I saw a posting yesterday wondering if [name]Padma[/name] would work for a caucasian girl. It got me wondering… why are some ethnic names considered taboo while others are open to anyone. I know more than one [name]Patrick[/name], [name]Liam[/name], [name]Colleen[/name], and a thousand Aidans that are not Irish, and Anthonys and Sophias that are not Italian. My husband is Mexican and I am of Irish heritage, so that does mean we have to stick with [name]Diego[/name] and [name]Declan[/name]? I don’t want to start a war but I’m honestly curious why some ethic names are hand off to people outside that group?
I don’t think it’s off limits, and it definitely depends on the name, but many times I think it’s odd. It will lead people to make incorrect assumptions. I have quite a few family members who are Mexican immigrants and I live in a very Hispanic area, but I’m not Hispanic. [name]Even[/name] though I like names like [name]Esperanza[/name], I probably wouldn’t use them because of the assumptions others would make. I already get asked frequently whether I speak Spanish and am embarrassed that I don’t (or do very, very poorly, ) and I think using a name like that would make those assumptions happen more often and probably make me look like some kind of wannabe.
I, like the previous poster also do not think it is off limits, but if most people/you picture a [name]Padma[/name], they are going to picture a girl who has the looks of someone with the culture from wherever the name [name]Padma[/name] comes from. But yes, [name]Padma[/name] would be fine for a caucasian girl. I don’t see why it couldn’t be.
I can understand that. I get those looks now when my last name, which is clearly Hispanic, gets called in a waiting room and up pops me, blond hair, blue eyed, fair and freckled. My husband has given some suggestions that I have vetoed b/c while they sound beautiful when he says them, they are butchered by my english speaking, took French in high school attempt to say them. However if there was something I loved and knew I could pronounce it I would not hesitate to use it despite it being from a different ethic group than me.
I agree with the others–I think we’re becoming more and more international and you really don’t have to stick to mostly names from your nationality (I’m mostly [name]German[/name] and English, and there are very few [name]German[/name] and English names on my list!), but I think some choices are very ethnic. [name]Padma[/name], for example. I can’t imagine it on someone with light skin or even someone of Latino heritage. But [name]Liliana[/name]? It’s Spanish/Italian, but I would still use it. And [name]Giovanna[/name]? Still Italian, but more ethnic. I would still sneak it in as a MN as I adore it and it honors family for me.
I think there can be special circumstances, as well. There is only a very tiny bit of me that is French, but my best friend passed away last [name]December[/name] and she lived in [name]Paris[/name] essentially her whole life. I don’t really like her actual name (even though it’s a huge hit on here), and I don’t feel right using one of her children’s names, and I don’t really like anything using her initials, so I’ve been thinking about using a French name (it helps that half my list is made up of them, haha). Then again, everyone I know pretty much knows how much of a Francophone I am, so it kind of fits for me, anyway.
I don’t think I could really use an [name]Asian[/name] or African name, not unless I married someone of one of those cultures, or I adopted a child from an [name]Asian[/name] or African country. I just can’t imagine a little blond-haired, blue-eyed wonder of mine pulling off [name]Imani[/name] or [name]Priya[/name], haha.
Good luck!
Well honestly it has to do with skin color. Irish and [name]German[/name] names are fine on White people (or any other European country), but when you start talking about [name]Asia[/name]/South [name]America[/name]/[name]Africa[/name] names, basically people of darker color skin, you run into issues. People are still discriminated against, so when your white child has an [name]Indian[/name] name and decides to apply for a job, they might not get hired for that reason, sad but true. Which is why, my mom didn’t give my sister and I Chinese names and why she as well took on an American name.
I wouldn’t say it’s off limits, but you might be limiting your child somewhat…
It’s also considered odd. I know my Chinese friends would be confused as to why a White person would name their child [name]Mei[/name] [name]Lin[/name] if they have no Chinese background. Not sure if they would be offended, but you will probably be questioned.
I’ve heard that [name]Cohen[/name] is pretty off-limits.
To me it’s the culture that makes a difference. I’m [name]German[/name], so I think Scandinavian, French, English or American names aren’t weird. Italian names are already a little weird, cause Italians look so different from us. But when it comes to [name]Asian[/name] or African names, I often find them ridiculous on [name]German[/name], christian kids.
