The modern phenomenon Americanism

[Barry Sanchez]

of calling your child a surname.

I have recently become a father and with this we obviously had to choose a name, anyway we have come across this **** modern crap of people calling their child a surname, Tyler, Maddison, Jackson, Davis you name it it's open season on a tradition from the states of years gone by, this tradition is where the lady gives her surname to the man she is marrying so in the event of children her name carries on but this was only meant as a middle name, fast forward a few years and we have copied them yet with no historical attachment to it.

 

Christ there are some seriously **** names about but what the **** is going on here, it's not even original, cheap copied Americanism.

[bridge too far]

Not so modern - think Jackson Pollock who died in 1956!

[Scummer]

Not so modern - think Jackson Pollock who died in 1956!

 

But he was American, so I think you're proving Barry's point.

[bridge too far]

But he was American, so I think you're proving Barry's point.

 

Oh yeah

[Barry Sanchez]

Oh yeah

 

Its been happening in America for years.

[buctootim]

There's a fashion amongst some black parents to make up new name for their children. D'brickishaw and Barkevious D'quell - really? (NFL players names)

[Barry Sanchez]

There's a fashion amongst some black parents to make up new name for their children. D'brickishaw and Barkevious D'quell - really? (NFL players names)

 

You seriously have to question why.

[bridge too far]

There is an apocryphal tale that a British couple named their daughter 'Anaesthesia' (not sure they spent it properly though)

[dinger]

There is an apocryphal tale that a British couple named their daughter 'Anaesthesia' (not sure they spent it properly though)

 

Take a look at this book for a few yuks. All genuine British names from the register...

 

http://www.ebookdlhk.com/book/Potty-Fartwell-and-Knob-Russell-Ash.html

 

My favourite was S h i tty Dickens.

[Minty]

I'm hoping to start a family soon, so if you could forward me the rulebook about naming my child, I'd be grateful!

 

Seriously though, this is not much different to music or fashion or any other cultural change... we're creatures of habit and don't like change, so tend to not like things which we're not familiar with or that we deem not to have become socially acceptable. But there is no right or wrong. I actually agree with most of what is posted above, I don't like most of the names mentioned, but that's not to say they'll never be popular. And whether we like it or not, changes will often come from other countries or cultures, especially as communication links mean we're more aware of what is happening elsewhere.

 

We have some names in mind for when we start a family, but I think the key thing is recognising that whether we like the name or not, whatever we call our child, THEY are going to have to live with it... fellow children especially can be cruel and i would not want my child to be persecuted just because of their name. Even though there is no reason other than 'the other kids think it's weird', i don't think it's fair to potentially put a child in that position, especially when other parents probably wouldn't help the situation, even though they should know better. In an ideal world, we'd all be tolerant of all differences between us, names and all, but we know that simply isn't the case.

 

So, if we have a son, I'm calling him Rupert.

[Barry Sanchez]

There is no rulebook but there are standards, its subjective I know but calling your child

Bailey

Davis

Tyler

Maddison

Jackson

Riley

Harrison

Jordan

Kelsey

 

is not only very unoriginal its not even in our culture, its made up and seems to appear to copy a culture we mock for not having one.

[anothersaintinsouthsea]

Totally with you on this one Barry. I think parents who call their kids these sorts of names imagine that they sound quite classy but for me the impact is the opposite. My wife is a teacher and she took me through some of the class lists. The majority of the naughty/difficult kids had crap names (in my opinion of course) that were either surnames or "normal" first names that were spelled incorrectly.

[buctootim]

I'm hoping to start a family soon, so if you could forward me the rulebook about naming my child, I'd be grateful!

 

Seriously though, this is not much different to music or fashion or any other cultural change... we're creatures of habit and don't like change, so tend to not like things which we're not familiar with or that we deem not to have become socially acceptable. But there is no right or wrong. I actually agree with most of what is posted above, I don't like most of the names mentioned, but that's not to say they'll never be popular. And whether we like it or not, changes will often come from other countries or cultures, especially as communication links mean we're more aware of what is happening elsewhere.

 

We have some names in mind for when we start a family, but I think the key thing is recognising that whether we like the name or not, whatever we call our child, THEY are going to have to live with it... fellow children especially can be cruel and i would not want my child to be persecuted just because of their name. Even though there is no reason other than 'the other kids think it's weird', i don't think it's fair to potentially put a child in that position, especially when other parents probably wouldn't help the situation, even though they should know better. In an ideal world, we'd all be tolerant of all differences between us, names and all, but we know that simply isn't the case.

