Anonymous
Post 10/21/2010 19:24     Subject: Common baby names you dislike
Funny, people in the D.C. area really believe only certain cultures are recent immigrants. How truly stupid, beyond ignorant.

Germans and Italians were treated HORRIBLY when they came to this country after WWII. They were stripped of their heritage and language in a way that would NEVER be tolerated today. The rest of the population has no idea the prejudice and hate they went through; especially the current immigrants. The past immigrants were given nothing.

Open your eyes a bit more. And expand your history to reach beyond the southern version of events of the Civil War. You'll be enlightened beyond your "Ashleys" and "Jacks".

Anonymous
Post 10/21/2010 19:15     Subject: Common baby names you dislike
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Why are people of Irish descent so interested in naming their kids Irish names? (And by Irish descent, I'm guessing they're at least a few generations removed from being the immigrants from Ireland...forgive me if I am wrong.)

I am of German descent and did not feel the need to name my children Helga, Hannelore, Gunther or Jan.


I think the Irish hold onto their culture and their pride in Ireland more so than many other immigrant groups. Germans don't, specifically, because of WWI and WWII, during which it was considered un-American to show affection for German heritage. There was a lot of pressure from the larger community to shed their cultural heritage as well as internal desire to show what good Americans they were. That's why so few families of German heritage still have German-speakers or cook German food in their home. My family background is from three different European countries, and the German heritage is the only one that is completely culturally lost.


Okay, maybe you're right about Germans, but then why don't other cultures/countries go back to their roots to name their kids (Swedish, Norwegian, Austrian, French, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Egyptian, etc...)? It seems it is only Irish names that are trendy enough to go back to to name your babies. Maybe it's just my perception?


I think Ireland has just been trendy lately. Maybe started with Riverdance.
Anonymous
Post 10/21/2010 19:14     Subject: Re:Common baby names you dislike
Here's the link to the audio on Aoife.

http://inogolo.com/pronunciation/Aoife
Anonymous
Post 10/21/2010 19:07     Subject: Common baby names you dislike
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I am annoyed by the increased popularity of Irish names for 2 reasons.

1) DH is Irish, as in off the boat a few years ago. And we did want to use traditional Irish names for our kids, but it's become too trendy. FWIW, we went with a traditional Irish name for our 1st DD, but gave it an Aglican spelling so people wouldn't massacre it.

2) People are never going to pronounce traditional Irish names correctly. I know a young kid name Colm who really wants to change his name to Collin because that's what people call him. I mean I love the Aoife, if we were still living in Ireland. But who the frick in the US is going to pronounce that correctly?

Love, love, love Nora. I wanted that for a 2nd child but DH said no. Now I cannot suggest for our 3rd because we already have 2 N names (not on purpose) and I refuse to use a 3rd N.


My favorite Irish name is Saoirse. Aoife is also beautiful. But you are right - destined to be massacred.

FWIW, I did not name my children Irish names. However, each of my kids is named after an ancestor, and we do have Irish ancestors. So my kids have Anglo and French names.


So how do you pronounce these names?


After this post I googled the names plus the word pronunciation, and one of the first entries that popped up was a site with an audio clip of pronunciations. Cool. Aoife almost sounded like Effuck, with a soft ck sound at the end of the name, like a whispered "fuck" at the end. I played it a couple of times to see if I was hearing it correctly.
Anonymous
Post 10/21/2010 18:22     Subject: Re:Common baby names you dislike
Michaela/Mickaela/Mackayla is not one of the trendy "Mck" names for girls and shouldn't be lumped in with McKenna and McKenzie and McKennon and that ilk. It's a Hebrew names that goes back centuries.
Anonymous
Post 10/21/2010 18:11     Subject: Common baby names you dislike
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Why are people of Irish descent so interested in naming their kids Irish names? (And by Irish descent, I'm guessing they're at least a few generations removed from being the immigrants from Ireland...forgive me if I am wrong.)

I am of German descent and did not feel the need to name my children Helga, Hannelore, Gunther or Jan.


I think the Irish hold onto their culture and their pride in Ireland more so than many other immigrant groups. Germans don't, specifically, because of WWI and WWII, during which it was considered un-American to show affection for German heritage. There was a lot of pressure from the larger community to shed their cultural heritage as well as internal desire to show what good Americans they were. That's why so few families of German heritage still have German-speakers or cook German food in their home. My family background is from three different European countries, and the German heritage is the only one that is completely culturally lost.


Okay, maybe you're right about Germans, but then why don't other cultures/countries go back to their roots to name their kids (Swedish, Norwegian, Austrian, French, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Egyptian, etc...)? It seems it is only Irish names that are trendy enough to go back to to name your babies. Maybe it's just my perception?


I know plenty of Italians/people with Italian heritage that have chosen Italian names for their kids. I know a Giovanni, Gia, Giovanna, Claudia, Gabriella, Francesca.

Also, I know LOTS of hispanic, Ukrainian and Polish people that have given their kids traditional names - Francisco, Eduardo, Aracely, etc. and Olga, Natalia, Ivan, etc.
Anonymous
Post 10/21/2010 17:21     Subject: Common baby names you dislike
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I am annoyed by the increased popularity of Irish names for 2 reasons.

1) DH is Irish, as in off the boat a few years ago. And we did want to use traditional Irish names for our kids, but it's become too trendy. FWIW, we went with a traditional Irish name for our 1st DD, but gave it an Aglican spelling so people wouldn't massacre it.

