First names that are relatively common in the US and yet relatively rare in the UK, and vice versa

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I've met several Americans called Drewe, and can also think of a few American celebrities with that name. But I can't think of any British Drewes.

― george matthews, Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:04 (nineteen years ago)

i don't know any drewes. but there's an ice cream store called ted drewe's in st. louis!

― jody, Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:08 (nineteen years ago)

i've never met a gareth from the u.s., but i've known a couple of garretts.

― jody, Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:09 (nineteen years ago)

I am one of many Jamies in Britain, including famous musicians, footballers, and fat-tongued celebrity chefs, yet the only Jamie I've heard of in the good ol' U.S. of A. is Jamie Lee Curtis. And she's a woman. Probably.

― Teh HoBB (the pirate king), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:09 (nineteen years ago)

brandon

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:10 (nineteen years ago)

alastair, in any of its variations. i cant imagine ANY native-born american being named that.

― AaronK (AaronK), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:10 (nineteen years ago)

I "knew" a Cdn named Alastair (he was on TV, he was You Can't Do That On Television), but I guess Cdns are close enough to Brit that it shouldn't count.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:11 (nineteen years ago)

Vivian (and never Vyvyan!) is strictly a woman's name in the US.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:12 (nineteen years ago)

I knew an American born Jamie, but his family was Welsh.

― The Lidl Shop Of Horrors (kate), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:12 (nineteen years ago)

I don't believe I know any Americans named Clive.

xpost - I was going to say Brandon as well!

Teh HoBB, how about Jamie Foxx? Jamie Kennedy?

― phil d. (Phil D.), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:13 (nineteen years ago)

I've never evn heard of a "Drewe" with an "e."

― Mitya (mitya), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:13 (nineteen years ago)

Madison.

― Markelby (Mark C), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:13 (nineteen years ago)

Teh HoBB, how about Jamie Foxx? Jamie Kennedy?

Ah. I might be wrong.

― Teh HoBB (the pirate king), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:16 (nineteen years ago)

Are there any Brits names Cletus or Bubba?

― D.I.Y. U.N.K.L.E. (dave225.3), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:18 (nineteen years ago)

I've never seen Drew spelled "Drewe" in the US. Which doesn't mean it doesn't happen! It just means that I think "Drew" is a more common spelling.

I've know male and female Jamies, but I don't really think there are many American's named Cletus or Bubba. Although I do know a Jehu.

― squirrels-r-FOREVA (pullapartgirl), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:23 (nineteen years ago)

How's his driving?

― RickyT (RickyT), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:24 (nineteen years ago)

With or without an "e", I don't know any British Drews.

Is anyone outside Australia called Kylie? Where did this name come from?

― george matthews, Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:28 (nineteen years ago)

I believe there are a few amongst the lower waged....

(calm down, it's a joke)

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:30 (nineteen years ago)

No Randys in the UK. I once heard of a Randy Bump. "Ho ho", I thought.

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:31 (nineteen years ago)

There are Kylies in the U.S. Not hugely popular, but there are a few. Lots of spelling variants, though. For instance, singer Kiley Dean. Here's a college soccer player named Kilee Quigley. And I once worked with a Kylee. The name, as you might imagine, is a female variant of Kyle.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:47 (nineteen years ago)

Britney/Brittany.

― Roz (Roz), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:50 (nineteen years ago)

There are many Jamies in the US, but women may predominate over men.

With or without an "e", I don't know any British Drews.
No Randys in the UK

Yes, but surely you know tons of British Andrews and maybe a few Randolphs or Randalls? Perhaps Americans are just more informal/inventive with names. How many Treys are there in the UK? I suppose Harry might be a prominant counter-example. Jamie, too.

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:52 (nineteen years ago)

how common is "jody" in the UK? it's funny -- in the US, there are places where it's regarded as a man's name and places where it's strictly a woman's name (although women use alternate spellings like "jodie" or "jodi" or "jo dee").

one of woody guthrie's sons is named joady, after tom joad.

― jody, Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:54 (nineteen years ago)

i wonder how many woodys there are in the UK

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:57 (nineteen years ago)

Depends on the time of day, surely.

(yeah I should STFU crap joke..)

― Nathalie (stevie nixed), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:59 (nineteen years ago)

are biblical names more common here?

― jody, Tuesday, 3 January 2006 17:00 (nineteen years ago)

Isn't Woody originally a diminutive of Woodrow?

