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Parents Are Naming Their Babies After Instagram Filters


purple_summer

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That's stupid. 
However, do all these names gain popularity just because of Instagram? I mean, Ludwig is perfectly normal, old-fashioned name. At least at my country. If I named a kid Ludwig, people would ask me if it's my grandpa's name not about Instagram. 

Some of those names are Spanish. Why is that stupid?

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I expected to read some truly strange names ... but Kelvin and Reyes? Willow, Hudson and Ludwig? Those are all perfectly normal names. Sure, maybe not as common as McKehnnzie Raeyahnuh or Holddun Marckusss (yes, I'm being ridiculous here), but there's literally nothing abnormal or laugh-worthy about these "Instagram" names. 

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Some of those names are Spanish. Why is that stupid?

It's stupid to name a child after Instagram filter - if parents actually do so. Names themselves are fine.

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Yeah, the names aren't ridiculous or anything.  Most of them are nice enough names, even if I wouldn't choose them myself (I have an inexplicable and visceral negative reaction to Kelvin).  If the name was brought to the parents' attention because of an Instagram filter, so what?  It doesn't mean that child was named after (or in honor of) the filter.  If I were to name a kid my dad's name, I would be naming him after my dad.  If I were to name a kid the same name as that one girl I taught in swimming lessons ten years ago, I wouldn't be naming her after the student.  I would just be using a name I ran across that I liked.

If the parents tell Willow when she's older that she was named in honor of an Instagram filter because they loved that filter so much and then showed her baby photos, all of which used the willow filter, and informed her she was expected to be an important figure in photography, just like her namesake... well, then that would be really weird. (And I'm not sure where that fantasy came from.  It's early here still...)

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Why don't they just say that Instagram filters were given people-names?  Because that's the more logical conclusion.  Beethoven existed long before Instagram.

The German name law seems oddly restrictive.  Why no gender-neutral names?  There are some which are perfectly normal (Ariel, Jordan, Jaden, Noam off the top of my head).  Why the obsession with gender?  Same thing with surnames as first names.  Many surnames started off as first names, so OF COURSE their is going to be overlap.

 

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Why don't they just say that Instagram filters were given people-names?  Because that's the more logical conclusion.  Beethoven existed long before Instagram.

The German name law seems oddly restrictive.  Why no gender-neutral names?  There are some which are perfectly normal (Ariel, Jordan, Jaden, Noam off the top of my head).  Why the obsession with gender?  Same thing with surnames as first names.  Many surnames started off as first names, so OF COURSE their is going to be overlap.

 

In german, traditional surnames are never used as first names.  Nobody would name their baby "Koblmüller, "Schmitz", "Busch" or "Pfeiffer". Although that would be just hilarious, if you imagine ("Der kleine Schmitz möchte vom Kinderparadies abgeholt werden!" :my_biggrin:)   Well, not for the child  of course....

However there are first names used as surnames (Lorenz, Wolf, Ulrich,...).

 Jaden and Jordan are english names, so if you could prove that a Girl is named Jordan anywhere in another country, you could name her Jordan afaik.

The effects of "Chantalismus" on my child - just as a example now!-   I would be way more worried with Jordan than not having it approved by officials imho.

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Why don't they just say that Instagram filters were given people-names?  Because that's the more logical conclusion.  Beethoven existed long before Instagram.

The German name law seems oddly restrictive.  Why no gender-neutral names?  There are some which are perfectly normal (Ariel, Jordan, Jaden, Noam off the top of my head).  Why the obsession with gender?  Same thing with surnames as first names.  Many surnames started off as first names, so OF COURSE their is going to be overlap.

 

a.) Yeah. I mean, the names of Instagram filters may have inspired some people to use those names, but that is about the extent of it. It's not like Instagram invented names and then suddenly people started giving their kids these made-up names.

b.) It may sound restrictive, but it's really not. While it is obviously far from a perfect system, I definitely prefer it to being able to name your kid whatever crap you want (such as, literally, Crap). You can use gender-neutral names, you just have to have a gender-specific middle name to go with it. Still, that is the rule I disagree most with. However, since Germany has (as the first country, I believe) now made it legal to leave the option of male/female open on birth certificates, I assume it is only a matter of time until naming regulations are changed accordingly, and we will no longer even have to have a gender-specific middle name. Also, I think you are misunderstanding the thing about "no last names as first names." Obviously, there are overlaps. Heinz, for example, is a common first and last name. So of course you can name your child Heiny. Müller, on the other hand, is a very common last name which has never been a first name to begin with. Hence, you cannot name child Müller. *shrugs* Like I said, the system is obviously not perfect, but at least no child will be saddled with the name Aryan Nation or Princess Consuela Bananahammock or whatever.

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You also will not get a Name approved which would make a ridiculous combination that could lead to serious disadvantage of your child.

Like "Axel" if your surname is Schweiß (meaning axel welding). Or Rosa if your surname is Schlüpfer (that would make it "pink underpants").

A "Moe Lester", a "Jurassic Parks" or a "Dick Powers" would not be possible.

