The elusive "bad" name

Dec 18th 2008
By Laura Wattenberg

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.

Comments

201
December 23, 2008 1:01 PM
By hyz

Funny Eo mentioned the A-lice thing. That's always bothered me about Alice (and unlike Eo, I just can't get past it), but I've never heard anyone else mention it. I love both Margaret and Laurel, though, very much. Just to show you how in tune (not) with pop culture I am, my first pop culture association with Alice is Ros Doyle's daughter on Frasier. I have no idea what Twilight is. I'm sad to hear that this apparently popular Twilight is using Rosalie, though--that was one of my favorites this last go round, though we probably wouldn't use it becuase it's too botanical with Ivy. So, Alice sounds like a sort of slightly hipster and/or yuppie toddler name to me--a *slightly* edgier antique revival than the people who are picking Anna and Juliet and Caroline and Charlotte now, but not so "edgy" as Ruby or Violet or Hazel (not meant as a criticism--these are all names I like).

202
December 23, 2008 1:14 PM
By J&H's mom

I think I'm still voting for Laurel.
I think it's a lovely, confident, timeless name.

I absolutely adore all the Margaret nns.
In fact, my dh's grandmas are Margaret and Alice, and if I was having a baby girl I'd consider using Margaret Alice so I could call her Greta, Maisey, or Daisey-love 'em.

I believe, however, that the plan was to stick with the formal Margaret, which I do find too stuffy on a little girl.

I was just reading that Tina Fey's little girl is named Alice. Imho that's just the kind of demographic using Alice now-smart,funny,urban parents.

I have a couple friends who are huge Twilight fans, so I'll get a second opinion later!

To sum it up: Margaret if there is a nickname on the table, Laurel, Alice

If Margaret is to be used without a nickname I'm going with Laurel first then Alice.

BTW, I do remember a discussion about what someone was affectionately calling "diner waitress," names. I believe she was planning on using Irene for her baby.
At any rate, I don't get that vibe from Alice, but I don't think there is anything wrong with a name with a little sass!

203
December 23, 2008 1:30 PM
By Guest

Lurkee lou here. I knew a girl named Tw!nkl3 V@n W!nkle.

Also, I named my daughter Piper. MN is Ellouise, after my grandmother. I thought that if she grew up and hated Piper, she could have Ellouise to play around with: Ella, Elle, Louise, Lucy, etc.

I'm hoping that there's not a huge upswing in the name Piper, we named our daughter that 19 months ago, before the election.

Love the name Charlotte, by the way. I think it is strong, stable, not date-stamped and reminds me of my favorite baby-sitter I had as a child (I'm in my 30's and she was a teenager then.)

Okay, back to lurking....

204
December 23, 2008 2:01 PM
By hyz

J&H's mom--good point about Tina Fey and Alice--that's just the kind of person I'd expect to use it, too.

FWIW, I disagree about Margaret being too stuffy on a little girl--totally a matter of opinion, of course, but I actually think it would be adorable precisely because it does sound a bit proper. I imagine little Margaret the toddler in a royal huff, or Margaret the preschooler playing in the mud while wearing her good dress, or very "adultishly" reading a little book in a big chair. Margaret sounds strong, spunky, serious, and smart to me. The only thing I have a little trouble seeing is Margaret the baby, because I think of Margaret as a spry, slim name, not too well suited to rolls of baby fat.

205
December 23, 2008 2:02 PM
By Valerie

Here's an interesting take on the psychological dynamics of finding a name both parents agree on...

http://www.pregnancytoday.com/articles/naming-baby/multicultural-baby-na...

206
December 23, 2008 2:34 PM
By J&H's mom

Sorry to post again so quickly, but I just talked to my friend who is a big Twilight fan.

Here's her two cents:

Twilight is really big with a lot of young moms-not just teenagers.

She definitely thinks all the names will get more popular, but she thinks it will be mostly Bella and Edward.
She says Edward will definitely get more popular. Apparently the internet sites she goes to are full of posts like, "I married my Jacob, but I miss my Edward."

Yeah, I know....Seriously?!

Anyway, I don't know if that helps anyone, but that's her thoughts on the subject.

