# What relatively common name creates in you an unfair negative impression of some innocent kid? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 17, 2022, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-relatively-common-name-creates-in-you-an-unfair-negative-impression-of-some-innocent-kid/969817 "2022-08-17T09:33:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-relatively-common-name-creates-in-you-an-unfair-negative-impression-of-some-innocent-kid/969817/21 "2022-08-17T13:59:58Z")
I met a kid named **Atreyu** once. Interesting choice since I’m not 100% it wasn’t after the movie. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-relatively-common-name-creates-in-you-an-unfair-negative-impression-of-some-innocent-kid/969817/22 "2022-08-17T14:00:15Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > Wayne. > > For some reason I associate that name with being an ignorant juvenile delinquent. Mine is close to yours - Dwayne, Duane, DuWayne ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-relatively-common-name-creates-in-you-an-unfair-negative-impression-of-some-innocent-kid/969817/23 "2022-08-17T14:09:52Z")
Mine are usually the made-up names/screwy spellings like Caden/Jayden/Braden/Oaklyn/Neveah/Kynlee/Makaylah/McKinli/. It’s not so much the kids themselves, as it’s the parents and what they’re probably like. I instantly think middle class/upper middle class Texas suburbanites who live in a brand new home, go to an evangelical church and are demonstrably religious, probably wear Kendra Scott earrings, have new trucks, etc… ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-relatively-common-name-creates-in-you-an-unfair-negative-impression-of-some-innocent-kid/969817/24 "2022-08-17T14:10:37Z")
I have known a pair of brothers, Cooper and Chandler, whose mother had no clue that these were professions. She just liked the sounds of the names. But then I’ve also known a Stella and Celina whose parents didn’t seem to have any idea that there was a theme there. The girls were named after great-grandmothers. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-relatively-common-name-creates-in-you-an-unfair-negative-impression-of-some-innocent-kid/969817/25 "2022-08-17T14:19:18Z")
Ant “alternative” spellings, Kaitlyn, etc. And Siobhan. It’s spell pretentiously. 🙂 Hey, the thread title did say “unfair”. I can’t help it. I don’t live in the UK. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-relatively-common-name-creates-in-you-an-unfair-negative-impression-of-some-innocent-kid/969817/26 "2022-08-17T14:44:18Z")
George Clooney played ‘Booker’ on Roseanne. He dated Jackie, who seemed amusingly impressed at the thought of dating a man with such a high-falutin’ name. I know someone who dated a ‘Preston’ - the attorney. Well, better than dating ‘Stosh’ the bottle return guy. 🤔…? ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-relatively-common-name-creates-in-you-an-unfair-negative-impression-of-some-innocent-kid/969817/27 "2022-08-17T15:08:22Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > For me, it’s any of the vocation names: Cooper, Hunter, Palmer, Tucker, Harper, Parker, Fletcher, and Sawyer always rub me the wrong way. _takes notes_ ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-relatively-common-name-creates-in-you-an-unfair-negative-impression-of-some-innocent-kid/969817/28 "2022-08-17T15:10:21Z")
> [@bump](#): > > McKinli > [@TRC4941](#): > > Mine is close to yours - Dwayne, Duane, DuWayne > [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > And Siobhan. It’s spell pretentiously. I didn’t realize the anti-Irish thing was still so strong this millennium… ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-relatively-common-name-creates-in-you-an-unfair-negative-impression-of-some-innocent-kid/969817/29 "2022-08-17T15:26:02Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Mine are usually the made-up names/screwy spellings like Caden/Jayden/Braden/Oaklyn/Neveah/Kynlee/Makaylah/McKinli/. > > It’s not so much the kids themselves, as it’s the parents and what they’re probably like. I instantly think middle class/upper middle class Texas suburbanites who live in a brand new home, go to an evangelical church and are demonstrably religious, probably wear Kendra Scott earrings, have new trucks, etc… I hate those “cutsey” and “unique” spellings of common names as well, however everyone I’ve ever known who has had those type of names were born into families (or, more often than not, single mothers) that were at the lowest end of the socio-economic scale as you can get without being actually homeless. I always figured these people naming their kid Brayden or Britta or Jaymez were doing it as a way of asserting status and recognition: “my kid is so special they have a name that _absolutely nobody else has,_ and that makes me special too.” Maslow’s hierarchy, and all that. But people with those names don’t give me a bad impression, their parents do. Most of the names mentioned so far don’t ping my radar, with a couple of exceptions. I’ve only ever met one Jason that wasn’t a total jerk. I’ve never met a Brandon that wasn’t a squirrely little shithead, and of course with the stupid #letsgobrandon / #fjb shirts, hats, flags, and bumper stickers that seems to have reached critical mass here in deep red Trumpistan, I have an even stronger dislike for that name. Every Terrance I’ve ever met has been incredibly incompetent, a walking breathing example of the Peter Principle. The only Karens I’ve met have been nice and pleasant. Of course, these have all been middle-aged professionals, not stereotypical uh… Karens. I have never met a Tammy / Tami that has been anything other than a raging asshole and/or a narcissistic little Napoleon who thinks she’s Pope of the universe despite only having power over the lowliest of workers (think Dwight from the early seasons of _The Office_). That’s probably the one name that I truly despise. And of course I’ll never have any respect for the name Donald again. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-relatively-common-name-creates-in-you-an-unfair-negative-impression-of-some-innocent-kid/969817/30 "2022-08-17T15:40:17Z")
