So I’ve been using Nameberry casually as a resource for stories for a while now, but I’ve only just started to become really active on here. Last night, I got a big surprise when I read the “Name Info” for [name_u]Sunny[/name_u] (a name, which, by the way, is my Grandmother’s name). [name_m]Long[/name_m] story short, I find it really offensive, but also completely without merit. I can deal the idea that my Grandmother’s name isn’t stylish and that other’s might not like it. I’m lucky enough to have four grandparents in my life and, though I love them all, I’m not wild about all of their names. People have different tastes. It’s cool.
But in my opinion, Nameberry crosses the line in that description and MANY people have noted it in the comment section. It is completely hypocritical to call [name_u]Sunny[/name_u] “too reductive for a fully dimensional human”, while embracing names like [name_f]Poppy[/name_f], [name_f]Goldie[/name_f], and [name_f]Ivy[/name_f]. What’s the difference, beyond personal preference? [name_u]Sunny[/name_u] even has more of a tradition of use than some of those other names. For comparison’s sake, [name_u]Sunny[/name_u] as 16 examples of famous people and pop culture references at the bottom of her name page, while [name_f]Goldie[/name_f] has only 8. But beyond Nameberry’s assertion being baseless and hypocritical, the specific wording of their insult really bothers me. If one takes the time to google the word reductive, a simple definition will appear: “tending to present a subject or problem in a simplified form, especially one viewed as crude.” So if you name your child [name_u]Sunny[/name_u], you are presenting them as simple, even crude? That’s really the impression that Nameberry thinks people get from hearing the name? That those named [name_u]Sunny[/name_u] aren’t as deep, complex, or “fully dimensional”, as those named [name_f]Theodora[/name_f] or [name_m]Clarence[/name_m]? Seriously? If they wanted to raise the point that [name_u]Sunny[/name_u] may not age as well as other names, or something along those lines, I would consider it a valid point of discussion even if I didn’t agree. But this is just rude. I wouldn’t say anything like that in a discussion in a forum, much less on the official “Name Info” of a name!
So I fired off a comment basically saying all of this. But what is the best way to address a problem that I think Nameberry really needs to fix? I poked around a little on the thread that is dedicated to this, but it left me feeling doubtful that the suggestions are ever heeded. Does anyone have any personal experience with an issue like this? I could really use the insight!
I wouldn’t get too bent out of shape about it. I have no clue who is in charge of writing the name descriptions, but they can be pretty biased and crude sometimes. At one point, the description for my name said it was “dusty”, but it’s since been changed.
I’ve had marginal success with suggestions on the What Names Have We Missed thread over in the All About Nameberry section. After I posted, they added the Hebrew meaning for [name_u]Asa[/name_u], but I have no clue if correlation equals causation in this case. I don’t know if they changed it because I mentioned it or if the change was unrelated, in other words.
Honestly, I think Nameberry is just in need of a massive rehaul when it comes to their name pages. Some of their meanings and origins are only half fleshed out or just downright inaccurate.
The name descriptions on this site are fairly useless and at times even offensive. It’s not as bad as it used to be though. My advice would be to just ignore the descriptions and use Behind the Name if you’re looking for factual information on a name. It’s more accurate anyway.
I would suggest having a good laugh about the absolute ridiculousness of some of Nameberry’s info pages. The first few times I’d seen their negative opinions included in the descriptions as if they were facts, I was left scratching my head a little because it is just so unprofessional and silly. But you can’t let it get to you because, again, it’s just too ridiculous to be taken seriously lol. I also use Behind the Name to get credible information.
Thank you everyone, you’re probably right. No sense in getting mad about it! I guess I was just shocked by it, but it seems as though it’s pretty normal for this website. I also appreciate the suggestion of using Behind the Name for a resource! I will look into it!
