Jade

Helenahhandbasket · September 2013

Just want to get a discussion going.

FWIW-- I love gemstone names. I used to work in NYC's diamond district-- so I am sure that is a big part of it. One of the names I have always loved is Jade. I can't use it, because it almost rhymes with my last name, but I LOVE it. I have noticed that whenever this name comes up, ineveitably one or more people think this name isn't "classy".

However many other gemstone names are very well rec'd here -- Ruby, Opal and my DD's middle name-- Pearl usually get good reviews. Also, Jade in Italian-- Giada-- also gets good reviews.

So here's my question-- what makes a name not classy to you? Is it the name itself or is it the association with the name? I personally have only ever known one person named Jade-- it was a HS classmate and other than remembering that her name was Jade-- I don't remember much about her.

Discuss?

PinkLillyLover · September 2013

I think Jade is harsh sounding. It doesn't sound feminine to me and sounds like a stripper name.

Helenahhandbasket · September 2013

PinkLillyLover said:

I think Jade is harsh sounding. It doesn't sound feminine to me and sounds like a stripper name.

The stripper thing always comes up. You all must hang at the strip club a lot-- I have to say I don't know the names of any strippers

;;)

AlphabetFish · September 2013

I see what you mean--other gem names, Diamond, Crystal, Sapphire, etc., also get the "stripper" association. I can't be sure why, myself; I only ever knew one Jade, and I never formed much of an opinion on her.

I think people are mostly badly receiving the "new" gem names, because they've heard them a lot and have formed bad opinions of them, and positively receiving the "old" gem names, because sweet, old Gramma Ruby is the only person they know with that name. I think Jade is classed with the new generation of gem names and disapproved of for that reason.

Helenahhandbasket · September 2013

AlphabetFish said:

I see what you mean--other gem names, Diamond, Crystal, Sapphire, etc., also get the "stripper" association. I can't be sure why, myself; I only ever knew one Jade, and I never formed much of an opinion on her.

I think people are mostly badly receiving the "new" gem names, because they've heard them a lot and have formed bad opinions of them, and positively receiving the "old" gem names, because sweet, old Gramma Ruby is the only person they know with that name. I think Jade is classed with the new generation of gem names and disapproved of for that reason.

That is a really good point and exactly what I am getting at/asking-- it seems to be the association with the name (for this name) that turns most people off as opposed to the name itself.

HattieLove · September 2013

AlphabetFish said:

I see what you mean--other gem names, Diamond, Crystal, Sapphire, etc., also get the "stripper" association. I can't be sure why, myself; I only ever knew one Jade, and I never formed much of an opinion on her.

I think people are mostly badly receiving the "new" gem names, because they've heard them a lot and have formed bad opinions of them, and positively receiving the "old" gem names, because sweet, old Gramma Ruby is the only person they know with that name. I think Jade is classed with the new generation of gem names and disapproved of for that reason.

Well said.

NerdyLucy · September 2013

I've never had a problem with Jade. The women I've known with the name Jade have all been smart, professional women.

The stripper thing always confuses me though. I have to say that all the strippers I've known (not very many) all have "normal" names like Amanda and Paige, even on the stage. They have have some sort of adjective in the front, like Amazing Amanda, but that's it.

Jade is not really on my stripper radar, but I am aware that others make that association. Of course, I say this as someone who had a great-grandma named Dixie, which is apparently another name that others thing is stripperish, so my stripper-meter is off.

aeh72 · September 2013

I just said, in another post, that it doesn't sound classy. I wish I could tell you why I feel that way; it's just the vibe I get. If you asked me to picture a Jade, it would either be a hippy/crunchy woman or someone who looks harsh and wears a lot of makeup. I know that makes no sense and it's not really fair (because neither type of person is automatically not "classy"), but that's just what this name conjures up for me.

Re: the stripper association - I guess I don't automatically think stripper, but if I met (?)/heard of a stripper or (sorry!) porn star with that name, I wouldn't be shocked like I would if I heard of one named, say, Elizabeth or Katherine.

Helenahhandbasket · September 2013

Darbie914 said:

DD's MN is Jade so obviously I don't see the stripper connection. Personally, I love the gemstone. The color is so vibrant and strong and that's what I think of when I hear Jade- a strong, vibrant woman.

Also, in the history of the Chinese empire art, jade was especially significant, as it was equivalent of our diamonds and gold.

Works for me!

Love it also in the MN spot! And the Chinese lore about Jade is also what I find very appealing about this name.

MrsSparklesMcGee · September 2013

I don't like it because I (for some reason, no personal experience) associate it with stripclubs.

Also, I just think it's too short and harsh sounding (for what it's worth, I'm not a fan of Opal or Pearl either, but I do love Ruby).

Helenahhandbasket · September 2013

MrsSparklesMcGee said:

I don't like it because I (for some reason, no personal experience) associate it with stripclubs.