 

So, if we have a son, I'm calling him Rupert.

 

 

We tried to find names which were not going to be be picked on at school; weren't obviously of one class or another; were pronouncable or recognisable in other countries; weren't common and that we liked. Not an easy brief!

[anothersaintinsouthsea]

We have some names in mind for when we start a family, but I think the key thing is recognising that whether we like the name or not, whatever we call our child, THEY are going to have to live with it... fellow children especially can be cruel and i would not want my child to be persecuted just because of their name. Even though there is no reason other than 'the other kids think it's weird', i don't think it's fair to potentially put a child in that position, especially when other parents probably wouldn't help the situation, even though they should know better. In an ideal world, we'd all be tolerant of all differences between us, names and all, but we know that simply isn't the case.

 

So, if we have a son, I'm calling him Rupert.

 

Too true. With the rise of celebrity culture it has become almost normal to give kids unusual names. If you're filthy rich and already famous it is likely that it won't matter if you're called Cruz or Apple but if you're not and are trying to make your way in a serious profession then a stupid name can and will hinder you. Would anyone hire a lawyer to represent them called Princess Tiaamii for instance?

 

Another one that I find annoying is giving kids "normal" names but spelling them in strange ways. Parents don't seem to get that the child (for the rest of their lives) will have to explain how to spell their name properly.

[Barry Sanchez]

We tried to find names which were not going to be be picked on at school; weren't obviously of one class or another; were pronouncable or recognisable in other countries; weren't common and that we liked. Not an easy brief!

 

William

George

Harry

Henry

Jack

Matthew

Daniel

Charles

Andrew

David

Edward

Jonathan

Peter

Michael

Thomas

Samuel

[hypochondriac]

We tried to find names which were not going to be be picked on at school; weren't obviously of one class or another; were pronouncable or recognisable in other countries; weren't common and that we liked. Not an easy brief!

 

What did you choose?

[hypochondriac]

Someone I know is called Anai which I quite like and I think fits Tim's criteria.

[buctootim]

What did you choose?

 

Are you Pap in disguise? I'd rather not say. Suffice to say I think we nailed it for my daughter, son - not so much.

[Barry Sanchez]

We named our daughter a German/French name with a proud British heritage but also very unusual but very pretty, any guesses?

[buctootim]

We named our daughter a German/French name with a proud British heritage but also very unusual but very pretty, any guesses?

 

Airbus?

Edited 29 October, 2013 by buctootim

[Barry Sanchez]

BMW Mini?

 

Close.

[hypochondriac]

Are you Pap in disguise? I'd rather not say. Suffice to say I think we nailed it for my daughter, son - not so much.

 

What does it begin with?

[Trader]

There were quite a few girls named Candida a few years ago, which sounds lovely.

 

I suppose their parents didn't realise that Candida Albicans is actually a nasty yeast infection of the c*nt.

[Tony F]

A friend of my wife was talking about her pregnant daughter. Now, the couple aren't married and have the surnames Heath and Robinson. Apparently they have decided to give the child the surname Heath-Robinson.

 

I really think they don't get the joke. If you don't either, check it out on wiki.

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

Someone I know is called Anai which I quite like and I think fits Tim's criteria.

 

Bit of an accident waiting to happen if you write this in capital letters and the "i" looks like "L".......

[Hamilton Saint]

Why would a parent give their child a familiar name - Michael, let's say - but give it a strange, unique spelling, like Miykel?

 

Virtually every other day of their life, that person is going to be required to say: "No, that's M-I-Y-K-E-L. Yes, I know it's an odd spelling. What? No, M-I-Y-K-E-L."

 

There is a student in my school whose name sounds like Jem. Guess what the spelling is? J'aime. As in the phrase "I love you" in French.

[pap]

My kids have very decent first names. Both have declared themselves happy with our choices.

 

One is traditional, another was named after a Star Trek character, but it still works.

[Hamilton Saint]

And then there are names like Honey, Princess, Angel, and Precious. Funnily enough, kids with these names often have a large dose of "self-esteem".

 

This year there is a boy in my class called Jihad. Oh, dear - the perils of cultural misunderstanding.

