Hey guys! I thought it would be fun to talk about popular or trending names that have terrible meanings or history. The name that inspired me to do this was [name_f]Delilah[/name_f]. People love it and I agree it is a beautiful sounding name but it has a terrible origin! [name_f]Delilah[/name_f] was the name of a temptress from the bible who seduced [name_m]Samson[/name_m] so she could cut off his hair which was the source of his strength. I just don’t get why you would want your child to share a name with someone like that! [name_f]Do[/name_f] you guys know of any other names like this?
Yes! I totally agree with you about [name_f]Delilah[/name_f]! Here are some others I found:
Disclaimer: I found these meanings online so don’t come at me if they are wrong
Cecilia means blind
[name_u]Kennedy[/name_u] means deformed head (beautiful name, but…what?!)
[name_u]Cameron[/name_u] means crooked nose
[name_u]Mallory[/name_u] means unfortunate or unlucky
[name_f]Molly[/name_f] means bitter
[name_f]Lola[/name_f] means ‘lady of sorrows’
[name_f]Leah[/name_f] means weary
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Jezebel - Term for a loose woman
[name_f]Dahlia[/name_f] - the [name_m]Black[/name_m] [name_f]Dahlia[/name_f]
[name_f]Ophelia[/name_f] - she drowned in [name_m]Hamlet[/name_m]
[name_u]Jackson[/name_u] - [name_u]Jackson[/name_u] Browne, [name_m]Andrew[/name_m] [name_u]Jackson[/name_u], [name_u]Michael[/name_u] [name_u]Jackson[/name_u]
[name_m]Aryan[/name_m] - If you aren’t [name_f]Indian[/name_f], it’s related to Nazis
[name_u]Lennon[/name_u] - [name_m]John[/name_m] [name_u]Lennon[/name_u] was a notorious wife beater
The list goes on…
Jezebel was also the name of an evil queen that killed people who refused to worship her.
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Ophelia was actually driven mad (mentally ill) which led to her inability to help herself, even when she eventually drowned. She didn’t drown by choice.
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Judas—betrayed [name_m]Christ[/name_m]
[name_m]Adolph[/name_m]—well, you know
[name_m]Nixon[/name_m]–president who quit in disgrace
[name_f]Claudette[/name_f] - lame, crippled
[name_f]Mary[/name_f] - bitter
[name_f]Cecilia[/name_f] - blind
[name_u]Kennedy[/name_u] - misshapen head
[name_m]Clyde[/name_m] - as in, [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] and [name_m]Clyde[/name_m] aka infamous bank robber and murderer
Isis - terrorist group
Osama - bin laden
[name_f]Lilith[/name_f] and [name_u]Tristan[/name_u]! (So sad about [name_u]Tristan[/name_u] though! 
)
I am curious where people draw the line in real life. Obviously [name_m]Adolf[/name_m] and [name_f]Isis[/name_f] are completely off limits imo. But what about [name_f]Keira[/name_f], [name_u]Kennedy[/name_u], [name_f]Claudia[/name_f], [name_m]Clyde[/name_m] and [name_u]Tristan[/name_u]? I know people with each of those names. Are they named by people who don’t research or didn’t realize the meaning? Or is meaning not that big of a deal? Is association stronger than meaning?
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@columbiacharm I definitely feel like association is stronger than meaning for me. I care very little about the literal meaning of names (unless they’re word names, of course, then it’s sort of obvious). [name_f]Claudia[/name_f] and [name_u]Tristan[/name_u], for instance, are lovely names with rich historical/literary history, and I personally don’t give a hoot if their literal meanings are technically negative.
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@columbiacharm I have to agree about [name_m]Adolf[/name_m] and [name_f]Isis[/name_f]; both are completely off limits for me as well. Otherwise, for me personally, I have one name on my list that most people will balk at… [name_m]Donald[/name_m]. Most name sites I have come across have said naming your child after a current or recent president should not be done, especially one so controversial. Unfortunately for them, I do not have to defend my (future) child’s name choice by getting out my family tree. [name_f]My[/name_f] Papa, [name_m]Donald[/name_m] [name_u]Lee[/name_u], was an amazing man who was more a father to me in the first 10 years of my life, than my own was in my entire life. If I had to choose someone to honor, it would be him. This, to me, matters more so than the association (or meaning).
Dakota: it’s just controversial, even though people irl wouldn’t bat an eye.
[name_u]Salem[/name_u]: the history behind it and the cigarette brand
I sometimes see the meaning as “dark-haired one” so I think dark is refering to the hair not like being evil or something so I don’t see what’s wrong with the meaning of this name
Yeah, I don’t think Isis was ever really popular but it is unfortunate that the terrorist group ruined it as Isis was an Egyptian Goddess
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Agree with @KaiLun, a lot of people have dark features - hair, eyes, skin etc. There is nothing wrong with this meaning. In fact, I think it’s lovely.
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There are people who are not religious and don’t care about a bible story.
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My dad has the exact same name! Would you consider [name_m]Donal[/name_m] or [name_u]Darragh[/name_u] as an updated twist?
I can’t. I’ve talked to a couple of people in the family and it will not be seen as an honour name if I change any part of his name. I tried with [name_u]Lee[/name_u] (which I actually love and will be using), making it [name_m]Wesley[/name_m], and whomever I spoke to balked. I would love to give [name_m]Donald[/name_m] as a name with the nn [name_f]Kona[/name_f] (the Hawaiian translation of and another name in Scottish and [name_f]English[/name_f] for [name_m]Don[/name_m]), but I know my future SO may balk for a different reason.
I’m just more upset than anything that in the world we live in, most people irl seem to write off a name due to one bad bearer of the name while denying the existence of many more bearers of the name with far greater morals and ethics; people who should be emulated. Also, they assume giving someone a name (like [name_m]Donald[/name_m]) is for a public figure (in this case the President) could be the only reason for the name when it could be for someone else wholly unrelated. [name_f]My[/name_f] two exceptions are [name_m]Adolf[/name_m] and [name_f]Isis[/name_f] (for obvious reasons).
@shells15 I wouldn’t associate [name_m]Donald[/name_m] automatically with Trump, it was a very very common name for men of a certain generation and I would assume a little boy named [name_m]Donald[/name_m] today was named after a father/grandfather/great-grandfather. I think it’s lovely that you want to honor the important [name_m]Donald[/name_m] in your life. Besides, it has plenty of nickname options including your [name_f]Kona[/name_f]. [name_m]Just[/name_m] chiming in to give you some support 
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You’re right. It could mean dark-haired one. I may have misinterpreted that one
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