RR, I think I mislead you and I didn't mean to do that. I will say it again, "I will laugh". I don't discriminate if someone's name is "Habib" or "Shanequa". I treat them the same as someone named "María" or "José". It's funny, yes, and I don't disclose that to them, but a name in my native language sounds to me more appealing, and that's it, but you can see what happens when all these made up names make it big in the everyday world. It almost NEVER happens. DENZEL is just arrogant, and Oprah doesn't sound "black" or "African American" at all. They're just very, very educated, like YOU sound. I agree with you, Jeff. When my wife and I searched for both my girls' names, we wanted something EVERYONE could pronounce both in Spanish and in English. We did not want "Jennifer" or "Judy" or "Katherine" or anything with an obvious English root. We wanted something my relatives could ALL pronounce, so we settled on names both Mexican and EstadoUnidense people could pronounce, and that they weren't teased at school, too.
But that's the difference. "Made up" is referring to a name without meaning. Not the creation of a name. I like names that mean something. Even if it's "Dancing with Wolves", not just a bunch of random sounds.
I have a friend who taught and she had a student named Latrinkle. "Latrinkle! Put that down. Latrinkle! Stop doing that!"
everyone laffs are names sometimes It is human . . I applaud you not letting it sway you In High School . . my friend's Dentist was Dr. Fuchs take the H out and you get the Pronounciation I have met Asians whose names had different meanings here Geometry Teacher in High School - Soon Duk Lim Rocket River
that is your preference. . and perhaps your bias If you did not know the meaning of John . . .would you not like it? what if it is a more personal Reason [family name, etc] Would they have to explain it to you for you to accept it? Rocket RIver
RR, continuing with the NAMES thing, I believe it also has to do with how educated a person acts, at least. I would have NO PROBLEM letting YOU visit my house with a name like Rocket River, since you sound educated here on all of your posts, but I would not let someone who looks MEXICAN and is named Rocket River and seems like he has no education. It also has to do with how educated the person seems, to me, at least. I could care less if your name was Tyrone or José. If you pretend to be educated, I will know.
I actually like the made up names. I just wouldn't do it. I bet 99 percent of people don't know what John means or even their own name means. Now it has become just cultural.
LOL -- Moon Unit? That's awesome. My name is rather normal, and I have always wished that I had a more unique sounding name. Apparantly, my parents were very close to naming me Forrest. I wish they had gone through with it, or at least made it my middle name.
Pretty sure that's Frank Zappa's daughter (and Dweezil's brother). Here's an interesting site on the etymology of first names: http://www.behindthename.com/
yeah, snowboard is pretty cool. my parents thought it was an irish name. "uh...no...i'm a brit who retreated to france. thanks."
My ex has a brother who changed his given latin name to John Winter Smith. You can't get more vanilla than that.
And it gets worse for ya, Max, as it seems the Scots/Irish/Welsh are the same as the Brits: "If one thinks that the English are genetically different from the Scots, Irish and Welsh, that's entirely wrong," he said. "In the 19th century, the idea of Anglo-Saxon superiority was very widespread. At the moment, there is a resurgence of Celtic identity, which had been trampled on. It's very vibrant and obvious at the moment. "Basically the cornerstone of Celtic identity is that they are not English. However, to try to base that, as some do, on an idea that is not far beneath the surface that Celtic countries are somehow descended from a race of Celts, which the English are not, is not right. We are all descended from the same people. "It should dispel any idea of trying to base what is a cultural identity on a genetic difference, because there really isn't one." http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1393742006 Fly that Union Jack with pride.
I'm mixed. First name is Anglicized Scottish and my middle is Welsh - I was kept true to my roots unlike you...you Anglo-Franco mutt. I dodged a bullet, though, because for some strange reason my parents toyed with the idea of naming me "Alban". Ugh. My son's name is unique in the US but common in certain parts of Europe. It is not of a type that should hurt him, though. My favorite names of people I have known: Enchantress for a girl. Mister for a boy. Leschon for a Filipino girl. Funny because alot of people thought it was "LaShawn" or something similar and thought she was black. Also funny because it is kind of close to another Filipino word "lechón" which is a whole roasted pig.
She immitated the manuerisms and speech patterns of the black people we grew up with, who started acting and talking vastly different from the white people around 6th grade, for some strange reason. That work for ya?
