Is it okay to name your son hispanic name if you're not?

I love [name_u]Julian[/name_u] and I know it’s a popular in Europe for non-Spanish Europeans. But since I’m living in [name_u]America[/name_u] and [name_u]America[/name_u] is full of hispanic people, would it be appropriate to name your child [name_u]Julian[/name_u] since the name is overwhelmingly used by hispanic parents? I think it would be cultural appropriation and I don’t want to steal hispanic culture and make them suffer more. They’re already dealing with racism daily and killed daily (genocide) by the police. What other names that are similar to [name_u]Julian[/name_u] but not hispanic but non-cultural/neutral?

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I have no idea why you can’t use [name_u]Julian[/name_u]??

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Of course you can use [name_u]Julian[/name_u]! [name_m]Just[/name_m] because a lot of people from a certain culture use the name [name_u]Julian[/name_u], it doesn’t “belong” to that culture. I mean, if [name_u]Julian[/name_u] was a religious name to a different culture or religion, then that would seem a little inappropriate. But, every name has it’s origins from a certain culture. Besides, [name_u]Julian[/name_u] is also a [name_u]French[/name_u] name. For example, a lot of non-Hispanic people choose the name [name_f]Isabella[/name_f], which a lot of Hispanic people also use. It makes no sense for the name [name_u]Julian[/name_u] to “steal” Hispanic culture and it wouldn’t be cultural appropriation… If you like the name [name_u]Julian[/name_u], then use it!

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I think [name_u]Julian[/name_u] is a really international name like [name_u]Noah[/name_u]. So yeah of cause you can use it. Why not?! People all over the world use it. Here in germany it’s also super common.

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Aside: That is quite a statement about the police that I do not agree with!

I’m an American and I can attest to the fact that Americans are obsessed with their own heritage. Like it’s not enough to be just American. So, if you feel uncomfortable and that your heritage does not allow you to use this name then don’t but there’s no real reason not to.

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I have an uncle with the middle name [name_u]Julian[/name_u]. He’s not Hispanic and I’ve never given it a second thought. So I don’t think there would be any issue with using [name_u]Julian[/name_u] if you’re not Hispanic. And as you said, it’s popular across Europe so it’s become a name belonging to various different countries, not just Hispanic or Latin ones

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Just because it’s used by Hispanic people doesn’t mean you can’t use it. If it was an inherently Hispanic name, then I think it would be appropriation, but the wide consensus for [name_u]Julian[/name_u] seems to be that it’s [name_f]English[/name_f]/Latin.

Trust your gut and do whatever you feel comfortable with.

Names similar to [name_u]Julian[/name_u]:
[name_m]Sebastian[/name_m]
[name_m]Adrian[/name_m]
[name_m]Julius[/name_m]
[name_u]August[/name_u]
[name_u]Jude[/name_u]
[name_u]Tristan[/name_u]
[name_u]Jasper[/name_u]

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As far as I know, [name_m]Julio[/name_m]’s popular with Hispanic parents, not [name_u]Julian[/name_u]. I’m not Hispanic and it’s on my list :woman_shrugging:

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Julian is pretty universal so I don’t believe it would be an issue, but it’s always an important thing to look out for! It’s responsible of you to recognize the role of police brutality and cultural appropriation, and it’s always a good idea to ask when we’re unsure. If you feel nervous then maybe it would be best to choose a different name, but I know a lot of non-hispanic Julians as well. Another note: [name_m]Will[/name_m] you pronounce [name_u]Julian[/name_u] with the j sound? If you pronounce it silently or like an h, it may be a different case.
Similar names that remind me of [name_u]Julian[/name_u]:
[name_u]Jules[/name_u], [name_m]Jeremy[/name_m], [name_u]Easton[/name_u], [name_u]Elias[/name_u], [name_u]Jude[/name_u]

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I’m hispanic living in [name_u]America[/name_u], thank you for asking! Your good given how universal the name is! Using the name Julián would be a different topic on its own, given how thats how it’s usually pronounced in Spanish countries, you’ll be naming your child [name_f]Juul[/name_f]-e-en, but in hispanic households it’s pronounced Hoo-lyAAn, all different! If he ever has hispanic names however he’s most likely to be called that by the parents which just go to show how universal the name is, thank you for being conscious however, it’s important to think about even if isn’t a concern in the end

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Not a problem at all! [name_f]My[/name_f] brother is named julien and were black lol.

I think if you pick something that has hispanic pronunciation, then you may be looking at people giving you a hard time.

I knew an asian boy who got made fun of for being named [name_m]Alejandro[/name_m].

Overall, julian is a very common name, so common i wasn’t even aware of it’s latin roots lol

In a word, yes.

Think of everyone you know. I have friends and relatives and animals with names that are Greek, Spanish, Welsh, Irish, [name_m]German[/name_m], African, Middle Eastern, [name_u]French[/name_u], Cornish, Norwegian, Russian, Japanese, etc.

Are each of these people descended from those cultures? No.

I love to travel the world and eat world cuisines and look at world art and watch world cinema. Should I only travel, eat, watch things from my ancestral cultures? No.

I draw the line at a name like [name_m]Cohen[/name_m] that is highly offensive to many Jewish people, but [name_u]Julian[/name_u] can’t possibly offend anyone. I’ve taught decades of Latinx children but none have been named [name_u]Julian[/name_u]. The Julians I know - three of them - are all of European descent. :slight_smile:

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I struggle to understand why if my Latinx student is named [name_f]Gladys[/name_f] (great Welsh name!) that that is not considered cultural appropriation but if my European American student is named [name_m]Diego[/name_m] (great Spanish name!) that is considered cultural appropriation.

I love [name_f]Gladys[/name_f]! I love [name_m]Diego[/name_m]! The people and the names. And I don’t check to see if their name seems to match their appearance or ancestry. I don’t consider that any of my business.

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Because persons of color are oppressed. White folks using a part of their culture within a system that oppresses them isn’t great.

I understand if you see things differently, I’m not gonna argue about it. But I still wanted to answer your question, it is a valid question.

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I think [name_u]Julian[/name_u] seems very international to me - i think you can use it!

I feel like [name_u]Julian[/name_u] sounds very exotic. I think you should use it!

[name_u]Julian[/name_u] is definitely appropriate in your situation!

Thanks for your response and for saying my question is valid. I find the subject confusing, a slippery slope. And yet if I met a friend of any ancestry(ies) with a flamboyant naming style and her kids were named Ademir, [name_f]Madelief[/name_f], [name_f]Sojourner[/name_f], [name_f]Kyoko[/name_f], [name_m]Fritz[/name_m], [name_f]Nayeli[/name_f], [name_m]Gustavo[/name_m], [name_m]Sven[/name_m], [name_m]Kirkby[/name_m], and [name_f]Lalage[/name_f], I’d still just think… COOL NAMES!

I wasn’t aware that [name_u]Julian[/name_u] was a Hispanic name, and so as someone obsessed with names, I think that most other people wouldn’t know that either.