Not long ago, an interviewer quizzed me on camera about whether there's such a thing as a "bad" name: one that would mess up a kid's life. He wanted examples. Staring into the lens, I did my best to evade the topic, as I usually do. It's serious business, telling some real-life kid that his name is horrific. And yes, that includes children of celebrities, whose names are routinely put through the wringer of public scorn. I do my best to keep Baby Name Wizard a scorn-free zone.
But are there limits? Can a name be so terrible that it violates fundamental societal standards and demands condemnation? That question is raised by the big baby-naming story of the week. In Southern New Jersey, a supermarket bakery refused to make a personalized birthday cake for a young boy solely because of his name. To the outrage of the boy's parents, Heath and Deboarah Campbell, ShopRite determined that "Happy Birthday, Adolf Hitler!" was inappropriate to render in icing. (The Campbells got their cake at Wal-Mart instead.) The dispute made headlines around the world.
Question: what is remarkable about this story? Is it that a three-year-old American child is named after Hitler? Frankly, I don't think so. In this nation of 300 million people you can find every point of view, including Nazi sympathizers. (While the parents insisted that "a name's a name" and they chose it just because "wanted their children to have unique names," their lifestyle, including another child named JoyceLynn Aryan Nation, makes the situation pretty clear.) Then is the remarkable part that a store censored a birthday cake? Again, I think not. In fact, the same supermarket had turned down a previous order from the Campbells for a swastika cake. To me, the most fascinating part of the story is that the parents seem to expect public sympathy for their birthday cake plight, on the grounds that names should be above censure.
Mrs. Campell complained to a local newspaper reporter that "ShopRite can't even make a cake for a 3-year-old. That's sad." Mr. Campell said "Other kids get their cake. I get a hard time....It's not fair to my children." Both parents insisted they don't expect the names to cause their children any difficulties in life, saying "How can a name be offensive?"
Despite the Campbells' protestations, the mere fact of "namehood" doesn't magically render words inoffensive. If you named your child...er..."%#$@!," you'd have to be prepared to bake your own birthday cakes. Similarly, the names Adolf Hitler and Aryan Nation aren't just names, they're declarations of contempt for broad swaths of your fellow citizens. So yes, they can be offensive. I'll go a step further and suggest that the names disturb us not merely because of the opinions they represent, but because the parents bestowed those names on children who have no say in the matter. By choosing pariah names, the parents set their kids up for a lifetime of conflicts. Age three at the neighborhood ShopRite is likely only the beginning.
Thinking back on the filmmaker in search of "bad" names, it seems I could now give an easy answer: Adolf Hitler is a bad name. But that answer isn't just easy, it's facile; it's a cop-out. If names are "bad" because they're likely to cause children problems, where do you draw the line?
- At Adolf's sister with the innocuous first name and Aryan Nation middle name?
- At their other sister Honszlynn Hinler, apparently a "kreative" fantasia on the name of Nazi Heinrich Himmler?
- At the kind of names that economist David Figlio has found likeliest to get you left back in school?
- At a name that marks you as a foreigner or outsider in your community?
The extreme case everyone agrees on is fine and well. The tough part is inching in from that edge and still knowing where you stand.
The elusive "bad" name
12/18/2008, 10:21AM
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Comments
On an unrelated note, the BBC is beginning to release the UK regional names of 2008 - Northern Ireland first:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7788063.stm
Jack and Katie still number 1. The commentary in the above article is interesting as one of my Northern Irish nephews has a hyphenated name, one of my Northern Irish nieces is a Katie (age 3), and in singling out Kinga as unusual they clearly don't know it's a Polish name.
What if they softened his name by adding "Lucifer" to it?
I saw the Story in the news and they had a pic of the family Mommy,Daddy, and Little Adolf Hitler. I felt sick when I looked at that sweet innocent face of that 3 year old boy. These parents are completley looking for attention and to hurt others with it the store says they do this every year.