I think some religious names that aren’t mainstream at this point might not be off-limits but feel strange. Besides that I think anything that is unfamiliar or difficult to pronounce as well as outside your ethnicity is kind of an odd choice. But really today anything goes. Assumptions might be made, but who cares. As an Italian American married to a Russian I don’t find it odd to meet black kids named [name]Isabella[/name] or [name]Anya[/name] or even [name]Vladimir[/name]…in fact I think there must have been a Russian name trend in the mid 80s black community in [name]Brooklyn[/name] cause I meet so many people my age named Russian names.
The only thing is I think picking a name for it’s “exotic” sound can skew a little disrespectful if you don’t look into the meaning. Especially if we are talking about a group that has historically been messed with in whichever country you live in.
I am in the [name]Cohen[/name] is kinda strange camp personally. But I get the [name]Owen[/name], [name]Colby[/name], [name]Jayden[/name] vibe of it so I guess it feels a bit down-market to me anyway and it just feels like a clueless choice not a straight up disrespectful one.
Taz,
I worked with a Russian and he noticed the same thing, that many black people had very Russian/Russian-like names. And funny enough, I’m black, and [name]Vladimir[/name] is on my list. I [name]LOVE[/name] [name]Anya[/name] too.
I don’t think any genuine first name (ie not offensive to/in the culture it comes from) is off limits. I don’t intend to restrict myself to Irish and Celtic names just because I’m English; why should I? I love Russian names, Italian names, Japanese names yet, genetically, there’s every likelihood that a child of mine may end up with fair skin, blue eyes and red hair. It doesn’t bother me in the slightest.
Oh, I would like to add that it could be seen as an insult to another culture. I remember during Halloween there were a lot of schools advocating “We’re a culture, not a costume” and “This is not who I am”
For example: It’s insulting to a Japanese person to see a white person wear a kimono as a “costume”
So maybe taking a name that’s not from your culture fits into that somehow…
I know what you mean- I love [name]Hawaii[/name] & Hawaiian names… and though I’ve always lived on an island in the subtropics it is far from [name]Hawaii[/name]. I might feel silly giving a child a Hawaiian name with no real heritage to back it. I also love hispanic names. I am Italian, Sweedish, & Irish and most of the names I would actually use have roots as such.
It’s hard to get past the racial profiling aspect of naming, but that wouldn’t be a deciding factor for me if i REALLY loved, say, an asian name.
Agreed and sadly I find a lot of people make excuses to appropriate names.
I have a half brother whose mn is Goodspirit because he Mother is Native American so the name is technically now a family name for me. However, I would not feel comfortable using it as my children would not be Native American and they can be very sensitive (not in a bad way) about the proper use of their names and I would never want to offend them.
In other cases I think names are accessable but it might not be a great idea to use them if you can’t pronounce them or the spelling is difficult in your native language.
I think if it’s used in a pretentious manner, or something, then yes.
But if you sincerely like the name [name]Padma[/name], and there aren’t any negative associations, then go ahead!
I know a boy who’s Hungarian and Brazilian, and his name is [name]Tiago[/name], yes it’s tied to one side, but his parents don’t even look like either of them are Brazilian.
I’m not Italian nor is my SO at all, but I fully intend to use [name]Alessandra[/name]. I think it’s fine so long as you’re educated on the name and there aren’t any taboos or anything.
Because some names just look and feel really out of place when they are so rarely used outside of a certain group; for example imagine a pale skinned, blonde haired, blue eyed girl with the name [name]Yoshiko[/name].
As much as I love Japanese names both for their sound and meanings, I wouldn’t use them because it feels like cultural appropriation.
which i personally think is ridiculous, i love the name [name]Cohen[/name] but apparently you have to spell it [name]Coen[/name] which i dont like in order to not get shunned for eternity or something
[name]Cohen[/name] is considered bad form because it’s more of a religious title [it’d be like naming your child Pope or [name]Priest[/name]], it’s not given as a first name among Jews; that is why it is considered offensive, tacky, and ridiculous.
Edited to add: Coen is a German name (originally a nickname for Conrad), it’s unrelated to Cohen.
My niece was named Te Ataahua, which is fine as her father is Maori, but my sister has split up with him, and if somewhere along the line she meets someone and has more children (very likely), I’m not sure how she would go about names. She has blonde hair and blue eyes, and if she has fair children with Western names, how will that make Te feel?
Personally I think it’s a bit of a gray area. I like names that sound good in a few different languages, but my partner has a very [name]German[/name] surname so I guess it’s not going to affect people’s presumptions if I called my daughter [name]Indira[/name]… right? If you met a little [name]Indira[/name] [name]Rose[/name] Nietsche* for example, what would you think?
*not his real surname