BTW, I watched part of the Duggar show last night, and apparently the kids all voted on the name. Dad was rooting for Julia Grace, which I prefer personally-though Jordyn isn't bad. I do think it's funny how many lovely J names they Haven't used.
Oh, and in the only part of the show that didn't make me gag (no offense, Duggar fans) one of the little ones suggested naming her Jeffrey Giraffe.

207
December 23, 2008 2:37 PM
By Tirzah

Jessica, the name Twilight reminds me of my elementary school teacher whose first name was Twila (long i vowel).

Regarding Alice, to me it falls into the category of Asian Gen-X women. I know several Asian women in their late twenties and thirties with names like Alice, Grace, Mary, Esther and Agnes -- and no white women in the same age range. (Well, I do know some Caucasian Marys, but far overwhelmed by the Asian Marys I know.)

I know at least 4 Asian Alices right off the top of my head and not a single Caucasian one.

Birth Announcement for a Girl: T@nner Kailu@. They live in Hawaii.

208
December 23, 2008 2:59 PM
By Keren

Zoerhenne - no, from the fourth Twilight book.

I don't think I could put a name I hated into a book, unless I really hated the character.
Although it's strange, I ended up naming my main character a name I'd nver ever thought I'd have chosen because I thought it would be the kind of name his mum would like. It grew on me a bit!

209
December 23, 2008 4:35 PM
By audrie

While this name certainly doesn't carry the offensive connotations of 'Adolph Hitler', I was substitute teaching the other day and while calling role came across a student named 'Stardust'. My immediate reaction was to laugh (thank goodness I fought that urge). Is it just me, or does this name sound ridiculous?

210
December 23, 2008 4:49 PM
By J&H's mom

I usually avoid using this phrase, but Stardust is a stripper name.

Did she go by Stardust or Star?

When I was teaching I always left the child's name of choice and a pronounciation guide with my seating chart to spare substitutes the roll call torture.

211
December 23, 2008 5:30 PM
By KRC

J&H's mom, this sentence is equal parts hilarious and terrifying:

Apparently the internet sites she goes to are full of posts like, "I married my Jacob, but I miss my Edward."

Anyway, my opinion is that Edward is due for an upswing even without the Twilight books (which I will never read but am aware of). I personally think Edward is a lovely, classic name for a boy and falls into the same style category as Charles, Henry and George (which I guess could be called "English kings"), all of which are popular right now, much more so than Edward. I know 2 baby boys recently named Edward - one in Greenwich, CT, one in New Jersey. I think it's time is coming. Twilight may serve to help it on its way up.

212
December 23, 2008 6:06 PM
By Coll

KRC, I don't think George is especially popular right now, though Henry certainly is. I haven't heard of anyone in my circle naming a child George (via alumnai mags, friends of friends and what not), nor have I noticed an upswing in the charts on that one.

Which is great, because I love George and it was my grandfather's name. If I can just overcome my husband's antipathy toward our out-going president, I think I can use it as a middle, at least.

213
December 23, 2008 7:08 PM
By KRC

You're right, Coll, George isn't nearly as popular as Henry or Charles. I know a few little boys named George, but nothing like the Henrys and Charleses everywhere. But I think George is currently more popular (with a certain naming crowd) than Edward.

214
December 23, 2008 7:44 PM
By zoerhenne

JRE-You know Charlotte's Web is one of my favorite movies from childhood. Yet when I think of Charlotte as a name, I don't even associate it with the wonderfully intelligent and endearing spider. Interesting! Templeton and Wilbur otoh!

215
December 23, 2008 7:51 PM
By Jessica

George has so many more aplications than our outgoing President though. I have a 16 mo George and have only been asked once if he was named for W. I live in a very liberal area and the moms I've met love his name.

I would agree that Edward is ripe for upswing without Twilight.

216
December 23, 2008 8:02 PM
By zoerhenne

Audrie-The first thing that comes to mind when I hear Stardust is Ziggy as in Ziggy Stardust. I wonder if that is where the parents got their inspiration. It does sound very "hippie" to me also.

217
December 23, 2008 8:28 PM
By Guest

I have to admit that I'm 30, and I tried for a long time to stay away from the Twilight books. Then my sister asked me if she should let my 11 year old niece read them, having assumed I had already consumed the series (I've always had a thing for vampires...don't know where it came from). Anyway, I told her that I would take a look at them and get back to her. After reading the first book in 1 day, and sprinting to the bookstore the next morning to feed my new fix, I became a Twilight junkie.

