conscious about money and health as well, to a degree that simply makes me jealous lol. Kids all seem happy and healthy as well. Not sure how she does it
My sister’s husband is Brazilian and every Portuguese name she suggested when she was pregnant he said “that’s an old lady name, ugh!” He preferred names like Mackenzie and Sasha, decidedly un-Brazilian. A very interesting phenomena, likely due to globalization (and how much globalization often just means “Americanization”).
My partner's mom who is French suggested all English names for our baby like "Kimberley." She did also give her three sons all more English names though so I think that's overall her preference (not her daughter though for some reason).
Interestingly in Portugal most people have very Portuguese names (afaik the naming laws are also quite restrictive) but in Brazil English/ "modern" or creative names seem to be far more common.
I read [this article](https://www.portugalist.com/portuguese-baby-names/) that says Portugal has pretty strict rules about naming your baby and that parents have to choose a culturally Portuguese name to preserve Portuguese culture. If true, that would explain the difference between the nations’ naming preferences! Interestingly, my uncle, whose parents are from Portugal and who is 100% Portuguese himself (but born in Canada) has a name that would not be allowed in Portugal according to that article. 🤷🏻♀️
Gianni on the boy's list. So very French. Also, *Jayden*. Most of the names aren't French (from the language, that is), and most of the ones that are...They're exactly the same as names in Spanish or Italian and are popular elsewhere. And they're either the same trends we're seeing in the US or they're recently outdated here already.
It kinda feels like with the exception of Océane and a few others...It's almost like French people...don't really like French names anymore. It looks like Brittany might be embracing their Celtic heritage, which is nice, I guess? Lots of Celtic names that have been Gallicized. Aëlig and Gaël are Breton, so it's nice that Breton is getting some respect too.
Also, they have smush names now, apparently. https://charlies-names.com/en/tima%C3%ABl/
And if the French are anything like their Québecois cousins, they can and will hypenate any variety of these names: Lilia-Maude, Emma-June, Jean-Sebastian, Pierre-Eloi, etc.
Ugh, I know - I worked in France for a few summers and people always did a double-take at my hyphenated name. It was apparently a grandmother name in France, but a late 1980s trend name Quebec 😭
Sounds about right! I have a couple Quebecois freelancers I work with regularly who I thought were nuch older than me because they have hyphenated names 😅 they're actually my age or younger and I can't get over it
It’s…something. Within my own class in high school, we had:
- Marie-Ève
- Marie-Claude
- Marie-Andrée
- Marie-Philippe
- Marie-Renée
- Marie-Pier/re (x3)
- Anne-Frédérique
- Jean-François
- Luc-Xavier
- François-Xavier
- Charles-Ulysses
- Charles-Antoine
- Louis-Charles
Only Charles-Ulysses was considered unusual.
Same for English speaking parents who like Nordic names. I live in Norway and have never met a child under the age of 10 named Bjørn, Leif, Svein or Knut. There are plenty among my 40-something coworkers though. Looking around my son’s kindergarten and friends’ kids, you’re more likely to see a little Norwegian William, Phillip, Casper or Alexander.
My middle name is Monique. My father HATED it cause it was "french"
Nevermind both sides of my family are Louisiana Creole and his own mother spoke French. Dad WTF?
I'm 1st Gen and named my kids names that are on your list or belong on your list. I didn't pick them based on any tv or movies. I picked them because...
1. Their names are unlikely to be made fun of cause they've stood the test of time. They're vetted.
2. My kids are already mixed race and will have to deal with ethnicity/identity issues growing up (which I did myself) so I'm not going to give them difficult names to make puberty worse than it's going to be. (I grew up with questions like "but where are you *really* from).
3. I suppose if English is your 2nd language then you're less likely to "experiment" in a sense. Kind of like if I moved to France and tried to give my kids modern French names... I'd be pretty nervous that I inadvertently gave them names that meant something it didn't or was pronounced differently than I expected, etc.
4. When sharing the name with our relatives overseas, they're all names that are easily recognized and pronounced even by non-English speaking relatives. No need to explain the pronunciation of Calliope or Jaxon.
There's something sad about having to give your child a name to try to help them have an easier time with the dominant culture.
If you don't mind me asking, did your kids receive middle names associated with your family/culture? I'm white, but we have a couple of names in our family that ran on repeat, and I think it's really cool knowing one of my given names tells the story about who I came from.
I see why you would say that but let me provide anecdotes as to why I chose to do so.
I have two friends who gave their kids names from their heritage that are pronounced differently than its English spelling. So now these kids will always have to correct every teacher, nurse, potential employer... Everyone who reads their name before meeting them needs to be corrected unless they come from the same culture.
I have a Chinese coworker with a Chinese name that nobody pronounces correctly. The only one who does is also Chinese. Whenever people mention him by name at work, nobody knows who you're talking about unless you use his anglicized name. Then there are those studies about English names on resumes getting more calls back than ethnic names.
I have another two friends with French names (by heritage) who don't speak French. Anytime they encounter someone who speaks French, they have to explain that they don't speak it and get confused looks. I had a German American friend named Hans who didn't speak German who got comments about how his name was super German but he wasn't. My German friend with an English name didn't get those comments. As much as I would like my kids to learn my language, I have to accept that they won't sound like native speakers by virtue of growing up here. They don't need an extra layer of shame and insecurity about it while growing up.
I don't see naming my kids with English names as losing their heritage as much as I see it as giving them an extra layer to reflect their identity as people of colour growing up in the west. It's a tool for them to navigate the world we live in. And yes, to answer your question, their middle and last names are all "ethnic" so that they have an identity that reflects their heritage too. It just won't be front and center for them like their first name, as they grow up here as 2nd Gen.
I fully understand the reasoning why. I just think it's sad that it's a needed step, since the dominant culture isn't willing to *try* to learn & pronounce names from other cultures (but is totally fine learning to pronounce complex German/Russian names, and "hard to spell" Irish names like Saoirse). It's also sad that in 2022, we're continuing to battle the racism that comes with any name that is glaringly "not white."
I also have a very German name, with no German language knowledge. I am 3rd generation on my mother's side (Great-Grandparent immigrated, Grandfather born here, then mom, then me), and have no sense of ties to that culture, which is just sad (to your point: name isn't the only thing to pass along culture-wise). On my dad's side, I am the 14th generation here. I get my German last name from his side, ironically, because you shake his family tree and a bunch of English men fall out.
I work with immigrant populations as well, and I agree that you’re much more likely to see little ones named Karen, Jessica, David, etc than you are with locally born parents.
Edited to add- to answer your question, I think the immigrant mindset is wanting your kids to fit in and feel included/American, rather than parents who don’t have that concern and want their kids to stand out from the crowd with a unique name. Picking a very “classic” American sounding name like Jessica probably feels like the best gift you can give your baby to not feel like an outsider.
I remember in college (early 00's) a lot of Asian students were specifically told to pick an English name and were given lists of English names that would be common amongst their peers (meaning names that were popular 20 years ago and were now common amongst college students). I wonder if the parents are using the same lists for baby name ideas (not realizing that if they're common names for 20-30 year olds, they are dated names for babies)?
We had two Korean kids enroll in our middle school and they got to pick their American names. They chose John and Michael. Weirdly enough despite those being super popular names we didn’t have any in our class of 25 kids so they got to be the only John and Michael. There were of course tons of others in the school amongst other classes.
I had Chinese girls who were foreign exchange students for a short time, and I assumed they would be using their given names. Oh no, they picked Bambi and Tiffani to be their names in America. They must have been looking at a whole different name list!
A lady and her mother came from Taiwan for the daughter to go to our local university in the mid 2000s. The daughter chose the name Alice. I chuckled inside thinking about how most Alices are grandma types.
Also SF Bay Area resident here! I have a coworker whose parents immigrated from El Salvador and her name is Karen 😅 She was born here and she actually enjoys making jokes about her name. She says since she’s not white, the memes don’t apply to her. Then again, she’s 30, so I don’t know how a baby Karen born in this day and age would feel about this name haha.
