Themes

[girlsteve.livejournal.com]

Ok, here's a question.

There's a friend of the family who is expecting a kid, and if it's a girl she wants to call her 'Ruby Tuesday' after the Rolling Stones song. If it's a boy she wants to call him James Dean.

I'm not sure how I feel about this. On the one hand, I can see where her husband is coming from when he says it's a little tacky. He also thinks it might give the kid, especially if it's a boy, a lot to live up to.

On the other hand, they are all nice names in my opinion. Tuesday is very unusual, but as a middle name it's not too bad and they both have a nice flow to them. Plus, as the mother to be points out, nobody really asks for middle names and the kid could chose to tell people or not. Plus, especially now, Ruby Tuesday isn't a hugely recognisable reference, and it's a great song...

Anyway, wondered what you thought? Either of these choices in particular, or on 'theme naming' in general (I should add, the husband outright banned Penny Lane as an option...)

edit: we don't have resturants called Ruby Tuesday here in the UK, and a quick poll of the library computer room shows that no one here has heard of it! (not necessarily scientific, I grant you...)

Comments

[tryyingtoevolve.livejournal.com]

Hahaha Ruby Tuesday makes me think of food:) lol

[girlsteve.livejournal.com]

oh yeah, I'd forgotten there was a resturant chain called that! That said, I only know that cos I saw on on a trip to Chicago - very few people here in the UK would recognise it.

[tryyingtoevolve.livejournal.com]

Hahahaha, okay, that makes sense, then. It wouldn't be bad if you're in the UK. You might want to make a note of that in your entry, or else you're going to get 25 comments telling you that;)

[sarahmarie.livejournal.com]

When I hear Ruby Tuesday I think of the restaurant (http://www.rubytuesday.com/). lol

[hockeychick57.livejournal.com]

I think if she's really set on it I wouldn't try to argue her out of it..unless the dad feels really strongly the other way. I think when the baby is first born she might get some negative feedback from people because now is when people DO ask the middle name. But as the kid is growing up, she's right, people don't ask, so if the kid isn't comfortable with it, no one else really needs to know.

I've actually considered the name James Dean before since he is my favorite actor of all time, but I decided on just using James and Dean as middle names instead. :)

[bopeepsheep.livejournal.com]

James Dean seems to have been ok for James Dean Bradfield of the Manics (whose father apparently wanted to call him Clint Eastwood Bradfield but was outvoted by his mother).

Ruby Tuesday - yeah, I've been to one but most Brits wouldn't have a clue about the restaurant chain, and I like Ruby for a girl.

(In your place I'd be tempted to suggest Eleanor Rigby and Jennifer Juniper to them to see their reactions...)

[my-little-voice.livejournal.com]

I like all of the names, but seperately. Or maybe Dean James.

[after-the-ashes.livejournal.com]

I agree with the living up to a name thing... I don't like the idea of naming a kid after a parent unless it's just the middle name, or grandparents (unless it's a bit different, like just the first name or first name as middle and whatnot) With that said I still love the name and they'd go by James, not James Dean, most often, so I don't think it's too close of a connotation.

[recycled-wings.livejournal.com]

Not a big fan of James Dean. (the name) and I agree, it would kinda give the kid a lot to live up to..

Ruby Tuesday is a cute name for a girl though. I like it but I don't in a way.. if that makes sense.. Maybe that's just because I think of both the restaurant AND the song when I hear it..

[0o-faerie.livejournal.com]

I like Ruby Tuesday. I think it's really cute =)
I do not like James Dean. This may sound strange, since I'm ok with naming a kid after a song (as long as it's not too weird) but I think it's weird to name your kid after an actual person. Why give him the exact same name? If they like James Dean, they could also just call him Dean, or James, right?

[surrealkiller.livejournal.com]

I actually like Ruby Tuesday, I think it's a hip and cute name. I have never met a Ruby and I think gem names are beautiful. It's a very unique combination.

Since you are in the UK the restaurant won't even be a problem, but here people would be like "Ruby Tuesday?...like, after the Restaurant?" haha..