Laura- thanks for your astute commentary, as always!
Riot Delilah-- thanks for that link. Interesting to see how Northern Irish names differ from the rest of the UK. I was particularly struck by Eva- could that be a Polish influence also?
Personally, I'm not keen on Katie, as it seems such a 'little girl' name. Much prefer Katharine, nn Katie. A lot of popular girls' names in the UK sound a bit cutesy to me- Lucy, Ellie, Millie, Evie, etc. They're sweet, but I don't think they're very suitable for adults.
Okay, I agree that you should never tell a child their name is awful, but...
Talula Does the Hula From Hawaii ???
That's not a name. It is so awful that a judge awarded the court custody of the child so she could change it. In the ruling the judge said "It makes a fool of the child and sets her up with a social disability and handicap, unnecessarily." - I tend to agree. These parents are not thinking about their child
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/07/24/talula-nz-name.html
To me, a "bad name" is one that's intended to cause pain. The Campbells knew "Adolph Hitler" would cause pain to others (and probably to the child himself, in time)--they did it anyway, because that doesn't bother them. It's reckless and cruel to cause unnecessary pain on purpose.
In family situations, a "bad name" would be one that you KNOW will cause pain: if you know that your dad ran off with a secretary named Abigail and it's still a name that drives your mother to tears, naming your own daughter Abigail is cruel--it will upset the grandmother deeply, and give the child an obstacle to overcome in an important relationship. The name Abigail is lovely by itself, and if you chose it without knowing the story, fine; but if you know that name will cause pain and you use it anyway--that's a bad name, or at least a bad naming decision.
I read that article this morning and had many thoughts about it too. I agree that that line is hard to define, b/c what's uber-bad in some areas isn't going to blip anyone's radar in other areas. For example, the Hispanic name Jesus, as we talked about a few weeks (?) ago. Out here in chilly SoCal, nobody is going to glance at it, but other people might/will find it offensive and think it shouldn't be used.
What I really think is the worst part about the story Laura referenced is that *obviously* the parents did this for attention only. Otherwise, why would they continue to go back to that particular store, which had turned them down before, request their son's WHOLE NAME on a b-day cake (when else have you seen that?), and then run to the media when it gets denied. That's worse than just using the name, to me.
What if Adolf was a family name and you wanted to use it for that reason? (Just to be clear, I don't think that's the case here, but to build on what Laura said about where you draw the line.)
And I think people have talked about names like Phuc, which are Vietnamese I think but probably will not play well in many English-speaking parts of the world.
And what if you want to give your child a difficult name to make them stronger? Is that a negative intention?
About the -ie names in England, can any Brits explain how they think people are seeing the appeal of these names?
Valerie,
I would have thought Eva is an Anglicization of Aoife - for me I am always struck that the names in Northern Ireland tend to either play very safe, or are very radically Irish (as I have discussed before on the board). My husband also points out that NI is very heavily influenced by 'names off't telly' and celebrity culture.
As for my niece Katie, I agree that ideally she should have been a Katherine. But compared to some of the other ideas my sil was throwing out there, she got off verrrry lightly. I also think the 'little girl' name problem is less of an issue in the UK - 'little boy' names such as Charlie, Tom, Bobby and Jack (number one for 15 years, for goodness sake) are equally as prevalent. I know an adult Bobby, Katie, Abby, and Kathy and all said they preferred their names to the 'long' version. So it just makes a lot of people ickle-snookums-cutie-pies whether they like it or not!
I'm not a Brit but I lived there for awhile. I think there's a tradition there of aristocratic women with silly names. It's a class indicator, perhaps, that you don't worry about perception because you needn't. Sort of like the upper class young women who take jobs as dog walkers. The job's deliberately unserious because a more serious one might make it seem like they need the money.
I met a woman once named Lettuce.
It's considered rude in England to take yourself too seriously or seem self-important. That might play into it too.
