Describe these people, rank their names
Find a Conversation
| 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

Pages
I like them in this order...
1. Margaret - I love this name because I love "old-fashioned names". I feel like this is a fresh name that can have many cute nicknames. I see Margaret as beautiful and smart.
2. Alice - I just began liking this name; it also seems fresh, but still old and pretty. I see Alice as extremely kind and pretty.
3. Lucy - I have always liked this name. I see Lucy as spunky and cute.
4. Penelope - I like this name as well. I see Penelope as a bit "stuck up" though.
5. Harriet - I do like this name too. I see Harriet as independent and strong.
6. Rebecca - I don't like this name because I went to school with many Beckys and Beccas. It is very 1980s to me (which I hate). I see Rebecca as plain.
7. Virginia - I never liked this name, and I don't find it to be a pretty name at all. I see Virginia as an "old, hill billy" person.
I also love Evelyn, Eleanor, Magdalene, Beatrice, Charlotte, Frances, Helen, Isadora, Lilah, Odette, Phillipa, Poppy, Ruby, & Vivian...we seem to have a similar style.
1. Arthur - I love this name; it is definitely fresher than Oliver. I see Arthur as fun and easy going.
2. Oliver - I love this name, but it is becoming popular. I see Oliver as smart and clean cut.
3. Patrick - This I like but probably because it is Irish. I see Patrick as hot.
4. Paul - This is nice, but overused. I see Paul as thoughtful though.
5. Mark - This is overused also. I see Mark as someone you could forget.
6. Roger - I hate this name; sorry. I see Roger as a farmer, lol.
I don't have a large list of boys names that I love, but I do like these names that perhaps are a similar style...Henry, Charlie, Simon, Griffin, Owen, Elliot, & Thatcher.
I hope this was helpful.
Tracy
You changed your list since I first replied. :)
You added Harriet -- that name always makes me think of Harriet Oleson on Little House on the Prairie, who was a royal you-know-what. I'm reading a novel now with another Harriet who is also a royal you-know-what. So, definitely not my favorite. :)
AJ, enjoying life with C.
1. Harriet: I love Harriet. It is very old-fashioned, but works for today. It is right on my favorite list along with Agatha & Madge.
2. Penelope: I was just mentioning to my sister the other day that I liked this name, but haven't been hearing much of it. I think of a beautiful girl when I hear this.
3. Lucy: I could see a Lucy as being a bit bossy, but only because she's feels so strongly about things. So I guess I would say stubborn.
4. Margaret: I am ok with this name, but I feel that it is not old enough to be a name coming back today. I also would not like the nn Marge.
5. Rebecca: Maybe a know-it-all.
6. Virginia: Southern and since I'm from WV, I don't think I could ever name a child Virginia. So many people still don't know that WV is even a state so if I named a kid Virginia and then said I was from WV, they would definately think that I just meant the western portion of Virginia. LOL.
7. Alice: I don't know why, but I just don't like this name. Maybe because of Alice & Wonderland, or maybe because the people I've met with the name I have just been very fond of. I honestly don't know.
1. Oliver: I think of a very sweet and innocent boy. I really like this name.
2. Arthur: Very intelligent and possibly with red hair. LOL.
3. Patrick: Will grow up to be good looking, but only if his name remains Patrick and not Pat.
4. Roger: A little nerdy.
5. Paul: Average guy. Nothing too exciting.
6. Mark: Again, just an average guy.
Hope this helps. Here are a few of my favorites.
Girls:
Sophie, Susannah, Marlee, Effie, Klare, Blanche, Daphne, Poppy, Gillian, Reese
Boys:
Hayden, Heath, Hollis, Waverly, Wellesley, Lincoln, Sebastian, Sully, Grey, Arlo, Brighton, Emerich, Efram, Elijah, Percy, Pippin
Edited 4/13/2007 3:13 pm ET by karamich27
Harriet - Abrupt and overbearing. She could be intelligent, but many don't get close enough to her to find out. She has a strong personality and others find it overwhelming and unbearable.
Rebecca - Sweet, pretty and intelligent. She is a leader, yet one who leads by quiet example. Men find her atractive. Women want to be he friend.
