There are some names that all civilized people probably agree are tainted - either forever or at least for a very long time - such as [name_m]Adolph[/name_m], Stalin, and Himmler. But there are a lot of other names that are arguably tainted for reasons not as serious as genocide. There are names that are widely considered tainted (like [name_f]Lolita[/name_f]) and others that may be tainted only in one’s personal opinion (like [name_f]Bella[/name_f] due to Twilight). I’m curious what names everyone else considers to be off-limits either society-wide or for themselves personally due to a generally known association. Anyone?
[name_f]Delilah[/name_f] is definitely tainted to Christians, but it is still a popular enough name.
Regardless of whether or not you are [name_m]Christian[/name_m], I definitely think [name_m]Lucifer[/name_m] is a tainted unusable name (I find [name_m]Lucifer[/name_m] to be a pretty name but the stigmatization renders it unusable)
You’re unlikely to find many [name_f]Margaret[/name_f]'s or [name_f]Maggie[/name_f]'s amongst a lot of Britons, though I expect it’s fairly popular with the rest.
I very much doubt there will be many little Bashir’s going around Syria if the opposition does win.
I don’t know if Saddam or Osama will ever recover aside from the fringe.
[name_f]Jezebel[/name_f] seems pretty tainted to me.
[name_m]Benedict[/name_m]? Or are we over that?
It occurs to me that a lot of people who might inspire revulsion have very common names, so there’s obviously an element of how closely linked a name is to that particular person.
Anyone naming their kid [name_f]Miley[/name_f] right now is probably endorsing a particular celebrity. But someone opting for [name_m]Karl[/name_m] isn’t necessarily doing it because they’re a Marxist.
I was led to think about this because I really like the names [name_f]Lolita[/name_f] and [name_m]Noam[/name_m] (and because of a thread about the name [name_f]Gypsy[/name_f] a few days ago). But [name_f]Lolita[/name_f] is still off-limits, and I wonder whether it always will be. [name_m]Noam[/name_m] isn’t off-limits society-wide, but I can’t separate [name_m]Noam[/name_m] from Chomsky. I remain curious about other name taboos anyone has run up against.
This is very sad, but I feel [name_f]Katrina[/name_f] is now on this list.
It is such a lovely name. I knew one baby [name_f]Katrina[/name_f] before the hurricane and had an 8-year-old student named [name_f]Katrina[/name_f] in a class I taught. Now, I rarely hear it.
Too many negative images and memories, perhaps?
Oh – and I don’t see [name_m]Judas[/name_m] making a comeback anytime soon. However, I know several people named [name_u]Jude[/name_u] and [name_m]Judah[/name_m].
I don’t know of any widespread ones, but, this may help; a list of [name_u]America[/name_u]'s most hated baby names (Pregnancy, Parenting, Lifestyle, Beauty: Tips & Advice | mom.com )
The names listed are:
[name_f]Nevaeh[/name_f]
[name_f]Destiny[/name_f]
[name_u]Madison[/name_u]
[name_u]Mackenzie[/name_u]
[name_f]McKenna[/name_f]
[name_u]Addison[/name_u]
[name_f]Gertrude[/name_f]
[name_f]Kaitlyn[/name_f]
[name_f]Bertha[/name_f]
[name_f]Hope[/name_f]
[name_u]Jayden[/name_u]
[name_u]Brayden[/name_u]
[name_u]Aiden[/name_u]
[name_m]Kaden[/name_m]
[name_u]Hunter[/name_u]
[name_u]Hayden[/name_u]
[name_u]Bentley[/name_u]
[name_u]Tristan[/name_u]
[name_u]Michael[/name_u]
[name_m]Jackson[/name_m]
Hubby refuses to consider one of my favorite names because of a terrible waiter we had once. So, no sons named [name_m]Tobias[/name_m] for us.
Hubby also doesn’t like Finneas because of [name_m]Phineas[/name_m] and Ferb. I thought the spelling (which I didn’t think was so unusual, but I can’t ever find it on any name sites) would differentiate it enough, but he still doesn’t go for it.
Loved the name [name_m]Jasper[/name_m] pre-Twilight, and now I just can’t do it. Ugh.
I have a hard time with my desire to be unique, because as soon as I hear of a cousin’s best friend’s sister in law’s brother having a baby with a name I love, I don’t want to use it. It’s something I have to realize isn’t that big of a deal, since I like somewhat unique names as it is.