That’s actually pretty tame in comparison to what could have been written. Have you seen the boy page for [name_u]Sunny[/name_u]? [name_m]Just[/name_m] a straight up no. In particular, whoever writes the comments seems to be really against traditional boy names on boys - just check out the boy pages for [name_u]Kimberly[/name_u], [name_u]Allison[/name_u], [name_u]Mica[/name_u] and dozens more. All nasty, condescending comments. There were two forums that was made a year ago, one of them was “Why is everything feminine to Nameberry” (Nameberry - Welcome to the Nameberry Forums) and the other I can’t remember the title of. They both basically called out the website for the slew of sexist and shameful name descriptions, loads of links were given as proof, [name_f]Pam[/name_f] even responded and pretended to care for a minute, and all in all I think one inappropriate description was changed.
Mostly I don’t read Nameberry’s descriptions anymore. Whoever writes the comments is quite happy with their at times embarrassing and downright offensive and silly personal opinions, and I doubt they’re likely to change anytime soon. Behind the Name is definitely the better source to use if you actually want quality information.
All I have listed for [name_u]Sunny[/name_u] is that it’s an English nickname so I’m not sure if it’s been changed or something…my advice, with anyones opinions/definitions on names is if you love it, ignore what they say.
But to summarize, these names appeared on the list:
Bluebell
Brie
Desiree
Romeo
Trixie
and a few other totally usable not so weird names imo.
The real kicker is the bottom of the list - “On behalf of future adolescents everywhere, we ask that you please share this list via Facebook, Twitter, and your other favorite Social Media sites.”
I still hate this list idea. It just seems ridiculous.
As for the descriptions, even their name books have very opinionated comments on names and have actually caused me to back out of buying them before. If I wanted to read the opinions of strangers, I’d use the forum, not your name book, which I’d hope would have actual information on the names. I
do remember Crystal getting a pretty snarky comment too.
For what it’s worth, I think Sunny is very cute. It’s a name that S/O likes for a girl too (I think he read that it’s Adam Sandler’s
daughter’s name and that’s why he liked it originally??). I’d just ignore their descriptions.
The Nameberry descriptions are less fact, more opinion. One of the coolest guys I know is named [name_u]Sunny[/name_u], so I definitely wouldn’t let this page influence your feelings about the name. Real life always trumps the internet, and by your willingness to call them out on this, I’d say you’re my kinda people lol. TBH a lot of their posts seem outdated and desperatly trying to stay “current” by hating on all trends. Always use multiple sources when researching names, the Wikipedia entry for my son’s name is completely different information than the one on here; same with my brother’s name. In the end, it’s just a few people who populate the site and they can be helpful, sound like bullies, offer genuine info, or anything in between.
My favourite name has been lambasted online, that’s what happens when we ask for opinions, we receive the thoughts of others which are very often rooted and formed from very different places/experience/thoughts than our own. It’s just life.
I really would take all of these with a pinch (perhaps a handful?) of salt. It would be great if these pages were more accurate and talked about the pros and cons of every name, I’d happily do the research to help out! But I think we might all be having great-grandkids before that happens…
I would say that I read it as them calling [name_u]Sunny[/name_u] ‘reductive’ in that the name itself is too short and over simplified, not saying that a person with that name would be ‘simple’. It’s something they could say about pretty much any other nickname name.
Also while [name_f]Goldie[/name_f] is a good example to put it against, [name_f]Poppy[/name_f] and [name_f]Ivy[/name_f] aren’t nickname names in the same way so can’t quite be correlated. However, NB does give nice posts to [name_f]Ellie[/name_f], [name_f]Evie[/name_f], and [name_u]Toby[/name_u], and a purely factual description to ‘[name_f]Cordi[/name_f]’ and ‘[name_u]Cody[/name_u]’. So I’m definitely not disagreeing with you, there is a MASSIVE double standard on lots of names.
That means that there will be opinions different than our own aired. Opinions from [name_f]Pam[/name_f] and [name_f]Linda[/name_f], opinions from berries.
Why differing opinions threaten so many people today I haven’t the faintest. When people give opinions about names online, they are not talking about my mother or your grandmother. They are talking about a name!
