[name_m]Hi[/name_m]!
I’m a white Jewish woman, but I’ve fallen in love with the name Rumaisa. I’m worried that if I name my child that, I’ll be appropriating an Arab name. Please don’t comment if you’re just going to say cultural appropriation is illegitimate. It is completely real and I just want to know if a white woman using the name Rumaisa is appropriative.
Thank you!
I am going to start off saying that I am not an Arab so I cannot say what will or will not affect or offend an Arab person. In a perfect world I would say go ahead, I want to say go ahead -I agree it’s a beautiful name (it’s in my sig :D), BUT in today’s world especially with you being a Caucasian person it becomes a very grey area. With all that’s going on with social injustice, white supremacy, BLM, [name_u]Neo[/name_u]-Nazis, and even this idea of cultural appropriation, are just a THING they are on trend. And this is totally not to say that these don’t matter, that is totally the opposite of what I’m saying, but this is on people’s mind and people are going to expect you to defend your choice, even though in reality it is not something that really should need to be defended as it’s just a name. The question is really does just a name exist, and I don’t think it’s really an easy answer on any side. And also there is the flip side where I’ve seen [name_f]Layla[/name_f] (which is also a Hebrew name I believe, but they are both semitic languages and it is more commonly viewed as having an origin in the Arabic language) rise exponentially. And why not? It is feminine, zippy-yet soft, rhymes with [name_f]Kayla[/name_f] without the dated feeling, has an appealing sound, and I don’t see people screaming cultural appropriation at the little white, [name_f]Indian[/name_f], or black girls with the name (and I am aware that cultural appropriation is really about the majority misrepresenting the minority, but this is just an example.) I know a number of people from grown-women to young girls with the name [name_f]Layla[/name_f] in a variety of spellings, but they are all Muslim, so it was a surprise seeing that this name was so popular in the non-arab, non-muslim community. Another name I was surprised to see used (and these are real life examples) is [name_f]Noor[/name_f] both on white girls last year, I was surprised, but not appalled, and maybe I wouldn’t be because- again I’m not an Arab, but I don’t believe many Arab’s would go screaming at a mother because she used a name from a culture that wasn’t hers. And really I haven’t answered any questions, and may have just mixed you up more, but I’m just going to reiterate that there is no one answer. My last point is that it is just a word/name in the arabic language, I think the reason [name_f]Noor[/name_f] and [name_f]Layla[/name_f] can be used is because they are simple and though they are clearly not “white” they blend in enough to the Western culture. But most of all they are not connected religiously, they are not Muhhamad, or Abdur Rahman, [name_f]Khadijah[/name_f] or [name_f]Aisha[/name_f], there are really no religious connotations. Rumaisa, I think also has those qualities albeit being a bit longer. Though there were women in early-islam with these names (one such woman is why the name is actually in my sig) you don’t hear the name and think Muslim, because it is not connected to Islam it is pretty obscure in it’s origins unless you are a name nerd, come from the culture or informed about the culture. Which is different from say [name_m]Ravi[/name_m] or [name_m]Ahmet[/name_m] or [name_f]Esmerelda[/name_f]. It’s really something to think over, and I think the easiest thing would be to just let the name go, but the easiest option is not always the best. Hopefully you get some more helpful answers from different viewpoints.
My opinion comes from the other side. I am a caucasian person ([name_m]French[/name_m] Canadian). My name is quite uncommon and I have never met another person with my name. If I search on Facebook there are other people with my name, and they are all black. Quite frequently when people learn my name before physically meeting me or seeing me, there is an assumption on their end that I am black. I have been told by a manager that it effected how my resume was looked at. [name_m]Just[/name_m] the other day I met a man at work, who is black, and when he learned my name he said it sounded like something from the village he grew up in. I cannot remember the village but it was in an African country. It was not said in a negative way, just something he noted.
Honestly, it’s just annoying. I have nothing against people using names from other cultures, as long as it’s not rude to do so, but more of an issue with people making assumptions based on that. Having people who I am supposed to meet expect a black woman, or have a resume be looked at differently because whomever is looking at it thinks I am a black woman isn’t a fun time. And I like in an area where racism is on the lower end, due to being a very multicultural area (Toronto). With the way the world is going right now, having an Arab assumption may not be the best thing (which is quite sad).
On the other hand, I do get quite a few compliments on my name and it has been nice being the only ‘me’.
For the record, my close friend is Arab and I asked what he’d think of a white boy or girl with an Arab name. He said he’d think it’s great and inclusive. And it would be lovely to have beautiful and handsome names that are being appreciated in all cultures. He can have a stick up his butt over a lot of things, and very much appreciates his culture.
I think as long as you are aware of the names meaning, history and usage (what gender? Is it only given to certain members of a culture? Etc) and respect that when using the name I don’t think it would be a problem
Arabs are individuals so “asking an Arab” what they think won’t solve this. Some may be offended, some may think it’s great. Which Arab speaks for the group?
For this reason, and many other reasons, I am in the “any name goes” camp regardless of your skin colour and background. Choosing a name means you love it and that is flattering.
I’m Armenian and if someone is ballsy enough to use one of our names, all the power to them lol