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Help[Opinions] Amber
It is dated but also kind of warm and pretty. Do you like it? Do you know many women and girls named Amber?
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I think it sounds tawdry, and the "gem" is much prettier than its name.
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I have actually always really liked this name! I know it has a tacky, dated, stripper, mean girl vibe for so many people here and I find that so sad! I think it’s a lovely name and know one Amber, who is around 11 or 12 I think. She’s a lovely girl.
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It’s okay. A little too 80’s for me, though.
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It’s okay. A little too 80’s for me, though.
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It’s ok. I neither love it nor dislike it.
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Can I just ask, what exactly do you mean by “tacky”? What’s the definition?
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I was surprised when I saw that Amber was in the top thousand, with the exception of nine years, from 1880 through 1916. Granted, the highest it achieved during that run was #640 in 1904, so obviously it's going to be tied much more with the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s than with that time period. But it still did give me more of a sense than I'd previously had of Amber as a solid, established name rather than a more recent artifact.
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H.G. Wells had an affair with Amber Reeves in 1909, so yeah, it's been around.
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It has been used for quite some time
I think it became more common after having been used for the main character in "Forever Amber", a book released in 1944. There is also a film, made in 1947.
The book is set in the 17th century (England).
I think it became more common after having been used for the main character in "Forever Amber", a book released in 1944. There is also a film, made in 1947.
The book is set in the 17th century (England).
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Okay, but no one in 17th-century England would have been named Amber, I'm sure. I'm also sure that someone would deem Amber a 70s/80s/90s name well before they'd consider it a timeless, historic name.
Of course, the name isn't intrinsically bad. I personally dislike it because I prefer names that aren't associated exclusively with one decade.
Of course, the name isn't intrinsically bad. I personally dislike it because I prefer names that aren't associated exclusively with one decade.
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I flipped through an old book whose main character was called Amber and it might have been this one. It definitely felt very dreamy and anachronistic and fantastical. Like someone today writing an 18th century character named Jade or something. But it gave me the impression of the name Amber as a whimsical name far on the edge of people's radar.
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I'm guessing in 17th century England it was more likely to be a nickname based on the person's hair color or something like that?
ETA: But I don't think the history really matters in this case. Tiffany has a long history, but it still sounds tacky because of how popular it was in the 80's and it doesn't feel like it has a sense of history. And there are some names that were invented within the last decade that sound very solid and feel like they have history even if they don't. Like Tiffany, which feels more modern than Amber even though it has more actual historical usage. The sound of Tiffany is more frilly so I think it seems more frivilous and superficial, while Amber has a deeper sound even if its usage is more "Tiffany" than Tiffany itself.
ETA: But I don't think the history really matters in this case. Tiffany has a long history, but it still sounds tacky because of how popular it was in the 80's and it doesn't feel like it has a sense of history. And there are some names that were invented within the last decade that sound very solid and feel like they have history even if they don't. Like Tiffany, which feels more modern than Amber even though it has more actual historical usage. The sound of Tiffany is more frilly so I think it seems more frivilous and superficial, while Amber has a deeper sound even if its usage is more "Tiffany" than Tiffany itself.
This message was edited 8/2/2020, 10:01 AM
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In "Forever Amber", the heroine is conceived out of wedlock by two lovers who are torn apart because their families are on opposite sides during The English Civil War. The male lover has amber eyes. The female lover, upon learning that her baby is a girl, says she wants to name her Amber after the color of her father's eyes. And Amber inherits her father's amber eyes, which means that Amber has amber eyes.
So the name is a one-off based upon certain circumstances. I find it believable enough.
So the name is a one-off based upon certain circumstances. I find it believable enough.
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Yes, since it re-entered the top thousand in 1945, the year after the book was published, it seems certain the book brought it back to the public consciousness, but it didn't enter the top hundred until 1974. It's interesting to me that when names are introduced or re-introduced from books, it still takes a good long while before they come really popular. My name was introduced in a novel published in 1899, but didn't enter the top hundred until 1932. And then there's Scarlett. GWTW published in 1936, and the name mostly absent from then until 1992, and the top hundred not until 2011.
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Seconded
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I think it’s lovely - just like the gemstone :)
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It’s still very popular in the UK. I like it - I’m a fan of gemstone names in general. I would consider using it, actually.
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I know a couple of early 20s Ambers but I also know one 5 year old Ember and I think thats so much cooler. Like embers floating through a night sky, thats sick!
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I know a 15 year old , it's ok
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I went to school with quite a few Ambers - it was one of those names that was popular enough to cross racial and economic boundaries. Yet somehow it acquired a "trashy" reputation and I honestly don't know how that happened. All of the Ambers I knew were either a bit shy, or punk rockers.
Anyway, I like the name, mostly because I also really like the stone.
Anyway, I like the name, mostly because I also really like the stone.
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I know of quite a few Ambers. One of my best friends growing up was Amber. Despite the fact that she is absolutely fabulous, I cannot stand the name. It feels shiny in a cheap, polyester way.
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I know a fair few Ambers. I think it's a beautiful name, very soft and warm, but not weak or silly.
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This was a very, very popular name in my generation. The year I was born it was the 13th most popular name actually (https://www.behindthename.com/top/lists/united-states/1986), so yeah I know loads and loads of Ambers lol
It's a super 90s name to me because of that. I feel like it'd be weird to meet a kid named Amber because all the ones I know are in their 30s now. Not a bad name but very much reflective of a specific decade.
It's a super 90s name to me because of that. I feel like it'd be weird to meet a kid named Amber because all the ones I know are in their 30s now. Not a bad name but very much reflective of a specific decade.
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I love it, but it was too popular and as a result picked up an unfortunate connotation. I've known several women named Amber, all co-workers.
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