At the book store, feeling a bit foolish for raiding the junior section, the clerk told me that he had just as many adult fans of the series as teenagers. There is actually a website run by "moms who love Twilight". I have to say, I don't think it's going anywhere for a while. Especially since the studios have already greenlit the next movie installment. Lets see...4 books (so far)...the 2nd movie out next year at this time...young adults and grownups alike obssesed... I think a new crop of baby Bella's, Edward's, Carlisle's, Esme's, Emmett's, Rosalie's, Jasper's, Alice's, and Jacob's will pop up, with a possible Renee or Charlie thrown in for good measure.

By the way, in case anybody is interested, although there is nothing overly graphic to worry about, I suggested my niece wait a few years before she read them.

218
December 23, 2008 8:35 PM
By Miriam

My Edward will be thirty soon, named after my father Edward who would be 94 this week were he still alive. I would have named my son after my father even if my father had been named Hezekiah, but I must say Edward has worked very well. It is completely familiar, everyone knows how to spell it and pronounce it, it has a long history with many famous and non-famous bearers, it has three traditional nicknames to choose from if desired, and yet Edward never met another Edward his age until he went to university. No six little Edwards in kindergarten, no teasing on the playground. Twilight may lead to an upswing in babies named Edward, but it is still a sturdy, practical name, suitable for the whole lifespan and recognized in one form or another in a number of languages.

219
December 23, 2008 8:51 PM
By zoerhenne

Edward nn's=Ed, Eddie, and Ward I'm guessing. I always thought Ward was a stand-alone name. Does anyone else think that?

220
December 23, 2008 8:58 PM
By zoerhenne

Sorry to hog the board but I thought you all might be interested in the Top Ten of 2008 as per parents. com
I'm sure it won't be a surprise though.
http://features.parents.com/baby-names-2008.html

221
December 23, 2008 9:09 PM
By Miriam

Zoerhenne--

The standard nicknames for Edward are Ed, Ted, and Ned (all three can be made into diminutives as in Eddy Cantor and Teddy Kennedy--I can't think of any well-known adults who use Neddie offhand). My father used both Ed and Eddie, my son Ed. I should think Ward could also be used, although I think most Wards were derived from a family surname. I used to call Edward 'Dward' (like dweeb and dwarf) when we were being silly.

222
December 23, 2008 9:12 PM
By Coll

Ted and Ned are also nicknames for Edward. (And I agree with Miriam's assessment of the name--a distinguished and substantial choice that will never be subsumed into the Twilight universe).

Whoops--Miriam posted before mine went through. I'll just add that my grandfather's name (as well as one of my uncle's) was actually George Edward. My husband finds that name far too WASPy to consider (even though my relatives are all Irish-Catholic).

223
December 23, 2008 9:34 PM
By Megan W.

I love the name Edward. I too think it is due for an upswing in the crowd that likes classic English names like Henry. Sadly, my husband knew a few too many growing up and has nixed the name.

224
December 23, 2008 10:42 PM
By Jessica

New baby: Mark Josiah

sibs: Douglas, Russell, Kaitlyn and Kristy

225
December 23, 2008 11:39 PM
By Guest

Just wanted to add that I think the name Edward and Alice (actually all of the Twilight names) are classic and will stand the test of time...most have already.

I just think that they will become very popular (if they are not already) sooner, rather then later. They follow the vintage trend that seems to be prevelant among baby namers at the moment. The fact that they now also belong to beloved contemporary characters (along with the familiar historical ones), I believe, will push them to the front of the baby naming line.

226
December 24, 2008 5:29 AM
By Bubamara

I am going to have a baby any minute (seriously) and it's not been named yet!!! Gender unknown.
I want Noelle if it's a girl because HELLO it's CHRISTMAS!! (sorry PP who doesn't like the name spelled that way)
My husband hates Noelle. He is foreign born, BTW. He thinks it sounds either unattractive or Jewish. (scratching my head, because he likes Renee and Danielle and other French feminine "-elle" names).
Any help out there?
It could be MN but he's SO against it at this point i'm not sure i can even get that.
I do have final say, as per an agreement very early in our relationship.
Boys are totally up in the air also. I'd like a boy's Christmas name if the baby shows up today which we do think so.
Any ideas for "normal" classic style names for Christmas babies other than Nicholas and Stephen? First or middle. I'll take more girl suggestions too if you have them!
Our 2 yr old is James Josip....LN is 4 letters, rhymes with Susan, starts with a U. Otherwise Patrick would be a go for a boy's first name. But I am pretty sure we can't go with either P or F first names ;) P.U. or F.U. are unthinkable in grade school...am I right??
Help!
Thanks!