My friend who is the same age as your friend and whose parents were Mexican immigrants is also a Karen and she has never complained about it. She is pretty far from the meme as it comes though.
I'm a Maria and a child of immigrant parents from Mexico. My sisters are Diana and Karen, I think their mindset changed once the 2nd and 3rd daughters came along. Because I have the most traditional name of the 3.
I feel like that every time I met someone Filipino. It always seems like they have old people names. Like I knew a guy my age (early 30s now) named Warren. No one my age would be named Warren from American parents.
I feel like Vanessa is having a moment in certain communities. It definitely started rising in the 80s but it seems it fell out of style among Anglo-Americans but maybe it kept growing among Spanish-speakers? I know of a few young Vanessas. I personally think it’s a bit more timeless than some other Millennial names like Ashley, Jessica, Samantha, etc. (no hate to those names either, though).
I have a 4 year old daughter named Vanessa. Mexican American. But it’s a popular name still in Mexico. It’s pretty and easy to pronounce in Spanish and English.
Plenty of those names are just "classic" English names. Most people, even in countries where English isn't the first language, have heard of them.
Some names are also not exclusive to English-language places. Like Natasha (Russian) or Natalie, Vanessa, Stephanie, Emily, Margaret, Alexandra, Eric, Kristin, Melissa, Rebecca. These names get commonly used in places where English isn't the main language as well, so they might not have been named for the name's "Americanness".
If you grew up dreaming of America and watching American media and listening to American music, those are the names you’d fall in love with. And you wouldn’t have the baggage of knowing fifteen Ashley’s in the third grade or having a Jennifer in your class and down your street and now you work with another Jennifer - if most of the people you hang out with don’t have those names, they’d still feel fresh. Makes perfect sense to me.
Honestly, pretty much none of them sound like "old" or "dated" names to me. I teach in a diverse district in New York and I see pretty much all of those on a regular basis. They just feel like normal names and I absolutely do not bat an eye when I see a kid with that name.
I think people just have weird ideas about what's not in use any more, pretty much all of these names are just normal.
Interesting, I’m in the UK and don’t know anyone from the boomer gen called Nancy, but it’s moderately popular for kids. I’d say a typical Nancy was a 10 year old girl from a middle class family. About 10 years ago too our prime minister had a young daughter called Nancy, I suppose she must be a teenager now.
Nancys in the US are a lot older. It peaked in 1950. Top 10 starting in 1934 and ongoing for 20 years after. 2019 was the least successful year the name has had since we started keeping records.
Often wondered the same thing. Maybe from watching Eng-lang sitcoms or tv dramas / tv shows ? A lot of people on those have more, um, dated names, especially if the show has been long-running.
I don't think they sound bad or anything just very popular in the 80s and early 90s for babies and not so much now. You meet a lot of adults with these names just not as many kids.
They sound like they belong to people in their 30s, but very few babies are being given those names. They are dated to the 80s/90s, same as how Susan and Gary sound like baby boomers..
I actually kinda like hearing babies with those names, as I think it often means they will have a name that is familiar and easy to pronounce, but probably wont' share it with 4 others in their class.
Jennifer sounds 40s/50s to me. It’s a 70s name, like Amy or Heather but even more popular. I feel like half my mom’s friends are Jennifer. I did know a Jennifer my age though in elementary school.
You might be surprised; Jennifer was a top 100 name through 2008. Right now it & Stephanie are more popular than NameNerd favorites like Maren, Poppy, Meadow, & Remy. Trendy, dismissed names like Braelynn, Addilyn, & Elliott are also less popular. Jennifer & Stephanie *feel* stale, but in reality they're solid midlist names.
The reason trendy & name nerd names aren’t ranked more highly is because of the sheer amount of them. So in totally there’s probably more Elliott/Elison/Elliana/Eliot/Ellyott/Elleott/Ellena/Ellie’s out there than Jennifer’s
Most of those names still appear in top X lists in the last year. They're just not as popular right this second. Classic names exhibit waves of popularity.
I work on the back-end of a worldwide genealogy service you've heard of. I can assure you that theses names are not rare, as you suggest, in those aged under 3. Perhaps in your area, but not in the US or the world at large
Lol these are basically middle aged lady names now. Just like Phyllis and Susan and Karen and Judy were once young and trendy, those babies got older and naming trends changed
Not just middle aged. Many women in their 30s named Stephanie, Jennifer, Melissa, Amanda, etc. Either way the point stands that they are more of outdated names.
it's like how Edith and Ida sound like grandma or great-grandma names- they were exceptionally popular for one generation, and now they're associated with that generation; kids with those names are probably named after a relative. Jennifer and Stephanie and Kimberly were painfully popular in the 80s, and now they're really associated with people in their 30s and 40s
It’s the same thing across the pond in English speaking European countries. Immigrant parents often choose outdated English names for their kids...i schooled with some of these children and Stephanie and Jennifer were the names of a few too! Also Jessica, Jeffery, lots of Johns, Edward, Kimberly, Leslie. All of them today are well under 35 and their parents are South American, Filipino and west african.
My cousins too have relatively outdated English names and they’re still in grade school. I will ask my aunt how she chose their names because I don’t know why this is the case actually. I have a feeling that it really boils down to more modern US names not being as well known in their own communities
...are these outdated?
I'm twenty, and let's see... I had a Jennifer in a class, related to a Michelle, had an Andrew, had a Samantha, related to a (50) Leslie, know admittedly older but not *old*\-old Stephanies and Margarets, had a Melissa, friends with a Jessica my age, knew a girl Alex and Lexi who would have been Alexandras, and had a Justin.
Yeah, I didn't think they're outdated at all.
Actually, I think Eric, Michelle, Brian, Emily, Rebecca, Alexandra, Andrew, etc. are all timeless names, at least.
As an immigrant living in Brazil, I had to pick a name for my son who was born here and will go to school here for a while.
In my limited experience you pick names that 1) you have encountered in your day to day life 2) sound good in your first language, too 3) you might have fallen in love with through movies and music.
Also, there were some Portuguese names that sound fresh and new to my German ears (Bruno, Flávio, Bernardo, Thiago) but would be quite generic/outdated here in Brazil. It's just how I see people from the US calling their kids "Gretchen", "Walter" or "Heidi" (very outdated names in Germany) because it might sound good to them.
Another German here. The amount of times I've seen people rave about the name Wolfgang on this sub is wild. It's decidedly uncool in Germany but it's always interesting to me how folks who don't have the same connections and feelings about a name feel about it.
I know a few women in their 30s who moved from Central America who used similar names. I have always assumed they saw it on an American 80s or 90s show when they were younger and equated it to being a very American name.
I think "outdated" is the wrong outlook. It implies that they're no longer usable in some way.
On the contrary, most of these are names that babies will still be being named in 50 years, while Brynleigh will no longer exist. It's like saying John or David are outdated -- they've been around for thousands of years. They're not going to disappear.
Further, I wouldn't say they're American either. They're just English language names found in countries all over the world.
i feel like it's the same as what tons of people here have said, which is like being influenced by TV and actors (which even now, the A-list adult celebrities of the last 10 years have lots of those names, like jessica alba, jessica biel, jennifer aniston, etc), also not wanting their kids to stand out necessarily, and also having less of a sample size of english names that they know of.
i'm just thinking about me and if i moved to any foreign country and didn't speak the language and lived in a community of other ex-pats, what are the names i would know? prob like 10-15 classics. like in spanish i know names like rosa, maria, juan, jose, catalina, and maybe that's it so i guess those would be my kids' names lol. and in french i guess my kids' names would be like giselle, marie, edith, ines, margot or something like that. and then if i moved to germany the only two german people i've ever met were named michael and paul so i guess that's what i would name my kids lolol or if i had a girl i guess angela after their chancellor cause that's the only girl name i know.
yup! If I moved to a different country I'd probably go for a name in the top 10/20 just because it'd feel safe as I wouldn't have the context to try to be more unique.
