Before Sarah Jessica Parker ever put on a gold necklace that spelled out “Carrie,” the nameplate necklace already had a decades-long history — one that started far from Hollywood, in the jewelry shops of 1970s New York City.
Key takeaways
- Nameplate necklaces originated in Black and Latinx communities in 1970s New York, crafted by local jewelers on Fulton Street in Brooklyn and Canal Street in Manhattan — not on a Hollywood costume rack.
- Hip-hop culture carried the style through the 1980s and ’90s — Eric B.’s four-finger nameplate ring, LL Cool J’s “James” ring, and countless gold nameplate chains helped make it a signature look, now documented in a published hip-hop jewelry history and a YouTube Originals documentary.
- Sex and the City’s “Carrie” necklace (1998) is what carried the style into the mainstream — Cornell University’s Africana Studies program has written specifically about this crossover, and about the recognition gap it created.
- Vogue has since referred to newer pieces as “the new Carrie necklace” — a sign the lineage is still actively referenced in fashion coverage today.
- When the show returned as And Just Like That in 2021, costume designer Molly Rogers deliberately replaced Carrie’s necklace with one reading “New York” as a tribute to the city.
Where the nameplate necklace actually started
The nameplate necklace’s roots trace to 1970s New York City, where Black and Hispanic communities embraced custom gold nameplates as part of the same cultural moment that produced hip-hop, graffiti, and breakdancing. Local jewelers on Fulton Street in Brooklyn and Canal Street in Manhattan hand-crafted names in flowing script, usually in 10K or 14K gold. Vice covered this history directly, and it’s the starting point worth understanding before anything else about this style.
The golden era: hip-hop made it a signature
Through the 1980s and into the ’90s, the nameplate became a defining piece of hip-hop style — worn as necklaces, rings, and chains alike. Eric B. wore a four-finger nameplate ring spelling out his full name, and LL Cool J wore a “James” nameplate ring alongside layered gold rope chains in 1988, both detailed in Highsnobiety’s history of hip-hop jewelry. Journalist Vikki Tobak — whose work has run in Rolling Stone, Complex, and The FADER — literally wrote the book on this era: Ice Cold: A Hip-Hop Jewelry History, which grew into an exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History and a YouTube Originals documentary series produced by Migos. That a major natural history museum built a permanent exhibition around this jewelry says something about how significant the era actually was — this wasn’t a passing trend, it was a full style movement with its own documented history, well before it had a Hollywood name attached to it.
How “Carrie Bradshaw” became the necklace’s other name
Sex and the City is the reason most people know this style at all — but it’s worth being precise about what actually happened. Cornell University’s Africana Studies Center has written specifically about this history, tracing how costume designer Patricia Field and her team sourced the idea from young people of color already wearing nameplates in New York neighborhoods, then built it into a piece so central to the character that it was written into the show’s plot — lost in Paris during the series finale, then found caught in a hole in the lining of her vintage Dior bag. Inverse has covered the same history with a sharper point: the style wasn’t invented for Carrie, and the communities that originated it got comparatively little credit when it went mainstream. Both are worth reading in full if you want the complete picture, not just the highlight.
Shop this style → Carrie Bradshaw Name Necklace, 14K Gold — $345
Solid 10K or 14K gold in yellow, white, or rose · flowing script personalization with your own name · the same silhouette that made the original famous.
Why the necklace changed when the show came back
When HBO Max revived the series as And Just Like That in 2021, longtime fans noticed something missing: Carrie’s cursive gold necklace was gone, replaced with a necklace reading “New York.” Costume designer Molly Rogers explained the change as a tribute to the city and the people who kept it running through the early days of the pandemic. Stylist and Grazia both covered the swap in detail — and Vogue’s own framing of newer designs as “the new Carrie necklace” is a sign the original piece’s influence hasn’t faded, even with a different necklace on screen now.
Who’s still wearing nameplates today
The style has stayed in steady rotation well beyond any one show. Kim Kardashian has worn a gold necklace reading “Nori” — her daughter North’s nickname — since 2013, later wearing similar pieces for each of her children’s names. Beyoncé has worn nameplate-style pieces going back to her Destiny’s Child days, later adding pieces in multiple languages and one bearing daughter Blue Ivy’s name. Rihanna has layered in a gold “Fenty” pendant of her own. None of these are movie moments — they’re evidence the style never really went away.
Shop this style → Carrie Style Diamond-Cut Sterling Silver Name Necklace — $96
Sterling silver with a diamond-cut finish · available in silver, gold-plated, or rose gold-plated · the same shape favored by Jessica Alba, Kim Kardashian, Beyoncé, and Rihanna in their own versions.
Choosing your own version of the style
If you’re drawn to this history, there’s no single “correct” way to wear it. The classic flowing script — the “Carrie” silhouette — is the most recognizable, available in both solid gold and more affordable sterling silver. If you want something closer to the bold, statement pieces of the style’s hip-hop era, a 3D or double-plated nameplate reads heavier and more sculptural, and a 14K gold Old English name necklace leans into the bold lettering style that era made famous. If diamonds are more your speed — a nod to pieces like Da Brat’s iconic diamond “BRAT” nameplate — a 14K gold name necklace with diamond accents carries that same idea. And if you’d rather keep it understated, a cursive name necklace in a thinner script wears closer to an everyday layering piece than a statement one.
Frequently asked questions
Did Sex and the City invent the nameplate necklace?
No. As Cornell’s Africana Studies Center and Inverse have both documented, the style originated in Black and Latinx communities in 1970s New York, more than two decades before Sex and the City premiered. The show made one specific version of it famous worldwide — it didn’t create the style.
Why doesn’t Carrie wear her name necklace in And Just Like That?
Costume designer Molly Rogers replaced it with a “New York” necklace as a deliberate tribute to the city, not as a departure from the style — Carrie is still wearing a personalized necklace, just a different word.
What’s the difference between a “nameplate” and a “name necklace”?
In practice the terms overlap. “Nameplate” traditionally refers to a flat plate or bar engraved or cut with a name, while “name necklace” is the broader category that also includes cursive script, 3D lettering, and other personalized styles.
Can I get a “Carrie style” necklace made with my own name?
Yes — that’s exactly what the style was always meant for. Choose your name, pick your metal, and it’s made to order.
What materials do these necklaces come in?
Sterling silver, gold-plated silver, and solid 10K or 14K gold are all standard options, so there’s a version at most price points.
Ready to make it yours? Shop our full Name Necklaces collection →
