[name_m]Hi[/name_m]! 
I’m not expecting, I’m on Nameberry for character name inspiration, but something’s been on my mind for a little while now. What do you think about giving your child a name from another culture? Personally I feel kinda uncomfortable with that since I think it’s cultural appropriation, but maybe I’m wrong! i’d just like to know what you all think about that.
Thanks!
I personally wouldn’t do it, but it also depends on your own cultural heritage and where you live. When you live in the UK, for instance, and you want to give your child an Irish name, to me that’s completely different then giving your child a Chinese name when you have no Chinese heritage.
But I suppose you just have to chose a name you love. Of course it’s cultural appropriation in a sense, it doesn’t have to be only negative though. But, like I said, personally I wouldn’t give my child a name from a culture it has absolutely no ties with.
I don’t see it as an issue. I wouldn’t mind if people of other races or cultures used names from my culture, I’d actually really like it. If a Chinese person in [name_f]China[/name_f] names their child Aderyn, I’d think that was lovely. And most people from these cultures would think the same way about westerners using names from their culture.
The whole idea of “cultural appropriation” being a bad thing seems like a very American idea. It’s much more common from second, third, or fourth generation immigrants than it is in the native culture. Look at the debate of whether white people should wear traditional kimonos. Most Japanese people in Japan have no problem with no Japanese people wearing a kimono, even if they don’t wear it in Japan, even if they wear it incorrectly, even if they wear it as cosplay. They appreciate people participating in their culture. That’s the way it should be.
That said, I probably wouldn’t use names that are unheard for people of my culture. Simply because I don’t want my children to have to tell 99%+ of people how to spell and pronounce their name.
dayjoy mostly nailed it, but I do plan to use lots of foreign names on my child. Like English/Welsh, while I’m personally not English born.
People in my country (slavic) mostly thinks of it as something wrong - since they mostly hate Americanizations. I personally made shift from trendy names to literature/mythology/real names since I personally wouldn’t like naming my child something I can’t explain as nice gesture. Especially since mythology/literature means much to me.
As long as it doesn’t offend the culture it is taken from, then I see no issue.
I honestly think it’s a bit ridiculous to think that everyone needs to choose a name from their culture. What name would I choose? I’m an American of European descent but I don’t associate myself at all with my English, Swedish, or Polish ancestors or their cultures. “American name” is often just a term people use to describe trendy or made-up names and I’m not Native American so that rules out the only names that originated in [name_u]America[/name_u].
The key to understanding this issue is respect. If/when you use a name from a different culture, you need to make sure you’re respecting the culture from which it came. This means respecting the usage (whether it’s strictly a male or female name but also not using the name if it is a sacred word/name in the culture or if it would be inappropriate for someone outside of the culture to use it), pronunciation (personally I don’t understand how someone could like a name but want to pronounce it differently because at that point, do you really like the name?), spelling (anglicizing is one thing but bastardizing is another, and unfortunately, the line between them isn’t always clear), and meaning (whether it’s a word in the language or a name, and if it is a word, if using it as a name would be appropriate).
The cultural appropriation aspect would come in if the person who used the name was white and was then applauded for their usage of the name (i.e. seeming cool, trendy, exotic, etc.), compared to if a person from that culture used the name and then faced backlash for it (i.e. being called trashy, tacky, weird, etc.)
I don’t think it’s wrong to choose a name from another culture as long as you have done your research, know that it’s not offensive in some way, and you’ve got the correct spelling and pronunciation, etc.
That said, I do think it would be strange to give your child (for example) a very obviously Italian name like Giambattista if that’s not your heritage. I think if you use a name from another culture you should probably be prepared for people to ask questions about it and make assumptions about your child’s cultural background.
I echo what others say. I personally avoid [name_m]French[/name_m] names, because although I do my best to research names, pronunciations and all, but I recognize I am still American with an American accent. I live fairly close to Québec. There are tons of [name_m]French[/name_m] speakers around me. I would feel self conscious using a [name_m]French[/name_m] name that I can’t quite pronounce as well. Beyond that would use an international name and I don’t get offended when non Jews use names like [name_m]Cohen[/name_m] or non Dutch speakers Dutch names like [name_m]Jaap[/name_m].
