Giving your kid a name usually associated with different ethnic/cultural/religious background

[Anonymous]

Do you have a perspective on people who aren't of your ethnic/cultural/religious background choosing to give their kids a name that is usually associated with it? For example, giving your kid a Hebrew name if you're not Jewish. I know that obviously no one can speak for everyone of their background.

And if you don't mind sharing, what is your background?

[Anonymous]

Many Hebrew names are also widely popular with Christians and Muslims. I think it depends on the name. No one would blink at Joshua for a Christian boy or Miriam for a girl. Maya seems to be popular in many non-Christian cultures, but no one is likely to freak out for a girl.

[Anonymous]

Really depends on the name. Of name is something like Leah / Alana / Ariel — fine. Shlomo - no!

[Anonymous]

Yes. I find it very weird when people give their children ethnic names not part of their own culture. ie: Bodhi, Priya etc. I've met a handful of people who have given their children Polynesian names, too, when they are not. And they never pronounce the name right which makes it even worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Really depends on the name. Of name is something like Leah / Alana / Ariel — fine. Shlomo - no!

Shlomo isn’t Hebrew, it’s Yiddish.

[Anonymous]

Gave my daughter a Turkish name but this is part of the black American tradition of giving unusual and exotic names. There was a girl at my elem school named Covolous (pronounced Kuh-VI-yus) who I just figured out a few years ago was named after a flower.

[Anonymous]

There was a Patrice at my school too, a girl whose parents did not know that is a man's name in French.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There was a Patrice at my school too, a girl whose parents did not know that is a man's name in French.

In Catholic schools that was a fairly common girl’s name a few decades ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There was a Patrice at my school too, a girl whose parents did not know that is a man's name in French.

It is a girl’s name here, so what’s the issue?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gave my daughter a Turkish name but this is part of the black American tradition of giving unusual and exotic names. There was a girl at my elem school named Covolous (pronounced Kuh-VI-yus) who I just figured out a few years ago was named after a flower.

Are African names not exotic enough?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gave my daughter a Turkish name but this is part of the black American tradition of giving unusual and exotic names. There was a girl at my elem school named Covolous (pronounced Kuh-VI-yus) who I just figured out a few years ago was named after a flower.

Are African names not exotic enough?

I love Turkish names! Please share!!!

[Anonymous]

I have a very uncommon Hebrew name (>5 babies are named it every year) found in the Tanakh that is similar to a different Hebrew word-turned-name becoming very popular with the young white Christian set in the past five years or so. I’ve never met someone with my name. No one has ever assumed I was Jewish because of my name, I don’t think—white people actually tend to assume I’m black, I’ve been told because they think “name they’ve never heard before = black” which is...interesting. I was raised Christian.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a very uncommon Hebrew name (>5 babies are named it every year) found in the Tanakh that is similar to a different Hebrew word-turned-name becoming very popular with the young white Christian set in the past five years or so. I’ve never met someone with my name. No one has ever assumed I was Jewish because of my name, I don’t think—white people actually tend to assume I’m black, I’ve been told because they think “name they’ve never heard before = black” which is...interesting. I was raised Christian.

*should say <5 ugh

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gave my daughter a Turkish name but this is part of the black American tradition of giving unusual and exotic names. There was a girl at my elem school named Covolous (pronounced Kuh-VI-yus) who I just figured out a few years ago was named after a flower.

Are African names not exotic enough?

DP. Are you suggesting that black Americans should limit names for their kids to African names?

[Anonymous]

I’m Muslim and yeah I find it weird when non Muslims use Muslim/Arab names and esp w zero idea of the significance of the name.