Aryan: Is it unusable?

I go to a 2 year technical college. The students in the automotive and heavy duty truck programs get shirts with their names monogramed on them, and being the name nerd I am, I like to scope them out and see what their names are.

Several months ago, one guy really stood out to me. Not only was he attractive, but his unique name also caught my attention. It’s [name_m]Aryan[/name_m]. I’ve been ‘crushing’ on the name since then, and I’ve never seen it on anybody else.

However, I was unaware of the fact that it apparently has racist ties. The blonde haired blue eyed ‘supreme race’ that Hitler wanted was called the [name_m]Aryan[/name_m] race, which I didn’t know until my mom told me. Maybe this guy’s parents didn’t realize this either when they gave it to their son.

What do you think? Is the name [name_m]Aryan[/name_m] too Hitler-ish or is it safe to use in the modern world? I’m kind of torn here. I really love this name but the last thing I want is for people to think I’m a racist or white supremist.

It’s… extremely Hitler-ish to me.

Apparently it’s an Indo-Iranian boys’ name, as well? But yes. It’s absolutely a no-go for me. I mean, I could be biased because my best friend’s ancestors were murdered and tortured by Hitler’s regime, but the word/name [name_m]Aryan[/name_m] just carries so many horrific, detestable connotations that it would be one name that would literally make me sick. [name_m]Just[/name_m] thinking about it has my stomach roiling. I mean, I love [name_f]Arianne[/name_f] as a girls’ name, but I wouldn’t go near [name_m]Aryan[/name_m] with a 1000-foot pole.

There’s a child-custody case that was going on in [name_m]New[/name_m] [name_u]Jersey[/name_u] several years ago, that, well, you can read it for yourself:

I am not sure how it eventually ended up–it’s been four years since that article was written–but it seems like that could only be one negative association with being named [name_m]Aryan[/name_m] (or having a name related to Nazism). I mean, I don’t think your intentions are bad, but yes, I would absolutely, positively avoid using [name_m]Aryan[/name_m]. I know there have been a lot of Berries (in the past, at least) who think the name [name_m]Adolf[/name_m] sounds appealing, but wouldn’t use it because of the strong connotations, and I think [name_m]Aryan[/name_m] might be the same way. It has an intriguing sound, and is rather pleasant, but yeah, the associations are way too strong.

Have you considered Ariston? It has a similar sound to me, and I worked with an Ariston for a brief amount of time. Not sure of the etymology, but I think it’s a cool looking and sounding name that’s pretty unusual.

Good luck!

[name_m]Don[/name_m]'t use [name_m]Aryan[/name_m].

Yeah… I’d honestly assume [name_m]Aryan[/name_m] was a way for neonazi parents to sneak their supremacist beliefs into a name more subtly than using [name_m]Adolf[/name_m]. It is a very lovely sound, but it’s unusable imo. Consider [name_m]Aram[/name_m], [name_m]Aran[/name_m], [name_u]Arden[/name_u], [name_u]Arlen[/name_u], [name_m]Arven[/name_m], [name_m]Aryeh[/name_m]. Or [name_f]Eirian[/name_f], which is Welsh, and this site says it’s a girl’s name but everywhere else says it’s unisex. I believe the emphasis is on the second syllable (ay-[name_f]REE[/name_f]-an).

The alternate spelling [name_m]Arian[/name_m] is marginally better.

Unless you’re a white supremacist, it’s completely unusable. There are plenty of sound-alike names that would be good alternatives that wouldn’t saddle a kid with a nazi association.

A good rule of thumb is that if you have to ask if it’s too nazi, then it’s too nazi.

Of course it is not usable. I wish high schools would get to the 20th century in their history survey courses.

Yes, it is completely unusable.

It’s absolutely unusable at least in [name_u]America[/name_u] or most western countries, especially for a white family. It’s extremely racist and people have been in the news for using this (I believe a couple who’s child’s name was refused to be put on a cake at a bakery, they had a daughter named [name_m]Aryan[/name_m] [name_f]Rose[/name_f] and a son named [name_m]Adolf[/name_m]).

It’s the kind of name is expect to hear in the news from an article about a 9 year old shooting his [name_u]Neo[/name_u] nazi dad, and something that would make most Americans assume you are EXTREMELY white supremacist.

If you are white, I’d say it is unusable

However I’ve known several [name_f]Indian[/name_f] and Iranian boys with this name and that association has never come up. I agree it has lovely sounds but I’d only use it if you have legitimate cultural ties

In English, it’s very tied to Hitler and his idea of a super race made up of blonde haired, blue eyed white people. So I wouldn’t use it personally.

I think it’s unlikely the parents wouldn’t have known about the Nazi ties, but perhaps it has a different meaning in another culture and they thought it was worth overlooking.

While I wholeheartedly believe that the name [name_m]Aryan[/name_m] is usable, I would say that you could re-spell it as Arien or [name_m]Arian[/name_m], if only to avoid the issue of racism altogether. Having said that though, [name_m]Aryan[/name_m] as a name in general is not bad. Yes, some people might automatically jump to a racist conclusion but, surely meeting the child bearing the name, and meeting his parents would sort that potential problem out immediately, right?

Still, on the whole, regardless of spelling, the name itself is absolutely gorgeous.

I’m sorry, but I do think it’s extremely unusable (I live in Europe, if that matters). Maybe you’d like [name_m]Aries[/name_m] or [name_u]Ariel[/name_u] instead?

I went to school with an [name_m]Aryan[/name_m]. I think it is also a more commonly used name among people of Hispanic culture. I now live in an area where 75 percent of the population is Hispanic and I’ve heard of a few other [name_m]Aryan[/name_m]'s. Being [name_m]German[/name_m] and living in the States, this name is definitely a no go for me.

Spelling the name [name_m]Arian[/name_m]/Arien might alleviate some of the problems. I’d still avoid it, however. Most of the time when you meet someone you learn their name by the sound, and it still sounds like the original word. [name_m]How[/name_m] many times in your life have you introduced yourself and then immediately spelled your name for the person?

Secondly, the argument that getting to know you/your kid would dispel any assumptions that you picked the name just to be racist kind of assumes that all white supremacists wear their beliefs on their sleeve. I know I don’t go around broadcasting my personal beliefs all the time, especially if I happened to hold a belief that could be controversial.

Basically no, I don’t think it’s usable. I second the suggestion of [name_u]Ariel[/name_u], it’s a similar sound without all the bad associations.

ETA: Ooh, what about Darian?

I completely agree with the person who said if you have to ask if something is too Nazi, it’s too Nazi.
I would maybe suggest [name_u]Orion[/name_u], as it has a similar sound but is unusual in a non-offensive way.

[name_m]Aryan[/name_m] does make me think of Nazism. However, I went to high school with a guy named [name_m]Aryan[/name_m] and as far as I know, no one gave him grief about his name. This was in a very multicultural area of [name_f]Canada[/name_f]. He was of Middle Eastern heritage, not sure if he was born in [name_f]Canada[/name_f] or not.

[name_m]Aryan[/name_m] is a Kurdish name. One of the sweetest little boys I have ever met was named [name_m]Aryan[/name_m]. I would not use this name but I think people of Kurdish or Iranian descent would. It’s a tricky one.

If you want to be thought a racist white supremacist skinhead, sure. [name_m]How[/name_m] is this even a question?!

A girl I went to high school with named her son [name_m]Aryan[/name_m]. [name_f]Every[/name_f] time I hear the name I just keep thinking “whyyyyyyyy” was that the name you chose for your child? Why?