What do you think of girl’s names and ethnicity? Should a person/couple use a name from their own ethnic background, or religious background if that applies?
The reason I ask is that I grew up in the U.S., and so I generally prefer girl’s names that are Western…not [name]Asian[/name]…not of my own ethnic background (I don’t have the same problem with boy’s names).
You should use the name you love, plain and simple. Though a very ethnic name on a child that isn’t of that ethnicity would naturally get a curious glance or surprised look.
I think it’s fine & very natural to like and to use names from the culture you have grown up in, as opposed to feeling restricted to those of your biological ethnicity. I mean, I don’t think Westerners with say, Puerto Rican parents or Nigerian grandparents, etc, feel they HAVE to choose a name of that origin. So I don’t think it should be any different for those of [name]Asian[/name] ethnicity whose home, and whose child’s home is a western nation. If someone wants to incorporate some kind of nod, direct or indirect, to their heritage or that of their bio ancestors, it’s totally their choice, not an obligation.
Thanks, ladies. I feel drawn to “Western” names, but maybe an [name]Asian[/name]-[name]Indian[/name] middle?
Also (based on personal experience) I would be concerned with pronunciation issues if I picked a very ethnic name.
Ethnicity/origin is not a concern for me. Of course, there might be a problem if you pick a very obscure name with a difficult pronunciation. But I don’t think you should disregard a name only because it is from a different background.
This isn’t a problem at all. You’re drawn to names that come from the culture you identify with.
^ not to say you don’t identify with the culture of your ethnic background.
I should have said that it’s one of the cultures that is part of you so go for it!
I’m 100% white, with a total mix of European backgrounds, none that are more dominant than the other in heritage, and I kind of feel limited in my options for names, considering I love Japanese girl’s names. If I did choose an [name]Asian[/name] name, however, I’d get weird looks. Either I’d have to go with a Western-looking name, like [name]Sara[/name] or [name]Hana[/name], or endure the ‘You don’t look [name]Asian[/name] to me’.
On the other side, however, it’s perfectly normal for people all across the world to give their children Western names. The classics, like [name]Anna[/name] and [name]John[/name], are in common use in many countries.
As a Latino with a “white” name, this is something I think about a lot. I wouldn’t think twice about a POC with a “white” name, because that’s become so commonplace. But honestly? It irks me when white kids have “ethnic” names if their parents have no connection to that ethnicity. It seems tacky and inauthentic, like they’re trying too hard to seem exotic and interesting. But that’s just my opinion. I don’t think anyone should feel obligated to give their child a name that matches their ethnicity.
Maybe give your child an option as middle name because you don’t know how the child will feel about it, and you seem to have given it some thought. I think that in itself might say enough. I say this because I have a brown friend who, to this day, remains bothered by the fact that her parents gave her and her sibling white names. @newyorkdads, I tend to share your opinion on the ethnic names point
I don’t think you should feel obliged to give your children names from your own background. If you want to instill in your kids a sense of your culture, there are other ways to do that, e.g. language exposure, food, celebrating holidays, involvement in community events, travel.
I am white, and I feel similarly to newyorkdads above on the use of “ethnic” names that are not connected to your own background. Obviously, there is no way to guess a person’s background (e.g., maybe they are Korean but grew up in Poland), but it often seems a bit out of place. It also depends on pronunciation, and how “ethnic” (sorry, I can’t think of a better word) the name is. [name]Larissa[/name] is a beautiful Russian name, but is fairly close to a lot of Western names and easy to pronounce. [name]Vyacheslav[/name], on the other hand, is hard to pronounce and would be pretty strange on a child with no connection to [name]Russia[/name].
I agree completely.
I think it depends on the name. Because there are a lot names from other cultures that have been used so much that they now sound natural to people not of that culture. For example [name]Esther[/name] is persian, but that probably wouldn’t be someone’s first association. Or sometimes having someone famous with that name breaks that barrier too. Like [name]Zain[/name] is an arabic name, but also the first name of the singer from [name]One[/name] Direction. A lot more people might find it usable now.
Whereas if I had a kid named Li [name]Ming[/name], I’d probably get stares and a lot of questions. Something I probably wouldn’t get with a name like [name]Esther[/name] or [name]Zain[/name].
I hope that answered your question.
newyorkdads - I do agree. I think it depends on “how ethnic” (MaggiefromCanada, I couldn’t think of a better term either) the name is, as anton_yelchin_fan said. For example, [name]Uma[/name] (as in [name]Uma[/name] [name]Thurman[/name]) is a Buddhist/Hindu, but if I met a little “white” girl with the name I wouldn’t find it strange.
