My husband really loves the name Haytham; it’s one of a very limited few that he is truly passionate about. He said to me just a few days ago, “I could see myself having a son named Haytham [name_m]Alan[/name_m].” ([name_m]Alan[/name_m], after one of his uncles, now deceased.) I have to say, I love it, too. We first heard of it because it’s the name of a character in a popular video game he plays. (From what I’ve read on Nameberry, this is a big source of name inspiration for men, if they are so inclined to think about names.) Anyway, it’s an Arabic name that means “young eagle.” I feel it’s a truly unique name without being made-up, has a strong meaning, and its sounds mimic a lot of names that are “in” today. If you’ve read anything I’ve posted before, you know that I’m, on the whole, a big fan of more traditional choices, and very much believe in listening to your head over your heart, blah blah blah. But I am always behind names that have ensnared me, regardless. This one has.
Thoughts? Is it usable? Would it stay unique, or become popular? Does it say, “trying too hard to be off the grid?” Would it be perceived as just another “weird” name, given to just another 21st century child?
I think it’s a bit silly to use names that have nothing to do with your own roots. Haytham is nice Arabic name, but if your nor your husband are Arabic, it does come across as trying too hard to be unique. Also, people with no knowledge of Arabic names or culture won’t know its origin, and it will probably just be a weird name to them.
At first I thought this was an odd name choice. But the meaning made it much more appealing to me!
It’s definitely a handsome name, and if you’re brave enough to, I’d say go for it!
Well, as you might guess from my signature, I like Arabic names (though they’re rarely discussed here) and was excited to see your thread. I recognized it immediately but frankly I think few people will. It’s pronounced HIGH-thim (or HIGH-tim, with a hard T), if you weren’t sure.
It’s a completely secular name with no overt ties to Islam (or to Christianity), which I think makes it much more amenable to borrowing. It has a nice meaning and it’s great that your husband is passionate about it.
I disagree very strongly with the poster above who says it’s “silly” to use names with no ties to your ethnic heritage. If you wanted to call your son [name_u]Ryan[/name_u] no one would be querying your Irish bona fides (or [name_m]Ronan[/name_m] or [name_m]Killian[/name_m]); as long as the name is easily pronouncable in your native language and doesn’t send a loudspeaker-strong message that you don’t intend it to send (i.e. [name_m]Muhammad[/name_m] or Siddhartha or something if your family isn’t Muslim or Buddhist), it’s all fair game.
I also very strongly disagree with the poster who said that it’s silly to use names from another culture. People name their children Italian, Irish, Hebrew, etc. names all the time and it’s perfectly fine. It’s a complete non-issue.
Haytham is a really cool name and definitely usable. It doesn’t sound made-up or illegitimate whatsoever. However, I initially thought it was pronounce Hay-thim, not High-thim, and I think most other people will make the same mistake, so if people mispronouncing his name all the time will bother you, you may not want to use it.
I also very strongly disagree with the poster who said that it’s silly to use names from another culture. People name their children Italian, Irish, Hebrew, etc. names all the time and it’s perfectly fine. It’s a complete non-issue.
Haytham is a really cool name and definitely usable. It doesn’t sound made-up or illegitimate whatsoever. However, I initially thought it was pronounce Hay-thim, not High-thim, and I think most other people will make the same mistake, so if people mispronouncing his name all the time will bother you, you may not want to use it.
Thanks for the feedback, everybody. We are not one drop Arabic or middle-eastern, but I have to agree with the above posters. They make a good point. Nobody bats an eye at Irish names on people of non-Irish decent, Hebrew names, etc. I think that’s because that practice has been in place for a long time, and in addition, there’s less of a stigma around the practice when it concerns cultures people are comfortable and familiar with. In my husband’s game, it’s pronounced the way an English speaker would find it obvious to pronounce. Not the HIGH-tim pronunciation, which is surely the authentic way. I like it for its English pronunciation, however. People we know and people in our area would be largely unaware of the name, regardless. I obviously don’t know if we will actually and ultimately will end up choosing this name, but I would not be adverse to it.