Place names?

[velkoria.livejournal.com]

Inspired by a recent post... what do you think of place named when you're not from the place or have no heritage there... like for example Ireland. I am not Irish, directly or have any past heritage from there... but I may love the name and the place, the culture, the people. Same with people naming their children Asia and having no heritage there. Yay, Nay? what say you?

Comments

[morningapproach.livejournal.com]

I think that a place that was named after a person originally is fair game for anyone, it is just re-appropriation of the name. A place that is named as a place, not after a person, like America, or Asia, or India, is out of the question unless the person has ties to the location.

[velkoria.livejournal.com]

America is named after a person...

[pianokitten.livejournal.com]

^^

[holidaylights.livejournal.com]

+1

[morningapproach.livejournal.com]

Whom?

(Not being American, I don't do American History)

[solitudete.livejournal.com]

That applies to South and North America too...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amerigo_Vespucci

[velkoria.livejournal.com]

and Canada is also part of the continent last I checked... (think morningapproach is from Canada?)

[morningapproach.livejournal.com]

hmm, interesting! Never knew that, thanks for sharing.

[freezemyazaleas.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but the person's name wasn't America; it was Amerigo. So I don't think that counts.

[velkoria.livejournal.com]

it is pronounced as Americo...

[ifancylust.livejournal.com]

..which still isn't the same as "america"

[schexyschteve.livejournal.com]

It's fine line. I mean, on one hand, it seems a little silly, considering there's no real tie to the place. But it also seems a little silly to just stick to names from your culture. What if you're like me, and you really have no culture?

I think outright place names, such as naming your child Asia, are kind of silly. It's also different if you're using a long-accepted place name (like Charlotte) versus "coming up" with a new one.

I've tried to reply to this like, three times and I can't seem to form my thoughts. lol

[velkoria.livejournal.com]

lol it's all good, I like your answer very much anyway... I like to consider myself a very widely cultural person... from ties back to Italy, Spain, the middle East, Native America, Africa... so it seems silly for people to tell me to stick to names in my culture... I tend to answer with 'which one is that?'

I don't much like place names either but just wondering what other people though xD

[schexyschteve.livejournal.com]

I'm mostly Belgian, but what makes a "Belgian" name? I don't know.

I'm very picky about names, so for me, it all boils down to "Do I like the name?" If I like it and it happens to be a place name, whatever. If I don't like it's and it's a place name, then I hate it.

[pythianlegume7.livejournal.com]

Pet peeve of mine...sorry if I sound conceited, I just see this a lot here! Culture is not the same as ethnicity. If you were raised using aspects from all of those cultures (which I can't imagine could be true unless you lived in each of those places or surrounded by people with direct ties to each of those places), then I would say you can use any. But, if you were raised is North East America, then that is your culture (as it is mine, alone with reformed Judaism's culture. I am ethnically German and Russian but those are not part of my culture at all).

[freezemyazaleas.livejournal.com]

I agree with this wholeheartedly! So many people mix up culture and ethnicity!

On a side note, I am also ethnically German and Russian, and was raised in reform Jewish culture!

[velkoria.livejournal.com]

actually... my culture does hold aspects of all those cultures. Studying arts I can tell you that I do have native american culture infused in my spaniard culture, african and italian... not to mention middle eastern. Sure, I don't follow every one of those to a T because that would be impossible but they are part of me as much as any other... I was raised catholic but also grew up around santeria and other aspects. I think my point still stands... I have ties with said cultures in my features and in my heritage and way of life so... why would the names be off limits?

Sure I am not 100% raised in any of these because i haven't lived in all the places but I also don't exclude what they brought into me to make me... well, me.

[pythianlegume7.livejournal.com]

Honestly I think that is just a biproduct of American culture...with the melting pot/mosaic metaphor and what not. But you have a different way of looking at it than me :).

[pythianlegume7.livejournal.com]

Yeah, its a pretty obvious distinction to me as someone who has taken a lot of anthro courses, but I guess not to everyone. About the side note, that's cool! I guess a lot of Jews are German/Russian.

[adamantplatypus.livejournal.com]

Who cares?

I think so long as the name is pronounceable and easily spell able (so your kid named Delilah isn't constantly being called Delilah if it's pronounced JIM - for a really outlandish example), you're good.

[sandtree.livejournal.com]

I don't really like place names anyway, so I have a hard time saying. I guess I could go with my opinion on India as a name... I like India, because I love the way it sounds/looks. But I wouldn't use it, one of the reasons being that I have absolutely no connection with the place, and it would seem odd.

[schexyschteve.livejournal.com]

I'm the same way with India.

But then, what makes it "okay" to use other names, you know? Most people pick a name because they like the way it looks or sounds (meaning also ranks up there). Why is using a "cultural" name any different?

[pegasus2o5.livejournal.com]

I think place names are different because they're already "taken" in a way normal names are not. You may know any number of Sarahs, and none of them have any greater claim on the name than any other, but there's already one "real" India. So to name your child *after* that India is one thing, but just to take the name for no reason is odd. Say you had a really unusual first name, "Starfish" or something. No one else has this name; for better or worse, you are the only Starfish in your world. Wouldn't you be kind of weirded out if a co-worker you barely knew named her daughter Starfish without even consulting you about it?

That's my take on it anyway.

[schexyschteve.livejournal.com]

That makes sense.

[sunshinefleur.livejournal.com]

it really doesn't matter to me. I really like a lot of place names, actually. I do think it is possible to go too far with place names (like, if someone named their kid New Jersey or Pakistan or something -- um, no) but other than that, it's fine.