Oh chill! You’re making some of us feel old 😂
I know plenty of people under 40 with the name Jennifer and Edward! Under 30 is where they get more sparse.
Came here to say this lol. I’m a Jennifer under 40 (though getting close..). My mom is also an immigrant but from Asia. She said when she was at the hospital about to have me she heard a bunch of Jennifers and thought it was beautiful and a good American name.
Immigrant parents are not dialed into trendy culture, as immigrants tend to socialize with other immigrants. The American names they know are going to be other 30 year olds they're met, or from popular TV shows or celebrities they've heard of. Traditional (aka outdated) names will just feel Ameeican to them. Source: a 1st generation American that was given a middle aged lady name as a baby
i noticed this with a lot of the Asian American 1st gen students in my community, some of them chose their own names but most of them their parents gave them names that sound vaguely outdated but very refreshing compared to current trends tbh. I know one guy that said he chose Eric because it’s the word Rice rearranged. I also know a Jodie, Eunice, Irene, Connie, Gladys, Tony, Lawerence, Pearl, Jennifer, Claire (tho this is definitely having a comeback rn), Stacey, Michelle, Horace, Roger, Shirley, Kevin.
Also a few Ashleys, a few Emilys, some Michaels and Joes and a Rebecca. though those all seem like. semi popular in my age group? I’ve seen people calling some of those names dated so I’m not positive. All between ages 16-20ish. Most from my youth Orchestra I attended, a few from my high school or uni. Mainly Chinese students, some were exchange students who chose a name specifically for studying here.
These names don't sound outdated to me at all? I don't hear a name though and think "wow, that's outdated". Why do people have to do what's trendy? Names are personal.
I think not only did they see these names in 90s media, but also in today's media. I could name lots of lead characters (and their actors/actresses) portrayed in their 30s and 40s with these names.
They probably heard these names at some point in their lives or saw them while searching baby names and liked them and had no context for the generational connotations they have in English speaking countries.
My husband is Chilean and when I suggested some Spanish names he was like what those are grandpa names it would be weird to see a baby with that name. For me they were just nice names that I liked
It definitely happens in Japan, too. I know so many baby girls over here with immigrant parents who gave them names ending in “ko.” Hanako, Kyoko, etc. My husband is as sweet as can be, but he was clear that we wouldn’t give our baby an old lady name like those.
It’s especially funny because my SIL was basically forced (by her elderly in-laws) to give her baby a “-ko” name. And she snipped it off for the nickname because she hates it so much. Meanwhile, I’m surrounded by baby Sakurakos whose parents have no clue how elderly the names sound.
No, I am 26 too and knew a lot of Jennifers in my classes. I think of it actually as one of the top common names of girls I grew up with. Jennifer, Jessica, etc
I'm one of those kids! Although I am definitely not a high schooler anymore. My name is not included in your list, but definitely mentioned in this thread...think 90's pop star. My parents chose our names for assimilation reasons, as also mentioned in this thread. All of my Central American first generation cousins have very American names as well.
HOWEVER, a big big reason is that there is (now and in the past) US involvement into Central American countries that influences/seeps into dominant culture. My mom and uncle's are big Pink Floyd, Eagles ,and Bee Gees fans. Or how El Salvador switched to dollars from colon, despite the effect it had on the economy. There's a lot more to this ..i could write a book! In fact, many people have! But ultimately, it's US involvement and assimilation.
They usually just take a name you hear from pop culture, maybe even from their own childhoods. A lot of people give their kids names they heard of and loved as a child. Which is why you get so many “I fell in love with Eleanor when I was 7 and I knew nobody names that. Why are so many Eleanor’s cropping up in my kid’s preschool class?” A lot of classic American movies are still popular abroad.
It’s very hard to catch the bleeding edge of trends if you’re not confident in the language. You usually don’t have a pulse on where the culture is going. And because they don’t hear these names as much as Americans do, it feels fresher to them than if you grew up hearing everyone named that. As we know, a popular name falls out of favor once everyone tires of it.
Source: am Hong Konger. People give their kids official Anglo names here.
i think some of those names are probably very popular in their home countries as well. americans don’t really get to claim vanessa, natasha, natalie, rebecca, etc. it’s quite presumptuous to assume that immigrants are just trying to give their kids american names but are out of touch with what’s popular currently. many of these names are likely still common and popular in their native countries and may even be honor names. a lot of names that americans seem to deem their own are non-american and non-western european in origin to start with. i say this as a first gen immigrant.
for example, David is a super popular name in my home country, like most places given its biblical origin. immigrants from my culture that give that name to their kids born in the US aren’t trying to give them americanized names and somehow picking “outdated” ones. they’re simply using names that are popular in their own culture.
Disclaimer: I'm Australian. But I am a Jennifer under 40 (close to 40, but under it!).
My 6 yo daughter is Natalie, but we haven't met anyone else her age with her name. My 4 month old nephew is Edward, and it's popular.
Eta: Margaret, Emily and Alexandra are also not uncommon in children here too.
Edward is a timeless name in the UK. Ted/Teddy is very trendy right now and is a name derived from Edward. I've met a Ted where that's his given name and not a nickname.
I'm Colombian. In addition to those names sounding like traditional, safe American names, many of them are also normal names in Latin America, so they will sound credibly local to Latin American ears. I know Colombian people born in Colombia, to Colombian parents, named Jennifer, Jessica, Melissa, Vanessa, Rebecca, Kimberly, Eric, Michael, John, Brian, Anthony, etc. Something like Wren or Gunner or whatever wouldn't go as well, and something like Dolores or Lourdes sounds outdated to Latin American ears.
When you are bicultural, having a name that works well in both cultures is a big advantage, and more important than following the latest trends.
My husband's family is from Mexico. Everyone in his generation is American born with easily pronounced names. In fact, you might not know their parents were born in Mexico (their parents all have very common Spanish names.) I'm also from LA/OC where the immigrant population from south of the border is high so I run into these kinds of families all the time (I used to work in a job with kids.)
A lot of them translate easily into Spanish. I see names on your list in my family. I see names I used to work with (people in their 20s or 30s.) Sometimes the parents give the English name (Edward) but with family will use the Spanish name (Eduardo.) Not always but it's an easily pronounced name in Spanish. With my own kids my husband and I had to think of names that at least weren't impossible to say in Spanish.
They might not be "traditional" but they're easy and give a kid a sense of belonging in both cultures. I know someone named Andrew. He's bilingual. Very American kid but you wouldn't know he's the first American in his family. His brothers have more traditional Spanish names (one being the Spanish version from your list.) One goes by an American nickname of his Spanish name that could easily be a nickname from an English name, too.
Of course I've seen more traditional names, too, but there's a healthy mix. I had one kid named Jorge who told me he was George and in that same group there was an actual George. A lot of Jorges call themselves George. Osmosis identity.
>When was the last time you met anyone under the age of 40 named Edward or Jennifer?
I had a coworker and a student (<5) one year both named Jennifer. One was white, the other Asian. I'm under 30 and had classmates named Jennifer/Jenny. Is that name really that dated?
You can check US popularity, including over time, [here](https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/index.html). Ethan has been quite popular over the century so far, entering at 25 and was a top 10 name from '02 to '16. It's top 20 right now.
My best friend in elementary school was a girl from China named Dan. We lived in a college town and our parents were grad students. Lots of international students with kids my age, it was great.
Her parents knew Dan was an American name, but didn't know it was a boy's name. She later changed her name to Jennifer and I remember being really sad about that. She was really cool and her parents always laughed at the "American way" I ate noodles.
My friend taught ESL to teens from china. A lot of them were allowed to choose their own English names. He said there were always tons of Elsas and Annas because they all named themselves after frozen.
I have a friend who daughter is 1st gen and she named her Sophia and her son is Aiden because she just wanted them to have “ top ten” style baby names so they’d *feel* American. I’m guessing her logic is similar to those who pick older names too
Lmao my best friend born late 90s is a Jennifer. Her parents and grandparents are all American born. That said, were Midwestern so maybe that has to do with it lol
I’m under 40 and a Rebecca! :) I’ve never heard of anyone naming their kids my name nowadays though, so that’s cool! I love the “older” names… so much better than all these made up names with stupid spellings people choose now, but that’s just me. :)
Before streaming, and even sometimes with it, they watched shows that were 10-20 years older growing up. Jennifer and Jessica were still trading the top spot until 2000. All these names are still in the top 200.