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Well thank you Jilly and jingerbread I didnt think through that statement and i hadnt thought through the full effects. I am leaving my post up so things won't be confusing but I am oficcial eating my words

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So is Xaqurie pronounced Zachary?

It is the invention of my favorite fundie-but-not-really-fundie maiden, Miss Raquel. I'm pretty sure it is pronounced Zachary. 

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Yeah, the names aren't ridiculous or anything.  Most of them are nice enough names, even if I wouldn't choose them myself (I have an inexplicable and visceral negative reaction to Kelvin).  If the name was brought to the parents' attention because of an Instagram filter, so what?  It doesn't mean that child was named after (or in honor of) the filter.  If I were to name a kid my dad's name, I would be naming him after my dad.  If I were to name a kid the same name as that one girl I taught in swimming lessons ten years ago, I wouldn't be naming her after the student.  I would just be using a name I ran across that I liked.

If the parents tell Willow when she's older that she was named in honor of an Instagram filter because they loved that filter so much and then showed her baby photos, all of which used the willow filter, and informed her she was expected to be an important figure in photography, just like her namesake... well, then that would be really weird. (And I'm not sure where that fantasy came from.  It's early here still...)

I have a friend named Kelvin. He is 50 and his mama lives on a mountain in WV and never heard of the new fangled internet - or cable TV for that matter. He uses his middle name.

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I do think that someone is giving Instagram filters less well known "people names" and perhaps repopularizing those names a bit.  I only have one thought when I see the word Kelvin - advanced sciences classes.  It kinda makes me want to cry or maybe do a keg stand :whistle:

I have a friend named Kilo.  It's an old family name - a traditional Hawaiian name.  In many areas of the world, people don't know this and might think of a unit of measurement.  A unique subset of people think his name indicates his parent's interest in or appreciation of or involvement with cocaine.  I, personally, think that says a lot more about the person doing the judging of the name than it does about anything else.

ETA - he goes by Kilo personally and professionally and has been quite successful.

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Anyone know if the list of rejected names on this blog is accurate?  https://zoetropic.wordpress.com/2011/05/24/the-difficulty-of-naming-german-babies/

If so, I'm scratching my head.  I know several people named Ronit, Kiran and Micha, and can't understand why they would be rejected.

No idea if it is accurate. With Hebrew names, the issue is often that they are not gender-specific (either because they are used for both genders or just because of the way they sound in German). To use one of your examples, I would assume that about 95% of Germans would think that Ronit is a male name. Like I said, I am hoping (and strongly assuming) that the need for a name to be gender-specific will be abolished now that sex doesn't have to be specified on birth certificates anymore. But as someone with the name Yael (which is very, very obscure in Germany and not gender-specific), it was no problem for my parents to get the name registered, they just had to give me a middle name. So I'm assuming that if these examples are indeed accurate, it's because parents refused to give their child a middle name.

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Some of the names that I have had come through my classrooms are completely mindblowing.  A lot of it has to do with people choosing "Canadian" names for their children. I have found it mostly in chinese and korean families.  The kids have some very unfortunate names. Tennis, Sunshine, Handsome are the ones that stand out right now. Although it is nice to have variety.  Last year I had 4 Ashleys and 4 Sophie/Sophias. There were only 18 kids.

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Some people are just plain mean about names.  My cousin is a Labor and Delivery nurse and was filling out paperwork for the birth certificate for a couple who just had a boy.   When she asked for a name, the dad looked at the mom and said "remember our deal," and told my cousin the first name was Mo, and no middle name.    Are you sure you sure you want to do that she asked the Mom, who meekly said "yes."   Their last name was Lester.  

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Those names don't seem terrible to me, and I didn't even know Instagram used names like that for its filters (I've never actually looked at the list, as I only have a passing acquaintance with Instagram).

Besides, the names only 'increased in popularity', meaning they were being used a nonzero amount before the extra 'inspiration' of Instagram.

Popular things have always affected baby naming, so this is nothing new.

But naming a baby Hashtag was a step too far, in my book.  Summer and River are fine names, but not Hashtag.  Or Millennium.  Milena is fine though.

[edit] Sunshine is fine.  Tennis is not.  Handsome is... that's a name you have to earn.  You can't simply be given it for free.  The less said about Mo Lester, the better.

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Sunshine wasn't terrible I will admit - but still a bit strange. Handsome was probably one of the more challenging kids. His mother chose Handsome as his name because obviously, he was the most handsome child and therefore deserved a name that was special. He was a brat. 

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It's gotta be a challenge to talk to Handsome without sounding flirty lol

"Hiiii Handsome, would you take a look at this file? Hey Handsome, is that a new shirt....Hello Handsome, do you fancy a drink later?"

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The Province I live in releases it's previous year name list with the amount of kids with that name each spring. Some of the names for 2014 were just plain awful like Sobriety, Thunderboy, Disney and Melon. I can't wait for 2015's list and will gladly accept most of the Instagram inspired names over the "unique" names of the past.  Hopefully there will be no Spurgeon's in my neck of the woods.

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It's been three years, so I'd really like to know what became of baby Hashtag.

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