Wow, I’ve never seen a list of most hated names. And I agree with the majority. [name_m]Even[/name_m] if you love one of the names, it’s good to know if everyone else hates it. Probably best to avoid those for your kids sake.
As far as names being off limits, I would agree with all the previous ones mentioned. Except [name_m]Noam[/name_m], but you would need to be aware of his politics. I would also add [name_f]Monica[/name_f] to the list, at least for now.
Actually, the UK has also released a list, and, they’ve gone as far as publishing a list where teachers vote/explain what imagery they pick up from a name. It’s quite useful really! As it turns out, my best friends name translates to something not so nice to English/Welsh teachers! 
Can you explain why? I’ve met a few British people with these names. The only association I can think of is [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] [name_m]Thatcher[/name_m], but I thought it was only [name_m]Thatcher[/name_m] that was tainted…
[name_f]Myra[/name_f] is tainted over in the UK, because of child serial killer [name_f]Myra[/name_f] Hindley, that much I do know.
My British grandpa was already living in the USA when the killings, and subsequent trial took place, but he was obviously aware of the story through his family back in the UK.
My grandma’s sister almost named her daughter (my mom’s cousin) [name_f]Myra[/name_f], but she noticed my grandpa recoil in horror at the name, and when he explained why, my great-aunt chose not to use it.
It’s [name_m]Thatcher[/name_m].
A lot of people, their parents or themselves lost a lot to her. It’s still a really strong connection to the name, and not exactly positive to many.
Plus it’s still really dated here.
[name_m]Cain[/name_m] is another one, at least for me.
I know a [name_m]Benedict[/name_m]!
I wouldn’t say that [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] is tainted. It is unfashionable here because of the whole ‘granny thing’ but people aren’t against the name. I know a [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] that is a teenager.
I live in the UK, and I have [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] nn. [name_f]Maggie[/name_f] on my list. I don’t think it’s tainted by [name_m]Thatcher[/name_m], but I didn’t grow up during her years. I also don’t think it’s too old lady - [name_f]Maggie[/name_f] softens it for a young child. My main reason for using it though, is that it is a family name found all over my family tree, so has a lot of meaning to me.
I always find this topic really interesting because I tend to see a lot of names on this list that I know people with or don’t find tainted 
I know people named:
[name_f]Delilah[/name_f]
[name_m]Lucifer[/name_m] – brother Thanatos and sister [name_f]Pandora[/name_f] (his father is Luciferian and feels that if other religions can honor their gods, he can honor his)
[name_m]Cain[/name_m] & [name_m]Kane[/name_m]
Now for me, I personally wouldn’t use [name_f]Pandora[/name_f] because I just feel like a woman created as punishment for a god who did nothing wrong and then given curiosity so she could doom humanity because of said god…it’s just no worth using to me. I also tend to avoid most biblical names because of personal feelings about Christianity in relation to my own religion. [name_f]Lolita[/name_f] is one I wouldn’t use. Juliet, Ophelia, Codrelia because I just think of suicide and madness and men who don’t know how to treat a woman properly. To me, Juliet wasn’t a romantic love story, it was a 13 year old girl and an older man who saw each other across a room, inexplicably “fell in love”, had sex, then killed themselves when they couldn’t be together. It happens in the news nowadays and people say “oh that’s terrible. Those teens shouldn’t have been acting like that. etc” but for some reason, it’s romantic in Romeo and Juliet. Same with Ophelia. When someone’s bullied until madness and death happens, it’s a crime nowadays, but it’s romantic in Hamlet. Anyway, don’t get me started ranting about these names :P.
I can’t think of too much really.
I find all the UKers citing [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] and/or [name_m]Thatcher[/name_m] as unusable interesting. I know plenty of people in the US who would like to use either name precisely FOR its relation to [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] [name_m]Thatcher[/name_m]. That’s what I think makes this so interesting. There are a lot of names that are loved by some for the same reason they may be hated by others, but we often make assumptions about the politics/background/reading habits, etc of people based on their kids’ names.
[name_m]Noam[/name_m] isn’t off-limits for everyone, but if someone names their son [name_m]Noam[/name_m], I assume they’re probably pleased for the association with Chomsky. And if an American names a daughter [name_u]Reagan[/name_u], I assume they’re probably fans of the Gipper. Undoubtedly, such assumptions aren’t always fair or accurate, but some associations are really strong and broadly held.