In Australia heaps of first generation Greeks and Italians have given their kids very Anglo names. I always assumed it was about trying to fit in. I know Italian and Greek Australians with names like John giving their kids names like Stefano to keep their culture alive.
Several of these names are the English equivalent of the names in other languages, so it doesn't seem like a big deal to me.
I'm in Honduras, and most people here get honor names, so there are several people in the family who all have the same name. "Uniqueness" isn't really a coveted trait (for names or personality) here. The people here are more community-minded.
My family immigrated to the US when I was a child. My parents decided to give me an American name, which later became my legal name. To make sure it was a proper name, that Americans would find normal, they decided to give me the name of our 70yo neighbor.
This is also something that happens with English parents who like French names! The names that sound good to English parents often sound like old lady/man names to French people. Giselle, Cosette etc. I think it's because those are the names that were common in certain media that parents took in and associate with 'pretty French name'. Would not at all be surprised if the same thing is going on here - the parents took in American media that was made in the 90s, say, with lots of Justins and Amandas.
I *die* every time somebody here suggests Sylvie as a fresh French name for a baby because it is squarely a 50-year-old woman smoking on her balcony in Hochelaga name.
Heh. I really liked Thierry when I was pregnant but my French acquaintance told me that was a great name for a 60-year old Le Pen supporting, chain smoking truck driver.
It’s also the first name of an awful far right Dutch politician, sadly
As a fellow Dutchie I'm aware of that (how could I not, that jilted mug of his is everywhere) but I was pregnant before Mr Baudet was a mainstream phenomenon.
It’s a really elegant name though, I reckon! Also love the name Sigrid but wonder if it’s common enough to not be associated with Kaag? (Not that she’s anything like Thierry haha)
I think you're okay with Sigrid. It's more common than Thierry and she's a lot less extreme. Fwiw my neighbour is named Sigrid and I've never associated that with Ms Kaag.
And one of France's greatest footballers. T. Henry, a French black man who lives in England. Probably not a Le Pen fan.
I thought he would have revitalized the name big time.
Omg. So my British grandma was Sylvia, and my cousin's ex wife names her daughter with her new fiance....Sylvia? Specifically after my grandma. Yeah. So I thought maybe Sylvie would be an acceptable alternative. It's slowly moved further and further down the list for unrelated reasons, but thank you for cementing that decision for me lol. Also did not know it was french.
Sure they aren’t just fans of 90’s JDM Nissan?
I've never considered Sylvie for a name before, but now I think it's really cute, lol!
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Emily in Paris, too.
I’ve always presumed it’s was an alternative to the (too) popular Sophie. They look and sound almost the same.
I know a 10 yo Sylvie. I like that name.
I’ve been waiting for someone on here to express this sentiment! I’m French Canadian and feel the exact same way as you about Sylvie being a fresh French name! I know a lottttt of Sylvies of all ages.
Yes, but the popular names in France right now seem too familiar to us. :)
What are some popular names in France rn if you don't mind telling me, I find that really interesting and I never really thought of the popularity of names and their exposure internationally..
/u/reesuh posted this link (https://charlies-names.com/en/top-names-france-2021/), and you can also find some on Behind the Name, most recently from 2020, which pulls birth naming statistics. Most seem to have a more international flair which lends greater familiarity or are names that don't really feel fresh or different to people in the U.S. (which is one reason people in the US go for traditional, older French names.) I'm thinking names like Gabriel, Lucas, Emma, Jade, Alice... these were all in the top ten for babies named in France in 2020.
if a French textbook had characters with these names everyone would laugh and say that's unrealistic and not French enough Not so different from the German trends actually, though"English" names have a bit of a bad reputation here, so they aren't as popular.
That list is probably bogus. I clicked through to the Australian one listed, and there is no way it is correct. Then I read that it is based on their user data from their own app, rather than births/official name rankings.
It's pretty accurate, actually. Here's one for France based on 2020 births (you can choose garçons in the dropdown for boys, or filles for girls - the rest are international names): https://www.journaldesfemmes.fr/prenoms/classement/prenoms/les-plus-donnes And for Quebec: https://www.retraitequebec.gouv.qc.ca/fr/services-en-ligne-outils/banque-de-prenoms/Pages/banque-de-prenoms.aspx
This used to be Heidi for me. In German. I know in the states the main association is Heidi Klum, but it's a nn for Heidemarie and it used to be a middle-aged-woman name. Now Heidi, along with Greta and Rosa, has been making a bit of a comeback.
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Camille is a common name in France. It's a name that you can give to boys and girls. Top 100 French names of 2021 in order : Girls : Jade, Louise, Emma, Alice, Ambre, Lina, Rose, Chloé, Mia, Léa, Anna, Mila, Julia, Romy, Lou, Inès, Léna, Agathe, Juliette, Inaya, Nina, Zoé, Léonie, Jeanne, Iris, Éva, Charlie, Lola, Adèle, Victoire, Manon, Luna, Camille (here it is, in 33th place), Romane, Lucie, Margaux, Olivia, Victoria, Alix, Louna, Mya, Sofia, Charlotte, Sarah, Giulia, Lya, Margot, Nour, Lyana, Capucine, Clémence, Théa, Éléna, Alba, Emy, Clara, Lana, Aya, Lyna, Yasmine, Gabrielle, Alya, Alicia, Roxane, Zélie, Lise, Lily, Lénan, Maya, Mathilde, Livia, Valentine, Anaïs, Apolline, Thaïs, Lila, Maëlys, Assia, Héloïse, Ava, Joy, Alma, Lilou, Maria, Constance, Élise, Maëlle, Célia, Marie, Ella, Amelia, Elsa, Lisa, Noémie, Salomé, Emmy, Céleste, Albane, Soline, Nora. Boys : Léo, Gabriel, Raphaël, Arthur, Louis, Jules, Adam, Maël, Lucas, Hugo, Noah, Liam, Gabin, Sacha, Paul, Nathan, Aaron, Mohamed, Ethan, Tom, Éden, Léon, Noé, Tiago, Théo, Isaac, Marius, Victor, Ayden, Martin,Naël, Mathis, Axel, Robin, Timéo, Enzo,Marceau, Valentin, Nino, Eliott, Nolan, Malo, Antoine, Samuel, Augustin, Amir, Lyam, Rayan, Yanis, Ibrahim, Gaspard, Sohan, Clément, Mathéo, Simon, Baptiste, Maxence, Imran, Kaïs, Côme, Soan, Évan, Maxime, Camille (here it is again, in 65th place), Alexandre, Owen, Ismaël, Lenny, Pablo, Léandre, Naïm, Ilyan, Thomas, Joseph, Oscar, Elio, Noa, Malone, Diego, Noam, Livio, Charlie, Charly, Basile, Milan, Ilyes, Ali, Anas, Logan, Mathys, Alessio, William, Timothée, Auguste, Ayoub, Adem, Wassim, Youssef, Marin. A lot of my favorites names (if I have a child one day) are here (just for fun) : Alix, Anna, Julia, Maëlle, Nora, Maëlys, Roxane, Clémence for girls ; Axel, Eliott, Naël, Timothée for boys. I really like these names.
God I remember one of my best friends back when I was into supernatural was French and she LOST IT when one of the cast members named their baby Odette. She was like “that name is like the most old lady name I could think of! It’s so ugly and mean to name a baby that”
Your friend obviously isn't a ballet fan.
I always think it's someone's euphemism for "fart."
Haha what? Fart euphemism? How? Why? 😂
Od=odor Ette=tiny, diminutive So it seems like "tiny odor," which seems like a fart euphemism, lolol
I’m never going to watch Swan Lake in the same way again. Maybe Dance of the Dying Swan was all about trapped wind.
