Describe these people, rank their names
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| Thu, 04-12-2007 - 6:09pm |
I think that the most important characteristic of a name is how other people perceive it. Everybody has a unique set of experiences and associations with names, but I think that there is a common underlying cultural background that shapes our perceptions. Most people (in the US) respond negatively to Mildred, for example. I'd like to explore this a bit, because I want to be able to pick a name that sends the right messages.
Imagine that you have a new boss or a blind date that has each of the following names. Describe them. Are they intelligent? Prissy? Laid back? Wealthy? Do you think you're going to get along with them? Don't worry about offending me by assigning negative characteristics to a name, this is useless if you just tell me what you think I want to hear! If you have time, it'd also be helpful if you would rank the names in the order of your personal preference.
June
Virginia
Alice
Margaret
Adela
Penelope
Jane
Anne
Arthur
Paul
George
Mark
Patrick
Peter
Edmund
Thomas
It would also be extremely helpful if you would list a couple of your favorite names; knowing your taste in names would help put your comments (especially the rankings) into perspective.
I know that this is pretty lengthy, but it's going to be a great help. My own perceptions are somewhat skewed because of my weird taste in books and movies. :D Thanks a million to everyone who replies.
Edited 4/14/2007 6:21 pm ET by betsychocolate

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Hey there my boyfriends name is Roger and I think its a nice name. I dont know what im having yet but i have my names picked out(well almost picked out). For a girl her name is going to be Mackenzie Lynn and for a boy I either like Tyler James, or Blake Edward. Well if you get time tell me what you think of my names.
Thanks,
Lindsay
This is a neat idea. Please don't take offense -- as you say, the opinions are formed by my own personal experience and some people I have known. I starred my favorites from your list:
Rebecca -- slightly uptight, religious
Virginia -- old fashioned, straight laced
**Alice -- spunky, sweet
**Margaret -- refined, sophisticated
**Anne -- girl next door, best friend
Penelope -- a bit snooty, upper class
**Lucy -- little sister, bubbly
Jane -- hypochondriac (I know a Jane who is one), unassuming
Oliver -- orphan, cat (just can't get away from those associations)
**Alan -- funny, charming
Peter -- stuffy, mama's boy (sorry!)
**Roger -- handsome, suave
Arthur -- goofy, nerdy
**Paul -- boy next door, kind
Thomas -- childlike, naive (not sure why, maybe because of Thomas the Train?)
**Mark -- refined, intelligent
Patrick -- life of the party, funny
...and, for context, a handful of my personal favorite names:
Joelle, Elise, Joanna, Gretchen/Greta, Bridget, Louisa, Susanna
Wesley, Paul, Luke, Bennett, Nathan
AJ, enjoying life with C.
Ranked
Margaret (my DD #2 name and it is perfect for her..she is sweet, determined, smart and absolutely beautiful)
Lucy - makes me think of a fun person
Alice - spunky
Harriet - very intelligent and interesting, quite possibly with a hidden beauty (you know like when someone takes off their glasses and ponytail and is suddenly model beautiful)
Penelope - cute, childlike
Rebecca - I think of stubborn kids...had a nieghbor didn't like too much sorry
Virginia - I think of an old lady sorry
Now for the boys
Oliver - handsome and smart maybe quirky
Patrick - love this name but hate Pat...I know 100 Pat's in our neighborhood so it is hard to give an impression
Mark - smart, insightful
Arthur
Paul
Roger Sorry I don't have imagined personas for these names
My 3 girls are Molly, Margaret, and Moira. If we have a boy it will be Michael Patrick or Matthew George and if a girl I love Maeve but DH doesn't and I really like Mariel and DH like Madeline which I too like.
I can't wait to read all the responses
Kelly
Just for fun, ranked from favorite to least
I ranked the names (below), and I could see myself using either of the first 2 girls' names or the first 4 boys' names. Mostly I go by the sounds and spellings of names, sometimes also the meaning, so I don't so much associate characteristics with names.