[sheshellabella.livejournal.com]

Ruby is a darling name, but, paired with Tuesday, because of the song, it's a little much. My sister named her Great Dane pup Tuesday, so I guess I'll always relate the name with a dog.
As for James Dean, I love the name James and like the name Dean but together it would give the child a lot to live up to. The guy's a legend and it's his name they'd be giving to the little tot so I agree fully with the hubby on this one.

[waitingonsunday.livejournal.com]

Ruby Tuesday is a cute name, and I love the song AND the restaurant (damn, I could really go for one of their burgers right about now), but I wouldn't name a child that any more than I'd name a child Jane Eyre or Oliver Twist, despite loving Bronte and Dickens.

I don't like the name Dean, period, so I don't care for James Dean, but besides the actor reference, I'd immediately think of Jimmy Dean sausages. Ugh. Sausage.

[muliebrity.livejournal.com]

I don't mind it as long as the names don't sound ridiculous - how many girls were named Michelle thanks to the Beatles?
And James Dean wouldn't be alone. When I worked in a library we had no less than 10 James Dean ____s on file. That might be partly because James Dean is from the same state, but who knows.

[sandtree.livejournal.com]

That's terrible! We don't have Ruby Tuesday restaurants in Canada either (as far as I know?) but I'm pretty sure most people would recognise Ruby Tuesday because of the song.

It's tacky and gimicky, and unfair to the kid. Name her Ruby, or name him James, or Dean, then you're honouring something you love, but still not forcing it down your kid's throat. I love history, but I'm not going to name my kid William the Conquerer, for God's sake.

[monalyssasmile.livejournal.com]

I would definitely want to change it, but that is because I think Ruby is an ugly name. I really like Tuesday though, it's my cousin's name.

[kitchen-poet.livejournal.com]

Oddly, when I think of Tuesday, I automatically think of Wednesday Adams, the creepy little girl from the Adams Family. I like Ruby as a name, but all I can think of when I hear Ruby Tuesday are those awful "OMG look at this HUGE HAMBURGER!!?!!!" commercials. Not good.

[easter.livejournal.com]

Well, let's hope she never moves to America, home of the tacky food chain Ruby Tuesday's.

I think it's an awful name, but that's just me.

[djador.livejournal.com]

Well Puff Daddy (what's his current name...?) named his daughter Jesse James...so I think a little boy would do okay with James Dean. lol

[th3-unicorn.livejournal.com]

I don't mind borrowing names from songs, poetry, etc, but I think it's a bit tacky to stick the whole thing as a tag on a kid. For example, in this case, they could use Ruby or Tuesday, but together I think it's too much.
Plus, Ruby Tuesday sounds a little gorey, it makes me think of Bloody Mary

hello, pilgrim..

[kimber-leigh.livejournal.com]

i, personally, don't like it.. i have a little cousin that they named John Wayne (after both grandfathers, not the duke..) but i still think it's tacky.. i think if they were gonna do that they should've gone with Jonathan Wayne, instead..

Re: hello, pilgrim..

[kimber-leigh.livejournal.com]

anyway, my point was.. i think it's a bit much.. the names seperately would be great.. but, not together..

[arbus.livejournal.com]

my mother wanted to name me tuesday when i was born, but my father wouldnt have it. it was the day of the week i was born, and a favorite song of hers. we used to sing it in the car whenever we would hear it. i still wish she did. and as a bit of a sign of kinship, one of my top names is ruby, after the song, of course.

i dont think its so bad to have that as a name and the first thing i think of (obviously) is the song, not the restaurant, but thats because i have that history. james dean isnt bad either, i mean, how often do you say the first and middle names together?

[crzydimond.livejournal.com]

Ruby Tuesday is cute...I'm 18 and I'd doubt any of my friends would get the Rolling Stones connection...so by the time this kid is older it wouldn't be an issue...

James Dean is a cute name, but maybe a bit too much.


LOL at Penny Lane

[priorincantato.livejournal.com]

I looked after a Ruby Tuesday at work. I didn't like it then and I don't like it now, it's just not my thing!