Countries as Names

WDYT of them? [name]Do[/name] you like them would you use any? Here’s mine: * means has meaning for me. OnesI woul actually use are bolded:

[name]Egypt[/name] *
[name]Scotland[/name] middle name
Iceland middle name
[name]Zaire[/name]
Seychelles middle name
[name]Ireland[/name] *
Zealand
Britain *
Greece middle name
[name]China[/name] middle name - also like on boy
Australia
[name]England[/name] *
[name]France[/name] *

[name]Israel[/name] middle name *
[name]Italy[/name] middle name
Portugal *

[name]Egypt[/name]: I like it, but wouldn’t use it.
[name]Scotland[/name]: Ditto
Iceland: Like!!
[name]Zaire[/name]: My friend’s name!
Seychelles: Like
[name]Ireland[/name]: LLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
Zealand: I live in New Zealand, so it wouldn’t really work.
Greece: Like
[name]China[/name]: LIKE!
Australia: I don’t think this would work as a name.
[name]England[/name]: LIKE
[name]France[/name]: Like!
[name]Israel[/name]: Like this a lot.
[name]Italy[/name]: My friend’s name :slight_smile:
Portugal: COOL!

Thanks for leading me here!! What a coincidence! :slight_smile:

~[name]Jasmine[/name]

I feel that it’s extremely pretentious if they have no ties to the country.

I’d want to laugh if I met anyone named [name]England[/name], or [name]France[/name].

I pretty much agree with east93.

Also, what if the child wants to travel when they grow up? I’ve been to most of these countries, and lived in some of them. I’d have felt ridiculous hanging out in [name]Ireland[/name] if my name was…[name]Ireland[/name].

Yeah, I just don’t get the appeal.

I think country names are interesting - I’m generally not a fan of most of the ones on this list, though. I think [name]Scotland[/name] is nice, and will probably explode in popularity since [name]Kourtney[/name] K. used it for her daughter. [name]Israel[/name] is a legit name that’s been used for a long time, so that’s okay. Greece? All I can think is “grease” and the kid getting called a “greaser” like in The Outsiders.

I do know a little boy named [name]Brazil[/name], and I think that’s cute. I have [name]Peru[/name] for a girl on my “guilty pleasure” list.

So people should stop naming children [name]Israel[/name], [name]Kenya[/name], [name]Chad[/name], [name]Georgia[/name], and [name]Cyprus[/name]?

The countries didn’t pull their names out of the air, they were all named after someone or something. I love [name]Mali[/name] & Zealand for their means, flower & sea land. [name]Don[/name]'t care at all about [name]Mali[/name] or New Zealand because they didn’t invent the names and they aren’t the only places on the earth with those names

Since you’re considering these names because you have a connection and you’re attached to them then I would follow this rule of thumb: will this country laugh at my kid or find it disrespectful if I name my child after them? If the answer is yes then no I wouldn’t use it. Take into consideration that your child might travel to [name]England[/name] so will people from [name]England[/name] laugh at your little [name]England[/name]? If the answer is yes then again I wouldn’t use it.

the only one that works as a name to me is [name]Israel[/name], because it started out as a person’s name and has been used that way ever since if you want to express a connection with the place, there are so many other (more interesting, more usable) ways to do it.

I tend to only approve of country names if they don’t appear on current maps: [name]Erin[/name], [name]Caledonia[/name]/[name]Caledon[/name], and [name]Cambria[/name] are alright but [name]Ireland[/name], [name]Scotland[/name] and [name]Wales[/name] aren’t, [name]IMO[/name]. I don’t like [name]India[/name] or [name]China[/name] either, but maybe [name]Cathay[/name] could work.

[name]Chad[/name] and [name]Georgia[/name] as names have completely separate origins from the names of the countries and I’m fine with those as well. And the native name for [name]Georgia[/name] (the country) sounds nothing like the English name [name]Georgia[/name].

[name]Zaire[/name] is pretty, but it’s more of a river name than a country name (the country was named after the Portuguese name for the [name]Congo[/name] [name]River[/name] and it’s not the current name of the country).