1. Virginia
2. Penelope
3. Rebecca
4. Lucy
5. Harriet
6. Alice
7. Margaret
1. Oliver
2. Patrick
3. Arthur
4. Paul
5. Roger
6. Mark
1.Penelope,
2.Alice,
3.Rebecca,
4.Margaret,
5.Lucy.
(the other female names are so...."not my style" they don't rank at all.)
I like "Spencer Penelope" for a girl pretty much.I would use it myself. I used to work with a dark-haired, dark-eyed French/English/Cuban gal who had a very gaminely cute little doll daughter with long dark Shirley Temple curls and huge chocolate-colored eyes who was then 2 years old when I worked with her Mom, whose name was "Spencer".
I have liked that name for a girl alot ever since.....
I like "Alice Tolindra" for a dd also. I like "Tollie" for a nn.
My kids names are Eleanor Katherine, Joseph Patrick, Henry Thomas & Lucy ELizabeth- obviously I like traditional, strong names. I'm not into super popular names, I tried to avoid the top 100-despite having a Joseph who was named after DH's grandfather. I have been told my kids sound like they are from the UK many times & their names are MUCH more popular over there than in the US(we live in the midwest-BTW). Some names we are considering for #5 are Eva, Margaret, Camille, Virginia & Hazel. tossing around Imogen NOT popular here, but very much in the UK. And since you've put Penelope out there I'm really starting to like it. OK now your names
Lucy- totally biased on this one since I used it! I see a Lucy as funny, warm, easy to talk to, spunky, creative & naturally VERY smart :O
Penelope-this name seems to sparkle. A Penelope is thoughtful, strong, and for some reason I picture a woman with auburn hair
Virginia-dark beauty with a quick wit
Alice-rings very Brit to me-which I love. Upper crust blonde, reserved in public but with a theatrical flair. Only down side to me, is I hate the nn Allie.
Margaret-It's such a standard it's hard to pin down, which I think can be both a plus & minus.
Harriet-this name lost something for me with the Harriet Myers supreme court debacle, but I still like it. Smart & hard working. Love the nn Hattie
Rebecca- it's ok, I just have known sooo many it seemes overused.
Boys names we are looking at: Leo, Silas, Calvin, Miles & Roman
Oliver-very Brit to me, handsome, smart & dressed well. Would love to use it myself but because of personal/family bad history can't go there
Patrick- a "guy's guy" Charming,good looking-but not in a "OMG he's a Calvin Kline model" way, athletic
Arthur-neutral on this one. I think I'm too influnced by the PBS kids show.
Mark- nice guy, but rather common so no over riding image
Roger- prankster who gets in trouble a lot
Paul- due to HUGE ex-boyfriend issues I can't even comment on this one rationally because I am so biased with neagative vibes :O
HTH!
Andi
Andi
Harriet - This name always makes me think of Harriet Tubman
Rebecca - I have a friend in her late 20s named Rebecca so I think of a blond haired, blue eyed, down to earth, religious girl
Virginia - Southern Bell all the way with brown hair
Alice - The house keeper on The Brady Bunch
Margaret - Somebody who is stuck up
Penelope - A really bubbly little girl
Lucy - An all around american girl, sweet, kind, caring, a little spunky
Oliver - We just had a baby in the family named this, I think rugged, up in trees all day long, little boy
Roger - Old man
Arthur -Again I think of an Old Man
Paul - Someone who is kind and genuine and all boy
Mark - Ditto Paul
Patrick - A little red haired, firey little boy
Lucy and Penelope are really the only names that I like. None of the names are my style so ranking them is hard for me. I generaly like more european sounding names but I do like some typical american names like Emma, Charlotte, David, Luke. HTH
KT
I didn't look at any of the other answers; here are mine. But of course, some of these are my reactions to meeting a grown-up person in 2007 with these names, and my reaction to a child might be different because the naming climate is so different today.