RobynT,
I think it's an attempt to remove class from naming. A lot of people will think (for example) 'Charles' as a posh, unapproachable sort of chap. Whereas 'Charlie' is your friend down the pub. Another random example: 'Camilla' is your ancient auntie that you hate to visit, whereas 'Millie' could be any age (or any class) and is a lot nicer besides.
Not everyone can be in line to the throne, but anyone can be called Will or Harry (more random examples).
In my experience this 'nicknaming' is done by everyone, as is hyphenating the first name, which interests me more as this is much more unusual in the states, although Demie-Leigh and Emma-Louise are unlikely to live in the same neighborhood.
What do the other UK residents think?
I agree very much so (see last thread) on little Adolph, etc.
I think that foreign names that just happen to sound like vulgar English words are unfortunate but not bad. I have known a few "Bimbo"s (short for Abimbola) who have further shortened to Bim. I also once subbed in a kindergarten class with a little girl named Titi and a last name with the first syllable "fuk". The worst part was that the teacher sang the roll in the morning and the students would sing it back to her. Poor Titi's name all together just was very catchy (her last name was 4 syllables & rather melodic) so the children walked around singing her name to themselves.
Riot Delilah: Very interesting about men in the UK also having... I guess what some of us would see as cutesy names. And the thing about class and not seeming stodgy is very interesting too!
I commend you on your attempts to keep your personal opinions on names out of your work. It's not an easy thing to do, and I think it's admirable. Well done, Laura!
Laura, thanks for the numbered posts! Yay!
I really am happy about the numbered posts! ;)
The story of little Adolf just makes me sick. It is only a ploy for attention. I will not be surprised if that child is in the news many more times for negative attention. It is so sad...
A name is bad if, when they choose it, the parents are thinking more about their own agenda than the possible negative impact on the child.
"Adolf Hitler" is an example of vanity naming. The parents are using an innocent child to gain publicity and notoriety for themselves.
I agree that a name is bad if it advances the parents' agenda at the expense of the child by saddling him/her with what will generally be perceived of as a "negative" name (e.g., Adolf Hitler Campbell). I also agree that a name is bad if it will cause the child undue pain in the context of his/her family unit (e.g., the Abigail example ^^). So there is an element of premeditated hurtfulness in a "bad" name choice.
Names from other languages or cultures that have unfortunate connotations or homophones in English (demonstrating my bias as a resident of an English-speaking country), present a challenge to both the bearer and the people learning to assimilate the name, but I don't think they're "bad" names.
And a boy named Sue...?
A "bad" name is like the US Supreme Court's definition of "obscenity" from a famous indecency case (I'm paraphrasing Justic Brennan from Roth v. US)... We can't define obscenity, but we know it when we see it.
Likewise, while we can't necessarily define a "bad name," we definitely know it when we see it.
Any name that is notorious enough to make the news, or be dissected at length on this blog for it's negative features, is, ipso facto, a "bad" name.
Hmm... For myself, I think it's not too hard to define what makes a bad name--but then again, I don't have to be as objective or diplomatic as Laura, not being in the business of providing name information.
So, subjectively, for me, I would say a name is "bad" if it made me pity the person who was stuck with it, for whatever reason. The name might be "bad" by intent/thoughtlessness, or it might just be a perfectly good name that's unfortunate in a specific context, or it might be one, to me, that says the person's parents had values that I don't share, or seemed to lack good decision making skills.
Therefore, my list of "bad" names would generally include a name that:
- is clearly or intentionally offensive or cruel/thoughtless (Hitler, Tallulah does the Hula)
- is unintentionally offensive, embarassing, or comical (Phuc, Arian, Ben Dover, etc.)
- glaringly displays a love of pop culture, consumer products, wealth, glamor, etc. (Lexus, Alize, etc.)