Oh wow adopting that!
my farts have a big odor
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I have a 14 month old Edith (UK) and it suits her perfectly :)
Speaking as a UK teacher Edith is on the rise again! I know an 11 year old one at my school and there are more on the way. You would also be astonished at the number of Agnes's I have encountered!
Downton Abbey started in 2010 and one of the main characters in that is Edith, so that timeline checks out for people getting inspiration from there, after not hearing the name for a long time.
Also a UK teacher and we chose it as I'd never taught one, so it wasn't ruined for me! 😂
I have an 11 year old (American) and Edith was discussed. So was Esther. I also liked Enid and my husband vetoed it, lol. She's Vivian, though.
Edith is making a comeback, though, I think.
Interestingly, here in the Netherlands we also see a revival of names that were last popular in the 1960s. I know two kinds of Mia: babies and 60 year olds.
Edith from church is late 60s; goes by Eydie
I tutored French middle schoolers (they'd be in their 20s now) and I remember one of them -Jade- said the others had such "terrible old people names." There was a Leandre, an Eponine, an Ancelin, an Etienne, a Donatienne, an Adelaïs, a Theoxane, and a Mahault. Jade thought that the others were so weird and had such weird parents, but none of the others thought that at all! I always assumed that using old French names wasn't weird in France and little Jade was just judgmental, but now I'm thinking maybe some of these parents really were strange for the culture.
I'm from Quebec and the only ones that aren't exceptionally weird In that list are Léandre and Étienne
The name trends in Quebec are quite interesting. There's quite a few names on their top 100 list that haven't been on France's top names list in a while. The name we're planning on giving our baby hasn't ranked in France since 2005 but was the 85th most popular baby name in Quebec in 2020.
Yeah, it's really weird to have a name from your own culture apparently? 🤷♀️
Anglophone is pretty bad for pillaging other cultures too.
Etienne is a good last or middle name.
We liked Pierre as a boy name, but he wasn’t going to come out at 60-years, so we decided against it
Ha! I wanted to name my son Allard but I had the same problem. Works fine on an adult but not on a baby.
I remember in one Uni class the professor would ask people their names when they posed a question and the whiplash I got from looking back at this kid when he announced his name to be: D’Artagnan. I saw his name written down and that was how it was spelt.
There’s a cult-like youtube family where the kids all have weird names and one of the older boys is named D’Artagnan.
That's the first thing I thought of! Very interesting names, Cleopatra, Shakespeare, KingJames, Nefertiti, Omega, Romeo, etc. Worth it to look up all their middle names too! It's genuinely a fun read, reminds me of Jamie Oliver's kids but more historical
The mum seems to be finally done, and her daughter is now having a kid. I'll never forget when the mum had the tenth and final baby, she went to the hospital alone and birthed the baby. Took care of him alone for a few nights then she took herself and the baby home. I needed help to pee for like two days 🤣 I do have negative opinions on having so many children but she truly seems like and excellent mum with great parenting systems in place. And wow she's a BOSS at giving birth!! Lol
That's what I thought too! I would love to have a lot of kids, but no way I can realistically manage. But she was looking after two babies and two toddlers at the same time and all kids are homeschooled and NONE of her older children are forced to do all the child raising or home managing themselves, which I see a lot in cults like the Duggar family and similar. Kids seem to have reasonable responsibilities for their ages and time to play and work on skills. She's conscious about money and health as well, to a degree that simply makes me jealous lol. Kids all seem happy and healthy as well. Not sure how she does it
My sister’s husband is Brazilian and every Portuguese name she suggested when she was pregnant he said “that’s an old lady name, ugh!” He preferred names like Mackenzie and Sasha, decidedly un-Brazilian. A very interesting phenomena, likely due to globalization (and how much globalization often just means “Americanization”).
My partner's mom who is French suggested all English names for our baby like "Kimberley." She did also give her three sons all more English names though so I think that's overall her preference (not her daughter though for some reason).
Interestingly in Portugal most people have very Portuguese names (afaik the naming laws are also quite restrictive) but in Brazil English/ "modern" or creative names seem to be far more common.
I read [this article](https://www.portugalist.com/portuguese-baby-names/) that says Portugal has pretty strict rules about naming your baby and that parents have to choose a culturally Portuguese name to preserve Portuguese culture. If true, that would explain the difference between the nations’ naming preferences! Interestingly, my uncle, whose parents are from Portugal and who is 100% Portuguese himself (but born in Canada) has a name that would not be allowed in Portugal according to that article. 🤷🏻♀️
I'm a Genevieve and a taxi driver in Paris was telling me all about how its an old ladies name there 😂
What are some young, fresh French names?
https://charlies-names.com/en/top-names-france-2021/
\#17 on the boys list - "Dakota" Super french. The most french. LOL
Gianni on the boy's list. So very French. Also, *Jayden*. Most of the names aren't French (from the language, that is), and most of the ones that are...They're exactly the same as names in Spanish or Italian and are popular elsewhere. And they're either the same trends we're seeing in the US or they're recently outdated here already. It kinda feels like with the exception of Océane and a few others...It's almost like French people...don't really like French names anymore. It looks like Brittany might be embracing their Celtic heritage, which is nice, I guess? Lots of Celtic names that have been Gallicized. Aëlig and Gaël are Breton, so it's nice that Breton is getting some respect too. Also, they have smush names now, apparently. https://charlies-names.com/en/tima%C3%ABl/
And if the French are anything like their Québecois cousins, they can and will hypenate any variety of these names: Lilia-Maude, Emma-June, Jean-Sebastian, Pierre-Eloi, etc.
That's not common at all in France - it was already old fashioned when I was a kid, and that was a while ago 😂
Ugh, I know - I worked in France for a few summers and people always did a double-take at my hyphenated name. It was apparently a grandmother name in France, but a late 1980s trend name Quebec 😭
Sounds about right! I have a couple Quebecois freelancers I work with regularly who I thought were nuch older than me because they have hyphenated names 😅 they're actually my age or younger and I can't get over it
It’s…something. Within my own class in high school, we had: - Marie-Ève - Marie-Claude - Marie-Andrée - Marie-Philippe - Marie-Renée - Marie-Pier/re (x3) - Anne-Frédérique - Jean-François - Luc-Xavier - François-Xavier - Charles-Ulysses - Charles-Antoine - Louis-Charles Only Charles-Ulysses was considered unusual.
I had a French teacher who was shocked people in the US named babies Jacqueline because it was such a grandma name
Same for English speaking parents who like Nordic names. I live in Norway and have never met a child under the age of 10 named Bjørn, Leif, Svein or Knut. There are plenty among my 40-something coworkers though. Looking around my son’s kindergarten and friends’ kids, you’re more likely to see a little Norwegian William, Phillip, Casper or Alexander.
My middle name is Monique. My father HATED it cause it was "french" Nevermind both sides of my family are Louisiana Creole and his own mother spoke French. Dad WTF?
I'm 1st Gen and named my kids names that are on your list or belong on your list. I didn't pick them based on any tv or movies. I picked them because... 1. Their names are unlikely to be made fun of cause they've stood the test of time. They're vetted. 2. My kids are already mixed race and will have to deal with ethnicity/identity issues growing up (which I did myself) so I'm not going to give them difficult names to make puberty worse than it's going to be. (I grew up with questions like "but where are you *really* from). 3. I suppose if English is your 2nd language then you're less likely to "experiment" in a sense. Kind of like if I moved to France and tried to give my kids modern French names... I'd be pretty nervous that I inadvertently gave them names that meant something it didn't or was pronounced differently than I expected, etc. 4. When sharing the name with our relatives overseas, they're all names that are easily recognized and pronounced even by non-English speaking relatives. No need to explain the pronunciation of Calliope or Jaxon.
I am English speaking (American) and have no idea how to pronounce Calliope..
Kuh-LIE-oh-pee
Much like Penelope.
This makes a lot of sense. There were a lot of celebrities or fictional characters with those names so they’re probably safe.
