Names with negative connotations

[bugamok.livejournal.com]

This post brought to you by the recent obsession with the name Loki.

Does anyone actually read the mythology behind Loki? He is one nasty, evil god. Why would you want to name yout kid that? Even if you just view him as a necessary trickster/badguy in the lore, he still ends up chained to a rock with his son's entrails and venom dripping onto his face. He gets to stay like that until the end of the world, according to the mythology. What a lovely story to tell your kid about his name.

I, for one, could never give a child a name with a historically negative connotation. Juliet even bugs me because she does (spoiler!) kill herself at the end of the play, after all. Ophelia, same sort of issue. Damian, Lucifer, and related names are all awful in my opinion and should doom the parents to a hellion of a child. (Don't anyone get the idea that Hellion's a lovely name.) Same with Adolf.

If Lolita's okay (not that I think so) then why aren't people offering up Humbert as a boy's name? Humbert Humbert is a great literary figure, after all. And Bert is such a nice nickname.

So in conclusion:
1) What's your opinion on using names with negative backgrounds?
2) Any other good examples of names with bad history?

Comments

[dosequisgirl.livejournal.com]

"Damian, Lucifer, and related names are all awful in my opinion and should doom the parents to a hellion of a child."

As the mother of a child named Damien, I'd just like to say thanks for showing your ignorance.

Damien, Damian and Damion...none of them have anything to do with the devil. It was a movie for Christ's sake!

[dosequisgirl.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry, that may have come off really mean. I'm just so tired of people saying that it's the name of the devil and it's an evil name.

[dosequisgirl.livejournal.com]

I don't get it much in person. Most people comment about what a beautiful name it is, especially older people, who I assume haven't seen the movie. In this community, it's either people love it or they actually think it's the name of the devil and evil.

[bugamok.livejournal.com]

Oh, no problem. I suppose I should be terribly offended that you didn't notice my clarification in the comments above. :) Except no one actually reads all the old comments before posting a new one.

So, I really don't think Damien is a terrible name, it's just not something I'd choose personally. I know the only badness linked to it is from a (stupid) movie, so I have no issues whatsoever with other people using it. Also? Your Damien is completely adorable. :)

[bugamok.livejournal.com]

Oh man, that would be the goof, I made the Damien = hellion connection in my post. Shoot, that was dumb. I file it with Lucifer in my head, but not with "parents should get a terrible kid for using that name" as Lucifer is. Blergh, sorry, that's what I get for not thinking enough while ranting.

What I should have said is, with my luck, I'd name a kid Damien and end up with a hellion. I don't make that connection with people named Damien, though. Sorry again.

[dosequisgirl.livejournal.com]

When I worked for a mental health clinic I remember seeing a patient's chart, his name was actually Lucifer. I always said the reason why he was crazy was because his parents named him Lucifer. ;)

[dosequisgirl.livejournal.com]

I really am sorry about that. =(
Actually the original was pretty good. The remake was horrid though! Julia Stiles, come on! I mean she's cute, good for teen movies, but she was horrible in The Omen. Like she didn't know how to act around a child. That's going to get me going on a whole different rant though...haha. I was pissed that they remade it to begin with. Why do they always remake classic horror movies, only the suck really bad?
I had my mind set on naming my first son Damien since I was a little girl. I remember watching The Omen when I was really little, but remembered nothing about it. The first time I watched it again was when he was a newborn and I was terrifed, haha. I just loved the name so, so much that I couldn't picture him being named anything else.

[bugamok.livejournal.com]

Oh really, don't worry about it. I never read long lists of comments before replying, if I've got something to say. It's the LJ way! :)