227
December 24, 2008 9:30 AM
By Easternbetty

Bubamara,

Natalie is a fantastic, subtle tribute to Christmas, and would likely fit into "normal, classic style" based on the other names you consider to be normal and classic.

The same goes for:

Holly
Ivy
Joy (as in Comfort & Joy or as in Joyeaux Noelle)
Rose ("Lo How a Rose E'er Blooming")
Angela (for Angel)
Gabriella (for Angel)
Mary or any variation thereof (Maria, Mariah, Miriam, etc.)

For boys:

Emmanuel
Gabriel
Joseph
Kris (as in Kringle)/Kristofer
Christian
Shepherd (might not be "classic" enough for you)
Timothy (as in Tiny Tim)
Rudolph (red nose)
Luke (the Gospel of)
Isaiah ("Isaiah foretold...")

My best wishes for a safe and healthy delivery for you this holiday.

228
December 24, 2008 9:45 AM
By Easternbetty

A few more:

Virginia (for Virgin)
Clara ("It came upon a midnight clear")
Beth (as in "Bethlehem")
Stella (as in "star")
Gloria (in excelsis deo!)
Carol (Christmas carols)
Felicity (Feliz Navidad)
Merry (Christmas)

David (born in the City of David)
Judah ("say unto the city of Judah")
Felix (Feliz Navidad)
Tannen (O Tannenbaum)

229
December 24, 2008 10:09 AM
By Easternbetty

Getting into some lesser-used names, but perhaps some will catch your fancy:

Mara (possibly derived from the same root as "myrrh")

Mercy ("peace on earth and mercy mild")
Dove (peace; turtle-doves)
Bell (Carol of the Bells; Jingle Bells)
Ava (play on "Ave Maria")
Jeannette ("Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabella")
Isabella (")
Lucia/Lucy ("radiant streams of thy holy LIGHT")
Star
Nata (as in O Holy Night)
Lula (as in Lully, Lulla Thou Little)
Venita (play on "venite in bethelem")
Adora (O come let us adore him)
Nova ("and a happy NEW year")
Agnes ("lamb of god")
Dulcie (In Dulci Jubilo)

For a Boy:

Adam (Adam Lay Bounden)
Jesse ("of Jesse's lineage coming")
Joshua (related to Yeshua/Jesus)
Klaus (Santa--but I prefer to pronounce it to rhyme with "house")
Jack ("jack frost nipping at your nose")

230
December 24, 2008 10:55 AM
By Eo

Love Easternbetty's list. I second the suggestion of "Natalie" as a perfect girl's Christmas name. No small consideration: It is more timeless than "Noelle". (Although I have to add, that is not true of my beloved "Noel" spelling, ahem!)

Despite my part Huguenot background, I am generally not fond of French names in general. One reason for you to consider: here in America, at least, they don't seem to have much staying power, and a few generations later, they seem quite date-stamped. You can go way back to names like Annette, Monique or Yvonne (which at one time was extremely hot stuff), or forward to Danielle, Michelle or Nicole. They seem to trend down inevitably. Interestingly, the opposite seems to be true of many Italian names, which seem to become even more desirable over time...

Will wistfully remind Bubamara of the names of the Three Wise Men: Balthazar, Caspar and Melchior. Both Balthazar and Caspar have been taken up by the "avant garde" of the naming crowd, but I fully realize they are not everyone's cup of tea! (They have great nicknames, though...)

Zoerhenne, thanks for that Parents.com list. I was oddly relieved to see in their list, at least, Benjamin has gone down to number 43! Although it's not official, it at least shows that soon-to-be parents are being beguiled by newer names, so my little Banks may not be QUITE as engulfed by fellow Benjamins as he grows up!

Caught my eye-- teenage winners of a gingerbread house contest: "Patterson and Peyton Young". They were Southern, so I'm suspecting that Patterson and Peyton may be family names and not necessarily part of other trends. Boy and girl? Two girls?

Merry, merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

231
December 24, 2008 10:58 AM
By Marilyn

I think Gevreth is a beautiful name.