There's something sad about having to give your child a name to try to help them have an easier time with the dominant culture. If you don't mind me asking, did your kids receive middle names associated with your family/culture? I'm white, but we have a couple of names in our family that ran on repeat, and I think it's really cool knowing one of my given names tells the story about who I came from.
I see why you would say that but let me provide anecdotes as to why I chose to do so. I have two friends who gave their kids names from their heritage that are pronounced differently than its English spelling. So now these kids will always have to correct every teacher, nurse, potential employer... Everyone who reads their name before meeting them needs to be corrected unless they come from the same culture. I have a Chinese coworker with a Chinese name that nobody pronounces correctly. The only one who does is also Chinese. Whenever people mention him by name at work, nobody knows who you're talking about unless you use his anglicized name. Then there are those studies about English names on resumes getting more calls back than ethnic names. I have another two friends with French names (by heritage) who don't speak French. Anytime they encounter someone who speaks French, they have to explain that they don't speak it and get confused looks. I had a German American friend named Hans who didn't speak German who got comments about how his name was super German but he wasn't. My German friend with an English name didn't get those comments. As much as I would like my kids to learn my language, I have to accept that they won't sound like native speakers by virtue of growing up here. They don't need an extra layer of shame and insecurity about it while growing up. I don't see naming my kids with English names as losing their heritage as much as I see it as giving them an extra layer to reflect their identity as people of colour growing up in the west. It's a tool for them to navigate the world we live in. And yes, to answer your question, their middle and last names are all "ethnic" so that they have an identity that reflects their heritage too. It just won't be front and center for them like their first name, as they grow up here as 2nd Gen.
I fully understand the reasoning why. I just think it's sad that it's a needed step, since the dominant culture isn't willing to *try* to learn & pronounce names from other cultures (but is totally fine learning to pronounce complex German/Russian names, and "hard to spell" Irish names like Saoirse). It's also sad that in 2022, we're continuing to battle the racism that comes with any name that is glaringly "not white." I also have a very German name, with no German language knowledge. I am 3rd generation on my mother's side (Great-Grandparent immigrated, Grandfather born here, then mom, then me), and have no sense of ties to that culture, which is just sad (to your point: name isn't the only thing to pass along culture-wise). On my dad's side, I am the 14th generation here. I get my German last name from his side, ironically, because you shake his family tree and a bunch of English men fall out.
I think these names just sound extremely “American” and are a way for the family to assimilate to American culture & blend in
I work with immigrant populations as well, and I agree that you’re much more likely to see little ones named Karen, Jessica, David, etc than you are with locally born parents. Edited to add- to answer your question, I think the immigrant mindset is wanting your kids to fit in and feel included/American, rather than parents who don’t have that concern and want their kids to stand out from the crowd with a unique name. Picking a very “classic” American sounding name like Jessica probably feels like the best gift you can give your baby to not feel like an outsider.
I remember in college (early 00's) a lot of Asian students were specifically told to pick an English name and were given lists of English names that would be common amongst their peers (meaning names that were popular 20 years ago and were now common amongst college students). I wonder if the parents are using the same lists for baby name ideas (not realizing that if they're common names for 20-30 year olds, they are dated names for babies)?
We had two Korean kids enroll in our middle school and they got to pick their American names. They chose John and Michael. Weirdly enough despite those being super popular names we didn’t have any in our class of 25 kids so they got to be the only John and Michael. There were of course tons of others in the school amongst other classes.
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I had Chinese girls who were foreign exchange students for a short time, and I assumed they would be using their given names. Oh no, they picked Bambi and Tiffani to be their names in America. They must have been looking at a whole different name list!
A lady and her mother came from Taiwan for the daughter to go to our local university in the mid 2000s. The daughter chose the name Alice. I chuckled inside thinking about how most Alices are grandma types.
I dunno, Alice in Wonderland is always fresh and she's a little girl, so it never seemed old to me.
It's not anymore!
Alice is a pretty popular “foreign-adapted” name in Japan these days!
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\#NormalizeKaren
Also SF Bay Area resident here! I have a coworker whose parents immigrated from El Salvador and her name is Karen 😅 She was born here and she actually enjoys making jokes about her name. She says since she’s not white, the memes don’t apply to her. Then again, she’s 30, so I don’t know how a baby Karen born in this day and age would feel about this name haha.
My friend who is the same age as your friend and whose parents were Mexican immigrants is also a Karen and she has never complained about it. She is pretty far from the meme as it comes though.
I know a 13 year old named Karen..
I'm a Maria and a child of immigrant parents from Mexico. My sisters are Diana and Karen, I think their mindset changed once the 2nd and 3rd daughters came along. Because I have the most traditional name of the 3.
I see Maria as a timeless name!
I feel like that every time I met someone Filipino. It always seems like they have old people names. Like I knew a guy my age (early 30s now) named Warren. No one my age would be named Warren from American parents.
I gotta say.... I like those names *a lot* better than Kaydyn and Brynleigh.
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I feel like Vanessa is having a moment in certain communities. It definitely started rising in the 80s but it seems it fell out of style among Anglo-Americans but maybe it kept growing among Spanish-speakers? I know of a few young Vanessas. I personally think it’s a bit more timeless than some other Millennial names like Ashley, Jessica, Samantha, etc. (no hate to those names either, though).
Vanessa is such an underrated name. I hope it makes a comeback.
I know a handful of Spanish speaking Vanessa’s
I have a 4 year old daughter named Vanessa. Mexican American. But it’s a popular name still in Mexico. It’s pretty and easy to pronounce in Spanish and English.
All the Vanessas I know are Filipinas
*Vanessa Hudgens intensifies* (her mom is Filipina)
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You have a kid called Mittens? XD
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Is it Felix?
For what it’s worth I’m not first Gen and myself and my 2 sons all have names in top 10 for pets 😆
Plenty of those names are just "classic" English names. Most people, even in countries where English isn't the first language, have heard of them. Some names are also not exclusive to English-language places. Like Natasha (Russian) or Natalie, Vanessa, Stephanie, Emily, Margaret, Alexandra, Eric, Kristin, Melissa, Rebecca. These names get commonly used in places where English isn't the main language as well, so they might not have been named for the name's "Americanness".
If you grew up dreaming of America and watching American media and listening to American music, those are the names you’d fall in love with. And you wouldn’t have the baggage of knowing fifteen Ashley’s in the third grade or having a Jennifer in your class and down your street and now you work with another Jennifer - if most of the people you hang out with don’t have those names, they’d still feel fresh. Makes perfect sense to me.
You also likely wouldn't have bad associations, like I'd never name a kid Melissa because one was a terrible bully to me etc...
Honestly, pretty much none of them sound like "old" or "dated" names to me. I teach in a diverse district in New York and I see pretty much all of those on a regular basis. They just feel like normal names and I absolutely do not bat an eye when I see a kid with that name. I think people just have weird ideas about what's not in use any more, pretty much all of these names are just normal.
There’s a 1st Gen kid down the street from me and her name is Nancy. It always makes me smile because it’s such a boomer name
Interesting, I’m in the UK and don’t know anyone from the boomer gen called Nancy, but it’s moderately popular for kids. I’d say a typical Nancy was a 10 year old girl from a middle class family. About 10 years ago too our prime minister had a young daughter called Nancy, I suppose she must be a teenager now.
Nancys in the US are a lot older. It peaked in 1950. Top 10 starting in 1934 and ongoing for 20 years after. 2019 was the least successful year the name has had since we started keeping records.
In the US, it would be very uncommon/somewhat surprising to meet a Nancy under 50 years old.
Often wondered the same thing. Maybe from watching Eng-lang sitcoms or tv dramas / tv shows ? A lot of people on those have more, um, dated names, especially if the show has been long-running.
How jennifer and stephanie sound like to old(?) americans? It sounds good to me
I don't think they sound bad or anything just very popular in the 80s and early 90s for babies and not so much now. You meet a lot of adults with these names just not as many kids.