Also, I just think it's too short and harsh sounding (for what it's worth, I'm not a fan of Opal or Pearl either, but I do love Ruby).

Interesting. I wonder if a lot of the associations we have come from other people's associations/ opinions-- since you yourself don't have a personal association with a stripper named Jade it had to come from somewhere.

I am genuinely curious and obvioulsy this can apply to any name that gets stripper comments.

CeCe8579 · September 2013

I love Jade so I don't have an answer.

tortuga47 · September 2013

HattieLove said:

AlphabetFish said:

I see what you mean--other gem names, Diamond, Crystal, Sapphire, etc., also get the "stripper" association. I can't be sure why, myself; I only ever knew one Jade, and I never formed much of an opinion on her.

I think people are mostly badly receiving the "new" gem names, because they've heard them a lot and have formed bad opinions of them, and positively receiving the "old" gem names, because sweet, old Gramma Ruby is the only person they know with that name. I think Jade is classed with the new generation of gem names and disapproved of for that reason.

Well said.

Agreed

PinkLillyLover · September 2013

For the record, I don't know any strippers and have never been to a strip club (I know you were joking though). I guess my opinion of them and names comes from TV/Movies.

I was a little sad when I found out Giada named her daughter, Jade. It's just so harsh sounding to me and not sweet and feminine.

Ceridwen21 · September 2013

Jade isn't my favorite, but I adore Giada.

Helenahhandbasket · September 2013

Ceridwen21 said:

Jade isn't my favorite, but I adore Giada.

Right-- that seems to be the general consensus. They're the same name (obv one is a foreign variant) so I think that says something about perception.

divinemsbee · September 2013

I kind of want to like it. But I don't. The only real life person I know of with that name is Jade Jagger, and she seems cool, so it seems like a very sexy seventies name, but it's one of those names that I just can't get past the sound of I guees? Itself like Crystal or Tiffany, and I know several really cool people with those names but I just feel like as names divorced from any person they just lean trashy. Maybe it's a collective unconscious thing. Also, it was my ex's favorite girl name, and although we broke up for other reasons, I wouldn't have wanted a daughter named Jade Wood (his last name).

Scarlett&Gatsby · September 2013

I also like gemstone names, and I think PP have a point about "new" vs. "old" gemstone names. Sometime back when I was pregnant with DD2, or maybe just before I was, I asked about Emerald, which got a similar response, and a lot of, "What about Esmeralda?"

I used to think Jade was kind of low-rent. I don't know why. I've never known a Jade. And when Giada de Laurentiis used it, I thought it was lame---both because I didn't really like the name, and also because I thought it was kind of dorky to use her name in English. But the other day I was watching her cooking show and thinking about it (maybe she was talking about Jade?) and it kind of started to grow on me.

I don't think we'd use it because it's too close to DD2's MN (Jane), which we call her by with some frequency, and also because our girl name this time is Scarlett, and two color names would be weird. But I do like the name now. I like short, simple names, and I tend to like the long A sound, and it fits both of those criteria.

Helenahhandbasket · September 2013

Scarlett&Gatsby said:

I also like gemstone names, and I think PP have a point about "new" vs. "old" gemstone names. Sometime back when I was pregnant with DD2, or maybe just before I was, I asked about Emerald, which got a similar response, and a lot of, "What about Esmeralda?"

I used to think Jade was kind of low-rent. I don't know why. I've never known a Jade. And when Giada de Laurentiis used it, I thought it was lame---both because I didn't really like the name, and also because I thought it was kind of dorky to use her name in English. But the other day I was watching her cooking show and thinking about it (maybe she was talking about Jade?) and it kind of started to grow on me.

I don't think we'd use it because it's too close to DD2's MN (Jane), which we call her by with some frequency, and also because our girl name this time is Scarlett, and two color names would be weird. But I do like the name now. I like short, simple names, and I tend to like the long A sound, and it fits both of those criteria.

FWIW-- I totally love Emerald-- and I think it was a good point about "old" gem names vs. "newer" gem names.

There are a lot of other names that get the stripper rep though- but Jade just happens to be a name I like that gets that type of feedback AND there are lots of other similar names that don't seem to have that rep. *shrugs*

It's interesting, I think.

queenbone · September 2013

I'm not a big fan of gemstone names myself, but I like Jade well enough. It seems more contemporary than Amber as a semi precious stone name. I never understand why Ruby is totally accepted, but Emerald or Sapphire get the side eye. They are all more or less the same to me.

I'm crushing on Citrine as a gemstone name right now.

NerdyLucy · September 2013

Helenahhandbasket said:

FWIW-- I totally love Emerald-- and I think it was a good point about "old" gem names vs. "newer" gem names.

