I know people are going to hate this but I think this every time I see certain names

[mooie-ziel.livejournal.com]

I'm not a fan of using children names as a poster board for advertising what hobbies or heroes the parents are into. Example: Lennon, Lennox, Hendrix, Vonnegut, Cash, etc.

It bugs me especially when the excuse parents give is "I'm a huge fan of [insert name]" or "They changed my life!" If they impacted you so much then change YOUR name. If you name your child some famous last name you'll probably just increase the odds of your child hating that famous person since that's what people would first think of and ask questions about. Imagine having to explain all the time why your parents named you Insert Famous Name, and other related questions.*

I know there are always exceptions. I'm sure there are/will be children who love their famous names, or that there are parents who didn't name their child some famous name for fandom's sake. It's when they do use their kid to advertise the parent's favorite musician, author, etc that I roll my eyes and think "Oh well."

Anyone agree?

*I left this as a comment to someone's post but thought to share it since it is a strong opinion I have on names

Comments

[jesus--suburbia.livejournal.com]

My best friend who is as close to my SO as I have...he is in love with the city of Seattle, and loves that name for a boy. We both have a friend named Frank who we admire greatly, and we would use that as a namesake as well. I think it's okay. I think it's cute and fun.

[amaterasa.livejournal.com]

I have a friend who was named Elizabeth because her mother always loved the character in Pride and Prejudice. She loves her name because of the story behind it.

[mrsduryee.livejournal.com]

Where do you live? I am from Seattle...and that is just weird. People here would be like "yeah, it's a great city, but why didn't you just come here on vacation?"

[jesus--suburbia.livejournal.com]

Florida.

[mrsduryee.livejournal.com]

So, this would be like me saying that I really like the name Tallahassee. What do you think? LOL. :))))

To each her own though...

[jesus--suburbia.livejournal.com]

That's where I go to school.

I like the way Seattle sounds. I would never name my kid Chicago or San Diego or anything...

[eleanorgrace.livejournal.com]

Haha, I agree. Plus, Seattle is such a great place, your kid will probably want to live here eventually (because who doesn't?) and then it'll just be awkward to be named Seattle and also living in Seattle.

Or even just vacations.

"Hey, Seattle, come in for dinner." Haha I just can't imagine it.

[mrsduryee.livejournal.com]

That would be SO weird! It's one thing to be named Austin and live in Austin (or worse, Eugene and live in Eugene!)...but Seattle? Ugh.

[eleanorgrace.livejournal.com]

I guess both being named Eugene and living in Eugene are bad enough on their own, ha.

I did know a girl named Montana. She lived here (greater-Seattle metropolitan area), but I thought it was hilarious when her family traveled through Montana.

[mrsduryee.livejournal.com]

I guess both being named Eugene and living in Eugene are bad enough on their own, ha.

As a former Eugenian (for school), I must say, I AGREE. LOL.

[spikes-sexkitty.livejournal.com]

depends i think... like you said, with the kid, it could go either way.

i went to middle school with a guy named Paris. the only thing he hated was that he always got: "oh! like the city!" (well, now he prolly gets: "oh, like hilton's ex fiancee!")

when in actuality it was : "oh! like the guy who stole queen helen and began the trojan war!" b/c his dad was a big mythology buff.

ANYwyas, he didn't mind his name. maybe now he does. lol.

if the kids hate their name that much, then they should go by the middle name until they're old enough to change it. i say if it ain't your kid, then why worry if they're named after an idol of the parents?

[mrsduryee.livejournal.com]

i went to middle school with a guy named Paris. the only thing he hated was that he always got: "oh! like the city!" (well, now he prolly gets: "oh, like hilton's ex fiancee!")

Or, "oh like Hilton?" LOL.

[mrsduryee.livejournal.com]

I personally think literature is a very classy exception to this rule (not to name your child after something/someone famous you love). Lit names are my FAVE.

[soulsplinter8.livejournal.com]

I agree with you.

