My [name_f]MIL[/name_f] is arguing that it’s not a white name.
It’s a versatile name. I’ve known two Emmetts. One is from Twilight. The other is my uncle - his middle name is [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] and my family on that side is NYC Italian/Jewish. It’s a good name.
Not at all. It’s an English surname and when I picture [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] he’s tall, blonde, blue eyed, belongs to the country club and goes to an expensive private school. No idea why, but that’s what comes to mind. [name_m]Don[/name_m]'t listen to your [name_f]MIL[/name_f].
I wouldn’t assume a boy named [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] were African American. I have never met anyone named [name_u]Emmett[/name_u], but I could see it on any type of person.
My brother said [name_f]Vanessa[/name_f] was a White person name, but I have never met a White person named [name_f]Vanessa[/name_f]. Its weird how people get thoughts in their head about names and race.
She’s probably associating it with [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] [name_m]Till[/name_m]. I think he’s unfortunately the most well-known bearer of the name, but it certainly isn’t unique to him. There are plenty of Emmetts of all races and ages. There are names that are African-American in the sense that they originated with and are primarily used by black Americans (and many fascinating articles have been written about those names), but [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] is not one of them.
I can imagine it on anyone, and it’s a wonderful name.
And it’s common enough for [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] [name_m]Till[/name_m] not to be the first and only association.
An African-American name to me would be [name_m]Tyron[/name_m] for example. And a “white” name something like [name_m]Preston[/name_m].
Doesn’t have to mean anyhing though. 
No. Tell your mother-in-law she’s a racist.
Why is that racist? I’m not American, but even in my small country of 4 million people different regions have different tastes in names. When I hear some names I think of an African American person, or a Latino person([name_u]Angel[/name_u], [name_f]Rosa[/name_f]), or somebody from the South ([name_f]Savannah[/name_f], [name_f]Dixie[/name_f]), or an Irish person ([name_u]Shea[/name_u], [name_f]Katie[/name_f]).
Different people have different tastes, it doesn’t mean that some other ethnic group shouldn’t use those names if they like them.
I don’t think that’s racist, right?
I know a lot of Irish kids named [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] after the 1916 revolutionary. Those are the only kids named [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] that I know.
The sentiment is that [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] should not be used on a white boy because it’s a “black” name. Coding names of European origin like [name_u]Emmett[/name_u], [name_m]Marcus[/name_m], [name_m]Damian[/name_m], and [name_m]Malcolm[/name_m] as “black” names means that these names are deemed no longer suitable for white people because of their popularity among black people. This is racist, as it marks an association with blackness as inferior.
Not at all. I have met three Emmetts in my life, two of whom were white. [name_m]Even[/name_m] if it is tied to African American civil rights, why should that mean you can’t use it? [name_m]Malcolm[/name_m] is tied to [name_m]Malcolm[/name_m] X, but it’s also tied to [name_m]Malcolm[/name_m], the king from Macbeth, or [name_m]Malcolm[/name_m] from [name_m]Malcolm[/name_m] In the Middle.
Is [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] a “deaf” name because there’s a deaf character named [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] on Switched At Birth? No. It’s a great name, and none of these associations are bad associations anyway.
The only [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] i know is blonde haired and blue eyed.
I know an [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] who is white. Never thought that his name was misplaced or anything, and as far as I can see, no one else does either.
For those accusing the [name_f]MIL[/name_f] of racism, let’s take a step back. I’m not saying that there isn’t racism at play, but her comments could also have been motivated by a desire to avoid cultural appropriation, if this is a name she views as having strong ethnic ties. Clearly, most of us don’t see the name that way, but if it was a name that was very important to the African American community, it might not be a wise move to use it for a child with no ties to that community. Whether or not this was the [name_f]MIL[/name_f]'s consideration, we don’t know, so let’s not condemn a stranger via the internet. It’s better to use this as an opportunity to have an important and respectful conversation.
It can be a respectful conversation, but the comment is racist-- come on. Racist people are not evil vampires. They are real people who say some good things some godawful things and some innocuous things. We all bear prejudices, some more than others. I think it is totally fair to call it what it is.
I know only know one [name_u]Emmett[/name_u], and he spells it [name_m]Emmitt[/name_m]. A little cutie pie, blue eyes, ginger curly hair. He is adopted and his father is Hispanic, mother is Caucasian with olive skin, and older siblings look like dad. The only other association I have is twilight… very light vampires lol.
There was a character in the movie Western movie Silverado named [name_u]Emmett[/name_u], so the name always always reminds me of a quiet, brooding, considerate cowboy. (Interestingly, there was a white bad guy in the film named [name_m]Tyrone[/name_m], so the comment earlier in this post about [name_m]Tyron[/name_m] being an African American name seemed off to me too.)
That doesnt sound african at all. It sounds so white. Have you watched the lego movie?
I could be wrong but I believe that [name_u]Emmet[/name_u] is a [name_m]German[/name_m] name
I think a name of English origin like [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] could belong to someone of any ethnicity.
I don’t associate [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] with any particular ethnicity or race at all. I’ve never met an [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] and the only association I have with it is [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] from Legally Blonde, who was white, but that doesn’t make me think it’s a white name. I think it’s common enough in the English-speaking world to work regardless of ethnicity. The only names I’d really consider to be black names/African-American names are actual African (or some Caribbean) names. I’ve never heard of [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] [name_m]Till[/name_m] but that might be because I’m not American.