Preppy Names?

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-01-2003
Preppy Names?
6
Tue, 04-19-2005 - 3:57pm

Okay, as we search for a name for our little girl, I am realizing that we tend toward what one might consider "preppy" (or as I saw in a baby name book, "yuppie") names. I've also noticed a lot of the posters here have the same sort of taste. So I was thinking we might post our best "j.crew"-type names. Mine?

Girls:
Avery
Piper
Daisy
Stella
Amelia
Josephine (Josie)
Ava
Phoebe
Pearl
...just a short list off the top of my head to get the idea...
Boys:
Hunter
Tucker
Jackson
Graham
Declan
Jasper
Julian
Miles
Emmett

More ideas? I'm just curious what the posters on this board think about this "class" of names...and I thought I might get even more ideas to play with!

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-09-2004
In reply to: alycat78
Tue, 04-19-2005 - 5:48pm
Since you asked opinions, I do not like the name Phoebe. Not at all.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
In reply to: alycat78
Wed, 04-20-2005 - 1:18pm

I've been addicted to baby naming most of my life, and I have to almost entirely disagree with that evaluation. To me, your list of girl names is more classic/traditional, with several that are semi-popular. The only preppys on your girl list, to me, are -Piper & Avery.

Your boy list is definitely more preppy, with a few that cross over into more traditional and also mostly semi-popular.

Maybe the book is giving that label b/c today's yuppies are using traditional names...

What struck me most about your list is that they make fabulous sibling names!

Examples-
sisters- Ava & Stella, Ava & Josephine, Phoebe & Amelia, Daisy & Piper
sister/brother- Ava & Miles, Stella & Jasper, Hunter & Amelia, Tucker & Phoebe, Piper & Jasper, Pearl & Emmett
bro/bro- Hunter & Jackson (I know two of these combos), Tucker & Graham, Julian & Emmett, Miles & Declan

Great list! I would add for your consideration, given your taste-

For girls- Vivian, Judith, Claudia, Constance, Nell, Lois, Lola, Beatrice, Daphne, Cora, Norah, Lillian, Naomi, Louise, Eloise, Eleanor, Esther, Eugenie, Marjorie, & Priscilla

For boys- Lachlan, Preston, Lawrence, Truman, Turner, Peyton, Vincent, Hugh, Marshall, Everett, Leland, & Ross

Let us know what you think! Ginger

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-09-2004
In reply to: alycat78
Wed, 04-20-2005 - 3:40pm

I think there are some misconceptions about what a preppy name is. Names like Muffy and Buffy were almost always nicknames. Like, Muffy (or Meg) would be a nickname for Margaret. Buffy would be a nickname for, say, Elizabeth. "Millie" is a nickname for Amelia.

Preppy types like to use traditional names and take names from their family heritage. Claire is also a very preppy girls' name.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-04-2003
In reply to: alycat78
Wed, 04-20-2005 - 4:49pm

To me, the only 'preppy' names on your list are Amelia & Miles. Preppy, to me is a more classic name, one that's either very standard (Elizabeth) or something shorter, but still classic. Some examples of that last definition:

Girls:
Adrienne
Alexandra
Alice
Angela
Anna/Anne
Audrey
Camilla/Camille
Carmen
Catherine
Cecilia
Claire
Claudia
Daphne
Diana
Elena
Elizabeth/Elisabeth
Emily
Eve
Grace
Helena
Hope
Jacqueline
Jane
Joanna/Johanna
Julia
Katherine
Laura
Leah
Lucia
Lucy
Margaret
Maria
Mary
Mercy
Miriam
Naomi
Nina
Olivia
Penelope
Rachel/Rachael
Rebecca/Rebekah
Sarah/Sara
Sophie
Susanna
Teresa/Theresa
Veronica
Victoria

Boys:
Alan
Alexander
Andrew
Anthony
Benjamin
Charles
Daniel
David
Edward
Frederick
George
Henry
Isaac
James
Joel
John
Joseph
Joshua
Kenneth
Laurence
Marcus
Matthew
Michael
Nathaniel
Nicholas
Noel
Patrick
Paul
Peter
Philip
Richard
Robert
Samuel
Simon
Stephen
Thomas
Vaughn
Victor
Vincent
William

Most with nicknames (as mentioned earlier) like Buffy for Elizabeth, Muffy for Mary or Teddy for Edward .

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-01-2003
In reply to: alycat78
Wed, 04-20-2005 - 6:38pm
I didn't mean to cause such confusion with my label! When I was thinking preppy/yuppie names, I wasn't thinking about names like Bunny and Muffy...I was talking more about names that are fashionable with the people who would fit that label in 2005. Didn't mean to start a major debate here -- I guess I was categorizing names that, for example, used to be "old lady" names like Alexandra, Sadie or Pearl or names that are fashionable but new, like Piper or Avery. When my son was born, Emma was a very popular name that to me would fit that category. Conversely, names that I wouldn't consider to be "preppy" would be Makayla, Amber, Sierra, etc. or anything "made-up." So, mea culpa, sorry for my confusing categorization!
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-05-2003
In reply to: alycat78
Wed, 04-20-2005 - 8:56pm

For the last several years the "Yuppie" naming trend has been toward more classic/traditional names (those of the generation born around 1900-1920).

Mommy to Lawson Michael Binghua - born 8/8/06
miscarriage in November 2007 at 7 weeks
miscarriage in April 2008 at 8 weeks