I don’t tell people what to do regarding naming their children, it’s completely their choice. [name]Just[/name] because they have said choice does not mean that I have to like, or agree with every name or naming practice.

[name]England[/name] is not the same as [name]Chad[/name] in terms of origin, so that’s a rather moot point imo. [name]Chad[/name] has two different national orgins, [name]England[/name] has one that was derived specifically for a country. [name]Chad[/name] is a human name in it’s own right, [name]England[/name] is not.
[name]Just[/name] because a country is named something, doesn’t mean that humans should be as well. I see no relation to a mass of [name]Earth[/name] being named “land of the Angles”, and a child being named “land of the Angles”.

Also, I’ve done a bit of research on this topic, primarily on the name [name]London[/name] actually, and I’ve heard from a large number of Londoners that no one in [name]London[/name] would name their child [name]London[/name], and if a person came from overseas with said name, they’d all laugh and think “Bloody hell, what?”.

It’s important to think ahead in terms of naming children unconventionally. I wouldn’t name my child after a country I have no real ties to. Middles are fair game though.

Perfect.
This is pretty much how I feel as well.

Although I’d add in that native names for countries are out too. Like Espana for Spain, or [name]Italia[/name] for [name]Italy[/name].

I have a friend who named her daughter [name]Vienna[/name]. I think it’s pretty :slight_smile:

That makes sense.
Using current place names is always risky, especially -land names, but I think they’re fine.

[name]Chad[/name] and [name]Georgia[/name] as names have completely separate origins from the names of the countries and I’m fine with those as well. And the native name for [name]Georgia[/name] (the country) sounds nothing like the English name [name]Georgia[/name].

Yes, I know. I was wondering where the “pretentious” line was since there are lots of place names that are also acceptable names for people

So Londoners would laugh at a baby [name]London[/name], and I’d laugh at a baby [name]Archer[/name], [name]Madison[/name], or [name]Kendall[/name] because those are places where I live. No big deal to me
I wouldn’t name my child after any country, city, or street either, ties or not. But if a name I like is also a place name, then it is what it is. And if people wonder, then I’ll tell them I chose the name for it’s meaning not because of the location.

[name]Egypt[/name] * – I don’t see this as a name, particularly, but it’s not bad. I see it more as a female name, to be sure.
[name]Scotland[/name] middle name – I think this is kind of super cute, for a girl. But I kind of like the nickname “[name]Scottie[/name]”, too, as F. [name]Scott[/name] and [name]Zelda[/name] [name]Fitzgerald[/name] nicknamed their daughter.
Iceland middle name – Doesn’t really work for me, sorry.
[name]Zaire[/name] – If pronounced “[name]Zara[/name]”, very valid, especially now that “[name]Zahara[/name]” has been popularized by Brangelina’s daughter.
Seychelles middle name – [name]Don[/name]'t see it as a name.
[name]Ireland[/name] * – [name]LOVE[/name] this. Plus, as everyone knows it as the name of [name]Alec[/name] [name]Baldwin[/name]'s daughter, it’s definitely valid.
Zealand – Nope.
Greece middle name – Too much like “Grease”!
[name]China[/name] middle name - also like on boy – Think [name]Chyna[/name] [name]Phillips[/name]. It’s a girl name, if it’s a name.
Australia – … It’s a little out there, imo.
[name]England[/name] * – Nope.
[name]France[/name] * – Nope.
[name]Israel[/name] middle name * – Maybe, on a boy.
[name]Italy[/name] middle name – I prefer “[name]Italia[/name]”, if you used it.
Portugal * – Not a name to me.

There are several Country names I like. However, I wouldn’t use a Country name unless it had personal significance. For example, I love the name [name]India[/name]. I think it’s a beautiful girls name. The problem is that I have no ties to [name]India[/name]. If I use it, I’m sure people will assume I have a reason for using the name.