You know, I think that maybe the reason I DO kind of like Jade and don't see it as trashy is because I don't think of it as a "new" gem name the way others here do.

I know a family of older women (in their 70s, I think) that are sisters that have gem names---Ruby, Opal, Jade, and Pearl. I'm pretty sure there's another sister, and her name isn't a gem name exactly, but it's Goldie or something like that (which, by the way, I have two great-aunts named Goldie and Ivory).

Anyway, my point is that, to me, Jade seems just as old, which is partially why I don't have any sort of trashy association with it.

Also, isn't it funny how one slight difference can completely change a name? Jane is such a short, sweet, classic name that seems to be relatively liked, but just change the end a bit, from an N to a D, and the reactions are just the opposite. Of course, I do realize that the D sound probably is more harsh to the ear than the N sound, but it's still something to note.

Helenahhandbasket · September 2013

queenbone said:

I'm not a big fan of gemstone names myself, but I like Jade well enough. It seems more contemporary than Amber as a semi precious stone name. I never understand why Ruby is totally accepted, but Emerald or Sapphire get the side eye. They are all more or less the same to me.

I'm crushing on Citrine as a gemstone name right now.

I haven't ever thought of that one as a name, but it's adorable and I could totally see the NN Trini working.

queenbone · September 2013

divinemsbee said:

I kind of want to like it. But I don't. The only real life person I know of with that name is Jade Jagger, and she seems cool, so it seems like a very sexy seventies name, but it's one of those names that I just can't get past the sound of I guees? Itself like Crystal or Tiffany, and I know several really cool people with those names but I just feel like as names divorced from any person they just lean trashy. Maybe it's a collective unconscious thing. Also, it was my ex's favorite girl name, and although we broke up for other reasons, I wouldn't have wanted a daughter named Jade Wood (his last name).

I have a different non trashy vibe on Tiffany and other gemstone names. My dad gave my sister the MN Tiffany after Louis Comfort Tiffany the artist, becasue my father was a stained glass artisan as well. He was also the resident expert on the Povey Bros. Glass company, which was the studio here at the same time as Tiffany in NYC. Some of the Povey daughters had names like Diamond so I think of them as "old" names and get an old lady rather than stripper vibe from them.

So it is all about perspective. Garnet, Goldie, and Jewel were all gemstone names on the top 500 in 1910. Would you get a stripper vibe or an old lady vibe from them if you heard them now?

Scarlett&Gatsby · September 2013

queenbone said:

divinemsbee said:

I kind of want to like it. But I don't. The only real life person I know of with that name is Jade Jagger, and she seems cool, so it seems like a very sexy seventies name, but it's one of those names that I just can't get past the sound of I guees? Itself like Crystal or Tiffany, and I know several really cool people with those names but I just feel like as names divorced from any person they just lean trashy. Maybe it's a collective unconscious thing. Also, it was my ex's favorite girl name, and although we broke up for other reasons, I wouldn't have wanted a daughter named Jade Wood (his last name).

I have a different non trashy vibe on Tiffany and other gemstone names. My dad gave my sister the MN Tiffany after Louis Comfort Tiffany the artist, becasue my father was a stained glass artisan as well. He was also the resident expert on the Povey Bros. Glass company, which was the studio here at the same time as Tiffany in NYC. Some of the Povey daughters had names like Diamond so I think of them as "old" names and get an old lady rather than stripper vibe from them.

So it is all about perspective. Garnet, Goldie, and Jewel were all gemstone names on the top 500 in 1910. Would you get a stripper vibe or an old lady vibe from them if you heard them now?

I definitely see Garnet and Goldie as "old lady names," and I love them both.

I'm more on the fence with Jewel, I think because its use has continued pretty steadily since then. I love the sound of it. I think Jewel/Jules make an adorable NN for the Julia-names, but I guess I think there's something cheesy about it as a word name...?

That just seems hypocritical, though. I love virtually every other gem name.

Also, as a total aside, @queenbone, that's awesome that your dad was a stained glass artist. Do you have a lot of his pieces in your home? I love stained glass. I grew up in a little town that had its "boom" around 1900--1920, and a lot of the houses built from then had gorgeous stained glass (though my parents' house doesn't; there's something other glasswork going on in there, but none of it used stained glass).

queenbone · September 2013

Scarlett&Gatsby said:

queenbone said:

divinemsbee said:

I kind of want to like it. But I don't. The only real life person I know of with that name is Jade Jagger, and she seems cool, so it seems like a very sexy seventies name, but it's one of those names that I just can't get past the sound of I guees? Itself like Crystal or Tiffany, and I know several really cool people with those names but I just feel like as names divorced from any person they just lean trashy. Maybe it's a collective unconscious thing. Also, it was my ex's favorite girl name, and although we broke up for other reasons, I wouldn't have wanted a daughter named Jade Wood (his last name).

