[name_m]How[/name_m] do you guys feel about Scandinavian, [name_m]German[/name_m], Irish, etc. names on people of other races (i.e. non-white)?
I am a melting pot of different ethnicities- including Irish and others- but I am tan-skinned, dark eyes, dark hair and look more hispanic-mixed than anything. Same thing for my husband. Most of the names on my baby name list are of Scandinavian, [name_m]German[/name_m] or other European descent.
I never thought it mattered much whether our kids’ “looks” fit what other people’s assumptions about what a person with a particular name should look like, until I read a forum where several people mentioned that the Scandinavian name that this woman liked for her daughter “worked” because her daughter was blonde haired & blue eyed.
I am just curious if there are more people out there who feel certain names don’t belong on certain groups or people of color.
As long as you either have a link and/or are respectful of the culture, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with using a name from a different culture to yours.
I don’t think names belong to a certain “look”, after all, there are many Scandinavians (and even more Germans) that have dark hair and eyes, even dark skin.
I do associate certain hair, eye and skin colors with names, [name_f]Freya[/name_f], for example, is all blonde to me, but that’s more imagery than what I expect people with these names to look like.
Personally, I think “any name goes,” and European names are represented all over the world in many cultures.
This being said, certain names for me are a bit of a stretch. I have Norwegian, Euro background and love the name [name_f]Sakura[/name_f], but have no direct connection to Japan, so I personally wouldn’t use the name.
I don’t think it’s a big deal. I have brown hair and brown eyes. I’m 25% Italian, a little English, a little Irish, & 50% [name_m]German[/name_m] (my father’s side is 100%). I actually look more like my [name_m]German[/name_m] side but most people just assume Italian (esp. when I have a tan). It’s stereotypical to think every [name_m]German[/name_m], Scandinavian, etc. person has blonde hair & light eyes. There are certain names that do give off a certain vibe to them and make me think one hair/skin color but once you meet people with those names it can change. For instance, I was watching a show the other day and there was an African American girl named [name_f]Astrid[/name_f] which made me see the name differently!
Overall, it’s fine to use names from different cultures as long as you respect that where that name came from and it’s not something offensive.
I don’t care at all about the origins, really. As long as you love the name and respect the culture (not offensive, doesn’t mix the genders up, etc) I don’t think there will be any problem.
Words are free and so are names! I think it is 100% irrelevant what you and your husband look like or what your ancestry is or your last names. It is difficult for me to imagine the gall of anyone who would try to make someone feel bad for choosing beyond their own ancestry.
Names I might name a child go far beyond my heritage and include [name_f]Noor[/name_f], [name_f]Leilani[/name_f], Ademir, [name_m]Octavio[/name_m], [name_f]Ngaio[/name_f], [name_m]Rodrigo[/name_m], [name_m]Javier[/name_m], [name_m]Sven[/name_m], etc.
[name_m]Don[/name_m]'t worry about it!
[name_u]Leslie[/name_u]
I think a lot of different names work with most ethnicities! I mean, people might give you a double take if your Hispanic looking child is introduced as Agnar or [name_f]Hedwig[/name_f]. But there’s a lot of names short of that which will translate well.