I like all sorts of names. Greek, Italian, [name_u]French[/name_u], Scandinavian…
If I called a son [name_m]Bjorn[/name_m] and I have no Swedish connections, is that at best ridiculous and at worst insulting / appropriation?
I’ve seen quite strong feelings on other sites, people saying [name_m]Enzo[/name_m] shouldn’t be so popular in [name_f]France[/name_f] at the moment because it’s an Italian name etc.
There’s so many mainstream names, say [name_f]Penelope[/name_f], you wouldn’t automatically think that person must be from Greece.
I can see if a name is very strongly tied to a certain culture / religious belief and it’s meaning, for example an indigenous tribe, it could seem a very odd decision to use a name simply because you like it. There’s a balance somewhere isn’t there and maybe I’ve answered my own question.
Anyway, I’m not sure I’ve written this all in the best way but interested to hear other people’s views as this is something I’ve been pondering…
Using a name from a different culture isn’t offensive per se, as long as it’s done with respect and you’re willing to do some research.
Also, using a [name_u]French[/name_u] name, for example, isn’t the same as using a name from a culture that’s been oppressed. So I’d be more careful with Jewish or Hebrew names than with Norwegian names.
Names that have a sacred meaning in another culture should be avoided, so [name_m]Cohen[/name_m] and [name_u]Bodhi[/name_u] for example are a no go
Gender bending names with a long history of use and special significance like [name_u]Artemis[/name_u] or [name_m]Odin[/name_m] is not okay
Don’t use a name from a different culture and then refuse to pronounce it correctly
As for [name_m]Bjorn[/name_m], your own example: I’m Scandinavian and don’t mind other people using Scandinavian names, but [name_m]Bjorn[/name_m] is a great example! Because [name_m]Bjorn[/name_m] doesn’t exist. It’s spelled [name_m]Björn[/name_m] in Swedish and Icelandic, or Bjørn in Norwegian and Danish. And it’s definitely not pronounced BYORN. I’d be pleased to see someone use [name_m]Björn[/name_m] or Bjørn with the right pronunciation, otherwise: please don’t, even though [name_m]Bjorn[/name_m] is used outside Scandinavia, and is even relatively popular in some countries.
And after saying about an indigenous name - I added [name_f]Millaray[/name_f] to my list the other day as a middle option as I thought the meaning and sound was beautiful. But would it be right to use it. That’s the question.
I’ve been mulling this over lately as well. I like unique names but don’t want anything that sounds made up. I am not in to mash ups of two names to make something new. So, I’ve been really drawn to names from other cultures.
I LOVE Gaelic names but recognize how difficult the spelling issue would be for my child, it’s just not doable in a non-Gaelic speaking place.
I recently discovered the name [name_f]Lumi[/name_f], which is Scandinavian and am so in love with it. But we live in rural [name_f]Canada[/name_f], so should we use it?
[name_f]Lumi[/name_f] is lovely, beautiful sound and meaning. Been trying it out in combos recently as a middle option. I was thinking of how people would react to the name here in [name_f]England[/name_f], I think they’d be surprised as it’s so unusual but hopefully surprised in a good way! It doesn’t sound too dissimilar to [name_f]Luna[/name_f], which is mega popular.
It feels SO perfect for our new babe if we have a girl.
[name_f]My[/name_f] other two kids also have 4 letter names with two vowels, so it rounds out our ‘theme’ without being too matchy.
Also we’re due mid [name_u]November[/name_u] which is when we usually get our first snowfalls that stay on the ground. [name_m]Feel[/name_m] like it’s meant to be!
I feel that if you/the child will have no connection to the culture, it’s a bit strange. There are plenty of names that I love and find beautiful but I won’t use because of this reason. [name_m]Just[/name_m] doesn’t sit right with me.
I think the French/Italian connection is pretty close given that they share a border and people obviously interact beyond the arbitrary lines drawn on a map.
I certainly don’t think you have to use names that don’t scream any one ethnic background, but I think it’s better to dig into a culture you will be able to share with your child
[name_f]Lumi[/name_f] isn’t actually Scandinavian, it’s Finnish and Finland isn’t a part of Scandinavia. As a Finnish person myself, I think it’s totally fine for foreigners to use the name [name_f]Lumi[/name_f] or any other Finnish name, as long as they pronounce it correctly.
I once heard of an American mother who named her son [name_u]Valo[/name_u] (also a Finnish name) and pronounced it vay-lo, which is not how it’s actually said at all. That I think is strange and a bit rude.
As long as it’s spelt and pronounced right and not the name of anything offensive or odd (like Cohen), I think it’s fine.
While it’s easy to say you should stick to names from your culture, the world isn’t always so black and white. What if you’re white and want to give your child a Japanese name because your adoptive parents are Japanese? Should you not be allowed to honour that side of yourself? What if you’re naming your child, say, [name_m]Santiago[/name_m] out of respect and love for Hispanic cultures, not because it’s trendy? At the end of the day, have basic caution and you’ll be fine.
I also want to add (bc I don’t think it’s been stated) to check out your name in other cultures as well. [name_f]Emi[/name_f] has a beautiful meaning in Japanese but it means “to diminish” in Hawaiian.
Björn pronounced “byun” (with a very soft r, almost inaudible), and Bjørn is pronounced “byurn”. But either way will do for both In Icelandic Björn is pronounced with a hard b, almost a p, and a very soft t sound before the n. So something like “pyurtn”.
I generally agree with @rosebeth’s points, the only one I would disagree with is not using names if you change their pronunciation. Here my opinion is more along the lines of:
I think when using a name from another culture you either adapt the pronunciation to your language, for example, [name_m]Björn[/name_m] would be Byorn in [name_f]English[/name_f], [name_m]Enzo[/name_m] would become En-tzo in [name_m]German[/name_m], [name_f]Penelope[/name_f] would be Pe-ne-lop in French,. etc. or you use the pronunciation from the language of origin.
What I don’t like are “faux” [name_u]French[/name_u] / Spanish / Italian / Russian /… pronunciations that are neither pronounced like they are in that language nor how you would pronounce them in the language you use them in.
[name_f]Esmé[/name_f], for example, is one of those names if you say Ez-may in [name_f]English[/name_f].
Spelling-wise you’d say Ez-mee or Esm (?) for [name_f]Esme[/name_f], while in [name_u]French[/name_u] it’s Ez-meh, so “Ezmay” would be a faux [name_u]French[/name_u] pronunciation.
That’s the one I don’t like.
All of your other arguments are excellent and valid, but this one hits home the most. I’m sick and tired of people changing spelling and or pronunciation for their convenience. An example I come across the most is Danica, which has a ts sound, not k, but in English it’s always da-knee-kuh and that makes me mad.
As a white American, these arguments are always quite fascinating to me. Technically, yeah, my family is from [name_f]England[/name_f], [name_u]Scotland[/name_u], and Poland, to name a few, but my last immediate family member moved away from Europe (Poland) almost 120 years ago. I’m about as close to my European “roots” as I am to anywhere else outside of the US. I always do my research, and I would never use a name that’s misspelled, misgendered, or inappropriate.
But, come on. Is someone really gonna tell me that it’s more “appropriate” for me to use a Polish name than a Greek or Italian one? That’s ridiculous.
In Icelandic Björn is pronounced with a hard b, almost a p, and a very soft t sound before the n. So something like “pyurtn”.