I grew up in [name]California[/name], and there are a lot of ethnic names around, but I don’t like how people 1. never know how to pronounce my name and 2. still struggle or are reluctant to say my name because it is difficult/unfamiliar.
And also, because I grew up in [name]California[/name], I have had more exposure to non-[name]Indian[/name] names and there’s a lot of them I admire.
I come from a long line of [name]Ann[/name], [name]Mary[/name], [name]Frances[/name], [name]Katherine[/name], and [name]Josephine[/name]'s…as well as [name]Julie[/name], [name]Linda[/name], [name]Michelle[/name], [name]Kimberly[/name], [name]Susan[/name] and [name]Barbara[/name] 's [name]John[/name], [name]Michael[/name], [name]Joseph[/name], [name]Charles[/name], [name]Arthur[/name], [name]George[/name] 's etc… Such a traditional family.
I just don’t think I could use a name like [name]Ieesha[/name], [name]Yamina[/name], Neelima, [name]India[/name]-[name]Asia[/name], etc. It might feel weird, I don’t know.
i like the fact that my name, and my kids’ names, are representative of our religion/ethnicity. It’s actually a really big deal in my culture for kids to have Hebrew names, because we’ve been scattered in a lot of places for the last 2 millennia and its a way of staying connected to each other. Choosing a name is a very meaningful act to us.
So i think its cool when parents keep ethnicity in mind when choosing a name, because remebering your ancestors and having pride in your history is something i really respect. Giving your kid a non-mainstream name (ie: [name]Kevin[/name] isnt weird on non-Irish kids but Gormfhlaith would be) that comes from a totally other place just feels weird to me. Then again, a lot of Americans don’t really have much of a sense of ethnicity or culture other than simply being American, in which case its not surprising that these factors don’t really factor to them.
I can see how an “ethnic” name is significant for you. But a lot of Hebrew names can be found in [name]America[/name], or at least easy to pronounce.
Also, just curious - can you “reuse” a name - name a child after an older generation? That’s not an option for me - its would be considered “disrespectful” to call a little one after someone older (and whose name should be respected and not used - or even said - in a familiar way by someone who is younger).
[name]Both[/name] of these posts are so interesting! I am constantly learning here on NB, and I love it! I had no idea there were so many different naming rules and traditions in all these different cultures. I’m sure I sound totally ignorant, but I’m really not. I just haven’t been exposed to the inter-workings of these cultures before. It really is fascinating, and I thank you all for sharing!
Folks have mostly said my opinion, but I’ll throw it out there. It seems totally fine to me for a, say, Korean mother who grows up in Europe or the US to give her kids traditionally European names (or American names, if those exist), but for someone like me who has a very clearly defined, though mixed, European background (and who grew up amidst other American mutts) to give their kid a name like Li Sung, it would be weird and seem like they are trying too hard to be different or exotic or “cool”. The only exception I can see is if one of the parents has a hobby or career that connects them to a different culture. I think it would make sense for them to use a name from that culture.
I think the different naming traditions are fascinating too! Its nice to be able to ask people - good way to learn. Not ignorant at all.
The “Hebrew” names that are common in American are generally distinct from their roots, due to transliteration over the ages. Yochanan became [name]John[/name] because of differences in alphabet and language. So while people look up [name]Ian[/name] and see that it’s from a Hebrew root, that’s very different than choosing Yochanan. [name]Rebecca[/name] might seem commonplace to you, but [name]Rivka[/name] (the proper Hebrew) would be very unfamiliar. My daughters are [name]Elisheva[/name] and [name]Gavriella[/name], not [name]Elizabeth[/name] and [name]Gabrielle[/name]. My name has no English/Western equivalent and comes across as fairly exotic to most people; lots of Hebrew names that are used in Jewish communities are like that.
I’m Ashkenazi (my ancestors lived in non-Mediterranean Europe) and we specifically name for deceased rather than living people; it’s considered a huge sign of respect for a dead loved one or community figure to name after them. Sephardi Jews (from the Mediterranean and Middle [name]East[/name]) consider it respectful to name children for living grandparents. And there are plenty of other meaningful sources of names - for example, if one of my girls had been born a week later (on the holiday of Purim) her name probably would have been [name]Hadassah[/name], the original name of [name]Queen[/name] [name]Esther[/name].