[spikes-sexkitty.livejournal.com]

guh!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE your icon!!!! i am actually watching that tonight! lol for the umpteenth time!

i tell my boyfriend he needs to be more colin firth-y/mr. darcy-y.
;)

and secretly, he does that little "i want to smile but i can't show how much i want to" smirk that colin does in that movie... it's kinda why i fell for my guy. lol

[ex-bluebonn.livejournal.com]

My favourite girl's name (besides Anna!) is Tess. Lit names RULE!

[dragoncrab88.livejournal.com]

Idk I think it's cute/fun to do such. Some kids may get annoyed with it if say they're teased enough about it but most kids I know who are named after a musician (like my brother) don't mind it.

[jesus--suburbia.livejournal.com]

What's his name?

[dragoncrab88.livejournal.com]

He was named after one of my dad's favorite musicians- Eric Clapton. I wouldn't name my son such a name personally but my brother doesn't mind it since he loves the man's music himself as far as he's said anyway.

[sandtree.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry, but I don't think you should ever name a kid something because you think it's 'cute' or 'fun'.

[bornto-fly.livejournal.com]

I agree that first names are a little much. But middle names don't better me as much, as long as they're not quite so obvious. Like maybe a first name and not a last name. For example, two of the names I plan to use are Eleanor and Atticus, which are both "offenders" in this scenario. Eleanor for Eleanor Roosevelt and Atticus from To Kill a Mockingbird. I plan to use them ONLY as middle names, and I don't think it's going overboard unless I name the kid Amelia Eleanor Roosevelt __(my last name)__ or Benjamin Atticus Finch _(my last name)_.

If it's just the first name and it's being used as a middle name, I don't agree that it's weird, nor do I agree that the kid is going to hate having a famous name. However, if you name your kid "Johnny Cash McCarthy" or "John Lennon Walker" or something like that, you're just asking for trouble. But if it's a name where people don't automatically know that it's after a famous person, I don't think it's a big deal.

[eleanorgrace.livejournal.com]

I think using a name like Eleanor (or, to a lesser extent, Atticus) isn't as extreme as naming your kid Hendrix or Lennon. Those latter names are surnames almost exclusively associated with very famous musicians; the former are given names associated at least partially with famous people/characters.

The strength of the connection makes a difference, to me at least. Most Eleanors aren't named after E. Roosevelt (I wasn't), but pretty much anyone named Lennon has parents who were Beatles fans. Me naming my son James/Jimmy in honor of Jimmy Hendrix isn't as blatant as naming him Hendrix.

So your commitment to using your names just as middles is fine, but to my mind unnecessary. No one would freak out at kids with first names Eleanor and Atticus (I don't think).

[in-the-starlite.livejournal.com]

It doesn't bother me particularly, but I don't think I would name my kid after someone famous.
I have a friend named McCartney and he's actually an AMAZING musician, but he's been called Carty all his life, so I don't think it bothers him so much. And, I mean, I don't think there's any explanation necessary. When someone hears the name, it registers that he's named after the musician and that's the end of it.

[th3-unicorn.livejournal.com]

I partially agree. I changed my middle name to Taylor, after Taylor Hanson. But I would also like to give Taylor as a middle name to my first son. Just more of a fantasy, though.

[sageharper.livejournal.com]

I can't really see the problem.
Every name has connotations, which people will mention at some point, particularly if the name is/becomes part of popular culture. That and names are always a reflection of the namer, even if it's not always so blatant.

My middle name it was chosen in honour of someone* who was significant to my parents. In the abstract I probably wouldn't be that crazy about the name, but I've grown to love because of what it means to my parents.

I love the name Lennon in it's own right [well yes John was cool, but I'm just being fangirly], and have done for years. So would happily use it for my son, and hopefully he'll appreciate the name too. He might not like it, but I don't like my given name and that has no meaning behind it.

Whatever you choose naming a child is a leap of faith. So you might as well just do what seems right for your family. And then there's always deed poll.

*a cousin of mine, rather than a celebrity. Actually I'd appreciate it if there was a famous Clair, maybe then people would be more likely to spell it right.

