African-American Name for White Child?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Giancarlo Esposito.

I think that is a french name

Please tell me you know who he is.

I'll bite. (not the PP, though). No idea. But I did know that's not a French name.

An American black actor. He was in several Spike Lee movies. Now I'm feeling really old.

[Anonymous]

zumbamama wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

zumbamama wrote:I don't see anything wrong with naming a white child a typically African American name. There are white people with names from all over the globe. I know a white Karicia.

I think there are many beautiful African or AA name to choose from. I've always loved the names Odara, Aja, Ciara, Khadija, Ebony and Aisha.

Ciara is Celtic, hardly an African name. Khadija is of arabic origin, as is Aisha.

Aja is an odd choice--it's Hindi, and means "goat". Unless you're misspelling "Asia"?

Maybe I should rephrase to say names popular among AA girls. I don't know the exact origin of the name Aja, but need more than 2 hands to count how many AA girls I know named Aja, Asia or Aysia. Anyway, point being, there's nothing wrong with choosing a name that is from or associated with a culture or ethnic group different from your own, IMO.

The origin of the name "Aja" is Hindi. But since it seems unlikely that AA moms are out there intentionally naming their girls "goat", I'd assume they are going for a "different or Uniqu" spelling instead. Which drives me nuts for any name, but is teh subject of an entirely different thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Giancarlo Esposito.

I think that is a french name

Please tell me you know who he is.

I'll bite. (not the PP, though). No idea. But I did know that's not a French name.

An American black actor. He was in several Spike Lee movies. Now I'm feeling really old.

No need to feel old--I'm the PP that asked. It wasn't an age thing (I'm 43). I'm just not into actors, particularly. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

zumbamama wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

zumbamama wrote:I don't see anything wrong with naming a white child a typically African American name. There are white people with names from all over the globe. I know a white Karicia.

I think there are many beautiful African or AA name to choose from. I've always loved the names Odara, Aja, Ciara, Khadija, Ebony and Aisha.

Ciara is Celtic, hardly an African name. Khadija is of arabic origin, as is Aisha.

Aja is an odd choice--it's Hindi, and means "goat". Unless you're misspelling "Asia"?

Maybe I should rephrase to say names popular among AA girls. I don't know the exact origin of the name Aja, but need more than 2 hands to count how many AA girls I know named Aja, Asia or Aysia. Anyway, point being, there's nothing wrong with choosing a name that is from or associated with a culture or ethnic group different from your own, IMO.

The origin of the name "Aja" is Hindi. But since it seems unlikely that AA moms are out there intentionally naming their girls "goat", I'd assume they are going for a "different or Uniqu" spelling instead. Which drives me nuts for any name, but is teh subject of an entirely different thread.

Perhaps. But a lot of "typical" names have goofy meanings, too. Cameron means crooked nose; Campbell means crooked mouth. Mara means bitter. Tristan means sad.

[Anonymous]

Aja is not AA mom's trying to be *unique* or whatever. Its AH-juh not Asia. I know, because I grew up with several, have a godsister named it, and the only reason I wasn't named Aja was my dad said it looked too much like Ajax.

[Anonymous]

Really? The Aja (who was AA) I knew pronounced it like "Asia" only with more of a j instead of sh sound (hard to describe). I'd never heard it before, but then again, that was probably at least 15 years ago now.

[Anonymous]

my name is Amy. It's pronounced "steve".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My children have French, Japanese and Vietnamese names because that is their heritage. Since they look completely asian, people look a little confused when I talk to them in French and call them by their French name

Stop assuming.

You seem insecure. I've seen you on several threads talking about how strange you think your family is, the gulf between appearance and names, etc. In this area, it's pretty safe to assume most people know about the history of French involvement in Indochina, so I have to believe that any "confusion" you perceive stems from your own issues.

Oh you are SO wrong. I am well educated w/ a grad degree from a fancy schmancy high $$$ school, and only vaguely in the deepest recesses of my mind did I have a recollection of the French being involved w/ Indochina. I'm not the smartest cookie around, but in comparison to the general population, I am very well read and well educated. Trust me, MANY people have no idea (1) what Indochina is (2) or that the French ever had anything to do with it.

And I don't perceive the poster w/ F, J, V names in her family to be insecure - she has an unusual situation and notes that people react to it with surprise. Not insecurity - reality.

not to get too off track but I went to a crappy public HS, and a non-fancy schmancy state university (the horror, the horror!) and certainly have an inkling about French involvement in Indochina. Wouldn't anyone who studied the Vietnam War in high school? There are plenty of books (Marguerite Duras) and movies (Indochine) about it, and French-Vietnamese restaurants abound. I would be more surprised to meet someone who didn't know about the relationship, it is like someone being unaware that Belgians were involved in the Congo.

The bolded point is too much to assume. I once heard that only 20% of the US population goes to college. Of that, I'm pretty sure, the majority don't know anything about the Congo much less it's relationship to Belgium. I myself was not aware until post college graduation and I moved to Africa. Only then did I start learning about the history of some of the African countries.

[Anonymous]

zumbamama wrote:I don't see anything wrong with naming a white child a typically African American name. There are white people with names from all over the globe. I know a white Karicia.

I think there are many beautiful African or AA name to choose from. I've always loved the names Odara, Aja, Ciara, Khadija, Ebony and Aisha.

This is an example of why it really silly to label names as "belonging" to any racial/ethnic group - Ciara is actually an Irish name (oddly enough, it mean "black"). Khadija is arabic and Aisha is West African (not sure which language).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

zumbamama wrote:I don't see anything wrong with naming a white child a typically African American name. There are white people with names from all over the globe. I know a white Karicia.

I think there are many beautiful African or AA name to choose from. I've always loved the names Odara, Aja, Ciara, Khadija, Ebony and Aisha.

This is an example of why it really silly to label names as "belonging" to any racial/ethnic group - Ciara is actually an Irish name (oddly enough, it mean "black"). Khadija is arabic and Aisha is West African (not sure which language).

Might want to read all the posts. Point has already been made. Ciara is gaelic/celtic, we know. Aisha is also arabic, not West African, although common in muslim families since Aisha was one of the wives of the prophet Muhammed.

[Anonymous]

i can't believe i just read TWELVE pages of this drek, and STILL no post from the OP with the name!!!


[and i was educated in the south, public schools, public university. and i know that the french were colonialists in indochina, the belgiums in congo, the italians in ethiopia, etc...)]

[Anonymous]

This thread is funny. We're black and purposely avoided any name for our kids that would be too strongly identified as African-American, because we didn't want everyone to assume their race based on their names. But hey, if white people and others start using the names that are commonly associated with the black community, then that will not be a concern for the next generation. More power to ya!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is funny. We're black and purposely avoided any name for our kids that would be too strongly identified as African-American, because we didn't want everyone to assume their race based on their names. But hey, if white people and others start using the names that are commonly associated with the black community, then that will not be a concern for the next generation. More power to ya![/quote]


My thoughts exactly!

[Anonymous]

Ciara is Celtic/Irish and pronounced Keer-ah. I think if it has any popularity in the AA community, it's pronounced more like Sierrah, with a soft "C" and 3 syllables. But I might be wrong. My white, half Jewish cousin (33 yo) is named Ciara and pronounces it the Celtic way.

[Anonymous]

my son's middle name is Jaron (it rymes with Baron). He is white and Jewish.....my DH's family is always pronoucing it Jerron - which to me is more a African Americon name. Jaron is like the hebrew name Yaron. It jugs me when they get it/ prnouce it wrong. I don't really care what the wrong name they think it is, but I just dont get why they can't get it right.