Country names I like:

[name]Ireland[/name] (no personal significance, wouldn’t use)
[name]Israel[/name] (personal significance, good possibility I would use)
[name]Canada[/name] (found this recently in my family tree for a male and really liked it. I wouldn’t use because I have no ties with [name]Canada[/name])
[name]India[/name] (no personal significance, wouldn’t use)

[name]Ireland[/name]
[name]Scotland[/name]
[name]Jamaica[/name]
Malaysia
[name]Americus[/name]
[name]Italia[/name]
[name]Caledonia[/name]
[name]Colombia[/name]
[name]Jersey[/name]
[name]Morocco[/name]

The love the names [name]India[/name] and [name]Georgia[/name] and would use them.
I like, but would never use, [name]Italia[/name], [name]Asia[/name] (I know it’s a continent but still), and [name]Ireland[/name].
I think using states and cities as names seems to be less of a big deal than countries for some reason…

In general I dislike place names as given names, it is even worse when the spelling is changed. eg: [name]Londyn[/name]. Yuck.
From your list the only one I wouldn’t scoff at would be [name]Israel[/name].
If you had ties or an emotional connection to a particular place I think that finding a name that honours that place without being so blatant would be the way to go.

The worst place name given to a child that I’ve heard of was a toddler in an article named Southern-[name]Rome[/name].

[name]Andorra[/name] - I think this one is beautiful!
Belarus - this is a weird one but [name]Bela[/name] is nice and -rus is kind of attractive
Belize - [name]Belle[/name] and [name]Liz[/name], weird but pretty
Benin - I think I’d like this as [name]Benen[/name], kinda cool
[name]Bolivia[/name] - I like the [name]Livia[/name] part, and after being called Kimbo for a lot of my life, I’m not against -bo- :slight_smile:
[name]Chad[/name] - certainly usable even if I don’t personally love it
[name]Cyprus[/name] - this is cool, like [name]Cyrus[/name] with a twist
Faroe - Islands, but Faroe is a cool name
[name]Georgia[/name] - I know dozens
[name]India[/name] - meh, I’ve known a few. I’m not super fond of it.
[name]Israel[/name] - okay, but hard to pull off if you’re not Jewish
[name]Ivory[/name] Coast - Its not my style but I’ve heard of [name]Ivory[/name] being used
[name]Kenya[/name] - I know at least 3 people with this name. NMS but it’s usable
Liberia - I don’t know that this is actually usable but [name]Libby[/name]? [name]Ria[/name]? Not too bad!
Malaysia - I know [name]Malia[/name]'s and [name]Asia[/name]'s aplenty, so why not?
[name]Mali[/name] - I know at least one
[name]Marshall[/name] - Islands, boring but usable
Martinique - nms but I could see this being gorgeous on someone
Mauritius - same as above
[name]Mariana[/name] - Islands, but super usable
Romania - [name]Romy[/name], [name]Mia[/name], [name]Rania[/name], different but kinda like it
Rossiya - local name for [name]Russia[/name], it’s super pretty imo
[name]Saint[/name] [name]Helena[/name] - [name]Helena[/name]! Gorgeous
[name]Saint[/name] [name]Lucia[/name] - [name]Lucia[/name] very pretty
Seychelles - I’ve known a [name]Rochelle[/name], why not a Seychelle?
[name]Sierra[/name] [name]Leone[/name] - [name]Sierra[/name], [name]Leon[/name], and [name]Leo[/name]!
[name]Solomon[/name] - Islands, very nice!
Somalia - again, not sure this is usable but it’s intriguing, [name]Malia[/name]!
Suriyah - pretty
Timor - [name]East[/name], usable? Not sure
[name]Wallis[/name] et Futuna - [name]Wallis[/name] is sorta cool!

I tend to only approve of country names if they don’t appear on current maps: Erin, Caledonia/Caledon, and Cambria are alright but Ireland, Scotland and Wales aren’t, IMO. I don’t like India or China either, but maybe Cathay could work.

[name]Caledonia[/name] is on the map! New [name]Caledonia[/name] is a French territory in the [name]Pacific[/name], north of New Zealand… My friend is from there, and I’m sure he would want me to speak up for the existence of his country! Haha :slight_smile:

As for place names… I think most are certainly a bold choice, but can’t say I really agree that they’re pretentious. I kind of like [name]Ireland[/name] and [name]Israel[/name] from your list, and I prefer [name]Britannia[/name] or [name]Britton[/name] to [name]England[/name] :slight_smile: