Think Before Naming Your Child

[UniqueScreenname]

I've heard of this, but I don't know if it's true. Think of how this would be pronounced: "Le-a."

Spoiler:

It's "Ledasha."

Kids called Gay, Precious, and Joy. Precious was a male.

When my sister was little she said she wanted fraternal twins named Nerjerd and Nerjerderita.

I'm not a fan of the name Ima, especially when you have a rather horrid last name. Ima Butts. Ima Horr. Ima Cutter. Ima Kitchen. Ima Mare. No good comes out of it.

[The Scyphozoa]

Since this thread is so rarely posted in, but when it is posted in "Le-a" comes up so often, I wouldn't mind to see it be locked. It's not even funny anymore.

[Monika]

Ah come on, that's not so bad. At least we can educate people on this urban legend.

[Grop]

Some people actually come up with funny things to say.

How about renaming the thread "Think Before Naming Your Child (we already know about Le-a)"?

...

Also, I am surprised I haven't yet bored you about this typical (and lame) French joke : Monsieur et madame [insert an unlikely name] have [a son, or a daughter, possibly several children], how do they name them?

People are supposed to guess the firstname that will make for a far-fetched pun.

Monsieur et madame Zétaufrais ont une fille, comment l'appellent-ils ?

The answer is Mélanie, because Mélanie Zétaufrais really sounds like you should put the anis liquor in the fridge.

[Monika]

Heh, there is a similar kind of joke in German, except the pun is always given away: "But Herr/Frau ___, do you really want to call your daughter/son ___?"
"Frau Käfer, do you really want to call your son Maik?" because Maik Käfer => Maikäfer (May Beetle)
"Herr Grube, do you really want to call your daughter Claire?" because Claire Grube => Klärgrube (septic tank, cesspool)

[superbum]

I work with a guy named Rafe McAnally his name shows up on our screen as:

MCANALLY, RAFE

all day for everyone to see. We get paid based on incentive, this guy is a new addition to our team and he sucks, so everyone hates him. We've been McAnally Rafed. His parents are assholes.

[Sartorius]

I just saw this article.

They approved Number 16 Bus Shelter? I mean, do you know how much of a pain it would be for that child and society to have a number in his/her name? Filling in any sort of bubble-in test sheet wouldn't work at all, even if you wrote it Numbersixteenbusshelter. I seriously doubt there's a commonly-used form that allows so many characters for a first name.

I think some European countries are a bit Draconian though.

[UniqueScreenname]

I just saw this article.

They approved Number 16 Bus Shelter? I mean, do you know how much of a pain it would be for that child and society to have a number in his/her name? Filling in any sort of bubble-in test sheet wouldn't work at all, even if you wrote it Numbersixteenbusshelter. I seriously doubt there's a commonly-used form that allows so many characters for a first name.

I think some European countries are a bit Draconian though.

What was that crazy Swedish thing? This just proves some people should never be allowed to procreate.

[Sartorius]

Pretty sure the Swedish name was the result of a cat stepping on a keyboard.

[Eugo]

A guy named Tarzan Milošević was a mayor of a city somewhere in Montenegro or South Serbia, can't remember exactly. The year is one of them early 1990s, and he's a guest on the local radio.

Host: do you have any problems with your name?

TM: not at all, this is a small city, and everybody here knows that we are not related to the other Milošević family.

[Eebster the Great]

He is the mayor of Bijelo Polje, Montenegro.

And that's hilarious.

[NoodleIncident]

A girl at school is named "Hannah Johannahman."

Not the silliest, but it is very fun to say!

[PerchloricAcid]

A guy named Tarzan Milošević was a mayor of a city somewhere in Montenegro or South Serbia, can't remember exactly. The year is one of them early 1990s, and he's a guest on the local radio.

Host: do you have any problems with your name?

TM: not at all, this is a small city, and everybody here knows that we are not related to the other Milošević family.

Ih bre, nije to tako strašno

Tarzan is a common name among Gypsies in Serbia, and so are names such as "Jamezdin", originated from James Dean. A classmate of mine was called Tarzan.

[Eugo]

Tarzan is a common name among Gypsies in Serbia, and so are names such as "Jamezdin", originated from James Dean. A classmate of mine was called Tarzan.

Indeed, not the rarest of names. We had Mašinka (machine gun), Šporet (oven) and others for a while. However, the list is much longer than one would think. Including surnames... which I wouldn't call last names. Who knows, life is long, they may have other surnames later, in case they remarry or just change their mind(s?).

