Hot Takes? 🤭

[venezio]

@Momofplenty

i’m not sure why its only a girl name on here and not unisex

nameberry likes to label tons of masculine names as unisex, but labeling even one “feminine” name as unisex is just too far

[Miss_Mayhem]

[name_u]Leigh[/name_u] should always be pronounced lay. Never lee.
Actually, “eigh” in general should always be “ay”.

[RileyAddison13]

Agreed! [name_u]Leigh[/name_u] (prn. Lay) is such a cute middle name.

[ethelmary]

@venezio

nameberry likes to label tons of masculine names as unisex, but labeling even one “feminine” name as unisex is just too far

Arthur, Henry and Joseph are very unisex because “the system automatically includes anything that has appeared in popularity lists” but somehow the same doesn’t happen for typically feminine names

[kasatka]

I’m so sick of Fern not being considered a unisex name. I’ve met mostly non binary and male Ferns!

[snowmaiden]

Without any malice behind it, I really dislike the name Sappho. It seems really well liked here on nameberry, and I just can’t hop on the train! To me it sounds strange and looks clunky, and I just associate it so heavily with being sapphic/lesbian (which I have utterly no problem with, but I’d never name my kid a name so symbolic of that - way too strong a tie to a trait they might not grow up to have).

[venezio]

i cannot stand the spelling Forrest. it’s too connected to the confederate general / KKK member imo, and whenever i see it used in the US, i wonder if the parents named their child after him. i understand there are other associations with Forrest, but the general is such an overwhelmingly negative one. why bother, when Forest is a perfectly fine spelling?

[wintergarden]

I hate out-there names, love popular names and don’t get the deal with Iris.

[Inlakesh]

I’m not sure it’s very fair to think that someone might be a racist just because they prefer the spelling with 2 r’s. Forrest is an old surname, the legacy of 1 racist man shouldn’t lay to rest a name that has been around since the 13th century.

Edit: I mean, I would definitely raise my eyebrows if someone named their son “Nathan Bedford Forrest [surname]”, but not just Forrest. Just like I would be upset if someone named their son “Adolf Hitler [surname]”, but not if they just used Adolf on its own.

[winterara]

@Inlakesh

I’m not sure it’s very fair to think that someone might be a racist just because they prefer the spelling with 2 r’s. Forrest is an old surname, the legacy of 1 racist man shouldn’t lay to rest a name that has been around since the 13th century.

Yes, this!! I was trying to think how to say exactly this in a nice tone earlier.

[leafygreens]

[name_m]Forrest[/name_m] Gump was named after him though

[leafygreens]

Most people probably wouldn’t remember that anyway it’s fine

[LouC]

@Inlakesh

Just like I would be upset if someone named their son “Adolf Hitler [surname]”, but not if they just used Adolf on its own.

With or without the surname, Adolf is a complete no go, surely!? A variation like Adolphus is far enough removed though, I think…

Edit: OK, maybe even Adolphus isn’t far enough removed as some sources say Adolphus (Adolfus?) was his full name…

[leafsgirl44]

@etoilelumineuse

Personally, my strongest association is with Forrest Gump, but I’m not in the US.

Same here But I’m also a massive Tom Hanks fan and love that movie

Also, I did forget Forrest Gump was named after him, but I feel like that’s also something not a lot of other people would remember either? The character of Forrest Gump in the film is a much more positive and recent association so I feel like it may balance it out.

[Inlakesh]

I don’t personally think it’s a no go. It used to be a very common name, and for a lot of people it’s a family name, and has been for centuries. To me, it’s kind of like saying that we should stop using Joseph because of Joseph Stalin.

[OpheliaFlora]

I think [name_u]Joseph[/name_u] was and is just so heavily associated with many other people in history (the bible, for example) and incredibly international whereas Adolf/Adolph doesn’t really have any other famous namesakes.

[Inlakesh]

I understand that everyone thinks of Adolf Hitler when they hear the name, but Adolf is not an uncommon name, even today. It’s still in use even in Germany, though, usually reserved for the middle spot.

[OpheliaFlora]

@Inlakesh

It’s still in use even in Germany, though, usually reserved for the middle spot.

I’m not saying it’s completely unusable but I do think you’d have to hide it in the middle spot and the probably use a variation - even then, I personally find it disrespectful to use, especially in Germany, as there are still people alive today that experienced life under Hitler. It would definitely not be received well (here in Europe) by the people around you unless you surround yourself with that special kind of people.

[OpheliaFlora]

I wouldn’t hold it against the person with the name, of course, but I’d honestly be like “wtf were your parents thinking?”

[Inlakesh]

I understand why you and others feel that way.

Personally, I wouldn’t assume anything about anyone named Adolf, or someone who named their child Adolf. I would definitely assume things about someone named Hitler, but not just Adolf.