This is an excellent question which for me brings up thorny issues of history and power dynamics between cultures.
In many places around the world, you see people from former colonies carrying “foreign” names. For example: people in Nigeria will often have an English first name as well as a name in their native language, people in [name_f]China[/name_f] who deal with foreigners a lot will give themselves an English first name. In Latin [name_u]America[/name_u], the colonizers did such a thorough job of wiping out the native culture that almost everyone now carries a Spanish or Portuguese name. There’s also a long history of immigrants to the U.S. changing their names to be easier for Anglophones to pronounce. For example a Polish man with the surname Dzeckaeiar may have become [name_m]Decker[/name_m].
So historically, when people take on names that are not from their own culture, the reasons for this are either to adapt to a foreign influence that has take over your country or to adapt to a foreign country that you have moved to. Either way, it’s not something done lightly. It often involved blood, tears, sacrifice.
In the absence of a need for adaptation I think it would be bizarre and somewhat disrespectful to take a name from a foreign culture that you have absolutely no connection with. Can you imagine a Mexican man named [name_m]Arjun[/name_m], a Spanish woman named [name_m]Chen[/name_m] [name_u]Lee[/name_u], a Chinese man named [name_f]Saoirse[/name_f], or a Swedish girl named [name_f]Fatimah[/name_f]? It would only make sense if these people had some sort of connection to [name_f]Indian[/name_f] / Chinese / Irish / Arabic culture, right?
Names have deep cultural and familial meaning. They connect a child to his or her family, culture, and heritage. In many cultures it’s typically to choose a name that honors your ancestors, and in others it’s typical to choose a name that confers some sort of blessing or wish on the child. I think that heritage needs to be respected.
Yes, very true!
I do agree with you, but a name is not something that can be put on and taken off. To stretch your analogy, taking a name from a culture you have no connection to would be like choosing to dress in a kimono every single day for your entire life when you don’t live in Japan and have no connection to Japan. It would be bizarre!
I think if you use an English or Welsh name for your child because of a literary character who means a lot to you, that’s a cultural connection and a wonderful choice!
What you wrote reminds me of the movie “The Namesake”. It’s a movie about a young [name_f]Indian[/name_f]-American man named [name_m]Gogol[/name_m]. He has that name because his father’s favorite author is [name_m]Nikolai[/name_m] [name_m]Gogol[/name_m]. During the movie, he struggles with issues of identity and at some point chooses to use a more [name_f]Indian[/name_f] name “[name_m]Nikhil[/name_m]” which also has an American nickname “[name_u]Nick[/name_u]”. But at the end of the movie, he comes to appreciate the literary value of the author he is named after.
I don’t think it’s a black and white issue. For me it depends on different factors like who you are, where you live and where the name comes from, etc.
If you are Western European then (generally speaking) I don’t think it’s wrong or offensive to choose a name from another country in Western Europe. For example, if you live in [name_f]Ireland[/name_f] and want to use an Italian name like [name_f]Mariella[/name_f] or a [name_m]French[/name_m] name like [name_f]Elodie[/name_f] or a Welsh name like [name_f]Carys[/name_f] for your daughter, I don’t see why that would be offensive to anyone.
For other regions in the world I think the situation is a lot more complicated, and it’s best to research the name thoroughly in case it would be offensive for you to use it.
I personally love Irish names, some of my favourites are: [name_f]Saoirse[/name_f], [name_f]Niamh[/name_f], [name_f]Aoife[/name_f] and [name_m]Eoin[/name_m]. I’m not sure if I would use them in fear of my children having to constantly correct spelling or telling people to properly pronounce them, although I don’t think that would stop me.
Thank you all for your answers, it was interesting to read what other people think about this!
As a white woman, I don’t think there is an issue when it comes to names from Western European countries, which is something that was mentioned by choupette in an earlier reply. Although I only have a French and Scottish heritage, I don’t think that choosing, say, an Italian name would be too much of a problem. But when it comes to names from colonized countries, things are a lot different. My position is the same as jellojello’s, to be honest. For example, I love Hawaiian names because of their beautiful meanings, their spellings and pronunciations, but I wouldn’t dare use any of them for my child if there are no connections to this heritage. In my opinion, colonization and institutionalized racism make all of this a lot more complex than just choosing a beautiful name.