― M. White (Miguelito), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 17:00 (nineteen years ago)

American names: Chuck, Brandon, Mo, Dara, Archie, Tammy.

― paulhw (paulhw), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 17:02 (nineteen years ago)

I've not met many US Gavins.

― jocelyn (Jocelyn), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 17:03 (nineteen years ago)

Are people in the UK still being named Ivor? A Welsh name, innit?

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 17:05 (nineteen years ago)

I don't think I've ever met any male Jodys personally -- Slate.com's Rosen and former Cubs catcher Davis notwithstanding -- but I've known a few female Jody/Jodis.

I've known two American Gavins, but I would say this is rare.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 17:11 (nineteen years ago)

I've known two male Jodys and many male Jamies in the US. Not a big deal. (known=/="known")

― The Milkmaid (of Human Kindness) (The Milkmaid), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 17:13 (nineteen years ago)

yeah, afaik, Gavin, Alastair and Clive are quite rare in the US. there are some famous Clives (Davis, Barker) in America, but are they of UK origin?

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 17:14 (nineteen years ago)

"I "knew" a Cdn named Alastair"

I loved that kid!

what about Garth? I've known a couple of americans named garth. is garth just a gareth that lost the e over time? (has gareth ever felt like dropping the e? hahahaha, i kill me.) but seriously...

― scott seward (scott seward), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 17:18 (nineteen years ago)

How about Kasey? Any K-C's in Britain?

― Jena (JenaP), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 17:19 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.a-cd.de/images/articles/2005-03-29_211154_chris_gaines_greatest_hits.jpg

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 17:20 (nineteen years ago)

Clive Barker is English, surely? Although Clive Davis is most definitely American.

xxxxpost

― Roz (Roz), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 17:21 (nineteen years ago)

I started a thread on this subject before:

Crappy English Names that are super exotic in America

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 17:47 (nineteen years ago)

I've not met many US Gavins.

http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/2228/captainstubing0ff.jpg

― phil d. (Phil D.), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 17:47 (nineteen years ago)

I noticed that names like Louise and Helen are still popular in the UK for babies but they seem to have fallen out of favor over here..

― jocelyn (Jocelyn), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 17:50 (nineteen years ago)

American names: Chuck, Brandon, Mo, Dara, Archie, Tammy

Dara is an Irish name (see chubby Irish comedian Dara O'Briain, for example, also bloke I was at university with), Archie is most definitely Scottish, and quite common at that, and my best friend in Primary Four was called Tammy (though Tamsin seems to be the more popular version over here).

My dad's best friend is called Drew, and I've worked with a couple of Drews in my time. It's quite common in Scotland as a shortened form of Andrew.

How about Kasey? Any K-C's in Britain?

There's Kacey Ainsworth (greetin' faced soap actress).

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 17:51 (nineteen years ago)

Tracy (and to an extent Stacy) are pretty much exclusively girl's names in the UK.

btw, in one of my Year 8 classes (age 12-13) there are four Kylies.

― Si.C@rter (SiC@rter), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 17:52 (nineteen years ago)

Trevor is rare in the US. And I'm old enough to remember when Ian was rare here, but I guess there's been a wave of Anglophilia because it seems almost common now.

― nickn (nickn), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 17:54 (nineteen years ago)

Actually, Mo's quite common over here as well (see the character Mo Slater/Mitchell played by aforementioned Kacey Ainsworth) as a contraction of Maureen for a girl and Maurice for a boy.

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 17:56 (nineteen years ago)

I think it's only in Scotland that Mo is commonly used for men.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 17:59 (nineteen years ago)

Yes, but we're still part of the UK so it counts, OK?

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 18:00 (nineteen years ago)

I think it's only in Scotland that Mo is commonly used for men.

*tears of inappropriate laughter*

― Dan (Where's The Apostrophe?) Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 18:01 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.cinemanow.com/images/boxart/175/mo_better_175.jpg

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 18:03 (nineteen years ago)

seamus

― AaronK (AaronK), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 18:04 (nineteen years ago)

I've not met many US Gavins.

I have an acquaintance who named her baby Gavin. I also know a Davin.

― Lars and Jagger (Ex Leon), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 18:05 (nineteen years ago)

Skipping 101 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Has an American ever named a baby "Nigel"?