- appears to be a misappropriation of another culture, or at least an uneducated use of a culture (Chyna/Chynna/Asia/A'zya... and their ilk are the first that come to mind, but the Irelynn thing bothers me too)
- is kre8tivl'ee spelled in general, which always leads me to think that the parents either did poorly in spelling or at least have a rather limited idea of creativity
- is inextricably tied to a negative image in the home culture (Bertha, Adolf, Judas, Jezebel)
- strongly "typecasts" the bearer into a role they might rather not have, whether it's cutesy, or way offbeat, or expresses a problematic or loaded virtue (Candi, FiFi, Precious, Moon Unit, Unique, Chastity, etc.)
- is borderline offensive/arguably inappropriate (mostly the religious ones we've discussed, like naming your kid Buddha, Messiah, or even something like Cohen)
I think that covers the worst of them for me. Of course, there are lots of other categories of names that are likely "bad" for me, but I could definitely be won over depending on the context (i.e. names that are overused, names that sound like they're "trying too hard", names that sound overly trendy, names that sound "made up", names that don't seem ready for a comeback, names that just aren't particularly harmonious, etc.)
Side point - thank you for the numbered posts Laura! So much easier to remember where I left off.
If our Jack had been a girl we would have called him Katie or Ava-laugh amongst yourselves.
I think I would have used Kathleen though. I looked it up on the Name Mapper, and I was surprised to see how relatively unusual it is now. I guess everyone uses Katherine or just Kate. On a side note, does anyone else have odd quirks about Kate and Katherine spellings? I actually love Catherine and Cate, but I'd never spell Katie, Katy, or Kathleen with anything but K's.
I think there are a lot of different degrees of "bad name."
My sister was considering calling her younger son Tanyon. No offense to any who love it, but I personally think it's a bad name for all kinds of reasons, and I was super glad when she went with something else.
I also think Gaylord and Fanny are bad names.
And then there are names that would be good on other kids, but just don't work with the whole name. For example, I know of a little boy whose name is basically Thurston Thune.
I've changed a few letters, but you get the idea...
All of these, of course, pale in comparison to the poor Campbell children. One of the comments I read called it, "legal child abuse," and I'd agree entirely.
Laura your commentary was very insightful. Thank you for providing some food for thought.
hyz at 4:20 is wise. Very wise. I like that list. And the analogy presented by Nicole S. at 4:27 PM was great.
Personally I think that Heath and Deborah Campbell are guilty of more than just picking bad names. This is child abuse. They are willfully putting there own needs and wants and political agenda before the well-being of their children. That poor boy, he's in for a lifetime of teasing and ostracization.
Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to repent all the nasty things I said about Bronx Mowgli Wentz. In comparison to the Campbell's choices, this name doesn't seem to bad.
Campbell says their family has German roots, so using the name Adolph is fine. It's a lovely name that has suffered greatly from painful associations. If he happened to have Hitlers in the family tree, I'm sure not all of them were sociopaths and carrying on the name is fine. Combining the two, though, just needlessly rings up a lot of bad connotations.
The kre8ive names bug me, mostly because I have to spell out my daughter's name even though it's the original spelling. They're not inherently "bad," though, I guess. Things that make other people snicker or do a double take, a la Ima Hogg or Crystal Shanda Lear, can be seriously problematic, though. I met a boy named Lake, once. It makes me wonder if his middle name was Travis (there's a Lake Travis nearby). It made filling in his nametag a major pain in the rear because I was trying to transform the name he was mumbling into a name that I recognized, and even when Mom came over to help I couldn't figure out what "real" name they were saying. Luke? Jake?
There's a well known biologist whose first name is Dolph. If I really wanted to honor Grandpa Adolf, I'd consider Dolph. I'm not sure, though, if even that would put enough distance between my child and one of the leading evildoers in world history.
