Preppy Baby Names Overheard in New England

Fads come and go, but the preppy lifestyle is almost as old as Yale
University. 'Preppy' is so cool that it just never goes out of style. With this in mind, it seemed only logical to put together a list of baby names that preppy parents could really count on.

Creating a list of preppy baby names required unusual measures. Where could authentic, preppy baby names be found? 'Preppy,' or as it is sometimes spelled, 'Preppie,' is not a state in New England. Rather, preppy is a lifestyle, which, if properly practiced, can be emulated anywhere in the world, or at least where there is a nearby mall with Ralph Lauren, L.L. Bean, J. Crew, and Lilly Pulitzer stores. Having a yacht club nearby also helps.

That said, it is well-known that if anyplace is the spiritual home of preppies, it is Connecticut. And within Connecticut, there is really only one area that you can count on as being the heart of 'Preppydom'. And that is Fairfield County. And so, the following list of preppy names was gathered by means of shameless eavesdropping across the length and breadth of well-heeled, well-groomed, pastel-hued, Fairfield County.

The names were gathered by the simple, yet effective method of hanging around preppy habitats to hear snatches of conversations and pick up authentic preppy names. In true scientific spirit, research began in the preppy heartland, in towns like Greenwich, Westport, Darien, and New Canaan, also known as Connecticut's 'Gold Coast.'

Intrepid researchers secretly followed preppy 'types' into stores like Brooks Brothers, L.L. Bean, and J. Crew. Preppies were not difficult to spot. They were adorned by such garments as Lacoste shirts, Lilly Pulitzer sundresses, cableknit sweaters, pearl necklaces, pastel polo shirts, Nantucket khakis, and Jack Rogers sandals. Chinos, pink 'V' necks, penny loafers, and Patagonia fleeces were everywhere. Logos of black dogs on bumper stickers were the quasi-official insignia denoting 'preppy' owners, usually of BMWs, Mercedes, and Jeeps.

It was, in a word, 'preppy heaven'. The following list of preppy baby names is the result of this original research, performed in Fairfield County, Connecticut, in the summer and fall of 2007. All names are guaranteed to be genuine preppy names, overheard in at least one location in Fairfield County.

You couldn't ask for a better pedigree.

Girls' Names:
Amanda,
Annabelle,
Arabella,
Beth,
Binky,
Blair,
Brooke,
Buffy,
Caroline,
Charlotte,
Courtney,
Elizabeth,
Hayley,
Laura,
Lindsey,
Lisa,
Mackenzie,
Madison,
Martha,
Meredith,
Muffy,
Vivian.

Boys Names:
Biff,
Brad,
Bruce,
Chad,
Charles,
Chip,
Davis,
Graham,
Henry,
Hunt,
Parker,
Preston,
Ralph,
Roger,
Scott,
Skip,
Spencer,
Stuart,
Tad,
Trent,
Walker,
Warner

About the author: This article was conceived and written by Neil Street, who publishes a website all about baby names, from deep in Fairfield County.