Virginia - Intelligent, successful and sophistacated. Some may be intimidated by her. (of course, scratch all this if she goes by Ginnie - totally different from Virginia)
Alice - Shy and reserved, almost mousy. She's the sweet girl you always forget about. The woman you know, but never include because you dont think of her. When reminded of her, you say "oh yes, she's so nice". Then you forget about her again next time too.
Margaret - Strong and demanding, yet not too forceful. Margaret gets things done. She's successful.
Penelope - Sweet and reserved, but not a doormat. She can stand up for herself and make her views known, but does so in a way that does not offend others. She's sophisticated without being snobby. She's wealthy and a good mother.
Lucy - Flighty and somewhat of a ding-bat. Sometimes you wonder how she gets through life. Not much common sense. She's pretty and kind and has lots of friends though.
Oliver - He wears glasses and always has that thrown together look. He's book smart, but definitely not street smart. A nerd.
Roger- Athletic, but not the superstar on the team. He's good at all sports but not great at any. He's an average guy. Average intelligence. Average looks.
Arthur - Forgetful and lives in his own world. Computer science guy.
Paul - Another average guy. Middle management. Faithful husband, couple of kids, coaches his son's ball team.
Mark - Village idiot. No common sense. Never thinks outside of the box. Does not embrace diversity - thinks everyone should be like him. Self centered. Routine oriented.
Patrick - Successful, athletic. Good husband and father. Outgoing. Charismatic.
FYI...My favorite names:
Boys: Brock, Holden, Grant, Pierce, Neil, Vaughn
Girls: Laura, Elizabeth, Anna, Jillian, Juliet
Virginia- I think of Ginny from Harry Potter when i see this name, a confident girl with traditional/classically influenced parents. i love Ginny and the name Virginia, but would never be able to use it because of dbf's ln
Alice- another classic name. I think it is a beautiful name, and worked with a girl about 10, much like Alice in Wonderland; sweet, blonde hair, i know she'll grow up into a wonderful person
Lucy- A beautiful name, to me, its kind of short, but that's just me.
Harriet- i really like this name. dont know if i would be able to use it, but I think that it could definitely be one a girl would grow into. I grew up watching "Avonlea" where a character was Harriet, nn Hetty. Hattie is also a cute nn, and gives her the opportunity to use her full name for formal occasions
Margaret- this is my youngest sister's name. (Elizabeth, Kathryn, Margaret in my family) I have always liked it. She's gone by Margaret since i could remember, and it just fits her. she's a blonde, active, popular girl and very caring
Penelope- i think this name is unique, and exotic sounding, but it is nms, i dont know why. DBF likes the nn Penny, but I was thinking of seeing his thoughts on Penina.
Rebecca- i like this name as the whole name, but hate the nn's of Becky and Becca. I grew up with a best friend with this name, and have known people throughout my life named Rebecca. Everyone seems different, from meeting girls at a Jewish camp, to random people in school classes and the people i grew up with
my hand hurts now for some reason, so i'll just rank the boy's names. I really like Patrick tho. Peter is my FFIL's name, and has been a big name in DBF's family.
Patrick
Oliver
Paul
Mark
Roger
Arthur
My favorite names : Annaliese, Eleanor, Helene, Cora...Jon (nn Jack), Collin, Nathan, Henry
Interesting exercise! Here are my thoughts (in the order of my preference):
Lucy--a fun and cute girlHarriet--a plain kind of girl
Virginia--spunky, sophisticated
Margaret--smart, but fun
Rebecca--a girl got classic taste
Penelope--someone with a wild or zany side
Alice--a very nice and sweet kind of girl
Patrick--handsome, fun
Mark--a good athlete
Roger--studious
Oliver--Like the name, but think of a scrawny-ish guy
Paul--solid, but kind of vanilla
Arthur--a nice guy who never gets the girl
Names I love:
Anna
Eliza
Camille
Leah
Sadie
Julianna
Jack
Adam
Everett
Graham
Wesley
Reed
Good luck!