[breathbox.livejournal.com]

yeah i guess...but how does any parent come up w/ a name. even if its not someone or thing thats influenced them...its still a name THEY find beautiful or meaningful. its not like kids are born with a friggin' preference, or the ability to share it...

any name is a given name regardless of the inspiration.

becky*

[mystickiwi.livejournal.com]

I don't see it as any different from naming your kid after a relative or friend that you really loved, sure the probably aren't famous, but it's a name that has significance to the parent, and the parent is the one doing the naming, so i don't really see naming your child after a famous person as any different then naming you child a family name.

That being said, I think it's dumb when people hear a name (ex. Monet) and think, "Hey, that sounds cool, I'm going to give it my child!" but know nothing about the person they're naming the kid after.

And sure, some kids will hate being named after a famous person, but some kids will hate being named John or Elizabeth, it's a risk every parent takes

[cxtxc.livejournal.com]

Well, I couldn't have said it better. The annoyance for me lies in parents viewing their kid as an extended version of themselves. The baby naming process especially is when a lot of parents are self-centered in thinking that because they find Pilot Inspektor, Audio Science, or Jimmy-Janis Hendrix Vonnegut to be ~*awesum*~ -- their kid will appreciate being named that.

That aside, regardless I find it tacky to give a kid an uncommon and famous name like Vonnegut.

[mooie-ziel.livejournal.com]

I'm glad someone understands

[eleanorgrace.livejournal.com]

Family members are people you actually know, but most of the world does not. Celebrities are people you only know about, and that everyone else knows about similarly. Sure, maybe you love some celebrities more than most of your family members, but that's not something I, personally, would want to advertise.

[mooie-ziel.livejournal.com]

"It is possible to like an actor/actress that you like, but most people don't know who that actor/actress is such as Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, and Doris Day."

Even if others don't know these actors or actresses, I still don't care for people naming their children AFTER them. If they liked the name then that's something else.

"Also, many people treat their children like extensions of family members they were named after, so it is not completely different from what the OP was talking about."

I personally don't care for naming kids after family members or "honoring" deceased people by naming your children after them. When naming after family member or friends I think excessive baggage is added to that child's name. But I wasn't talking about that specifically here. I was just talking about famous people that parents are fans of.

[eleanorgrace.livejournal.com]

The examples you give aren't exactly the same thing that the OP is talking about, I don't think. The given names of all three (Clark, Spencer, and Doris) are not solely associated with those actors (who, for the record, I suspect most people DO know about, but it would probably depend on your age).

Earlier I posted saying that there's a big difference between naming a kid (the examples used earlier) Eleanor versus Hendrix. Same goes for Clark, which is a fine name on its own and also happens to belong to an actor the parents may or may not really like (whether or not he's actually the namesake isn't super relevant, because the name stands fine on its own).

Hendrix or Lennon or Monet are names whose primary cultural associations are with famous people, and as such carry much stronger connotations about the parents doing the naming.

And of course a kid could dislike the relative after whom he or she is named. But if it's not a stupid name, who cares? If I named my kid John and he hates Uncle John, well whatever. If I name my kid Cobain and he passionately hates grunge and Nirvana, well, that's pretty much all he's got, as far as that name goes.

It's a personal opinion of course, and people who feel differently than I do can certainly feel free to name however they choose. It doesn't really affect either of us, until I get kids with stupid names in my classes and laugh with my friends about it later. Ha.

[eleanorgrace.livejournal.com]

That's absolutely true, but parents who look into names they like and ask for opinions (whether from a forum like this or from people whose opinions are actually important to them) are likely going to find out if their preferred names have cultural weight they were unaware of.

Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon are (late) musicians the vast majority of Americans (and perhaps the world) know a lot about. You probably can't win very many games involving pop culture without knowing who they are. Haha.

[mooie-ziel.livejournal.com]

spot on.

I usually don't share much on how I think people should go about naming people but I'm unemployed so it happened.

[mahalia-baby.livejournal.com]

My name is Mahalia because my mother and my late grandmother's favourite musician was Mahalia Jackson and I've never thought about it as an 'advertising' thing. I love the idea behind my name and I don't really think you should assume how other people feel/will feel about their name.

Each to their own, of course. (:

[mooie-ziel.livejournal.com]

"I know there are always exceptions. I'm sure there are/will be children who love their famous names, or that there are parents who didn't name their child some famous name for fandom's sake."

[mahalia-baby.livejournal.com]

Didn't mean to sound rude, sorry.

[mooie-ziel.livejournal.com]

It's quite alright. That was just something I said in the original post and it sounded like you didn't read the post all the way through.

[searlait.livejournal.com]

I don't see the problem with honoring an artist or borrowing their name. I love Audrey Hepburn. I think her name is gorgeous. Audrey is a real possibility for a daughter. When I think of names, I try my best to think of what would be the first thought of someone who was familiar with the name. I would not have a problem with someone's first thought be, "oh, like Audrey Hepburn" if they met my daughter Audrey. I mean, I would never ever name my kid Whitney because the first thought would be Whitney Houston and her train wreck. That's just a personal preference. But if John Lennon really touched you and you love the name Lennon, it really strikes a cord with you, then I won't stand in your way or look down on you.

My name is Savannah and I always get "oh, like the city?" It was irritating the first couple years and then I just got over it. Yeah, like the city. My biggest problem is the fact that my middle name is Anna. Now that sucks. But I'm not angry with my parents nor do I suddenly hate the city just because we share a name and it has been pointed out to me.

[mooie-ziel.livejournal.com]

I love Audrey Hepburn. I think her name is gorgeous. Audrey is a real possibility for a daughter.

It's not a pretty normal like Audrey that bugs me but rather if you were to name you kid Hepburn so that it was extra explicit you were thinking of Audrey or Katherine Hepburn.

As for Lennon, that's just my pet peeve, hence the post.

I had also stated that there will always be exceptions so I'm glad you like your name. Though that's a city name and I have different feelings towards those than the ones I stated here.

[krosp.livejournal.com]

I partially agree with you. I think it's trashy if it's after some extremely popular fad person that will date awfully, and cruel to name them after a famous person who is extremely controversial. But if it's a famous person who is generally liked by most people, famous because they did something really inspirational or whatever, then I don't mind. Also it has to be subtle, as you said.

[fleckerbug.livejournal.com]

I often wonder what my daughter would have thought of her middle name being after my cat :) Who was indirectly named after General Sherman. (my daughter is deceased. I'm sure she and Sherman are having a good old laugh and purr together).
I told my FSIL that we think we're going to name a dog after my husband instead of passing it on to a son (and making him a IV). She was all like. "Oh yay, does that mean I can use it?" Sure, but we're still naming our dog that.

Oaky, not the same thing.. but yeah.

I had to laugh at Lennox.. like the fine china and crystal Lennox?

The last name as first-name thing is weird. Using the first name wouldn't seem so odd. I wasn't named after anyone famous, but I do like having been named after someone.. makes me feel like I have a tie with the past.

feel like commenting again

[fleckerbug.livejournal.com]

We've actually already picked out our next girl's name and it is the name of an author. However, I didn't pick it because of the author but because I absolutely loved the name. When I heard the name, in a semi-fictional biographic film in which the author was a supporting character, I thought "OMG I love that name. I've never heard it before." But when I thought about it some more I realized I had heard it before, on the author. So, yeah, not naming her after the author, but that's where we got the name and I've never seen anyone else with the same name, ever. Can you tell it's 8super-sekret*? :P

My landlord's father wanted him to have a really prestigious name, so he named him Sherman Ulysses Someothergenral Lastname. Not the best legacy..

[ex-bluebonn.livejournal.com]

I don't usually care for surnames as last names, although recently some have begun to grow on me. I knew of a friend's son named Campbell, and I thought that'd be really weird, but then I met him, and he is SUCH a Campbell!

[celtic-thistle.livejournal.com]

Literary names are totally fine. My favorite girls' name is Scarlett, like from Gone With the Wind.