Black people give their kids crazy names

[FreeJosie]

I can't believe I'm about to "defend" anything Palin related, but...

Track - Running is very popular in Alaska. I can't really defend this choice, other than Alaskans (and to some extent, the Pacific Northwest) like unusual names.

Bristol - Is named after Bristol Bay, a region in Alaska. I don't think this is unusual, as plenty of people have named their children after places like "Paris," "Madison," or "Brooklyn." Most people go to Bristol Bay to fish, some go there to propose open pit mines that will destroy the fishing industry. I'm not sure where the Palin's fall on that scale, probably both, like everyone else.

Willow - town in Alaska, tons of meth there.

Piper - Type of plane (super cub) , popular in Alaska

Trig - I have no idea where this came from.

I think Piper is a pretty name, and Willow is OK too. I'm not crazy about the others.

[Nothing2CHere]

I think Piper is a pretty name, and Willow is OK too. I'm not crazy about the others.

Interesting that both Piper and Willow were names for fictional TV witches (Charmed & Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

[JesusFightClub]

I think Ashley is fine for a boy.I think it's an old southern name.recall Gone with the Wind?

If I had another girl,I might name her Ashleigh.

Or maybe Shawn.

I went to school with a (male) Ashley, but I think it was more normal when I was younger. Certainly we didn't think the name was weird, he was pretty weird himself though.

Small & Smaller's real names, I've been told are "chav names" and "council estate names". A privately educated guy who I went to university with actually burst out laughing when he heard them at a reunion. "Oh yeah, I forgot your family are chavs". Er, thanks pal :roll:

[thoughtful]

Trig reminds me of trigonometry.iow-math.

It's kind of like naming them algebra or geo for geometry.it just doesn't quite work.

I knew a woman named Algebra once -- I think she was born in the 1930s.

[Maggie Mae]

I think Piper is a pretty name, and Willow is OK too. I'm not crazy about the others.

I'm not crazy about "Track" either, but I'm also not a fan of his (terrible) personality. Maybe he's grown up since high school, but I doubt it. Although, when you compare it to names like "Hunter," "Miles" or even "Quick," "Relay," and "Chase." I've also seen "Cadence," " Mara" (as in Marathon), "Dash," "Kenya," "Strider," and an "Ollie" (short for Olympian). People choose unusual names sometimes.

As someone said up thread, Trig might have something to do with a Norwegian name. I guess that makes sense. I almost want to flip through her book (at the library of course) to see if she explains the name.

[sparkles]

Piper's been around for a while, at least as long as Oscar-nominated actress Piper Laurie (Carrie White's mom among other roles) although it's not her real name.

I've also encountered Trig before. A contestant on Chopped, who spelled his "Tryg." If I recall he had a Scandinavian sounding last name so the Norwegian origin may be correct.

It still doesn't change the fact that the Palins, parents and spawn alike, are all entitled weasels with few redeeming features.

[Joan of Snarc]

My great grandpa's name was Trigg, so that name's been around a while. I hate that the Palins used it.

:wanker:

[Rachel333]

It does seem like Trigg has [link=http://www.behindthename.com/name/tryggvi]Scandinavian origins[/link].

[kpmom]

I'm not a fan of Condoleeza Rice, but her unusual name doesn't seem to have hurt her career at all.

ETA: Whoops, apparently it's spelled with two z's. Condoleezza

[artdecades]

I think what most people are doing is throwing up examples of how it isn't just American blacks, yet "culture" looks down on and punishes them. Mormons, wealthy whites, white hipsters.... we aren't picking on people.

This is the truth. All races have members that name their children ridiculous made up names. Some have members that use traditional or ethic names that are not common in anglo countries. And then some name their children very nice, pleasant, english names. The only difference is that the black community faces disproportionate ridicule based on these practices. Its reflective of the continued institutionalized racism in our country. It becomes acceptable to mock these names, but not those other names.

There are a lot of common or "traditional" white names that are complete fabrications. People forget that Wendy was invented by JM Barrie in Peter Pan. Marlene Dietrich invented her name by contracting her first and middle name (Marie and Magdalena). But not one ridicules these names like they do for Quvenzhané Wallis. Granted, these occurred generations ago, but the principle still stands, in my opinion.

[scc12]

I think they call her Condi for short? (Rice)

My daughter is Tiffany, but over the yrs it just somehow got shortened to Tiffi.I think everyone thought it was just too many syllables.lol.

[Violet]

This is the truth. All races have members that name their children ridiculous made up names. Some have members that use traditional or ethic names that are not common in anglo countries. And then some name their children very nice, pleasant, english names. The only difference is that the black community faces disproportionate ridicule based on these practices. Its reflective of the continued institutionalized racism in our country. It becomes acceptable to mock these names, but not those other names.

There are a lot of common or "traditional" white names that are complete fabrications. People forget that Wendy was invented by JM Barrie in Peter Pan. Marlene Dietrich invented her name by contracting her first and middle name (Marie and Magdalena). But not one ridicules these names like they do for Quvenzhané Wallis. Granted, these occurred generations ago, but the principle still stands, in my opinion.

I don't think people have issues with made-up names as such, it's the ridiculous ones with insane spellings that we mock or object to. I often think that parents forget that their baby will grow up into an adult one day and that they don't think of the impact a weird name will have when the child is at school, or applying for a job or when they are in the workplace or when they (hopefully) live to a ripe old age. Names need to have an almost timeless quality to them - they have to see you through your whole life after all!

[dairyfreelife]

I'm not crazy about "Track" either, but I'm also not a fan of his (terrible) personality. Maybe he's grown up since high school, but I doubt it. Although, when you compare it to names like "Hunter," "Miles" or even "Quick," "Relay," and "Chase." I've also seen "Cadence," " Mara" (as in Marathon), "Dash," "Kenya," "Strider," and an "Ollie" (short for Olympian). People choose unusual names sometimes.

As someone said up thread, Trig might have something to do with a Norwegian name. I guess that makes sense. I almost want to flip through her book (at the library of course) to see if she explains the name.

Mara as short for Marathon is odd, but I have never met someone with the name Marathon before. Mara isn't a bad name. I don't mind it anyway. I believe it's after river in the middle-east, but I could be mistaken. Olympian isn't a name I have heard of either, but Ollie I have, short for Oliver though.

[OkToBeTakei]

Miles is a pretty common name here and nothing to do with the distance.

It's German in origin.

[jojo]

Baby announcement in the local paper today, first and middle name: Jeep Hawke. Good grief.

[FeministShrew]

My great-grandfather's name was Miles, his middle name was Walker, & it just occurred to me how "Miles Walker" sounds. I think Walker was a family name. His brother's names were Grover Cleveland, Stanley Thomas, & Melvin Morgan (Morgan was their father's name, & my son's middle name.) Their mom's first name was Elliot, their grandmother's name was Missouri.

My dad's father was named Nevins,

On my mom's side of the family I have a Mariah, a Cansadia, & my grandfather was Lecil.

All white folks, mill-workers & farmers.

[tigerchild]

Piper's been around for quite a while. My best friend in 3rd grade was named Piper, and I'm 39. :) Finlay is a celtic name (probably spelled wrong). A lot of these "weird" names people are referencing are actually names that have been around for quite some time (perhaps with different spellings though).

I love Indian names. I really wanted to name a daughter Ishani, but she'd have a very ethnic irish last name and it just didn't sound right.

One of my friends named her daughters Kimberly and Jennifer. They're unique names now, because people our age grew up with 10 zillion of them now and they're too "plain" for the Unique Name Snobs. :D Love it. :)

[SpeakNow]

Piper's been around for quite a while. My best friend in 3rd grade was named Piper, and I'm 39. :) Finlay is a celtic name (probably spelled wrong). A lot of these "weird" names people are referencing are actually names that have been around for quite some time (perhaps with different spellings though).