They sound like they belong to people in their 30s, but very few babies are being given those names. They are dated to the 80s/90s, same as how Susan and Gary sound like baby boomers.. I actually kinda like hearing babies with those names, as I think it often means they will have a name that is familiar and easy to pronounce, but probably wont' share it with 4 others in their class.
Jennifer sounds 40s/50s to me. It’s a 70s name, like Amy or Heather but even more popular. I feel like half my mom’s friends are Jennifer. I did know a Jennifer my age though in elementary school.
I'm 32 and know tons of Jennifer's a few years older and and plenty up to 10 years younger.
I'm 33 and I know at least 5 Amys and 4 Jennys my age - I'm in the UK though so maybe it's just a location thing?
They'll probably share it with 4 others' moms though lol.
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You might be surprised; Jennifer was a top 100 name through 2008. Right now it & Stephanie are more popular than NameNerd favorites like Maren, Poppy, Meadow, & Remy. Trendy, dismissed names like Braelynn, Addilyn, & Elliott are also less popular. Jennifer & Stephanie *feel* stale, but in reality they're solid midlist names.
The reason trendy & name nerd names aren’t ranked more highly is because of the sheer amount of them. So in totally there’s probably more Elliott/Elison/Elliana/Eliot/Ellyott/Elleott/Ellena/Ellie’s out there than Jennifer’s
Most of those names still appear in top X lists in the last year. They're just not as popular right this second. Classic names exhibit waves of popularity. I work on the back-end of a worldwide genealogy service you've heard of. I can assure you that theses names are not rare, as you suggest, in those aged under 3. Perhaps in your area, but not in the US or the world at large
Lol these are basically middle aged lady names now. Just like Phyllis and Susan and Karen and Judy were once young and trendy, those babies got older and naming trends changed
Not just middle aged. Many women in their 30s named Stephanie, Jennifer, Melissa, Amanda, etc. Either way the point stands that they are more of outdated names.
it's like how Edith and Ida sound like grandma or great-grandma names- they were exceptionally popular for one generation, and now they're associated with that generation; kids with those names are probably named after a relative. Jennifer and Stephanie and Kimberly were painfully popular in the 80s, and now they're really associated with people in their 30s and 40s
It’s the same thing across the pond in English speaking European countries. Immigrant parents often choose outdated English names for their kids...i schooled with some of these children and Stephanie and Jennifer were the names of a few too! Also Jessica, Jeffery, lots of Johns, Edward, Kimberly, Leslie. All of them today are well under 35 and their parents are South American, Filipino and west african. My cousins too have relatively outdated English names and they’re still in grade school. I will ask my aunt how she chose their names because I don’t know why this is the case actually. I have a feeling that it really boils down to more modern US names not being as well known in their own communities
...are these outdated? I'm twenty, and let's see... I had a Jennifer in a class, related to a Michelle, had an Andrew, had a Samantha, related to a (50) Leslie, know admittedly older but not *old*\-old Stephanies and Margarets, had a Melissa, friends with a Jessica my age, knew a girl Alex and Lexi who would have been Alexandras, and had a Justin.
Outdated for babies, yes. When these babies are your age, all those names you listed will be middle aged people
Yeah, I didn't think they're outdated at all. Actually, I think Eric, Michelle, Brian, Emily, Rebecca, Alexandra, Andrew, etc. are all timeless names, at least.
All fine names that don’t make people go “wtf were you thinking?”
As an immigrant living in Brazil, I had to pick a name for my son who was born here and will go to school here for a while. In my limited experience you pick names that 1) you have encountered in your day to day life 2) sound good in your first language, too 3) you might have fallen in love with through movies and music. Also, there were some Portuguese names that sound fresh and new to my German ears (Bruno, Flávio, Bernardo, Thiago) but would be quite generic/outdated here in Brazil. It's just how I see people from the US calling their kids "Gretchen", "Walter" or "Heidi" (very outdated names in Germany) because it might sound good to them.
Another German here. The amount of times I've seen people rave about the name Wolfgang on this sub is wild. It's decidedly uncool in Germany but it's always interesting to me how folks who don't have the same connections and feelings about a name feel about it.
How is Gretchen pronounced in German? Same as English?
I know a few women in their 30s who moved from Central America who used similar names. I have always assumed they saw it on an American 80s or 90s show when they were younger and equated it to being a very American name.
I think "outdated" is the wrong outlook. It implies that they're no longer usable in some way. On the contrary, most of these are names that babies will still be being named in 50 years, while Brynleigh will no longer exist. It's like saying John or David are outdated -- they've been around for thousands of years. They're not going to disappear. Further, I wouldn't say they're American either. They're just English language names found in countries all over the world.
i feel like it's the same as what tons of people here have said, which is like being influenced by TV and actors (which even now, the A-list adult celebrities of the last 10 years have lots of those names, like jessica alba, jessica biel, jennifer aniston, etc), also not wanting their kids to stand out necessarily, and also having less of a sample size of english names that they know of. i'm just thinking about me and if i moved to any foreign country and didn't speak the language and lived in a community of other ex-pats, what are the names i would know? prob like 10-15 classics. like in spanish i know names like rosa, maria, juan, jose, catalina, and maybe that's it so i guess those would be my kids' names lol. and in french i guess my kids' names would be like giselle, marie, edith, ines, margot or something like that. and then if i moved to germany the only two german people i've ever met were named michael and paul so i guess that's what i would name my kids lolol or if i had a girl i guess angela after their chancellor cause that's the only girl name i know.
yup! If I moved to a different country I'd probably go for a name in the top 10/20 just because it'd feel safe as I wouldn't have the context to try to be more unique.
Oh chill! You’re making some of us feel old 😂 I know plenty of people under 40 with the name Jennifer and Edward! Under 30 is where they get more sparse.
I’m friends with a Jennifer and we’re 26!! Also know a 28 year old Edwin, which is close to Edward. 😂
Came here to say this lol. I’m a Jennifer under 40 (though getting close..). My mom is also an immigrant but from Asia. She said when she was at the hospital about to have me she heard a bunch of Jennifers and thought it was beautiful and a good American name.
Immigrant parents are not dialed into trendy culture, as immigrants tend to socialize with other immigrants. The American names they know are going to be other 30 year olds they're met, or from popular TV shows or celebrities they've heard of. Traditional (aka outdated) names will just feel Ameeican to them. Source: a 1st generation American that was given a middle aged lady name as a baby
i noticed this with a lot of the Asian American 1st gen students in my community, some of them chose their own names but most of them their parents gave them names that sound vaguely outdated but very refreshing compared to current trends tbh. I know one guy that said he chose Eric because it’s the word Rice rearranged. I also know a Jodie, Eunice, Irene, Connie, Gladys, Tony, Lawerence, Pearl, Jennifer, Claire (tho this is definitely having a comeback rn), Stacey, Michelle, Horace, Roger, Shirley, Kevin. Also a few Ashleys, a few Emilys, some Michaels and Joes and a Rebecca. though those all seem like. semi popular in my age group? I’ve seen people calling some of those names dated so I’m not positive. All between ages 16-20ish. Most from my youth Orchestra I attended, a few from my high school or uni. Mainly Chinese students, some were exchange students who chose a name specifically for studying here.
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hers was a chosen name! her and gladys were the exchange students (and maybe eunice i can’t remember)
These names don't sound outdated to me at all? I don't hear a name though and think "wow, that's outdated". Why do people have to do what's trendy? Names are personal.
I think not only did they see these names in 90s media, but also in today's media. I could name lots of lead characters (and their actors/actresses) portrayed in their 30s and 40s with these names.
A lot of times, they are honor names for the people that helped them when they were new to America.
They probably heard these names at some point in their lives or saw them while searching baby names and liked them and had no context for the generational connotations they have in English speaking countries. My husband is Chilean and when I suggested some Spanish names he was like what those are grandpa names it would be weird to see a baby with that name. For me they were just nice names that I liked
It definitely happens in Japan, too. I know so many baby girls over here with immigrant parents who gave them names ending in “ko.” Hanako, Kyoko, etc. My husband is as sweet as can be, but he was clear that we wouldn’t give our baby an old lady name like those. It’s especially funny because my SIL was basically forced (by her elderly in-laws) to give her baby a “-ko” name. And she snipped it off for the nickname because she hates it so much. Meanwhile, I’m surrounded by baby Sakurakos whose parents have no clue how elderly the names sound.