― shookout (shookout), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 04:48 (nineteen years ago)

maybe not, but there are men in England named Lol. I am not aware of any named Roffle.

― ratty, Wednesday, 4 January 2006 04:52 (nineteen years ago)

lol creme pronounces it like "lowell"

― miss michael learned (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 04:56 (nineteen years ago)

"I "knew" a Cdn named Alastair"
I loved that kid!

Me too! He and Adam were two of my first MAJOR HUGE crushes.

― marianna lcl (marianna lcl), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 08:42 (nineteen years ago)

Names Brits have Americans don't: Rajesh, Nilesh, Hardeep, Rishi, Sanjay, Gurjit.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 09:16 (nineteen years ago)

Me too! He and Adam were two of my first MAJOR HUGE crushes.

See, this is why I didn't post the picture of what Alasdair looks like now. Adam still looks surprisingly the same (and I guess he was in that KitH movie! I did not know that, even though I saw it!).

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 10:33 (nineteen years ago)

exactly, amelie's racist

WAH?!?

― Nathalie (stevie nixed), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 11:19 (nineteen years ago)

don't even bother

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 12:27 (nineteen years ago)

Oscar seems to be coming back into fashion for UK babies.

― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 12:50 (nineteen years ago)

Joshua was never even spoken of in the UK until about 1995, so me (born in 1987) felt happy and unique. But nowadays every baby boy has this name, and all girls are called Maisie, Lily, Gracie (every 3rd girl in the UK born after 2000 is called this), Ellie and Chloe.

― JTS (JTS), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 13:02 (nineteen years ago)

i've known four sanjays (to be fair one of these dudes was indian) and i worked for a rajesh (though he preferred to be called 'jack').

― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 14:08 (nineteen years ago)

i was wondering how this thread got long -- the secret ingredient is race.

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 14:13 (nineteen years ago)

American names:
Kyle
Todd
Tyson

Are those all outdated now anyway? They were popular in Fort Saskatchewan when I was a kid.

― Mestema (davidcorp), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 16:11 (nineteen years ago)

The only Rishi I know is American.

― Dan (LOL At "The Secret Ingredient") Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 16:14 (nineteen years ago)

Weird American trend of using Scottish last names for girls' first names:
See
MacKenna
MacKayla
MacKenzie

― jocelyn (Jocelyn), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 16:23 (nineteen years ago)

seriously, and not a one of those names is spelled right. I used to work for a woman whose daughter was named McKayla and the whole Mykensyie/Makenzey/etc thing makes me puke. If you're trying to rediscover your Scottish heritage after reading Outlander for the 50th time, at least spell your kids' goddamn names right

― Morley Timmons (Donna Brown), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 17:18 (nineteen years ago)

There's another person from Ft Sask here?

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 5 January 2006 00:24 (nineteen years ago)

Names Brits have Americans don't: Rajesh, Nilesh, Hardeep, Rishi, Sanjay, Gurjit.

so wait, are you saying there are no indians in america?!?

― miss michael learned (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 5 January 2006 00:25 (nineteen years ago)

JK Rowling's daughter is called Mackenzie, I think? I don't think that makes it common in the UK, but still...

I used to go to school with about half a dozen Donnas. All white.

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 5 January 2006 00:38 (nineteen years ago)

Top 10 British Baby Names 2004 (Boys):
1. Roger
2. Wallace
3. Humphrey
4. Nigel
5. Willoughby
6. Rupert
7. Basil
8. Culverton
9. Neville
10. Philip

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Thursday, 5 January 2006 00:49 (nineteen years ago)

Ha ha.

― Alba (Alba), Thursday, 5 January 2006 00:52 (nineteen years ago)

The actual, boring, list (England and Wales only - Lewis is No.1 in Scotland):

1. Jack (still!)
2. Joshua
3. Thomas
4. James
5. Oliver
6. Daniel
7. Samuel
8. William
9. Harry
10. Joseph

― Alba (Alba), Thursday, 5 January 2006 00:54 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.rock-pop-tipps.de/images/the-donnas-spend-the-night.jpg

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Thursday, 5 January 2006 01:04 (nineteen years ago)

what about Liam?

― heywood jablomi (heywood), Thursday, 5 January 2006 03:15 (nineteen years ago)

is it true that kevin is an insult in england? (e.g. He's a bit of a Kevin.)