Edited 4/14/2007 1:06 am ET by melanie215
Haven't read the other replies yet, so these are based on my personal experiences/perceptions alone. ;)
Girls:
Harriet - intelligent, well-read (with parents who are equally so ), perhaps a bit quiet. I also get a bit of a British vibe from Harriet, but wouldn't assume the parents or child WERE British ... it's just an observation. I'd also think this a spunky, old-fashioned revival that fits in nicely with similar, but more common names, so I'd definitely appreciate the parents' good taste here. ;)
Rebecca - unfortunately, my first association here is a slightly ditzy family member (and a number of Beccas/Beckys I grew up with who fit that same description), but if she were introduced by the full name or a less-common/-juvenile nn (Reba or Ruby, for example) I would still quite like it. I'd expect Rebecca to be classy and approachable, and Reba/Ruby a bit quirky and spunky to boot.
Virginia - I get a slightly southern vibe from Virginia, though I can't think of any I've known personally (perhaps because we live within driving distance of the state).
Alice - basically the same image as Harriet, though I think Alice would require a bit less chutzpah. ;) In other words, Alice seems like it would be a bit more familiar and less likely to get any negative reactions, partly thanks to the popularity of some similar "Elle" names, though it sidesteps that trend quite effectively.
Margaret - ditto the mental image I get with Harriet and Alice, though the plethora of nn options here makes it seem a more common, everyday choice.
Penelope - similar British feel but a bit more "now," thanks to the Zoe, Phoebe, Chloe trend. I'd expect a Penelope to be feminine, frilly and spunky all at the same time. Perhaps a bit more outgoing and not as reserved as I might imagine a Harriet, Alice or Margaret might be.
Lucy - cute and spunky (the name and the child I picture it on). I'd expect siblings with equally nicknamey, even popular names: Jack, Ben, Sam, Max, etc. (boys on the mind for some reason LOL).
I'd rank these (from favorite to least) ...
Alice
Lucy
Penelope
Harriet
Margaret
Rebecca
Virginia
*Very loose rankings, because I actually like them all. It would really depend on the ln, any sibling names, family's heritage/background/religion ... things of that nature.
Boys:
Oliver - he'd be smart and friendly. Equally comfortable at the library or on the playground. ;)
Roger - one of the few here that strikes me as truly dated. I definitely picture a man between his 30s and 50s. And while I have no problem envisioning an even older Roger, I can't really get a mental image of a younger man/boy. Using the 30-50 age range (the boss or blind date scenarios you mentioned ), I imagine a slightly stuffy, possibly stuck-up type, especially if he goes by his full name. A blind date with "Roger" seems like it might be a bit on the boring side, but that's just my first impression (I'd still give him a shot to prove me wrong LOL).
Arthur - as far as mental image is concerned, I picture the children's character Arthur (glasses, smart, friendly). I have trouble coming up with an unbiased image of this name, however, since it's my FIL's but he goes by his mn (because he dislikes Arthur LOL). It definitely doesn't suit him, however, so that kind of makes sense.
Paul - like Roger, this seems dated even for my generation. I grew up with one (a friend's older brother), and we always thought it odd, though it "fit" -- he was tall and gangly, quite awkward, and never seemed to feel like he fit in (though he was friendly and everyone liked him).
Mark - every Mark I've known has seemed quite immature and irresponsible, not overly intelligent, so that's the mental image I get here. Not that I'd assume that of an employer, date or even little boy of the same name, but it's the only image I have based on those I've known (and I've known quite a few! LOL).
Patrick - a friendly boy/man comfortable in the classroom or on the field. Most Patricks I've known have been both smart and athletic, so that's the image I get here.
Again, from best to "worst," relatively speaking ...
Oliver
Patrick
Mark
Arthur
Paul
Roger
To give you an idea of my tastes, some of my favorites for any future children include:
Talulla
Gwyneth
Eleanor/Nora(h)
Beatrix
Cecilia
Iris
Eloise
Scarlett
Bidelia/Bedelia
Imogen
Ewan
Finnian/Findlay
Phineas
Lachlan
Henry
Harvey
Sullivan
Nolan
Oliver
Elliott
Hugh
HTH ;)
ETA: After reading through the replies, I thought it was interesting to note that you'd also had both Jane and Peter originally ... names I definitely thought of when considering the others still on the list. ;) Martin was also brought to mind. Just thought it worth mentioned, because they definitely fit with the others.
Edited 4/14/2007 12:53 pm ET by mommyagain6124
Powered by CGISpy.com
Pages