 

"Jihad? Doesn't that mean Holy War?"

 

"Yeah, but it can also mean struggle."

 

"As in the struggle against the unclean infidel?"

 

"Well, that's a negative sort of way to put it."

 

"I guess. But it's a bit in-your-face, isn't it?"

 

"I've never really thought of it. It's the name my parents gave me."

 

"They didn't worry about possible misunderstanding? Or negative reactions at such a loaded word?"

 

"No, that's why they chose it, I think. They're very devout."

 

"Yes, but you're the one living with the name, not them."

 

"I know - and do you know how many times I've had this kind of conversation. It gets very tiresome."

[hypochondriac]

Why would a parent give their child a familiar name - Michael, let's say - but give it a strange, unique spelling, like Miykel?

 

Virtually every other day of their life, that person is going to be required to say: "No, that's M-I-Y-K-E-L. Yes, I know it's an odd spelling. What? No, M-I-Y-K-E-L."

 

There is a student in my school whose name sounds like Jem. Guess what the spelling is? J'aime. As in the phrase "I love you" in French.

 

Thatis bad. I also know a woman called Bleu. Pronounced Blue. Horrendous name.

 

 

 

My kids have very decent first names. Both have declared themselves happy with our choices.

 

One is traditional, another was named after a Star Trek character, but it still works.

 

Your kids are very forgiving. I'm not sure if I would have the same patience if I was called Worf.

Edited 29 October, 2013 by hypochondriac

[pap]

Your kids are very forgiving. I'm not sure if I would have the same patience if I was called Worf.

 

She's actually called 2 of 2.

[hypochondriac]

Other terrible names:

 

Cherry

Faith

Hope

Charity

Chastity

Candice

Verity

Tallula

Blake

Blane

[anothersaintinsouthsea]

And then there are names like Honey, Princess, Angel, and Precious. Funnily enough, kids with these names often have a large dose of "self-esteem".

 

This year there is a boy in my class called Jihad. Oh, dear - the perils of cultural misunderstanding.

 

"Jihad? Doesn't that mean Holy War?"

 

"Yeah, but it can also mean struggle."

 

"As in the struggle against the unclean infidel?"

 

"Well, that's a negative sort of way to put it."

 

"I guess. But it's a bit in-your-face, isn't it?"

 

"I've never really thought of it. It's the name my parents gave me."

 

"They didn't worry about possible misunderstanding? Or negative reactions at such a loaded word?"

 

"No, that's why they chose it, I think. They're very devout."

 

"Yes, but you're the one living with the name, not them."

 

"I know - and do you know how many times I've had this kind of conversation. It gets very tiresome."

 

Brilliant

[bridge too far]

Other terrible names:

 

Cherry

Faith

Hope

Charity

Chastity

Candice

Verity

Tallula

Blake

Blane

 

Faith, Hope, Charity and Verity are very old names. When my latest granddaughter was on her way, her parents had decided boy and girl names but, as soon as she arrived, they changed their minds completely. Their final choice suits her so much better than the name originally planned for her.

[Barry Sanchez]

My kids have very decent first names. Both have declared themselves happy with our choices.

 

One is traditional, another was named after a Star Trek character, but it still works.

 

How did I know you would post something like this..................

[Hamilton Saint]

Because I've been teaching for 25 years, I've noticed the changes in fashion - as far as kids' names go. When I first started teaching, for example, kids from the Jamaican community often had old-fashioned English names like Cornelius, Reginald, George and Clarence - with boys - and Olivia, Victoria, Hyacinth and Jasmine - with girls. Now, the tendency is to choose African-based names - Reshay, Kwamie, Deandre, Dequain, for example, (with boys) - and Tyaishia, Cortesia, Latrisse and Shontaya (with girls).

 

Children from the Sikh community often adopted an anglicized name for school - Happy, Jolly, Pretty, Sunny; now they tend to retain their own names.

 

Names may have been adjusted before in order to try to fit in better with the "dominant culture"; now the names are chosen proudly from within a family or a cultural tradition.