232
December 24, 2008 11:18 AM
By Eo

Postscript on the French names comment above: For some reason, those ending in "-ie" seem to fare better than some of the others. In fact, some of the "-ie" ones are quite ravishing to me. Wonder why...

233
December 24, 2008 12:24 PM
By zoerhenne

A few weeks ago I thought of Christmas-time names people might like but neglected to post about it. You all have gotten everyone of them and then some except Clarice (Rudolph's girlfriend in the cartoon) and Cornelius(as in Yukon Cornelius of the same cartoon). I know its stretching but there is also Hermie. Can you tell I like Christmas cartoons?

Anyway, on a more serious note, I have to agree that Natalie is a great Christmas name. Of course I am biased though. Others we considered were Nicole, Noelle, Samantha, and Kimberley not all Christmas but ones we liked. Or you could do a "feeling" name like Hope, Heaven/Nevaeh, something that means beautiful/lovely, or Christina. I think Stella Noelle U**n sounds great!

For boys, I also thought of Nathan or Nathaniel. I my head similar to "natal".

Eo, glad you appreciated the list.

Happy Holidays To All!

234
December 24, 2008 12:39 PM
By Miriam

"My husband hates Noelle. He is foreign born, BTW. He thinks it sounds either unattractive or Jewish. (scratching my head, because he likes Renee and Danielle and other French feminine "-elle" names)."

OK, my mind is officially boggled. How in heck can anyone no matter where he was born think Noelle sounds Jewish?! Jews do not name their daughters "Christmas." My Jewish mother was born on December 25, and she sure wasn't named Noelle. This strikes me all the more odd because Josip IS a Jewish name, although it is also used in various forms by Christians and Muslims.

235
December 24, 2008 12:54 PM
By Easternbetty

"Jews do not name their daughters 'Christmas.' "

LOL, Miriam!

Eo, like you, I LOVE the Three Wise Men's names, but I hesitated to echo your earlier endorsement of them because the other names she's considering (Stephen, Patrick, Nicholas) coupled with her other child's name James seemed to flash "nothing too uncommon!"

Very, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, blessed Kwanzaa, etc. etc. to all NEs and the ones who love them!

236
December 24, 2008 1:41 PM
By hyz

Bubamara, I don't think I can do any better than Easternbetty's lists, so I'll just cast my votes for my favorites.

For girls, Holly is my very favorite Christmas name (for the Sans Day Carol, also called First Tree in the Green Wood or Holly Bears a Berry). I love the song, love the name, just love it in general. Ivy would be a runner up Christmas name (for The Holly and The Ivy), and is also my daughter's name (in the interest of full disclosure). After that, I think Natalie (or Natalya, Natalia, Natasha, and variants, or maybe Nadine or Nadia or their variants) is a good suggestion, and I also love Gloria, Merry, Joy, and Dove. My neighbor's child is Christine, and was born on Christmas, but I don't like that as much.

For boys, I like Gabriel, Joseph, Shepherd, Luke, and Isaiah very much, but espeically Isaiah. I'd add that Callum means dove, and I like that very much, and some sources give the meaning of "lamb" for Owen, which seems appropriate (lamb of God--other meanings I've seen for Owen are youth, and well-born, which don't seem entirely inappropriate to mark the birth of Christ).

237
December 24, 2008 5:21 PM
By sdh

a friend's sister just had a baby 2 weeks ago named George! (big brother is 0w3n). i don't know any baby Edwards...but i can see it becoming more popular.

238
December 24, 2008 10:21 PM
By zoerhenne

Bubamara-Provided the baby is not already named, you could also do Matthew or other names that mean Gift of God. Best wishes and do let us know what is finally decided.

239
December 26, 2008 2:37 AM
By Tirzah

I like Nicola, which is one female version of Nicholas, as in St. Nicholas.