[PerchloricAcid]

Šporet is weird, but Mašinka could be thought of as a derivative of the name "Maša" (which is an usual name), don't you think?
There was this peculiar case of two girls, named Lenjinka and Staljinka (after Lenin and Stalin), who changed their names to Lenislava and Stanislava (the first isn't really a common name, but at least it doesn't have a "political" connotation).


I took a look at the list of names. Well, some of them are definitely funny, such as Alka or Arsen, but I think of them as acceptable (consider e.g. Alka Vuica and Arsen Dedić). I also saw Leto (Summer). It appears in English speaking areas, too - consider Summer Glau (River Tam from Firefly)

[Eugo]

Šporet is weird, but Mašinka could be thought of as a derivative of the name "Maša" (which is an usual name), don't you think?

Nowadays we may think whatever we want, but in 1946 the machine gun was an important household item .

[curtis95112]

On a job application I received from a woman who turned out to be Korean, her name was written "Ay Tung Poon"

Are you sure? That doesn't sound anything like a Korean name.

[lucrezaborgia]

Thou shall not give your children Irish names unless you live in Ireland.

Niamh - Neev

My stepdaughter has this name. My fiance had absolutely no input on this and he wants to change her name but she's at an age where it's getting too late. NO ONE knows how to pronounce her name unless they have been around her a while. Every time we go to CPS court (long story and not because we did anything) they have to spend 5 minutes explaining that her name isn't pronounced as it's spelled. The incubator has a thing for Gaelic names and is naming her latest spawn a Gaelic name that will probably be changed once the kid is taken from her and adopted out.

[Fire Brns]

I heard something about a "rainbow rocketship" or something to that extent a while back.

Gender neutral names like Jessie and Alex bother me, severely. On the other hand if their name is legally Alexander or Alexandria or any of the gender distinguishing variants I rage much less.

Messing with vowels on the other hand I don't get as being a problem. Sabrina = Sybrina, ect.

[Oflick]

Gender neutral names like Jessie and Alex bother me, severely. On the other hand if their name is legally Alexander or Alexandria or any of the gender distinguishing variants I rage much less.

If I walk around pantsless for the rest of my life so that you can always clearly see I'm male, can I keep the name Alex?

[Iulus Cofield]

No.

Your parents should have thought before naming you.

[PerchloricAcid]

And why is that?

[ShootTheChicken]

I really like gender-ambiguous names. My current favourite is Artemis.

[AvatarIII]

I just saw this article.

They approved Number 16 Bus Shelter? I mean, do you know how much of a pain it would be for that child and society to have a number in his/her name? Filling in any sort of bubble-in test sheet wouldn't work at all, even if you wrote it Numbersixteenbusshelter. I seriously doubt there's a commonly-used form that allows so many characters for a first name.

I think some European countries are a bit Draconian though.

a lot of those make sense, but Germany banning Miatt because it was not gender obvious? wtf?

[The Scyphozoa]

I really like gender-ambiguous names. My current favourite is Artemis.

Dinosaur Comics had the idea to write erotic fiction with two characters named Riley and Casey, and never give any clues as to which genders they are.

[Fire Brns]

Gender neutral names like Jessie and Alex bother me, severely. On the other hand if their name is legally Alexander or Alexandria or any of the gender distinguishing variants I rage much less.

If I walk around pantsless for the rest of my life so that you can always clearly see I'm male, can I keep the name Alex?

I never said you couldn't. I am an Alex(ander) after all. It simply bugs me that parents are too lazy to add that extra 1-6 letter to the end.

[Oflick]

Gender neutral names like Jessie and Alex bother me, severely. On the other hand if their name is legally Alexander or Alexandria or any of the gender distinguishing variants I rage much less.

If I walk around pantsless for the rest of my life so that you can always clearly see I'm male, can I keep the name Alex?

I never said you couldn't. I am an Alex(ander) after all. It simply bugs me that parents are too lazy to add that extra 1-6 letter to the end.

I misread your original post. My name is in fact Alexander, I just use "Alex". I guess it's me you should rage at and not my parents.

[Monika]

Gender neutral names like Jessie and Alex bother me, severely.

I like gender-neutral names.

I think some European countries are a bit Draconian though.

a lot of those make sense, but Germany banning Miatt because it was not gender obvious? wtf?

