Affleck's name child Seraphina-WTF???????

[Anonymous]

Yep, I agree. Beautiful and classic, but not common. Great choice. Honor is a lovely name, too. It totally clashes with my last name, or I'd've seriously considered it.

My name is Emily, and 35 years ago my parents got all kinds of strange looks for giving me such an old-fashioned name. One aunt actually asked "What's wrong with Melissa? Or Jennifer? Why do you always have to be different?" She said other kids would tease me for having an old lady's name. Now look. Emily has been the #1 most popular name for ELEVEN years in a row.

[Anonymous]

Just because you haven't heard of it or don't like it ... !

In other countries, your name probably sounds oddball!

And Honor is a lovely, old English/Irish name (where it's not the same as the word 'honour' in English spelling). E.g. Honor Blackman the actress.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yep, I agree. Beautiful and classic, but not common. Great choice. Honor is a lovely name, too. It totally clashes with my last name, or I'd've seriously considered it.

My name is Emily, and 35 years ago my parents got all kinds of strange looks for giving me such an old-fashioned name. One aunt actually asked "What's wrong with Melissa? Or Jennifer? Why do you always have to be different?" She said other kids would tease me for having an old lady's name. Now look. Emily has been the #1 most popular name for ELEVEN years in a row.

Excellent! I won't reveal my name, but it was very common in the late 60s when I was born. I had an 18 year old guy tell me the other day I have an "old lady" name, the way I used to feel about Martha and Nancy (my mother's generation). Someday all those Jennifers will be told they have an old lady name too. But since you got named before the popularity boom, you'll probably never hear it, and everyone will think you are younger than you are.

[Anonymous]

OP should learn to use apostrophes before throwing stones...

[Anonymous]

what is wrong with a rare, unique name? Does everyone have to be named Mary, Jane, and John?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:what is wrong with a rare, unique name? Does everyone have to be named Mary, Jane, and John?

Yeah if you're a WASP or want to be accepted by WASPs.

[Anonymous]

My husband claims that Americans practice "name rationing", as it there weren't enough of them to go around, for places and for kids. (Every state has a Springfield. Many of our places are named after other places-- New York, New Jersey, etc.) Of course, he comes from a culture where naming a child the same as a living family member is majorly taboo, and everyone has a huge family, so people have to get creative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My husband claims that Americans practice "name rationing", as it there weren't enough of them to go around, for places and for kids. (Every state has a Springfield. Many of our places are named after other places-- New York, New Jersey, etc.) Of course, he comes from a culture where naming a child the same as a living family member is majorly taboo, and everyone has a huge family, so people have to get creative.

That's interesting!

[Anonymous]

OP do you have any Asian, Hispanic, Middle Eastern or African American friends? Do you make fun of Jose, Yuki, Mohammed and Jamal?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just because you haven't heard of it or don't like it ... !

In other countries, your name probably sounds oddball!

And Honor is a lovely, old English/Irish name (where it's not the same as the word 'honour' in English spelling). E.g. Honor Blackman the actress.

Is that how Cash Warren and Jessica Alba named their daughter? I thought they were nuts-o too until I read your post.

[Anonymous]

I looked up the etymology of the name Honor, and it just says "variant of Honour - American spelling". This was in a name dictionary, but it was on the web, where as we know inaccuracies abound.

Could the PP tell us more about Honor the name as opposed to Honour the virtue? I thought it was like Hope and Faith- just naming the child after the virtue.

[Anonymous]

OP do you have any Asian, Hispanic, Middle Eastern or African American friends? Do you make fun of Jose, Yuki, Mohammed and Jamal?

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner are not Asian, Hispanic, Middle Eastern or African-American.

People get a little too worked up if someone doesn't like a name. Seraphina Rose Elizabeth. It's a mouthful, you have to admit, and Seraphina is uncommon. Noticing that doesn't make one crazy or xenophobic or intolerant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I looked up the etymology of the name Honor, and it just says "variant of Honour - American spelling". This was in a name dictionary, but it was on the web, where as we know inaccuracies abound.

Could the PP tell us more about Honor the name as opposed to Honour the virtue? I thought it was like Hope and Faith- just naming the child after the virtue.

I don't know the history - it probably does come from the virtue like Hope & Faith - I just know that it's been around for a long time and is not completely uncommon in the UK. I know two over there. The only famous one I know is the Bond girl (Honor Blackman). And now Jessica Alba's daughter, I guess!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

OP do you have any Asian, Hispanic, Middle Eastern or African American friends? Do you make fun of Jose, Yuki, Mohammed and Jamal?

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner are not Asian, Hispanic, Middle Eastern or African-American.

People get a little too worked up if someone doesn't like a name. Seraphina Rose Elizabeth. It's a mouthful, you have to admit, and Seraphina is uncommon. Noticing that doesn't make one crazy or xenophobic or intolerant.

True, but I just don't understand why people have to bag on names if they are not traditional American names.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op, I think you need to get out more. No offense.

I'm not the OP but I think she was just voicing her mild criticism of a celebrity and that celebrity's chosen baby name. Something a lot of people are thinking of. If you don't agree, that's fine, but you also need to get out more if it bothers you enough to write back, just as I need to get out more since I'm writing back to both of you.

Also, is it too much to ask for people to refrain from saying "no offense" when they're saying something they know will offend? Newsflash: it doesn't make you any less rude. If your intent is really to be polite, why not just say that you don't agree?