240
December 27, 2008 6:29 AM
By Javier C

There's a kid in New Jersey that is going to have it tough, no matter what he tries – be it getting a job, going to school, or getting personal loans. Last weekend, Adolph Hitler Campbell turned three, and he has already been shot down as a result of the infamous moniker he has been given by his father. A local grocery store has refused (and rightly so) to personalize a birthday cake for the lad, after a request from the boy's parents to have "Happy Birthday Adolph Hitler" on the cake they had bought for him. Eventually, an area Wal-Mart agreed to personalize the cake. The father, one Heath Campbell, insists that the family is neither racist nor white supremacists, although they decorate their homes with Swastikas. The other two children in the happy little wollen sind Nazi familie (wanna-be Nazis) were dubbed Joycelynn Aryan Nation and Honsylynn Hinler Jeannie. (The last, named for Heinrich Himmler, one of the architects of the Final Solution.) This family clearly needs help, definitely therapy, and each one of these children is going to have an incredibly difficult time in life if they decide to stick with their given names. To read more about Adolph and personal loans, check out this article.

241
December 29, 2008 6:17 PM
By lizpenn

NAR: You can't go wrong with Margaret, Laurel or Alice. All three are wonderful names (I guess we must share the same tastes as these all made my short list as well.) But I think Laurel sounds the freshest of the three, Margaret has the best nicknames (Peggy! Meg! Greta! Daisy, even!) and Alice seems the most likely to spike in popularity soon, though it is a gracious, classic name.

Please come back and tell us what you picked so we can welcome your new baby!

242
December 30, 2008 1:57 AM
By irisheyes

I'm Irish and know two Daras, one male and one female, both now in their late 30s-early 40s. Irish names were popular in Ireland in the 60s since they were non-traditional (if your family was full of Margaret Marys, Annies, Paddys, etc.), but still identifiably Irish. As far as I know there is no saintly link, and the name refers to the oak tree. There are other Irish, non-saintly names that were also popular back in the 60s that are still going strong -- Niamh pr. Neev --(girl.. means "fair, light, bright"), Aislinn/Aisling pr. Ashling -- (girl..means "dream, vision"). I think possibly the lack of any religious link made these names attractive.

243
January 15, 2009 12:58 AM
By Guest

The news said they got taken away by the state today. It's unknown what for, but they said it wasn't just for their names. There's also another child: Honszlynn Hinler Jeannie Campbell. Same theme. Crazy.

244
January 15, 2009 11:06 AM
By June

My husband and my son are both named Charles. My son (whose middle name we tried to use in school) rejected being called by his middle name. We nn him Chip, but most of his friends call him by his proper name. He and his wife named their son Charles, nn Chaz, and the child hardly recognizes his real name. On the other hand, a friend's daughter and husband named their child Chaz. Why? becuase they couldn't agree on another name/ Dumb? I think so... but I think it was one of the causes of the divorce...

245
January 15, 2009 11:35 AM
By emily

to me there is no such thing as a bad name. Its a name get over it and in this case nameing him after hitler... really is it that big of a deal? they are not part of any nazi group or anything. they just wanted a different name and lets say they like the name Adolf Hitler. whats the harm they didnt think it was going to a big deal honetly i dont see the issue the kids are healthy not abused and happy all they wanted was a freaking cake. people judge the parents... I judge the people who make this a big deal. I named my dauhter Sarah marie nothing out of the origninal only difference is I let a total stranger name her people have told me that was stupid i tell them they are stupid and who cares its a name and its not their name its hers I will tell her this if it ever comes up when she gets older but yea people are cold hearted Adolf Hitler... let it go people and get over it. imo i think the government is running out of work and theyare just makeing up stupid policies saying that this is child abuse or something, which its not. i love all the comments that labled this family as neo nazi... or part of some kkk group. yea some random joe who just wants to be different is going to try to make his all american kid try to take over the usa... honetly we got bigger problems then this family... unless everyone in the world thinks this family is all of a sudden number 1 to watch out for. yea GET OVER its a freaking name...

246
January 15, 2009 2:07 PM
By Guest

those parents should get the dumb a@@ award how dare they give there kids those names .i couldnt belive it when my friend told me .it made me sick to here it .there are other way there parents can get attion if they need it that bad .then harming there child with such a name .

247
January 15, 2009 2:57 PM
By Judy

These people who think they are choosing fun names that draw attention to the child, are wanting the attention for themselves. Somewhere along the like, they missed something. Bad attention isn't the kind of attention that innocent children need and if the parents think their choice was cleaver, they are wrong.

249
October 18, 2009 9:41 PM
By Guest

How does the name Angel indicate "a toxic level of derision for fellow humans"?

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Allowed HTML tags: <a> <em> <strong> <cite> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.

More information about formatting options

Archives