White people

[Anonymous]

Do you mispronounce and look down on black names?

What would you think of a black man named Mark versus a black man name DeMarcus?

Do you think Mark was raised by a college educated nuclear black family, or was he adopted? Did DeMarcus grow up in subsidized housing never knowing his father?

My name is Arabic, traditionally used in the black community. After my freshman year of college I went by the nickname Nicole and the change was obvious. I was still a black woman, but so there was a privilege in going by Nicole.

I had my children, and gave them top 100 Euro-centralist names, believing this was better for them.

My daughter has friend, a white child from an upper middle class family, named Karsynne. My son has a boy in his class named Wolff. I know so many white kids with names that are absolutely bizarre, completely made up and I want to kick myself for not naming my daughter Iesha. I thought I could erase a bit of their blackness, and it would help them navigate.

Seeing my Michael next to a blue eyed, blonde haired little boy named Maverick and I just have to laugh.

[Anonymous]

Yes, numerous studies have researched this.

[Anonymous]

I try to never mispronounce ANYONE's name, regardless of race. I may think "Oh you poor thing" when I meet a black girl named Dy'mond Kulture but would never say anything to a child. If I were close friends with Dy'mond and she brought up her name, I might ask if she's ever thought of having it legally changed.

I work in HR and recruiting and don't judge based on name. I judge based on eye contact, fit of clothing (not brands, but are the pants sagging, are b**bs showing), mumbling, etc. THOSE are the things that tell me DeMarcus has eaten fast food for dinner and regularly had the electricity turned off and many "fathers" traipsed through his apartment.

[Anonymous]

I'm white and hate made up "you-nique" names, or names that are really just words (or titles) -- Apple, True, Saint, Princess, King, Kulture, Reign, Heiress, etc., to use celebrity kids names as an example. My husband is black and really hates names that he thinks signal "hood," like the names they make up on the Key & Peele football sketch, and he'll laugh at a made up name with a demonstrably "white" feel, like Karsynne or Wolff in your examples, but they don't get under his skin the same way. But he's not as bothered as I am by the words-for-names thing (Journee, Seven, things like that).

I think there's a lot of proof out there by now that a name that identifies someone as part of a group that is discriminated against -- black, hispanic, Muslim, Jewish, etc. -- can be used as a proxy for that discrimination, especially in the resume examples. I'm sorry you missed out on Iesha though. That's pretty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you mispronounce and look down on black names?

What would you think of a black man named Mark versus a black man name DeMarcus?

Do you think Mark was raised by a college educated nuclear black family, or was he adopted? Did DeMarcus grow up in subsidized housing never knowing his father?

My name is Arabic, traditionally used in the black community. After my freshman year of college I went by the nickname Nicole and the change was obvious. I was still a black woman, but so there was a privilege in going by Nicole.

I had my children, and gave them top 100 Euro-centralist names, believing this was better for them.

My daughter has friend, a white child from an upper middle class family, named Karsynne. My son has a boy in his class named Wolff. I know so many white kids with names that are absolutely bizarre, completely made up and I want to kick myself for not naming my daughter Iesha. I thought I could erase a bit of their blackness, and it would help them navigate.

Seeing my Michael next to a blue eyed, blonde haired little boy named Maverick and I just have to laugh.

So can we just agree that there are lots of really stupid white people who give their kids stupid hipster names, as well as lots of really stupid black people who give their kids really stupid ghetto names?

And then appreciate that we're not all like those examples, and laugh that we both have sons named "Micheal"? Because neither of us is stupid, and gave our kid a stupid name.



(Wollf? Really?!?! JFC... )

[Anonymous]

I respect legitimate cultural names, including names that are most prevalent in the African American community. I do my absolute best to pronounce them correctly, and am mortified if I get someone's name wrong, either via pronunciation or spelling.

But I don't care who you are or where you come from--if you're rolling in with a stupid name, I'm judging you. I'm looking at you, Maverick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I respect legitimate cultural names, including names that are most prevalent in the African American community. I do my absolute best to pronounce them correctly, and am mortified if I get someone's name wrong, either via pronunciation or spelling.

But I don't care who you are or where you come from--if you're rolling in with a stupid name, I'm judging you. I'm looking at you, Maverick.

But why judge the kid or the person for a name they didnt choose?

[Anonymous]

First, titling a post "White People" is offensive.

Second, there is a ton of writing on this, which makes me think you're a troll. Here is just one article out of about a billion.

https://www.livescience.com/6569-good-bad-baby-names-long-lasting-effects.html

FWIW, I don't like the weird spellings of names either. To each their own. It's their kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First, titling a post "White People" is offensive.

Second, there is a ton of writing on this, which makes me think you're a troll. Here is just one article out of about a billion.

https://www.livescience.com/6569-good-bad-baby-names-long-lasting-effects.html

FWIW, I don't like the weird spellings of names either. To each their own. It's their kid.

+1 on the bolded part and all that follows.

[Anonymous]

I look down on names like Karsynne because unusual spellings are downwardly mobile. Wolf with one f is not only acceptable but favorable; add the extra f and forget it.

Names like Maverick and Hunter are too overtly political.

I like Aisha but not Iesha. For black people names, I judge them in context. Arabic or Hebrew names, which are common among blacks, are top shelf. But like white names, they aren't all equal from a social class standpoint. Kadejah is the daughter of educated people. LaTrina's parents, not so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I look down on names like Karsynne because unusual spellings are downwardly mobile. Wolf with one f is not only acceptable but favorable; add the extra f and forget it.

Names like Maverick and Hunter are too overtly political.

I like Aisha but not Iesha. For black people names, I judge them in context. Arabic or Hebrew names, which are common among blacks, are top shelf. But like white names, they aren't all equal from a social class standpoint. Kadejah is the daughter of educated people. LaTrina's parents, not so much.

What is political about Top Gun?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I look down on names like Karsynne because unusual spellings are downwardly mobile. Wolf with one f is not only acceptable but favorable; add the extra f and forget it.

Names like Maverick and Hunter are too overtly political.

I like Aisha but not Iesha. For black people names, I judge them in context. Arabic or Hebrew names, which are common among blacks, are top shelf. But like white names, they aren't all equal from a social class standpoint. Kadejah is the daughter of educated people. LaTrina's parents, not so much.

What is political about Top Gun?

It's a word that's become closely associated with the tea party. I would challenge you to find a liberal family with a little Maverick at home. I know parents of Mavericks and they are all outspoken conservatives. Which is fine, but I don't want to name kids things with political connotations. Like the little Lenin's that you find in Cuba. Just nope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First, titling a post "White People" is offensive.

Second, there is a ton of writing on this, which makes me think you're a troll. Here is just one article out of about a billion.

https://www.livescience.com/6569-good-bad-baby-names-long-lasting-effects.html

FWIW, I don't like the weird spellings of names either. To each their own. It's their kid.

+1 on the bolded part and all that follows.

JFC, she's wanting to know how white people see black names. Its a legit question. If you dont like political correctness, stop enforcing it.

[Anonymous]

I think the research shows that the name alone doesn't have an economic impact. The name likely indicates socio-economic standing, not the other way around. https://www.jstor.org/stable/25098702?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

BTW I think that names like Ayesha and Malik are classic names.

[Anonymous]

White person here. Yes, I look down on traditionally "ghetto" names such as Tyrone and Laquisha. However this is not unique to White people. Asians, Hispanics, Middle Easterners, middle class African Americans - they all look down on these names.