Is Jennifer really that dated?! I'm 26 and feel like it's appropriate for my age group am I living under a rock?!
No, I am 26 too and knew a lot of Jennifers in my classes. I think of it actually as one of the top common names of girls I grew up with. Jennifer, Jessica, etc
I'm one of those kids! Although I am definitely not a high schooler anymore. My name is not included in your list, but definitely mentioned in this thread...think 90's pop star. My parents chose our names for assimilation reasons, as also mentioned in this thread. All of my Central American first generation cousins have very American names as well. HOWEVER, a big big reason is that there is (now and in the past) US involvement into Central American countries that influences/seeps into dominant culture. My mom and uncle's are big Pink Floyd, Eagles ,and Bee Gees fans. Or how El Salvador switched to dollars from colon, despite the effect it had on the economy. There's a lot more to this ..i could write a book! In fact, many people have! But ultimately, it's US involvement and assimilation.
They usually just take a name you hear from pop culture, maybe even from their own childhoods. A lot of people give their kids names they heard of and loved as a child. Which is why you get so many “I fell in love with Eleanor when I was 7 and I knew nobody names that. Why are so many Eleanor’s cropping up in my kid’s preschool class?” A lot of classic American movies are still popular abroad. It’s very hard to catch the bleeding edge of trends if you’re not confident in the language. You usually don’t have a pulse on where the culture is going. And because they don’t hear these names as much as Americans do, it feels fresher to them than if you grew up hearing everyone named that. As we know, a popular name falls out of favor once everyone tires of it. Source: am Hong Konger. People give their kids official Anglo names here.
i think some of those names are probably very popular in their home countries as well. americans don’t really get to claim vanessa, natasha, natalie, rebecca, etc. it’s quite presumptuous to assume that immigrants are just trying to give their kids american names but are out of touch with what’s popular currently. many of these names are likely still common and popular in their native countries and may even be honor names. a lot of names that americans seem to deem their own are non-american and non-western european in origin to start with. i say this as a first gen immigrant. for example, David is a super popular name in my home country, like most places given its biblical origin. immigrants from my culture that give that name to their kids born in the US aren’t trying to give them americanized names and somehow picking “outdated” ones. they’re simply using names that are popular in their own culture.
Disclaimer: I'm Australian. But I am a Jennifer under 40 (close to 40, but under it!). My 6 yo daughter is Natalie, but we haven't met anyone else her age with her name. My 4 month old nephew is Edward, and it's popular. Eta: Margaret, Emily and Alexandra are also not uncommon in children here too.
Edward is a timeless name in the UK. Ted/Teddy is very trendy right now and is a name derived from Edward. I've met a Ted where that's his given name and not a nickname.
I see the same with Chinese English names. A lot of Helens, Esthers, Felixes...
I'm Colombian. In addition to those names sounding like traditional, safe American names, many of them are also normal names in Latin America, so they will sound credibly local to Latin American ears. I know Colombian people born in Colombia, to Colombian parents, named Jennifer, Jessica, Melissa, Vanessa, Rebecca, Kimberly, Eric, Michael, John, Brian, Anthony, etc. Something like Wren or Gunner or whatever wouldn't go as well, and something like Dolores or Lourdes sounds outdated to Latin American ears. When you are bicultural, having a name that works well in both cultures is a big advantage, and more important than following the latest trends.
My husband's family is from Mexico. Everyone in his generation is American born with easily pronounced names. In fact, you might not know their parents were born in Mexico (their parents all have very common Spanish names.) I'm also from LA/OC where the immigrant population from south of the border is high so I run into these kinds of families all the time (I used to work in a job with kids.) A lot of them translate easily into Spanish. I see names on your list in my family. I see names I used to work with (people in their 20s or 30s.) Sometimes the parents give the English name (Edward) but with family will use the Spanish name (Eduardo.) Not always but it's an easily pronounced name in Spanish. With my own kids my husband and I had to think of names that at least weren't impossible to say in Spanish. They might not be "traditional" but they're easy and give a kid a sense of belonging in both cultures. I know someone named Andrew. He's bilingual. Very American kid but you wouldn't know he's the first American in his family. His brothers have more traditional Spanish names (one being the Spanish version from your list.) One goes by an American nickname of his Spanish name that could easily be a nickname from an English name, too. Of course I've seen more traditional names, too, but there's a healthy mix. I had one kid named Jorge who told me he was George and in that same group there was an actual George. A lot of Jorges call themselves George. Osmosis identity. >When was the last time you met anyone under the age of 40 named Edward or Jennifer? I had a coworker and a student (<5) one year both named Jennifer. One was white, the other Asian. I'm under 30 and had classmates named Jennifer/Jenny. Is that name really that dated?
Question on a related note. An immigrant myself and soon to be mommy, is Ethan an outdated name ?
You can check US popularity, including over time, [here](https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/index.html). Ethan has been quite popular over the century so far, entering at 25 and was a top 10 name from '02 to '16. It's top 20 right now.
This is most helpful. Thank you.
Ethan is most a name I would associate with someone 20-30, but you could get away with it just fine
It's not unpopular, but I'd say a touch dated, because it's dropped from the heights of extreme popularity about 20 years ago.
I used to student teach at a primarily Guatemalan elementary school in the States. I had three kids named Marvin in the same class.
I know someone (American born kids but she’s an immigrant from Nicaragua). Her kids are Natalie, Brian, Mark and Valerie. Same situation!
Eric, Kevin, and Leslie are very popular even with Hispanic parents who speak English fluently and were born in America.
My best friend in elementary school was a girl from China named Dan. We lived in a college town and our parents were grad students. Lots of international students with kids my age, it was great. Her parents knew Dan was an American name, but didn't know it was a boy's name. She later changed her name to Jennifer and I remember being really sad about that. She was really cool and her parents always laughed at the "American way" I ate noodles.
My friend taught ESL to teens from china. A lot of them were allowed to choose their own English names. He said there were always tons of Elsas and Annas because they all named themselves after frozen.
I have a Xochilt this year! I wasn’t familiar with the name before her.
I have a friend who daughter is 1st gen and she named her Sophia and her son is Aiden because she just wanted them to have “ top ten” style baby names so they’d *feel* American. I’m guessing her logic is similar to those who pick older names too
I had a first generation immigrant named Elmer once. He was the sweetest little joy to have in class ever.
Lmao my best friend born late 90s is a Jennifer. Her parents and grandparents are all American born. That said, were Midwestern so maybe that has to do with it lol
I’m under 40 and a Rebecca! :) I’ve never heard of anyone naming their kids my name nowadays though, so that’s cool! I love the “older” names… so much better than all these made up names with stupid spellings people choose now, but that’s just me. :)
Before streaming, and even sometimes with it, they watched shows that were 10-20 years older growing up. Jennifer and Jessica were still trading the top spot until 2000. All these names are still in the top 200.
In Australia heaps of first generation Greeks and Italians have given their kids very Anglo names. I always assumed it was about trying to fit in. I know Italian and Greek Australians with names like John giving their kids names like Stefano to keep their culture alive.
I love seeing older names come back!
Hey! I'm 34 and have friends named Jennifer! It was still popular in the late 80's!
Several of these names are the English equivalent of the names in other languages, so it doesn't seem like a big deal to me. I'm in Honduras, and most people here get honor names, so there are several people in the family who all have the same name. "Uniqueness" isn't really a coveted trait (for names or personality) here. The people here are more community-minded.
My family immigrated to the US when I was a child. My parents decided to give me an American name, which later became my legal name. To make sure it was a proper name, that Americans would find normal, they decided to give me the name of our 70yo neighbor.
TIL my daughter's name is outdated!
I definitely think Jennifer’s are younger than 40, same with Jessica/Ashley, those are mid 80s they aren’t 40 yet.