Jemima - lovely or insane?

Hello Berries! :slight_smile:

In all honesty, what do you think - is [name]Jemima[/name] a usable name nowadays? And could someone in my age group (a teenberry) pull it off?

I’m in [name]Canada[/name], so people are more ignorant of [name]Jemima[/name]'s past connotations here, but the maple syrup & pancakes are at large. The nn [name]Jemma[/name]/[name]Gemma[/name] could do a lot to soften it in daily life, but is [name]Jemima[/name] off the table?

[name]TIA[/name] :slight_smile:

I don’t get the racial thing and since you live in [name]Canada[/name], I think you’ll be safe. It’s mostly a southern state thing.

My problem is that I automatically think syrup because that’s the kind my mom and grandma bought, so I grew up with the [name]Jemima[/name] bottles… so I personally wouldn’t use it.

[name]Jemima[/name] and [name]Amos[/name] are offensive names to the 13.5% of the US population. [name]Canada[/name] does not have our unfortunate historical legacy of slavery. As long as you feel [name]Black[/name] Canadians really wouldn’t mind the name, then it’s in the clear.

Holy crap, this is serendipitous – I was [name]JUST[/name] talking to my (British) mother about this name last night. I’ve always been the first and loudest voice on Team Unusable when it comes to [name]Jemima[/name]; the racial connotations are so unfortunate, and I have so many friends of color, and I’ve always been a proud politically correct feminist. But…after saying it out loud a few times, I finally understood the appeal of [name]Jemima[/name]. It’s absolutely lovely! Not only does it have a fabulous upbeat/offbeat sound, it also has a solid history and wonderful meaning. I went from hating [name]Jemima[/name] to loving it over the course of one conversation!

Which is not to say I’ve completely come around on this name. “[name]Jemima[/name]” is still synonymous with “Uncle [name]Tom[/name]” for many people, and I would never want to burden my kid with a name that makes people uncomfortable.

Then again, if [name]Tara[/name] can transcend its unfortunate plantation associations, why not [name]Jemima[/name]? It really is a gorgeous name, one already regaining favor in Great [name]Britain[/name].

And then again, I remember my immediate reaction when hearing [name]Jemima[/name] mentioned on Nameberry: “are you NUTS?” I think we Berries can become desensitized to the wackiness of certain names ([name]Clementine[/name], I’m looking at you), but the general population is not as evolved. I’m a big fan of weird names, but there is definitely such a thing as a name that’s just too weird…and [name]Jemima[/name] might be it.

So I guess all this is to say, I [name]DON[/name]'T KNOW! I’m looking forward to seeing what other name nerds have to say.

I don’t think that [name]Tara[/name] ever transcended its plantation association. [name]Every[/name] [name]Tara[/name] I know was named after Gone With the Wind. They even allude to it in [name]True[/name] Blood in the first episode when the [name]Tara[/name] character exclaims, “Who the hell names a black girl [name]Tara[/name]?” (In the [name]True[/name] Blood books, the [name]Tara[/name] character is white so the name isn’t viewed as being odd)

i would personally shy away from the jemima name due to the syrup…

I say go for it, if people don’t use the names, are the so-called racial connotations ever going to go away?!

I would steer clear. I don’t think the name is racist, but many, many people do and if your child ever wants to live in the U.S., having the name [name]Jemima[/name] will present an unnecessary hurdle.

I’m from Australia, here it has no complications except being the name of one of the dolls on Playschool (little kids TV show).

Friends of mine have a 2 y.o called [name]Jemima[/name], [name]Mima[/name] for short. Very cute.

I say go for it.

Like it a lot, it reminds my dh of [name]Jemima[/name] puddle duck.

Personally, I wouldn’t touch it with a 10 foot pole. Racial stereotyping aside, I don’t think you would want to have the same name as a pancake mix and syrup company. I get the appeal - lovely meaning, fun sound, cute nicknames - but I think living with it would be an entirely different animal. In a vacuum, I like it, but in the real world - specifically the US - I think you should pass.

Exactly!!!

I’m sorry to say i would hate to use that name for a child. I’d hate to burden them with a name that has such negative connotations. I also wouldn’t use [name]Jezebel[/name], [name]Pandora[/name] and [name]Delilah[/name]. I do think [name]Gemma[/name] is cute though!

First of all, a name cannot be racist. The parents and the child can be racist, but a name cannot be racist. That said, I think [name]Jemima[/name] is a lovely name. I strongly agree with the sentiment that it is time to let go of associations with negative, dated stereotypes. What does holding on to such things do for anybody? Nothing positive, that’s for sure. I would be interested to know what percentage of the US population even knows or cares about the Aunt [name]Jemima[/name] stereotype. I think the only association most Americans would have with [name]Jemima[/name] is the crappy brand of syrup.

As a fellow Canadian I thought I should chime in on this. I’m pretty into history (no expert, but I know more than most teenagers) and I didn’t know about the racial connotations until I joined Nameberry. When I saw the debate in an earlier thread I asked a few friends (also Canadian) what they thought about [name]Jemima[/name], and none of them knew. So I would say it’s safe. At least where I live ([name]Ontario[/name]) anyway.

I love the name jemima - it is on my list of names for a baby girl! I’m from Australia as well so the doll off Playschool and the [name]Beatrix[/name] [name]Potter[/name] books are the only times I’ve ever heard it. I also agree that it is just a name - not a slur or something said with malice toward a particular race! It is beautiful and has many lovely nicknames! I’d say to for it if you’re comfortable! :slight_smile:

I like the sound of the name and all, but I can’t get past the associations it has. But I was born and raised in the South [USA] so… If you’re in [name]Canada[/name] you might not have people associating the name with the same things I do. I’d still think the pancake syrup association might be there though.

I guess it depends on how brave you are whether or not to use the name. If you want to, go for it, and end up giving the name a new association. :slight_smile:

Beyond the racial associations it has, I don’t know if it can go beyond the syrup association. I also don’t particularly like the name. [name]Gemma[/name] is much nicer sounding and avoids all the issues.