I have a different non trashy vibe on Tiffany and other gemstone names. My dad gave my sister the MN Tiffany after Louis Comfort Tiffany the artist, becasue my father was a stained glass artisan as well. He was also the resident expert on the Povey Bros. Glass company, which was the studio here at the same time as Tiffany in NYC. Some of the Povey daughters had names like Diamond so I think of them as "old" names and get an old lady rather than stripper vibe from them.

So it is all about perspective. Garnet, Goldie, and Jewel were all gemstone names on the top 500 in 1910. Would you get a stripper vibe or an old lady vibe from them if you heard them now?

I definitely see Garnet and Goldie as "old lady names," and I love them both.
I'm more on the fence with Jewel, I think because its use has continued pretty steadily since then. I love the sound of it. I think Jewel/Jules make an adorable NN for the Julia-names, but I guess I think there's something cheesy about it as a word name...?
That just seems hypocritical, though. I love virtually every other gem name.
Also, as a total aside, @queenbone, that's awesome that your dad was a stained glass artist. Do you have a lot of his pieces in your home? I love stained glass. I grew up in a little town that had its "boom" around 1900--1920, and a lot of the houses built from then had gorgeous stained glass (though my parents' house doesn't; there's something other glasswork going on in there, but none of it used stained glass).

I have a lamp he made us as a wedding gift. My new old house has 3 original Povey windows in it which is awesome, but a little bittersweet because my father is no longer alive to see it (or restore them for us.) Previous owners were antiques dealers and added a lot of non-original stained glass windows to the house, and unfortunately since I was raised with good glass, there is a huge window in my dining room that I think is hideous. Darn him for making my glass standards so high! LOL. :P

Scarlett&Gatsby · September 2013

Helenahhandbasket said:

Scarlett&Gatsby said:

I also like gemstone names, and I think PP have a point about "new" vs. "old" gemstone names. Sometime back when I was pregnant with DD2, or maybe just before I was, I asked about Emerald, which got a similar response, and a lot of, "What about Esmeralda?"

I used to think Jade was kind of low-rent. I don't know why. I've never known a Jade. And when Giada de Laurentiis used it, I thought it was lame---both because I didn't really like the name, and also because I thought it was kind of dorky to use her name in English. But the other day I was watching her cooking show and thinking about it (maybe she was talking about Jade?) and it kind of started to grow on me.

I don't think we'd use it because it's too close to DD2's MN (Jane), which we call her by with some frequency, and also because our girl name this time is Scarlett, and two color names would be weird. But I do like the name now. I like short, simple names, and I tend to like the long A sound, and it fits both of those criteria.

FWIW-- I totally love Emerald-- and I think it was a good point about "old" gem names vs. "newer" gem names.

There are a lot of other names that get the stripper rep though- but Jade just happens to be a name I like that gets that type of feedback AND there are lots of other similar names that don't seem to have that rep. *shrugs*

It's interesting, I think.

It IS interesting. FWIW, I really don't get a stripper vibe from most gemstone names. I honestly don't get a stripper vibe from most names. I've never known a stripper, but I would assume a "stripper name" would have to sound overtly sexual, and I don't get that vibe from gemstone names. (I also think I see a difference between "stripper" and "low class" names. I don't think a name that is popular among people who are blue-collar or less educated equals "stripper." I think of Brooklyn as a blue-collar name, but certainly not a stripper name. That just seems like a really harsh thing to say, like you're damning your child to a life of work in the sex industry if you use it.)

JaysonandKristin · September 2013

I WANT to love Jade. It sounds beautiful. I love the look and feel of Jade (the gemstone). I just have a really nasty personal association.

I think perhaps this "new" gemstone name trend was the 80-90's version of our current Bentley, Aston, Mercedes, etc. trend.

Manderlin923 · September 2013

I love Jade and Emerald and Garnet. Pearl is okay. I dislike Ruby and Diamond, Sapphire, etc...for some reason the last two give me a low-class vibe, but I don't feel that way about Jade.

mh89 · September 2013

Has no one mentioned "jaded" yet? (I just skimmed responses. Sorry for the lazies).

I want to like the name but my immediate first thought is of a jaded, catty girl.... Who became a stripper.

WHY do I have this association? I've never even been to a strip club lol.

jadie312 · September 2013

My name is Jade and I've actually been surprised since being on this site that my name doesn't come up more often bc EVERYONE tells me they love my name. Old people, men, teenagers- I'm talking everyone. I do sometimes joke that I have a stripper name but mostly bc my dad's name is that of a famous porn star lol My quest has been to find a baby name that is as different as mine bc I've always loved having a unique name that gets lots of compliments. Anyways, just thought I'd throw in my two cents since most people compliment my name and don't associate it with strippers!

Jade

Re: Jade

Choose Another Board

Search Boards