[name]Hi[/name] berries. What do you all think of the name [name]Caliban[/name] for a boy? More specifically, does the meaning put you off so much you wouldn’t use the name? I love the sound of [name]Caliban[/name] (and I think it goes well with our daughter [name]Mila[/name]'s name) but the fact that [name]Caliban[/name] is the deformed son of a witch in the [name]Tempest[/name]… Well, it’s a pretty horrible reference!
Honestly, I think it would be terrible to name a child [name]Caliban[/name] because of the reference. I feel the same way about names like [name]Ahab[/name], [name]Jezebel[/name], and [name]Delilah[/name] too. My ex-husband has a cousin named [name]Dathan[/name], and he’s a deeply troubled person. We could never understand why his parents named him after the villain in the Exodus story…Why not [name]Taliesin[/name], which has sort of the same sound, and a much cooler historical background?
I definitely would not name a son [name]Caliban[/name]. Sorry. The character in “The [name]Tempest[/name],” more than being deformed, is highly misunderstood, abused and is a symbol of slavery and the mistreatment of natives during colonization. Moreover, [name]Caliban[/name] is an anagram of cannibal (or the Spanish, canibal). In “The [name]Tempest[/name]” [name]Caliban[/name] has his moments (including a beautiful speech in Act 3), and is ultimately redeemed in the end, but he is not a character I would want to be named after. Also in productions of “The [name]Tempest[/name]” [name]Caliban[/name] is always portrayed as a monster.
So, yeah, I wouldn’t use it. There are plenty of names out there that have similar sound, better meaning, and would go wonderfully with [name]Mila[/name]. Some ideas:
[name]Calahan[/name]/[name]Callahan[/name]/[name]Calihan[/name]
[name]Caleb[/name]
[name]Calix[/name]
[name]Calhoun[/name]
[name]Calisto[/name]
[name]Callum[/name]
[name]Calvin[/name]
[name]Hope[/name] that helps!
Yeah… That’s what I thought. I am pretty sure I wouldn’t actually use the name either, because of the meaning, but I still like how it sounds.
[name]Calihan[/name] is really nice, although is it just a creative spelling for [name]Callahan[/name]?
[name]Hi[/name]. I’m not familiar with the [name]Tempest[/name] unfortunately, so that didn’t come to mind, but if doesn’t seem like a great association. However I’m afraid the first thing that DID come to mind when I read the topic title, was
“NO! Sounds too much like Taliban!”
so to me, another bad association.
I must agree that [name]Callahan[/name] is a much better alternative! And yes, I think [name]Calihan[/name] is just a creative spelling. Besides that, cal-a-han sounds nicer than cal-e-han to me.
Are you serious? We have terrorism all around the globe and in Afghanistan - The Taliban!
Well, for one thing I pronounce them quite differently. [name]Caliban[/name] = [name]Cal[/name]-ih-ban (ban rhymes with tan). Taliban = tal-ee-barn. So with my accent, they don’t rhyme.
Secondly, I don’t live in the States and we rarely hear about the Taliban here (and our press also spell it Taleban) so that reference is not a big deal for me.
I admit, when reading it I did assume it rhymed with Taliban, so that’s unfortunate. And while it may not sound that way in your accent, if your son were to travel at all or live abroad when he’s older it could be an issue.
Also, the name reminds me of Calibos, a pretty unlikeable character in mythology.
Sorry. 
Lol, that’s fine. It was more of a curiosity post than anything else and honest opinions are very welcome.
PS - I looked at your name list and we actually do have pretty similar taste in boy’s names. I have about 10 of yours on my own list. 
Where I live, [name]Caliban[/name] rhymes with Taliban. They may not be pronounced the same where you are but if your son were to travel abroad this could definitely pose a problem. Between that and the literary reference I’m just not digging it. Sorry. I do think [name]Callahan[/name] would be an awesome alternative though.
Another vote against using [name]Caliban[/name] on anything other than a literary character.
What about [name]Caedmon[/name] instead? Similar exotic vibe with a wonderful meaning behind it –> Cædmon - Wikipedia
And if you’re just looking for sound-alikes, replacements might include:
[name]Corbin[/name]
[name]Callahan[/name]
[name]Lachlan[/name]
[name]Kiran[/name]
[name]Finnegan[/name]
[name]Coby[/name]
[name]Beckett[/name]
Out of curiousity, where are you from? I’m trying to figure out what accent would pronounce Taliban that way. Regardless of where you live, the Taliban is a terrible thing to have your name resemble.
It stinks when you like a name, and can’t use it for whatever reason, I know all to well. Good luck!
I’m from New Zealand 
. Not sure if I really explained the pronounciation properly, but the “ban” in Taleban is definitely a soft, long syllable “BAHN” as opposed to a short, hard “ban”.
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I like [name]Caliban[/name], I honestly didn’t know about the reference to the [name]Tempest[/name], but I don’t think I could use it myself, because my friend [name]Ian[/name] had a stuffed bat named [name]Caliban[/name], and that’s the first thing I think of.
For once I vote with the overwhelming majority. No to [name]Caliban[/name]. [name]Shakespeare[/name] connected that forever with lowly, frightening, dangerous, dim slave.
Bad [name]Shakespeare[/name]!
I haven’t listened to the broadcast but I presume it’s one with a different pronounciation to the one I mentioned. NZ has regional variations in accent much like the states, the UK or anywhere else. I do agree that in radio/tv they are now starting to pick up on the American pronounciation of the word, but this is not what was commonly used for years.
Regardless, the fact it sometimes rhymes with Taleban is not really a big issue for me. If I met a guy called [name]Rick[/name] I wouldn’t immediately think, “OMG, that rhymes with …”
I’m sorry, but it’s really not the same situation. You don’t automatically think [name]Chuck[/name], [name]Rick[/name], [name]Mitch[/name], etc. rhyme with other words, but those other words are much more common and the names that rhyme with them are also more common, as are lots of other common words. Familiar sounds. Taliban/Taleban has a different sound and look than any other word I can think of, except [name]Caliban[/name]. You said they are starting to use the American pronunciation more? I would assume that trend would continue, but either way. It’s far too much of a burden to put on a child in this increasingly globalized society, let alone if he ever travels abroad. The [name]Tempest[/name] is another terrible association.
I think we will have to agree to disagree on the rhyming issue.
As I have said previously in this thread, a) the fact it may possibly rhyme with Taleban in some parts of the world does not bother me, regardless of whether a person with that name ever travelled and b) it’s a hypothetical scenario only, I’m not actually going to name a son [name]Caliban[/name].