I expect Adolf really took a hit, although a quick check on Wikipedia seems to indicate it is still going strong in Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-relatively-common-name-creates-in-you-an-unfair-negative-impression-of-some-innocent-kid/969817/31 "2022-08-17T15:40:44Z")
> [@Lancia](#): > > Britta I have to ask: what regular name is that an alternative spelling of? I know it as a perfectly cromulent German female name, both one of my cousins and a good friend are called that. > **[Britta (given name)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britta)** > > Britta (also spelled Brita) is a female given name that is a variant of the Swedish name Birgitta, which is a form of the Irish Gaelic name Brighid (Bridget in English). The name Britta became popular in Scandinavia and Germany because of St. Bridget of Sweden. ETA: ah, I just see the alternative spelling “Brita” in my own link. Is that the standard spelling in English? ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-relatively-common-name-creates-in-you-an-unfair-negative-impression-of-some-innocent-kid/969817/32 "2022-08-17T16:20:58Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > ETA: ah, I just see the alternative spelling “Brita” in my own link. Is that the standard spelling in English? I’ve met two women named “Britta” and one said she was named after a television character. Both names were spelled with two T’s. It’s uncommon enough here in the US that I have nothing to compare it to. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-relatively-common-name-creates-in-you-an-unfair-negative-impression-of-some-innocent-kid/969817/33 "2022-08-17T16:40:40Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Dustin or Justin. Everyone that I knew as a kid was a jerk. Lots of Justins seem to be jerks, but maybe because there are so many of them due to the name having become fashionable at some point. The Prime Minister of Canada seems like a nice guy, though. Personally I don’t think anyone should be named “Justin” unless their last name is “Time”. Are there any "Elmo"s around? To me it always invokes the image of Elmo in the “Blondie” cartoon strip, an annoying kid with a very big nose. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-relatively-common-name-creates-in-you-an-unfair-negative-impression-of-some-innocent-kid/969817/34 "2022-08-17T17:02:55Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > Caitlin, Kaitlyn or other cutesy spelled variations. Basically, any mashup name. Are you saying “Caitlin” is a mashup name, or are you naming two different types of name you dislike? ---
**Author:** ![Hatchie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hatchie/32/3983_2.png) [@Hatchie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hatchie)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-relatively-common-name-creates-in-you-an-unfair-negative-impression-of-some-innocent-kid/969817/35 "2022-08-17T17:06:49Z")
Mark. One bad one can ruin it for all of them. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-relatively-common-name-creates-in-you-an-unfair-negative-impression-of-some-innocent-kid/969817/36 "2022-08-17T17:08:52Z")
> [@Hatchie](#): > > Mark. One bad one can ruin it for all of them… Same with “Apple”. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-relatively-common-name-creates-in-you-an-unfair-negative-impression-of-some-innocent-kid/969817/37 "2022-08-17T17:41:56Z")
Heather. The first Heather I was ever somewhat personally familiar with was a waitress at a restaurant I frequented. Never had any conversation with her other than giving her my order and saying “Thanks” for tea refills, but she just struck me as a bleached-blonde airhead. So that’s what I expect of every “Heather.” ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-relatively-common-name-creates-in-you-an-unfair-negative-impression-of-some-innocent-kid/969817/38 "2022-08-17T18:01:05Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Are there any "Elmo"s around? To me it always invokes the image of Elmo in the “Blondie” cartoon strip, an annoying kid with a very big nose. I suspect _Sesame Street_ killed off whatever popularity it might have had left. (See also “Grover” and “Oscar.”) ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-relatively-common-name-creates-in-you-an-unfair-negative-impression-of-some-innocent-kid/969817/39 "2022-08-17T18:03:40Z")
Shirley Name of my former aunt (uncle divorced her and had a very bad relationship with her afterwards, which was unfortunate for their kids) Name of my mother-in-law. I made a reservation at a B&B despite the fact that the person running the place is named Shirley. I hope I don’t regret it. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-relatively-common-name-creates-in-you-an-unfair-negative-impression-of-some-innocent-kid/969817/40 "2022-08-17T18:04:27Z")
I had forgotten that “Elmo” was a famous Muppet! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-relatively-common-name-creates-in-you-an-unfair-negative-impression-of-some-innocent-kid/969817.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-relatively-common-name-creates-in-you-an-unfair-negative-impression-of-some-innocent-kid/969817.md?page=3)