I love Indian names. I really wanted to name a daughter Ishani, but she'd have a very ethnic irish last name and it just didn't sound right.

One of my friends named her daughters Kimberly and Jennifer. They're unique names now, because people our age grew up with 10 zillion of them now and they're too "plain" for the Unique Name Snobs. :D Love it. :)

I had a student named Kymberlee last year. She loves her name but abhors the spelling.

[jaynie]

Piper's been around for quite a while. My best friend in 3rd grade was named Piper, and I'm 39. :) Finlay is a celtic name (probably spelled wrong). A lot of these "weird" names people are referencing are actually names that have been around for quite some time (perhaps with different spellings though).

I believe Finlay is spelled fionnlagh or similar (not Irish, just a name nerd, so I'll take corrections gladly!). Finlay is a traditional anglicisation. American name snobs would probably look down on the Irish form though...

This is basically why I gave up name snobbery. Plenty of people eager to chastise Ysabel, not enough prepared to accept that it's a long standing variant.

The only ones I really can't stand are creative spellings that don't make phonetic sense in any language. Or ones that'll cause the child undue hardship (like Adolf Hitler or something).

[scc12]

My great grandfather was Posey/Posy (not sure which) ,born in the 1884.It sounds kind of feminine to me.I think it was a pop name back then though.

[JesusFightClub]

I just read a 19thC English novel where one of the main characters was male and called Joyce :pink-shock: That gave me a bit of a double take moment.

[Diana]

Its funny because names like Mercedes or Jesus are old fashioned and sound classic here in spain(actually for me sound like old people names) the trashy ones here are names like Christian, Jessica, Jonathan, Joshua, Vanessa..

Personally i dont like made up names, i prefer a name that exist in any language... actually i like very much some english names like Emily or Lucy but i will never use them in my kids because for me them sound bad with a spanish surname.

[Peas n carrots]

I'm not crazy about "Track" either, but I'm also not a fan of his (terrible) personality. Maybe he's grown up since high school, but I doubt it. Although, when you compare it to names like "Hunter," "Miles" or even "Quick," "Relay," and "Chase." I've also seen "Cadence," " Mara" (as in Marathon), "Dash," "Kenya," "Strider," and an "Ollie" (short for Olympian). People choose unusual names sometimes.

As someone said up thread, Trig might have something to do with a Norwegian name. I guess that makes sense. I almost want to flip through her book (at the library of course) to see if she explains the name.

Miles is actually a pretty old name. That was my grandfather's name and he was born in 1919.

And my grandpa Miles' father was named Anton. It's the Anthony of Slavic languages.

One person's weird name could be someone else's common name.

[Peas n carrots]

Oh, author Anne Rice...her given name is Howard O'Brien! Her parents were hipsters 60 years before there were hipsters

[kamcho_papio]

I believe Finlay is spelled fionnlagh or similar (not Irish, just a name nerd, so I'll take corrections gladly!). Finlay is a traditional anglicisation. American name snobs would probably look down on the Irish form though...

This is basically why I gave up name snobbery. Plenty of people eager to chastise Ysabel, not enough prepared to accept that it's a long standing variant.

The only ones I really can't stand are creative spellings that don't make phonetic sense in any language. Or ones that'll cause the child undue hardship (like Adolf Hitler or something).

I think a true American name snob would applaud the Irish spelling, and others would argue for the historical variation of Ysabel in the face of it not being the correct modern spelling. Of course, within the name snob/name enthusiast forums, there's a creepy vein of ethnic "authenticity" and being "culturally appropriate": people bugging out about whether or not Li'l Fionnlagh is really Irish, or how can people name their children Dante or Giovanna or Karima if they aren't authentic Italian or Arabic speakers? :roll: It's enough to drive someone to clutch a pearl!

I can get behind being annoyed at needlessly complicated spellings of otherwise familiar names, but honestly, how does a person have any right to be an ass over Karima Doyle? Or Giovanna Stubbs-Ng? I also like a certain level of inventiveness--I don't like every new name, but sometimes the sounds are actually very pleasant.