― firstworldman (firstworldman), Thursday, 5 January 2006 03:39 (nineteen years ago)

Top US Baby Names 2004

Girls Boys
01. Emily 01. Jacob
02. Emma 02. Michael
03. Madison 03. Joshua
04. Olivia 04. Matthew
05. Hannah 05. Ethan
06. Abigail 06. Andrew
07. Isabella 07. Daniel
08. Ashley 08. William
09. Samatha 09. Joseph
10. Elizabeth 10. Christopher
11. Alexis 11. Anthony
12. Sarah 12. Ryan
13. Grace 13. Nicholas
14. Alyssa 14. David
15. Sophia 15. Alexander
16. Lauren 16. Tyler
17. Brianna 17. James
18. Kayla 18. John
19. Natalie 19. Dylan
20. Anna 20. Nathan
21. Jessica 21. Jonathan
22. Taylor 22. Brandon
23. Chloe 23. Samuel
24. Hailey 24. Christian
25. Ava 25. Benjamin
26. Jasmine 26. Zachary
27. Sydney 27. Logan
28. Victoria 28. Jose
29. Ella 29. Noah
30. Mia 30. Justin
31. Morgan 31. Elijah
32. Julia 32. Gabriel
33. Kaitlyn 33. Caleb
34. Rachel 34. Kevin
35. Katherine 35. Austin
36. Megan 36. Robert
37. Alexandra 37. Thomas
38. Jennifer 38. Connor
39. Destiny 39. Evan
40. Allison 40. Aidan
41. Savannah 41. Jack
42. Haley 42. Luke
43. Mackenzie 43. Jordan
44. Brooke 44. Angel
45. Maria 45. Isaiah
46. Nicole 46. Isaac
47. Makayla 47. Jason
48. Trinity 48. Jackson
49. Kylie 49. Hunter
50. Kaylee 50. Cameron
51. Paige 51. Gavin
52. Lily 52. Mason
53. Faith 53. Aaron
54. Zoe 54. Juan
55. Stephanie 55. Kyle
56. Jenna 56. Charles
57. Andrew 57. Luis
58. Riley 58. Adam
59. Katelyn 59. Brian
60. Angelina 60. Aiden
61. Kimberley 61. Eric
62. Madelaine 62. Jayden
63. Mary 63. Alex
64. Leah 64. Bryan
65. Lillian 65. Sean
66. Michelle 66. Owen
67. Amanda 67. Lucas
68. Sara 68. Nathaniel
69. Sofia 69. Ian
70. Jordan 70. Jesus
71. Alexa 71. Carlos
72. Rebecca 72. Adrian
73. Gabrielle 73. Diego
74. Caroline 74. Julian
75. Vanessa 75. Cole
76. Gabriela 76. Ashton
77. Avery 77. Steven
78. Marissa 78. Jeremiah
79. Ariana 79. Jonathan
80. Audrey 80. Chase
81. Jada 81. Devin
82. Autumn 82. Seth
83. Evelyn 83. Jaden
84. Jocelyn 84. Colin
85. Maya 85. Cody
86. Arianna 86. Landon
87. Isabel 87. Carter
88. Amber 88. Hayden
89. Melanie 89. Xavier
90. Diana 90. Wyatt
91. Danielle 91. Dominic
92. Sierra 92. Richard
93. Leslie 93. Antonio
94. Aaliyah 94. Jesse
95. Erin 95. Blake
96. Amelia 96. Sebastian
97. Molly 97. Miguel
98. Claire 98. Jake
99. Bailey 99. Alejandro
100. Melissa 100. Patrick

Source: Social Security Administration, US Government

ALOT horrifying about that list (america is naming its sons after ashton kutcher).
emily's been number one ever year since 1996, this is jacob's FIFTH year at number one.

this is interesting (clementine is an awesome name btw) - http://www.slate.com/id/2116505/

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 5 January 2006 08:06 (nineteen years ago)

well that got fucked up. have british baby naming trends changed dramatically from generation to generation? the reasons offered in the slate piece seem sorta classically, pathetically american.

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 5 January 2006 08:11 (nineteen years ago)

There's another person from Ft Sask here?

I was born there, moved to Sherwood Park for a year and then to the UK. How long have you lived in 'the Fort'? I went to James Mowatt. Mr Fluker was my bus driver. I had crushes on the following girls: Stacey Rhodes, Mandy Orr, Beth Duffield, Leanne Drury, Jody Radtke.