Hmm… [name_m]Don[/name_m]'t think I was “threatened” by an opinion. I think I was surprised by what I considered to be an unprofessional statement on a website that presents itself as a resource. I think I clearly stated that I don’t care if someone doesn’t like the name [name_u]Sunny[/name_u] (i.e., has a different opinion than me) but that I wish Nameberry had stated it in a less rude, arbitrary way. I also think that airing their opinions in the Name INFO section is a little misleading. Then, after hearing what others had to say, I decided not to worry about it at all, which I stated in this thread. So yeah, not threatened. Rather, I just decided to engage in a thoughtful dialogue about this issue with others on this forum, precisely because I respect their opinions.
Good point, but I was using [name_f]Poppy[/name_f] and [name_f]Ivy[/name_f] as examples of nature names, which [name_u]Sunny[/name_u] also is. [name_f]Goldie[/name_f] was a more specific example of another nickname name. Still, thanks to your reply and many others, I’m realizing just how common this is. So I’ve just decided to, in your words, take it with a handful of salt and just ignore it:D
Yeah, I just think that when someone clicks on a section called Name Info, there should be information there, not opinions. But I’m now realizing that isn’t how Nameberry works, so it is what it is.
Honestly I agree with the original post. That description was way uncalled for on a name resource website, my jaw actually dropped. “Short form too reductive for a fully dimensional human” is just unnecessarily mean. Yes, as one person said, it’s “just life,” but why add more cruelty to the world for no reason?
I had this issue when I looked up the name [name_f]Crystal[/name_f]. It has a snarky description too. All I could think was, what if I had a deceased child or sibling or parent with that name? I think the writers of these descriptions sometimes forget that people with names they don’t like do, in fact, exist as “fully dimensional human” beings.
I would suggest looking at behindthename.com. That seems to be the only 100% reliable place. The descriptions here are very opinionated and many times the meanings/origins are incorrect. I wouldn’t worry too much about it, like many others said it’s just one person’s opinion. [name_u]Sunny[/name_u] is no different to me than a name like [name_f]Poppy[/name_f], for example, that is very popular ATM. What bothers me more is when the meaning and origins are incorrect. Many people use this site to find names for their children and are not getting the correct info on a name sometimes!
I agree with you and I still think my original complaint is valid, I’ve just decided to let it go because I’m honestly doubtful Nameberry will fix anything. Sorry you had to experience the same thing with [name_f]Crystal[/name_f]! Using Nameberry should be a positive experience but the meanness of some of these descriptions can spoil it at times. I’ve just decided not to let it bother me!
I agree that there’s a double standard for sure… but what I don’t get is why so many of us on here take every negative description as an offense to the actual people with that name. The opinions on here are about the names themselves, not your grandmother or a deceased family member? I mean it wouldn’t be a name if it didn’t belong to a person. Nameberry isn’t the most reliable source of information but they do make it pretty clear that these are personal opinions, and there are plenty of other name sites out there with just facts. I wouldn’t call it mean or cruel… all you can do is roll your eyes and move on. If you want to name your kid [name_u]Sunny[/name_u], no one is stopping you.
[name_m]Trust[/name_m] me, I don’t take this as an offense to my grandmother. Sorry if I wasn’t super clear on that. I WAS surprised to find personal opinions, and hypocritical ones at that, in the section labeled Name Info. I think that should be a place for actual information, not rudely stated opinions, but I now understand this isn’t really how Nameberry works. I do think that the opinion Nameberry espoused was ignorant and potentially offensive, but not personally to me or my grandmother. As many people have pointed out, there are many descriptions of names on this site that are crude and even mean (it’s fine if you don’t see that way, but a lot of people do). Like I said, it’s cool if someone doesn’t like a name, even the name of one of my loved ones. It doesn’t bother me. I don’t even like the names of all of my family members, doesn’t change the way I feel about the people themselves. What isn’t cool, in my opinion, is to be rude and mean about names simply because they aren’t your personal style. I know I’m using the word mean here, but maybe unnecessarily snarky or dismissive is a better way of describing Nameberry’s attitude in a lot of descriptions. Whatever, the case, I’m choosing to ignore their descriptions and use other resources for better information.