OK... somebody needs to stop!

[Principessa]

Are these, made-up back to Africa names? (Great line!) I've, perhaps naively, thought that they were African or Afro-American names. Duh on me. This started in the 60's with the Black Power movement. There was a small faction that wanted to teach Swahili in the school as well as French, German, Spanish, & Latin. Some people actually took the time to research and learn Swahili names for their children; but the rest just made stuff up. The funny thing is most of the actual Africans I have met have had normal easy to pronounce names. Many are biblical in origin like Ezekiel or Samuel and others seem to be of Irish or English origin.

My feeling is that if you're not an immigrant and you have to spell your name for the average person to get it right then it's a poor name. YES! Include in that all the names that are pronounced as a common name but spelled creatively, which is just plain annoying and nothing more than an attempt by the parents to show off their creativity.

I am peeved by that as well.

 

[wldhoney]

One of the funniest skits I saw on Saturday Night Live involved names.

Two of the cast members played camp counselors, and they were calling out the names of the children to go on different buses.

Nyquil, Gynelotrimin, Vagisil....etc..

Hilarious.

 

[whatireallywant]

One of the funniest skits I saw on Saturday Night Live involved names.

Two of the cast members played camp counselors, and they were calling out the names of the children to go on different buses.

Nyquil, Gynelotrimin, Vagisil....etc..

Hilarious.

That is funny - I'd hate to be that poor kid named Vagisil! :biggrin1:

I think I've heard (hearsay) of someone naming their kid Sudafed, though. No lie!

 

[IntoxicatingToxin]

My feeling is that if you're not an immigrant and you have to spell your name for the average person to get it right then it's a poor name. Include in that all the names that are pronounced as a common name but spelled creatively, which is just plain annoying and nothing more than an attempt by the parents to show off their creativity.

Then I guess I have a "poor" name... which is funny, to me, because I've always loved my name. It's completely normal and common, just spelled in one of the 50 different ways that people spell my name.

 

[2322]

Then I guess I have a "poor" name... which is funny, to me, because I've always loved my name. It's completely normal and common, just spelled in one of the 50 different ways that people spell my name.

Oh fine. Make me feel guilty why don't you? :tongue:

I take into account names with normal spelling variations. Some names, particularly foreign names like Megan, a Welsh name, have normal variations. Welsh and Irish names are particularly difficult to spell because while they use the same alphabet, the pronunciation of the characters is different. My friend's son is a great example. My friend named his son Oisin which, in Irish, is pronounced Uh-sheen.

The names I was speaking of are names that were spelled simply and then people started trying to make their kid unique by forcing everyone their kid meets to fed each letter.

Take my name. Simple old Jason has become Jayson, Jaysin, Jazin, Jasin, and even Jhayson. That's just silly and annoying in my book.

 

[IntoxicatingToxin]

Oh fine. Make me feel guilty why don't you? :tongue:

I take into account names with normal spelling variations. Some names, particularly foreign names like Megan, a Welsh name, have normal variations. Welsh and Irish names are particularly difficult to spell because while they use the same alphabet, the pronunciation of the characters is different. My friend's son is a great example. My friend named his son Oisin which, in Irish, is pronounced Uh-sheen.

The names I was speaking of are names that were spelled simply and then people started trying to make their kid unique by forcing everyone their kid meets to fed each letter.

Take my name. Simple old Jason has become Jayson, Jaysin, Jazin, Jasin, and even Jhayson. That's just silly and annoying in my book.

I understand what you are saying, but how are different forms of "Jason" any worse than the different forms of "Megan"?

 

[naughty]

Lots of people like to poke fun at all the Condoleezzas and DeShawns out there, but I'm not laughing. All names were just "made up" at some point.

What does a name require? What are the rules? I would invite Naughty to study the etymology of common old names that she would not consider ignorant. There's not much rhyme or reason to any of them.

Actually, I have studied the etymology of many of my own family names .Most were usually based on characteristics of the individual or what the parent's wished for his or her child. If not, it designated a profession or the son or grandson of set person. I am not making fun of the names I mentioned. But when you name your child something that is hard to spell or pronounce that you created often you find that the child grows up sullen and defensive at the responses to his or her name. This is not just a black thing. I recently heard a minister in my denomination lamenting the name his parents had given him.He also stated that the strange naming gene skipped over him and onto his son. He said that he actually asked his son semi seriously to stop having children if he was going to continue to create pseudo biblical names for them. He didnt want them to go through what he himself had endured because of his unusual name.

Ultimately though it is each parents privilege to name his or her child. I may be speaking from my own frame of reference, but a name does say much about you or your child. What do you want it to say?

 

[2322]

I understand what you are saying, but how are different forms of "Jason" any worse than the different forms of "Megan"?

Because it's an affectation, not a genuine variant of translation.