Bea, I definitely agree Bronx Mowgli Wentz isn't so bad in a live and let live kind of a way. I mean, I wouldn't pick it, and I don't think it exactly rolls off the tongue, but I don't think it's the kind of name that will scar the kid. I mean, some people really like the Bronx and might see it as an awesome namesake, and Mowgli isn't horrid and is at least literary, so... whatever. It doesn't meet the highest level of *badness*--I'd say it's more of a "disagreeable selection"--worse than mediocre, but not a true "bad name", for me.
I'd be curious to hear what the Baby Name Wizard forums think of the name my cousin just bestowed on her baby: Gevreth (nn Gev). The whole family think's it's horrible (people will mispronounce it, people will misspell it, it sounds low-class, it's a kreative variation on a reality contestant's name, it sounds like the name a tween would make up for her fantasy novel, etc.), but at this point it's a done deal. I'd like to know, though, from objective observers: is Gevreth a cruelty, or are we too parochial name-wise?
And this is why a lot of countries around the world and rules about which names are allowed.
In Norway names are only allowed to be given if they won't harm the child. This might seem strict but at least you avoid hurtful or stupid names.
Yes, there is such things as a bad name: Top on my list are
Sydney
Cody
Dakota
Bronx Mowgli is a "what were your parents smoking" name.
Adolph Hitler is an "eek! This guy was raised by sociopaths" name.
People are willing to laugh with Bronx Mowgli. They are going to avoid making eye contact with Adolph Hitler.
J&H's mom -- I think I've posted about this before but I am a Catherine/Kate, after my grandmother. I gather that in her generation, switching the C/K was not a big deal, but I do get questions about it all the time. It doesn't bother me, I prefer Catherine as opposed to Katherine and Cate just looks weird to me (it looks like it should be pronounced with a soft "c").
On anther note, I thought I'd pass along an interesting name I heard today: Davidde. Not sure if it's a man or woman, but I'd bet woman. Probably pronounced dav-EED?
I think naming your child Adolf Hitler is just plain cruel and wrong. I don't think its right to put that kind of handle on a child. I think growing up that child will have a hard time making friends and become a very angry teenager.
I am sorry but I think I would have a hard time having my child befriend a child name Adolf Hitler... and the sad part is its not that innocent child's fault at all.
Hyz:
I agree with some of your list... like a child should not be given a name that is meant to cause harm. But I am not sure I agree with the part containing A love for pop culture. Ben Dover is just wrong!
I mean the name Lexus isn't my taste at all but its not offensive, harmful or embarrassing if you ask me. Plus it would mean that you can't use the name Tiffany, Sierra or Shelby.
Since those are stores, trucks, or cars.
On the British taste for Milly/Alfie type names - I remember two separate conversations I had with friends, one with a daughter called Rosie, the other with a son called Charlie. In both cases the grandmother-to-be had suggested calling the baby Rose/Charles. The mothers-to-be said no, because he/she is always going to be called Rosie/Charlie and never Rose/Charles. There's almost a rebellion against the perceived formality of previous generations.
I have to say I much prefer Katie to Katharine, and see them as very different names, and if we were ever to have another baby then Alfie would be towards the top of my list, but Alfred wouldn't even be considered.
On 'bad' names - the only really bad ones I think are the ones that are offensive to others and invite hatred and ridicule of the child (little Adolf being prime example). Most of us are too quick to criticise the choices of others and not prepared to celebrate the creativity that goes into naming - whether the name chosen is to our taste or not.
I think this is a very touchy subject...the "badness" of a name is totally subjective. I think Adolf Hitler is a terrible name....but is it right to censor people's views and opinions (including their taste in names?)?? It's pretty obvious to most people that Adolf Hitler is a horrible name...but if we try to control what people can or cannot name their children, it's a pretty slippery slope towards control and censorship. Who is the ultimate authority on good or bad names??
Melissa C - Tiffany is actually a "real" name popular in medieval times for girls born on the Epiphany.