Harriet
A person named Harriet in 1950 would be a shy, plain, mousy sort of woman. She could be either shy and nice, or just not nice. At any rate, she would be very conservative in manner and dress--think nubby oatmeal wool skirt suit and penny loafers, straight gray-brown hair, and glasses. A person named Harriet in 2007 could also be the quiet type, but I could also see her being feisty. I'd think of a girl like Matilda in the book/movie, who is sort of both. But I still can't shake those glasses. Any Harriet is probably pretty smart, but could be a little out of touch socially, and she would never be sexy.
Rebecca
I see a 20-year-old girl with brown hair (definitely brown hair), perhaps curly. I'd think that she might be Jewish, but she also might not be. She just seems like an all-around normal, wholesome girl, average build, casual dresser, not frilly/girly but also not a tomboy. And yes, I do love the book, but Rebecca in the book bears no weight on the practical applications of the name.
Virginia
Any age--sort of conservative (at least her parents are) but she could be either a bookworm or pretty peppy, perhaps both. I think similarly of names like Jane and Jill--they're old-fashioned and feminine, but in a very practical, down-to-earth, apple pie kind of way. So she's distinctly feminine but probably pretty casual, and I could see a range of colorings from light brown to dark brown hair. Maybe red hair. I could see her rich and spoiled, but she probably isn't--she even could have grown up on a farm.
Alice
A little girl Alice would make me think of Alice in Wonderland--blonde and starry-eyed, but she would also be quiet and sweet. I could see her with other colorings too, but she'd still be a dreamer, even if she's spunky. An older Alice changes things ... she seems extremely practical, but not boring--she has a lot of quiet energy. I'd want to get to know her.
Margaret
Plain brown hair, conservative, quiet, a wallflower who blends into the crowd. I guess at best she could be a quiet dreamer, or one of those serious girls who is much older than her age and starts cooking dinner at age 6. (I'm thinking partly of Margaret from the Betsy-Tacy books.) The nn Maggie changes things though, as would any of the other nicknames. Maggie is still plain-looking, but she has much more spunk and energy and is fun to be around.
Penelope
Woah woah, this one is totally different. Penelope is exotic, creative, and perhaps sexy... one of those charismatic girls who everyone wishes they were but is totally un-self-conscious about her assets. I guess there could be another kind of Penelope, the really smart bookworm type, but she is still creative and somehow mysterious. I wouldn't pick this name personally, and it doesn't really go with any of your other names, which are all very down-to-earth and this one is really exotic. If she went by nn Penny most of the time, then that would bring me more to the description of a Maggie, Lucy, or Virginia, but Penelope as a whole makes a very strong statement.
Lucy
Fiery but sweet. She has an air of experience and wisdom when she's a child, and is still youthful/girlish even when she's grown up. Dark dark brown hair. She is the most adorable, rosy-cheeked, pouty-lipped, big-eyed little girl that she could be spoiled/conceited, but she also might not be. She's a smart girl and understands how people work, even if she uses it to manipulate them.
My ranking:
Alice
Virginia/Lucy
Rebecca
Penelope
Margaret (I don't like this, but I like it for you)
Harriet
My usual girl name selections:
Alice, Violet, Amelia, Irene, Lydia, Cassandra, Felicity, Adelaide, Ida
BOYS
Oliver
Veddy, veddy British. I've never known an Oliver besides in the musical, so I find it hard to picture on a real person (not a dog). I see straight, light brown hair that hangs flatly, but that's my only definite. I guess I can see a little boy who is spunky, energetic, but maybe a little bit devious.
Roger
I see a 60-year old man--he might seem gruff on the outside, but inside he's really just a big old teddy bear. Heavyset, sweaters, facial hair. I can't imagine it on a child at all.
Arthur
I can see an old (70-80) quiet man, friendly but reserved. For a child I'm thinking closer to the children's tv character--I guess he's a mouse... but he's an all-around good guy, conservative dresser, glasses. On a real kid I'd imagine a quiet, intelligent, very serious boy. I could imagine him sitting in his own little world and drawing most of the time.
Paul
Paul sounds like a tall, young to middle aged man, a normal, nice guy--masculine but refined. Serious, hardworking, and likeable. It could fit on an artist, an intellectual, a jock, just about anyone.