Until recently it was the rule that at least one of the names of a child had to identify the gender of the child (the other ones could be gender-neutral or Maria ... I am not kidding about the Maria part, a lot of Catholic boys have this as the second name). However, on 5 December 2008 the German Supreme Court ruled that a child could have also just gender-neutral names (giving names of the opposite gender, except Maria, is still illegal).
Even before Miatt could not have been banned based on that it is / may be gender-ambiguous, the parents could only have been required to add a second name that is gender-obvious. There was a strange case when registry's office did not want to allow parents to name their daughter only "Nora" because it can supposedly be a boy name ... which it really can't, it's strictly a girl name at least in Germany.

[Eebster the Great]

I really like gender-ambiguous names. My current favourite is Artemis.

Dinosaur Comics had the idea to write erotic fiction with two characters named Riley and Casey, and never give any clues as to which genders they are.

Gender-neutral porn is not a new idea. But I think it's mostly used as an example of how not everything can reasonably be made gender-neutral.

[Giant Speck]

Gender neutral names like Jessie and Alex bother me, severely.

My name is Jesse. No one ever spells my name right (i.e. "Jessie") and people think I'm a woman when communicating in writing. It makes me sad.

[Aiea]

I have a male friend who's middle name is Beverly... I think it's hilarous personally and enjoy teasing him about it since he told me about it.

[markfiend]

I really like gender-ambiguous names. My current favourite is Artemis.

How is Artemis as a gender-ambiguous name? Artemis is (was) unambiguously a goddess.

[jaap]

I really like gender-ambiguous names. My current favourite is Artemis.

How is Artemis as a gender-ambiguous name? Artemis is (was) unambiguously a goddess.

Artemis Fowl:

Colfer planned for Artemis to have been called Archimedes but changed the name due to an interest in using a “classic Greek name” and trepidation that “people would think [the series] was about [the historical figure] Archimedes". Artemis is a notable choice for a name because while it is traditionally a female name, it “was [historically] sometimes…given to boys as a kind of honorific if their fathers were great hunters”.

[eaglewings51]

I like gender ambiguous names. Riley, in particular, is a favorite name of mine but, I don't think I'd name a boy that though. I prefer it as a girl's name.

I agree though, never ever name your child something that they will be embarrassed about later. Also, consider the initals of your child. Nobody wants to go through life with the intials ASS or LIE or some other awful combination.

My sister knew a guy with the last name Hurllbut (I'm not sure if that's the way it was spelled but that's how it was pronounced). He married a girl and she refused to change her last name. She kept her maiden name because she did NOT want that last name!

[d0nk3y_k0n9]

I really like gender-ambiguous names. My current favourite is Artemis.

How is Artemis as a gender-ambiguous name? Artemis is (was) unambiguously a goddess.

Artemis Fowl:

Colfer planned for Artemis to have been called Archimedes but changed the name due to an interest in using a “classic Greek name” and trepidation that “people would think [the series] was about [the historical figure] Archimedes". Artemis is a notable choice for a name because while it is traditionally a female name, it “was [historically] sometimes…given to boys as a kind of honorific if their fathers were great hunters”.

Also, the character Artemis Entreri in a number of R.A. Salvatore books is male.

[markfiend]

I stand corrected. I'd heard of neither Artemis, Fowl nor Entreri.

[PerchloricAcid]

I really like gender-ambiguous names. My current favourite is Artemis.

Dinosaur Comics had the idea to write erotic fiction with two characters named Riley and Casey, and never give any clues as to which genders they are.

This is a WONDERFUL idea!
I googled it up, and here's the comic if anyone else is interested.

[Alex-J]

There is a boy at my high school named Andrew Wiggin. I've never met him but I've heard his name on our announcements and seen it in the school newsletter. I really just want to get our theater full of kids and give his parents a slow-clap leading into a standing-ovation.


I wonder what the chances are they've never heard of the book.

[Derek]

I wonder what the chances are they've never heard of the book.

Very likely. Having never read the book, I had to do a google search to find out what it was from.

I don't think giving your child the same name as a fictional character is so bad when the last name is (mostly) fixed and the first name is common. In such a case it's almost always just an accident (I mean really, there have to be hundreds of Harry Potters out there). And less people are likely to make such connections than you would think, anyways.

My roommates name (I may have mentioned this before, idk) is Joshua R. Ewing. I doubt anyone here will get it, but my parents immediately made the connection to J. R. Ewing (my parents were big fans of Dallas). His parents almost certainly didn't realize this when they were naming him.

[Eebster the Great]

I wonder what the chances are they've never heard of the book.

When the kid was born, 100%.

Now, 0.1%.