My own answer...

[velkoria.livejournal.com]

Basically what I said to schexyschteve. I don't much like the place name thing but I think it's silly... some people believe in the whole 'spiritual homeland' thing and what if that place has no blood ties to you? I tend to think people need to chill a lot and this is one of those times... Ireland, America, Asia, Africa... they're names, made up names by people, really it's just a patch of land inhabited by humans. Don't get me wrong, I think culture is important but I think separating into smaller groups is what humans do best... appreciate your heritage, love it, cherish it but know there's more out there, no matter where you're from =).

[lilacmermaid.livejournal.com]

I like a lot of place names, but I probably wouldn't use them myself. I feel like if you're using them, it's best if you have some ties to that culture. But I would also extend that to being *interested* in the culture or area or whatever, even if it's not a part of your heritage.

Where I take issue is when it seems as though the name has been chosen simply because it sounds good.

[monkey-fruit.livejournal.com]

Pretty much this.

[ohhvelocitygirl.livejournal.com]

my daughter is named after an italian city and I'm not even a little bit italian. doesn't bother me.

[compulsivelyme.livejournal.com]

My step-niece and -nephew are named Vienna and Roman, explicitly after the cities.

I think it's weird in one family, like they're theme names or something. I'm not a fan. It's kind of a "trying too hard" thing.

Seriously, it's OK to like a place and not name your child after it.

[penguiny7.livejournal.com]

I think it's kind of weird to use a place name for somewhere that has no significance or connection to you. I also think it's weird to use the name of a country as a name. Cities aren't quite as odd.

[th3-unicorn.livejournal.com]

I think it's fine as long as there is some justifiable connection.
For example, India is ok even if you have nothing to do with India itself, but like the fact that it's sanskrit for "river".
If it's a city name, then you might just like how it sounds, or what it means, or if there's a special connection. For example, I like Lisbon after a tv character's last name.

I agree that naming your kid Asia with no associations there it awkward.
I have a cousin named this, and I don't know the backstory to her name, but I'm pretty sure she got it because it was just very trendy around the time she was born!

[giveitfullheart.livejournal.com]

I think there are some place names that are more acceptable than others, you know what I mean? Like...I wouldn't think twice if I saw a Georgia but if I saw a Japan, I'd be like, wtf? Maybe choose an Irish city instead of all of Ireland? :)

[velkoria.livejournal.com]

oh the Ireland thing was just an example ^.^ I do like Ireland as a place and their culture and people, history etc... but I like that about a LOT of places ^.^

[harinakshi.livejournal.com]

Some interesting ideas on the subject.

I'm seeing the thought that unless you have ties to the culture you shouldn't use the name. That sounds like the same train of thought that would limit your names from your religion as well, wouldn't it? Or if you're in America and not hispanic you shouldn't use names with a latin origin or something.

Like my ex bf didn't like the name Elijah because it's a Hebrew name and he is Catholic and I am an Athiest. An interestingly enough, JUST because of my son's name I have been asked several times if I know the story of Elijah in the bible and even asked what church I go to. So it makes me wonder, if a white person names their child Isabella for instance, what would the general public's reaction be? Same with place names...will people automatically think there is some significance to that place? Like how Victoria Beckham named her kids after the city they were concieved in or something like that.

I myself don't care. But some names just seem silly as a person's name. Cities aren't so bad, but countries just seems a bit stupid.

[bluedano.livejournal.com]

I think people tend to automatically assume there's some significance to a place name and the question, "Ireland? Why'd you pick that?" would become rather repetitive.

You brought up an interesting point about other names with religious or ethnic origins. It seems that some names, like Isabella and Elijah, are commonplace enough that most people don't know/don't think about the origin. However, my husband used to work with a blond-haired white guy named Pablo, and apparently nobody believed that was his real name when they first met him. :)

[pegasus2o5.livejournal.com]

I do think it's stupid to name your child after a place that has no meaning for you, but then I think it's stupid to name your child *anything* that has no meaning for you. Naming your child Paris just because it's "cool" doesn't bother me any more than naming your child Maddycyn just because it's "cool." Less, in fact, because it's possible to spell and pronounce Paris. (Of course, then you get to atrocities like Perryss and I have to just throw up my hands and leave the room.)

If the place means something to you, even just a dream of visiting or an interest in the culture, that "counts" enough to deflect my scorn. Just spell it right! :)

[harinakshi.livejournal.com]

Oh god. If you're going to name your child something that is a well known place, for the love of god spell it properly!!

[jyl-mac.livejournal.com]

If it's special to you then I say go for it!

Although....I always wonder why American's get tattoos in Chinese characters!?! I can see if you speak the language or have a heritage but just because "faith" or "trust" looks cool as a symbol? I'd much rather have it written in my spoken language.

....do Chinese people get English tats on them? Hehe.

[harinakshi.livejournal.com]

I believe you can google Engrish tattoos and it's pretty darn funny. And I'm pretty sure our Chinese/Japanese character tattoos are just as funny to them.

[freezemyazaleas.livejournal.com]

Yeah I agree! Then again, some of them might speak Chinese but not look like it. But most of them probably just think it looks cool.

[freezemyazaleas.livejournal.com]

I don't know how I feel about it. I remember meeting a little Scandinavian-looking blonde girl named India and thinking that was so weird. Then again, if I were to meet an Indian girl named India, I think that would be even weirder.

[krosp.livejournal.com]

I actually don't like it when the person does have that heritage, although I don't like it if they don't either. My kids will have Asian heritage and it just feels so tacky to call them Asia. I've heard that people from India think India is a ridiculous name.