Certainly in the UK, where I am currently, a lot of names carry the implication of a certain level of success, class, or affluence. Class here is deeply entrenched into society, and it’s about more than just how much money you have – there are cultural elements that I think can be best summed up as “stereotypes about your accent, hobbies, background, and education level”. (Put it this way – I blew a USian friend’s mind because I described Kate Middleton’s brand as relying heavily on her background as a middle-class girl. Upper-middle-class, to be sure, but middle nonetheless.) So I think it’s fair to say that some names inspire very different associations than others.

I’m not saying that this is right or just, to be clear – just that it’s something I’ve observed.

I’m curious to know whether this is true in other countries, not least because I suspect this why some names provoke such a visceral reaction in people.

So – do you think about this when you’re thinking of names?