2) People are never going to pronounce traditional Irish names correctly. I know a young kid name Colm who really wants to change his name to Collin because that's what people call him. I mean I love the Aoife, if we were still living in Ireland. But who the frick in the US is going to pronounce that correctly?

Love, love, love Nora. I wanted that for a 2nd child but DH said no. Now I cannot suggest for our 3rd because we already have 2 N names (not on purpose) and I refuse to use a 3rd N.


My favorite Irish name is Saoirse. Aoife is also beautiful. But you are right - destined to be massacred.

FWIW, I did not name my children Irish names. However, each of my kids is named after an ancestor, and we do have Irish ancestors. So my kids have Anglo and French names.


So how do you pronounce these names?


Saoirse=Seersha
Aoife=Eefa (kind of like Eva but with more of an 'f' sound)

(someone correct me if I'm wrong, I'm not Irish but I've heard those 2 names spoken before)


I thought Aoife was Ay-fin, almost like with Aidan with an f. (but I could be wrong)


No, the first person was right--it's pronounced Ee-fa. Had an Aoife roommate while living in Ireland. It's super common over there. Good luck to anyone with that name here.
Anonymous
Post 10/21/2010 17:03     Subject: Common baby names you dislike
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
We couldn't give our children Irish first names because of their Korean last name. Declan Cho or Eimmer Kim just aren't names that flow.


Curious: Did you feel the need to give them traditional Korean names?


No, but we didn't go too Ethnic with the first names.
Anonymous
Post 10/21/2010 16:48     Subject: Common baby names you dislike
Anonymous wrote:
We couldn't give our children Irish first names because of their Korean last name. Declan Cho or Eimmer Kim just aren't names that flow.


Curious: Did you feel the need to give them traditional Korean names?
Anonymous
Post 10/21/2010 16:43     Subject: Common baby names you dislike
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Why are people of Irish descent so interested in naming their kids Irish names? (And by Irish descent, I'm guessing they're at least a few generations removed from being the immigrants from Ireland...forgive me if I am wrong.)

I am of German descent and did not feel the need to name my children Helga, Hannelore, Gunther or Jan.


I think the Irish hold onto their culture and their pride in Ireland more so than many other immigrant groups. Germans don't, specifically, because of WWI and WWII, during which it was considered un-American to show affection for German heritage. There was a lot of pressure from the larger community to shed their cultural heritage as well as internal desire to show what good Americans they were. That's why so few families of German heritage still have German-speakers or cook German food in their home. My family background is from three different European countries, and the German heritage is the only one that is completely culturally lost.


Okay, maybe you're right about Germans, but then why don't other cultures/countries go back to their roots to name their kids (Swedish, Norwegian, Austrian, French, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Egyptian, etc...)? It seems it is only Irish names that are trendy enough to go back to to name your babies. Maybe it's just my perception?


We couldn't give our children Irish first names because of their Korean last name. Declan Cho or Eimmer Kim just aren't names that flow.
Anonymous
Post 10/21/2010 16:33     Subject: Common baby names you dislike
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Why are people of Irish descent so interested in naming their kids Irish names? (And by Irish descent, I'm guessing they're at least a few generations removed from being the immigrants from Ireland...forgive me if I am wrong.)

I am of German descent and did not feel the need to name my children Helga, Hannelore, Gunther or Jan.


I think the Irish hold onto their culture and their pride in Ireland more so than many other immigrant groups. Germans don't, specifically, because of WWI and WWII, during which it was considered un-American to show affection for German heritage. There was a lot of pressure from the larger community to shed their cultural heritage as well as internal desire to show what good Americans they were. That's why so few families of German heritage still have German-speakers or cook German food in their home. My family background is from three different European countries, and the German heritage is the only one that is completely culturally lost.


Okay, maybe you're right about Germans, but then why don't other cultures/countries go back to their roots to name their kids (Swedish, Norwegian, Austrian, French, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Egyptian, etc...)? It seems it is only Irish names that are trendy enough to go back to to name your babies. Maybe it's just my perception?
Anonymous
Post 10/21/2010 16:20     Subject: Re:Common baby names you dislike
The 'Aden names don't bother me, they're just this generation's version of Kevin, Brian, Brandon, etc.

Cole and Colton are two names I don't really like. They just have a harsh sound I don't care for.
Anonymous
Post 10/21/2010 16:15     Subject: Common baby names you dislike
Keegan's a good one...I know 2 and really can't stand it.

Also not a fan of Mason, Landon, etc.

Or the trying too hard names like Asher, Bennett, and Griffin.
Anonymous
Post 10/21/2010 16:12     Subject: Re:Common baby names you dislike
I dislike the names Jacob/Jake, Keegan, Lucas/Luke (why would you want a nickname that rhymes with puke?), Cooper
I don't mind the name Aiden, but all the Braiden, Jaiden, etc. names are obnoxious.

The girl names I've heard lately that I've disliked have been Beatrice, Hazel, Eloise, Brielle, the Isabella variations, Adalynn, Kaylee

My last name is one of the popular last names as first names. I actually like the trend, but am getting tired of how many people immediately call our son by our last name.




Anonymous
Post 10/21/2010 16:11     Subject: Re:Common baby names you dislike
hey, my son's name made the list! awesome! i actually haven't seen my future daughter's name pop up yet ... interesting.