Sushila OMalley hit it with the idea that a bad name is one which is cruel or cause pain. Then again, it's hard to tell where that line is, and it certianly depends on context. I would have no trouble getting to know (or letting my child be friends with) someone called Cohen or Mackenzie, Lexus, Addison, Fanny, Bronx, China or Asia, no matter how ill-concieved I think the name. Phuc is fine, as is Aryan on an Indian child (the context there is that it means noble, or spiritual, I believe).
However, a white child named Aryan, or anyone named Adolph Hitler indicates a level of derision for fellow human beings that is hard to understand, and I certainly wouldn't know how to handle meeting someone with that sort of name. There is a grey area, too: I have met people in real life with names- or have children with names- which alter the way I interact with them. The examples which come to mind include Trinity, Genesis, Heaven, girls called Angel, Gauge, Gunner, Zion, Che and Stallin (yes, two lls). Those names and others like them seem to potentially indicate that toxic level of derision for fellow humans- or it could just be a slightly unfortunate choice. It means I would be much more cautious and reserved with that person (or their parents) than I would be with a person with a less polemical name.
So a bad name...is a cruel or divisive one?
Guest at post #35: as human beings, we have certain moral codes which allow us to live together in close proximity, to thrive intellectually and materially. The details of these moral codes are different- and sometimes very different- between societies, which can lead to conflict. However, in a large, divierse and globalised society like ours, any moral code which encourages or even condones the subjugation and slaughter of community members based solely on their familial and cultural affliations is illogical, immoral, and in the long term unsustainable. It's not censorship to say that it is wrong.
Sara Ann: How is Gevreth pronounced? Is it a hard G?
Yes I too am repenting of the disapproving comments I made in reference to Bronx Mowgli Wentz! An awkward, clunky sounding name, yes. A BAD name? No.
Naming your child Adolf Hitler is horrifying and rather cruel. And agreeing with someone near the top-why would you have the entire name on the birthday cake? What's wrong with 'Happy Birthday Adolf'.
Thanks so much for your comments re: our girl's name. DH has ruled out Evangeline-"too long". Lila feels a bit incomplete to me, but I'm not a huge fan of any longer versions. Ariane is out. In Western Aust. Abigail nn Abby is ranked #38 which is a little popular for my liking but I personally haven't taught any (amazing) or know any. I'm trying to let it grow on me.
Last thing, back a few months ago I asked you all about Eliane nn Sunny (as the name means Sunshine). Eliane is not too big of a contender now, but the nn Sunny is still a name that we love but don't think is a 'real' enough name to stand on its own. Is Sarah nn Sunny too much of a stretch?
Sara Ann: I'm curious as to whether Gevreth is a girl or a boy. Although I agree with the "sounds like a tween fantasy novel character" statement, and it's definitely nms, I think I don't mind it too much on a boy.
And I like hyz's summary at #21, although I have to agree with other posters that the pop culture names don't bother me as much. They're nms, but I don't think they're necessarily "bad". And sometimes the comical ones aren't either. I had a friend whose dad's name was Clifford Dive, and he willingly went by Cliff, completely unfazed by the humor in his name.
I do have a problem with names that appear misspelled. Not so much kre8tive names as names that just plain look wrong. (e.g. I knew a "Francesca" whose name was spelled Franseca, and a "Marilyn" whose name was spelled Marlynn.) In both instances I feel like their name actually shouldn't have been pronounced the way it was based on its spelling, and in both instances I think it was a result of literacy issues on the part of the parents.
I would say that any sort of name that leads one to think the bearer or the bearer's family is ignorant, distasteful, or prejudiced is a "bad" name.
i have a feeling that the nazi namers live in some sort of white supremacy commune where the children would only have the opportunity to meet children of like-minded parents. but i could be wrong.
why does it not surprise me that walmart made the birthday cake a reality?