 

[agnslz]

I can live with people giving their kids strange names, but only if they aren't names like "Urine" or "Nyquil", those are just completely wrong IMO. I also can't get all bent out of shape about people using creative spellings, since my own last name is one of the most unusual spellings of what is an most common last name. However, I just can't wrap my brain around the name "Jhonny".:biggrin:

 

[simcha]

I understand what you are saying, but how are different forms of "Jason" any worse than the different forms of "Megan"?

Don't get me started on the different forms of Jason. That's my first name, I'm proud to say. (Simcha is my Hebrew name). I just can't stand it when I see someone butchering my name. I hate being asked how to spell Jason. I just say it's spelled how it sounds. The real spelling, etc...

 

[B_NineInchCock_160IQ]

My dear brother was going down the NFL roster and came up with these gems. When will people stop naming their children things like this...

D'Briccashaw, Na' il , Lavernious, Dwan, De metric, Ya mone, Aubrayo,Yaramiah, Le Roi, Cletus, Jabari, Atari,Tyjuan, Montrae, Daven,Santonio, D'quell, Tenard, Davaris, Edgerrin,Dewan, Leron, Vonta,Marshawn,Olindo, Ruvell, Trumaine,Martrez,Kawika, Maweldi, Vernan,Sinorice, Legedu, Jarious, Artose, Lusaka,Montae, Dunta, Antrell,Demeco,Turdell, Le Kevin, Shawntay,Takeo,Montavious, Dontarious,Juqua, Kiwaukee, Lebrandin. Ledanian,Deshea, Jerheme, Ronyell, Tavell, Lindele, Demorrio, Medieu, Roydell, Kamerian.

De metric- ha. I like it. :biggrin1: Is his last name "System?"

Aubrayo- sounds like it might be a real African name. Is it?

Yaramiah- phonetic spelling of a different pronunciation of Jeremiah. Spelling it with the regular J would probably lead to mispronunciations, so, forgiveable..

Cletus- haha. this is a good ol' boy/hillbilly name. been around for a while.

Jabari- Swahili for "valiant." Cool name.

Atari- Japanese for, roughly, "prepare to be attacked!" Also the name of a popular video game company. (though oddly, not a Japanese one) =) Sounds good to me, the first part especially makes sense for a football player.

Vernan- unusual spelling but nothing that out there. Common name.

Turdell- haha. Is this pronounced like "turtle" or more like "turd-L" :biggrin1: Either way, he must have hated that name in elementary school.

Takeo- already pointed out, but this is actually a very common Japanese name.


[edit] ...I actually quite enjoy unique names. How fucking boring is it to have a name like mine, first name John, middle name Ryan, and have at least 5 kids in every class you've ever been in share at least one of your names? I *do* however dislike many of these names... as they are not very unique. Even if they are completely made up, as they often are, they still all sound a like. Basic formula being throw in as many as you can of the following: "isha" "twon/dwon" "-ell" "-a" "an-" or glottal stops and schwas (untressed vowels) represented by apostrophes. This is conformity and groupthink parading around as originality, and I hate that.

Most of the ones I picked out above to comment on don't fall into that category, though.

 

[prepstudinsc]

I prefer Ke'Shawn, myself.

 

[mindseye]

Lets not forget Lemonjello & Orangejello. Honest name of twin boys.

Or Nosmoking.

"Lemonjello" is an urban legend, although there is a real last name that's similar to it. "Nosmo King" was a stage name used by a blackface comic during the 1920's, but wasn't his given name. (source)

I was given a first name that was still pretty uncommon during the 1960's (though it exploded in popularity during the 1970's), and found it mildly empowering to have a name that stood out from the crowd. On the other hand, I also appreciate having a name that most people pronounce right on the first try.

Parents who give children unusual, but phonetic, names don't bother me at all -- "Tanika" and "Roydell" are examples of names listed in the thread that seem completely reasonable and creative to me (although in the second case, I'd avoid shortening it to "Royd"!) On the other hand, saddling a child with a name that every grade-school teacher will stumble over (De-VON-ti-kay? DEV-on-TIK-wa? DEE-von-TEEK?) is asking the child to pay a heavy price for the parents' pretentions.

Exercise: How is this guy's first name pronounced?

 

[ManiacalMadMan]

Lots of people like to poke fun at all the Condoleezzas and DeShawns out there, but I'm not laughing. All names were just "made up" at some point.

What does a name require? What are the rules? I would invite Naughty to study the etymology of common old names that she would not consider ignorant. There's not much rhyme or reason to any of them.

Well said.

How about Prince Michael and Prince Michael II ?? (Michael Jackson's sons)

How about that musical guy known as Prince? Yeah the one of Little Red Corvette and Raspberry Beret fame. His alleged birth name was Prince Rogers Nelson This proves the name Prince is fine as a name

. .

Ultimately though it is each parents privilege to name his or her child. I may be speaking from my own frame of reference, but a name does say much about you or your child. What do you want it to say?