[Barry Sanchez]

Because I've been teaching for 25 years, I've noticed the changes in fashion - as far as kids' names go. When I first started teaching, for example, kids from the Jamaican community often had old-fashioned English names like Cornelius, Reginald, George and Clarence - with boys - and Olivia, Victoria, Hyacinth and Jasmine - with girls. Now, the tendency is to choose African-based names - Reshay, Kwamie, Deandre, Dequain, for example, (with boys) - and Tyaishia, Cortesia, Latrisse and Shontaya (with girls).

 

Children from the Sikh community often adopted an anglicized name for school - Happy, Jolly, Pretty, Sunny; now they tend to retain their own names.

 

Names may have been adjusted before in order to try to fit in better with the "dominant culture"; now the names are chosen proudly from within a family or a cultural tradition.

 

Why would someone choose an African based name?

[LVSaint]

It's the pompous Paris, Londons and Milans I hear from time to time that make me want to spew. Classy.

 

I bet there are some Brixtons, Croydons and Toxteths out there too, I hope there are.

[Toadhall Saint]

We named our daughter a German/French name with a proud British heritage but also very unusual but very pretty, any guesses?

 

Gertrude?

[Special K]

Gertrude?

 

Gertrude Sanchez. It's a winner.

[Hamilton Saint]

Why would someone choose an African based name?

 

You really need an answer to this? You can't figure it out?

[EastleighSoulBoy]

Because I've been teaching for 25 years, I've noticed the changes in fashion - as far as kids' names go. When I first started teaching, for example, kids from the Jamaican community often had old-fashioned English names like Cornelius, Reginald, George and Clarence - with boys - and Olivia, Victoria, Hyacinth and Jasmine - with girls. Now, the tendency is to choose African-based names - Reshay, Kwamie, Deandre, Dequain, for example, (with boys) - and Tyaishia, Cortesia, Latrisse and Shontaya (with girls).

 

Children from the Sikh community often adopted an anglicized name for school - Happy, Jolly, Pretty, Sunny; now they tend to retain their own names.

 

Names may have been adjusted before in order to try to fit in better with the "dominant culture"; now the names are chosen proudly from within a family or a cultural tradition.

 

Why would someone choose an African based name?

 

You really need an answer to this? You can't figure it out?

 

Leave him alone with his whoooosh! moment.

[Badger]

Totally with you on this one Barry. I think parents who call their kids these sorts of names imagine that they sound quite classy but for me the impact is the opposite. My wife is a teacher and she took me through some of the class lists. The majority of the naughty/difficult kids had crap names (in my opinion of course) that were either surnames or "normal" first names that were spelled incorrectly.

 

Totally agree with you on this, having noted the toe-rag kids in my son's years at school and there is a constant theme between arsehole children and pleb like names.

 

Trouble is it is difficult to discuss such views without being accused of sounding like, or supporting Katie Hopkins.

[KelvinsRightGlove]

My first name is my mothers surname.

 

Though it is a first name anyway.

[SuperMikey]

My first name is my mothers surname.

 

Though it is a first name anyway.

 

Kelly?

[Sheaf Saint]

My other half is expecting our first child in february, and trying to pick a suitable name is so much harder than we thought. I know from first-hand experience what it is like to grow up and go to school with a somewhat unusual name, and just how cruel and hurtful other kids can be when it comes to ripping you about it, so I was very conscious of this. Mine isn't a particularly weird or pretentious name, it's just uncommon, and it didn't help that there were a couple of characters on TV during the 80s that I shared it with which became the butt of all the teasing I received. Of course, my parents weren't to know that would be the case when they gave it to me, but that didn't stop me from resenting it at the time.

 

We thought long and hard and managed to come up with plenty of girls names that we both liked, but just couldn't agree on a boys name. Every suggestion that one of us came up with was rejected by the other. But it's academic now, because we've had two scans and they both showed it's a girl

[KelvinsRightGlove]

Kelly?

 

Incorrect.

[Turkish]

[View From The Top]

I teach a young lady called Jasmine, except it's spelt Jazzmin.

[pap]

I teach a young lady called Jasmine, except it's spelt Jazzmin.

 

Better than Jizzman.

[pap]

I teach a young lady called Jasmine, except it's spelt Jazzmin.

 

And Manjizz too, cum to think of it.

[Unbelievable Jeff]

We named our daughter a German/French name with a proud British heritage but also very unusual but very pretty, any guesses?

 

Helga?

 

Personally I'm just surprised that someone willingly pro-created with you. I'm imagining some kind of Joseph Fritzl type situation has occured...