Blythe-I'm intrigued by some of the names you listed as being potential (and I recognize you said potential)indicators of parents with derisive views. I understand what you mean by Stallin, but I'm wondering if you could expand on your inclusion of names like Trinity, Heaven, and Gauge.
I wouldn't use Trinity myself as it's not to my taste and the Trinity is an important concept in my faith. However, I suspect that 99% of Trinitys were named after the Matrix or because mom liked the sound of it.
There is a little Trinity in Jack's kindergarten, and I've never found it offensive-although she is a real 'pistola, which is sort of funny.
Anyway, I'm not trying to pick on Trinity...or you, for that matter....I guess it sort of gets at what Laura wrote in her opening post. Do we draw the line at names that are clearly offensive or potentially offensive?
Are names more acceptable if they're suitable in a particular culture and less so if the parents simply didn't know or care about the meaning?
For example, I know of a Zion whose parents simply liked the way it sounded (mom's name is Tiffany, believe it or not).
I'm not claiming any definitive answers here, btw-just ruminating.
RobynT: And the questions about how to pronounce his name begin. (I figure a lot of people reading it will see "Garrett" and he'll have to correct them.) Hard G.
Anne with an E: He's a little boy - which may make the problem more acute. As Laura has noted, people use/expect more daring with girl's names.
His middle name, by the way, is Alan.
Sara Ann - I think the name Gevreth is unusual and nms, but it's certainly not a cruelty.
Since it's a done deal, as you say, then I'd move on and try to embrace it - I bet once you get to know the little guy, the name will grow on you. A friend named her little boy something that I didn't care for at all at the time, but now it doesn't even strike me as unusual two years later because I am used to it and he's a very cute little boy.
I don't think Gevreth is a name he will get teased over or cause him to not get hired for a job. Nor is it a name that hurts or causes anyone pain (i.e. it's not a BAD name). It won't ever be a common name, which can be a plus. And when he's an adult (or teenager) and if he doesn't like the name, then he can always go by something of his own choosing (like Alan).
Louise - I don't think Sarah nn Sunny is too much of a stretch. My mom called my Sunshine when I was little (actually sometimes she still does), and it is in no way related to my real first name.
Louise-My dd's nn is Sunshine because I said to the dr at her birth "This room is too sunny I can't do this unless you pull the blinds!" The dr replied "Ah, you're doing it already" and then put a sheet up on the window! LOL! I think it will work if you want it to and introduce her as such.
Laura-Very tasteful commentary.
I agree with what everyone else has said thus far. There ARE "bad" names! I am among those who think hurtful/negative image invoking names are not a good choice. However, kr8tiv names just bug me sometimes. Other times they are nice. I don't think they will inherently cause problems of a hurtful nature. Spelling or pronouncing your name repeatedly is just plain annoying NOT child abuse.
Question though: Would the name Santa Claus LN be as repulsive as the name Adolph Hitler LN? I think not. However, I would personally refrain from calling my child Angelica OR Violentia. Is a "good" name equally bad?
I think hyz offered some valid points at 4:20. I personally greatly dislike cre8tive, pop/consumer-ish, even "typecast" names. But those I would rate as my opinion. They come nowhere near the rank of offensive like Adolph Hilter. Would I name my child Adolph after Grandpa Adolph? Thank God I don't have to make that choice. But I do think the Hitler is what takes it to another level. And then to add the siblings names... My heart cries for the poor babies.
Sidenote: There must be a strange ad on here again bc my blocker kicked me offline everytime I tried to come in here today. I had to turn off the blocker to do this.
Leah and Zachary have a baby sister...
Alexa Noelle was born early this morning. :)
This is a very thoughtful discussion.
I feel a names can be unfortunate (not bad exactly) when the initials of the first, second and surname create words in themselves. In primary school, I had a friend named Barbara Ann Dempster (BAD) and unkind schoolmates teased her mercifully. There are countless pitfalls (3 letter words) one could fall into if not being alert!
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