Let me tell you about two sisters LaRita and Donna this was back in the old days of the late 1950s when La any thing was not being done. LaRita grew up into a smart vivacious woman with great leadership qualities and a beautiful figure Her sister Donna with the more common name grew up as an average to below average student, did not mingle with others and although friendly was generally alone Name is not all A great deal of what happens is what the parents bring in

Because it's an affectation, not a genuine variant of translation.

Says who? Jayson is perfectly legitimate Let me educate you here a little bit The name Peterson came from son of Peter and Johnson was son of John I grew up with a guy named Jay now according to the PeterSon and JohnSon logic, Jay could name his son Jayson

Don't get me started on the different forms of Jason. That's my first name, I'm proud to say. (Simcha is my Hebrew name). I just can't stand it when I see someone butchering my name. I hate being asked how to spell Jason. I just say it's spelled how it sounds. The real spelling, etc...

See my above comments to Jason_els




I grew up in a large city and many names existed We had Ezekial and Mustafa and Johan along with the more common names of Maureen and Jennifer along with Edward and William and James and Bruce They were names. We had a Tristan at a time when no body was naming a child Tristan and he was teased as being Dristan a popular nasal and cold product Of course last names brought their own torment and teasing One girl had a last name which rhymed with cocaine and was called cocaine on a regular basis. Cyfartha, Velma, Narook, Song, Elva, Debbin( a boy), Lansing, Rigoberto, Eustaquiro, Prentis, Andrew, Charles, Michael, Ellen, Tracy, the list is endless I never saw the names as strange or odd or victimizing They were names given by their parents and in most cases given with love As to a first name, often times a seemingly different first name is a family name of a well loved grandfather or other now deceased family member.

 

[mgnm]

Exercise: How is this guy's first name pronounced?

- Hivera probably rhymes with Rivera.

- Le Roi (Leroy?) literally means "The King" in french. Don't know about Le Kevin though...

- Supposedly, Anfernee Hardaway's name was intended to be Anthony but the hospital mispelled it on his birth certificate.

 

[DC_DEEP]

Basic formula being throw in as many as you can of the following: "isha" "twon/dwon" "-ell" "-a" "an-" or glottal stops and schwas (untressed vowels) represented by apostrophes. This is conformity and groupthink parading around as originality, and I hate that.

Most of the ones I picked out above to comment on don't fall into that category, though.

So, you don't like the name S'Phyllis? Or Twon'Esha? Or Clitella?

When I worked in reservations for a major airline, I booked tickets for two brothers (not twins, they were ages 12 and 15) whose names were Marcus and Marquis (MARK-us and mar-KEES)

 

[Dr. Dilznick]

Let me tell you about two sisters LaRita and Donna this was back in the old days of the late 1950s when La any thing was not being done. LaRita grew up into a smart vivacious woman with great leadership qualities and a beautiful figure Her sister Donna with the more common name grew up as an average to below average student, did not mingle with others and although friendly was generally alone Name is not all A great deal of what happens is what the parents bring in

It's a practice that can be traced back to the free black community in nineteenth-century Louisiana, where the French le, la and de prefixes were affixed to many names, first as well as last.

Ultimately though it is each parents privilege to name his or her child. I may be speaking from my own frame of reference, but a name does say much about you or your child. What do you want it to say?

My daughters have "made up" names. There are no deeper meanings ...they're just names.

 

[B_NineInchCock_160IQ]

So, you don't like the name S'Phyllis? Or Twon'Esha? Or Clitella?

When I worked in reservations for a major airline, I booked tickets for two brothers (not twins, they were ages 12 and 15) whose names were Marcus and Marquis (MARK-us and mar-KEES)

I don't dislike the apostrohpes... and they're not redundant as you asserted in another similar thread, DC. Like I said, they actually represent something: usually a schwa but sometimes a glottal stop. Like the double "t" sound in "mittens" or "kittens" which, the way most Americans say it, is not a "t" sound at all. Or the unwritten sound in the middle of the negative response "nuh uh"

My only problem with them is they have become cliche. Trying to be original by copying other people who were copying other people who may have themselves been original seems to be missing the point. I don't mind people trying to be creative when coming up with names, I just dislike the people who aren't very good at it.

 

[naughty]

It's a practice that can be traced back to the free black community in nineteenth-century Louisiana, where the French le, la and de prefixes were affixed to many names, first as well as last.

My daughters have "made up" names. There are no deeper meanings ...they're just names.

Yes, as there were many freed blacks after the end of the war who changed their slave names to something that reflected their newly gained freedom. There are many prefixes and suffixes that can even help one to determine the generation of the individual. As I said, it is a parent's right to name their child whatever they desire. I was merely expressing my opinion. I never said the names were ignorant. I know that often the bottom line is that the parent likes the sound of the name or wishes their child to have at least one unique thing in their life that is truly their own. The irony is that often this very desire causes the child to be stereotyped according to education, income and race.

 

[snoozan]

"Lemonjello" is an urban legend, although there is a real last name that's similar to it.

This was quoted as fact from statistical data gathered in, I think, Los Angeles in the book Freakonomics. I was under the impression the author actually looked at the data.