Mark
Mark is a 25-year-old--a good normal guy, well-liked, talented, funny, but sort of self-absorbed. Pale with reddish-brown hair.
Patrick
Dark brown hair, pretty smart but much more into sports than anything else. Popular, lots of energy, quite a handful as a little boy. He's a fun guy, could even be something of a clown.
My ranking:
#1: Paul
Second Tier:
Arthur, Mark, Patrick, Oliver
Last: Roger
My usual picks:
Paul, Ross, Ronan, Calvin, Walter, Wayne, Graham, Nathan, Warren
That was a fun exercise : )
hth,
Valerie
Edited 4/13/2007 10:04 am ET by eyeofthetiger28
I think I have everything.
name Ranking
Lucy
Penelope
Rebecca
Margaret
Harriet
Virginia
Oliver
Roger
mark
Paul
Patrick
My top names
Alexis, calleigh, Corinne, Jenna, Genevieve, Nicholette
Mason, William, Calvin, Charles nn Chas, Lucas nn Luke
Harriet
~~~Hmmm. I think of a red head, spunky and courageous. Fun to be around, but likes her own time to read or draw...Artistic, but still connected to earth. Motivated to do well, casual dresser, not a fan of being super dressed up. Travels to see most of the world before settling down. Not a big drinker, but a great conversationalist~~~
Rebecca
~~~I know a few so I am not without opinions. Beckys and Beccas are more friendly. Active, usually into sports. Thin/Slender. Tomboyish when they are young, but that changes after high school. Not a big reader, but interested in cultural things. Works hard, not afraid of much.
Virginia
~~~ Precocious. kinda dorky all her life. wears glasses, very much like Ugly Betty. Good person deep down, but keeps a small group of friends. Dark hair, light skin.
Alice
~~~Girlie girl, likes to wear dresses as a child and never stops. Wants to be a wife and mother more than anything. Has a decorating sense, and creative side, but doesn't persue it to the fullest, too busy taking care of house and home. Great entertainer! Is a socialite until she marries, then reamains close with everyone, and continues to entertain.~~~
Margaret
~~~Goes by Maggie, fun girl, blonde...likes kids. I picture her as a teacher of some sort. Is a physically active, maybe an aerobics instructor of some sort. Will be a professional of some sort. Rides horses as a child, big swimmer, or diver.
Penelope
~~~Exotic. Dark hair/dark eyed. Professional, some powerful field. Works hard, plays hard. as a child, she was more creative, but college changed her outlook, instead of being an artist, chooses the more powerful side of worklife. Gets married in her mid 20's to an equally powerfull gent. Has kids late, reamains a working mom.
Lucy
~~~Quiet little girl who takes a while to get comfortable with people, then a talker. Grows up to be a great person. Loves animals, has a few dogs as an adult. Tries a lot of careers, but finally settles on one. Meets a fantastic guy...after some duds. Livesin the city for a while then moves out to the suburbs. Can be glamourous when she wants.
Oliver
~~~Cute little kid, bratty mid-aged kid. Grows up suddenly and magically in HS. Enjoys sports, and is a computer whiz...College was fun, graduates in 4 years...settles down fast. Remains friends with childhood friends and college friends. Enjoys thier company as adults too. Gets involved in sports after college too, fun leagues. Isn't a huge fan of travel.
Roger
~~~Poor misunderstood kid. Comes into his own later in life. Works hard, plays equally hard. Enjoys his children and being outside. NOt a huge fan of his own name.
Arthur~~~Endures Art's a Fart comments for most of his youth. it quickly becomes his NN in HS and Beyond. Likes the outdoors, hunting, fishing etc. Does house projects too. Dark haired
Paul~~~I'm not sure about paul...sorry.
Mark~~~Mark is mark. ecclectic, theater going, likes sports too. All around kinda guy. Someone anyone would date, has terrible luck with women. Kind of a momma's boy, but in a tough grown up manly way.
Patrick
Tall dark lanky...starts as a dork and ends a dork. I know a few Patrick and they are all the same.
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