― Mestema (davidcorp), Thursday, 5 January 2006 09:58 (nineteen years ago)

I have never been there. But Anthony lives there. Unless there's more than one Ft Sask. Which seems unlikely.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 5 January 2006 10:25 (nineteen years ago)

It seems we Brits do get our names directly from celebs rather than the folks down the road with the big car...

http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=184

― Zora (Zora), Thursday, 5 January 2006 13:05 (nineteen years ago)

No Randys in the UK. I once heard of a Randy Bump. "Ho ho", I thought.

my brother in law knew a guy called Randy Bender, which is incredibly chortlesome.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Thursday, 5 January 2006 13:08 (nineteen years ago)

Not Anthony Easton?? I played on a soccer team with a Tony Easton!!!

― Mestema (davidcorp), Thursday, 5 January 2006 14:48 (nineteen years ago)

Ken and I were just talking about this subject. He laughed that I had a friend named "Summer". I mean, I knew a girl named WYNTER for god's sakes. Spring, Autumn, etc, all popular names. Are these REALLY not common in the UK?

― Roxymuzak, Mrs. Carbohydrate (roxymuzak), Thursday, 5 January 2006 16:35 (nineteen years ago)

They are REALLY not.

― Zora (Zora), Thursday, 5 January 2006 17:47 (nineteen years ago)

I've dated a Summer, knew two separate Winters in high school (both African American, oddly enough). Have vaguely known Autumns. But I've never run across a Spring at all, to be honest.

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 5 January 2006 17:51 (nineteen years ago)

The Summer I dated was actually born in the UK, but her mom was American.

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 5 January 2006 17:51 (nineteen years ago)

I cannot wait for the 2005 names list to come out from the SSA, seriously.

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 5 January 2006 17:55 (nineteen years ago)

I used to go to university with a Stormy. She was, unsurprisingly, American.

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 5 January 2006 18:21 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.notwithoutmyhandbag.com/babynames/

― Morley Timmons (Donna Brown), Thursday, 5 January 2006 18:40 (nineteen years ago)

Hahaha. I just spent far too long reading that site.

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 5 January 2006 19:52 (nineteen years ago)

I think girls born in the spring are named either April or May instead of "Spring".

― jocelyn (Jocelyn), Thursday, 5 January 2006 20:08 (nineteen years ago)

I repeat:
Is it true that the name Kevin is an insult in England? I don't remember where I heard that, but it's pretty awesome if true.

― firstworldman (firstworldman), Thursday, 5 January 2006 21:26 (nineteen years ago)

it would explain the Wedding Present song "Give My Love to Kevin" in further spiteful-Gedge detail

― Morley Timmons (Donna Brown), Thursday, 5 January 2006 23:03 (nineteen years ago)

I've never heard "you Kevin" or the like used directly as an insult, but I can think of a few occasions where the name is used for a character, and has derogatory connotations.

The name Joey, however, is frequently used as an insult.

― emil.y (emil.y), Thursday, 5 January 2006 23:12 (nineteen years ago)

It was one of a bunch of names like Darren and Wayne that denoted what would now be known as a chav.

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 5 January 2006 23:16 (nineteen years ago)

Calling someone a Kev (and/or a Gary, a Trev or a Sharon) was a key posh schoolboy insult when I was 9 or 10, so yes, it's completely true, in British private schools at least. However, I don't know if it's still used at all.

Anyone who hasn't yet visited Donna's link totally, totally should :)

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 6 January 2006 00:13 (nineteen years ago)

i know one spring, she is vietnamese american. and one tuesday, she is from hong kong.

― emsk ( emsk), Friday, 6 January 2006 00:33 (nineteen years ago)

Perhaps Anth will come to the thread and all will be revealed.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 6 January 2006 01:54 (nineteen years ago)

I am very familiar with the "He's a bit of a Kevin" insult, yes. Though it has faded. I'm not sure it's purely a class-based thing. It's not just the male equivalent of a Sharon or Tracey. There's something about the name Kevin that suggests someone is uncool, like. Wears bad clothes. That kind of thing. Harmless, probably, too.

― Alba (Alba), Friday, 6 January 2006 19:38 (nineteen years ago)

By bad, I mean cheap, chain-store clothes, in this case.

― Alba (Alba), Friday, 6 January 2006 19:41 (nineteen years ago)

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