# First names used to represent groups

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-names-used-to-represent-groups/423408>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [October 20, 2007, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-names-used-to-represent-groups/423408 "2007-10-20T19:21:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Captain\_Socks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a8b319/32.png) [@Captain\_Socks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Socks)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2007, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-names-used-to-represent-groups/423408/1 "2007-10-20T19:21:21Z")

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Inspired by [this thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=397722&highlight=Canadian+ancestry) Are there any other names used to represent groups?

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**Author:** ![Public\_Animal\_No.9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Public\_Animal\_No.9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Public_Animal_No.9)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2007, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-names-used-to-represent-groups/423408/2 "2007-10-21T00:34:51Z")

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These have always worked for me:

Ivan, Natasha - Russian  
Hans, Hilda - German  
Pierre, Marie - French  
Jose, Pedro, Maria - Mexican  
Poindexter - nerd, bookworm

I don’t know how wide-spread these are, but I’ve heard them a few times:

Janet - female Boomer  
Jennifer - female Gen-Xer  
Bob, Betty - generic WASP middle class

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**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2007, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-names-used-to-represent-groups/423408/3 "2007-10-21T01:17:12Z")

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Dave: People who are _“not here, man.”_

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**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2007, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-names-used-to-represent-groups/423408/4 "2007-10-21T02:36:30Z")

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Dick – no real explanation necessary

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**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2007, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-names-used-to-represent-groups/423408/5 "2007-10-21T03:37:40Z")

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Sheilas are Australian chicks.  
Lolitas are young pubescent trollops.

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**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2007, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-names-used-to-represent-groups/423408/6 "2007-10-21T03:48:44Z")

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Jezebels are trollops and temptresses.

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**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2007, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-names-used-to-represent-groups/423408/7 "2007-10-21T05:07:15Z")

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Buffy - daughter of a VERY upper class family.

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**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2007, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-names-used-to-represent-groups/423408/8 "2007-10-21T12:48:05Z")

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Chad= frat boy, usually drunk and obnoxious (sorry to any Chads out there)

Muffy=was a sorority girl in the 90’s, now she’s a minivan-driving mom, taking the kids to ballet or karate lessons

Bubba= good ol’ boy

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**Author:** ![Ferd\_Burfel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@Ferd\_Burfel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferd_Burfel)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2007, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-names-used-to-represent-groups/423408/9 "2007-10-21T16:03:42Z")

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Jeeves=English butler  
Bertha=big woman (potentially slovenly)(“Her name was Bertha… Bertha Butt. One of the Butt sisters.”)  
Ole/Sven=dim wits from Minnesota  
Cletus=dim wit from Appalachia