Discussion » Questions » Names » About baby names, is this something that made sense in previous generations?
Livvie

About baby names, is this something that made sense in previous generations?

Here’s the scenario I’m asking about: A dad gives his son a name that will attract teasing.  The dad knows this but he expects his son to stand up for the name.  When the kid gets older, he hates his name for all the misery he thinks it brought but the dad gets angry because the kid should’ve learned to stand up for his name.

This line of thinking makes no sense to me but I’m wondering if it’s some old way of thinking that was normal a few decades ago.

I’m asking because this is the case with my husband who hates his name and his dad can’t stand it that he hates his name.  My F-I-L was also really upset that he wasn’t given a say when my husband and I chose names for our own kids.  Now that my F-I-L has been no contact for a few years and is out of the picture, my husband is filing for a legal name change.

Posted - January 6
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Responses


  • 10980
    Other than this song, I've never heard of it being done deliberately.

      January 6, 2024 5:22 PM MST
    5

  • 44583
    My thought.
      January 6, 2024 7:16 PM MST
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  • 3667
    Being Jewish, we are often named after a deceased family member signifying that this person will not be forgotten.  Being non-religious, my parents chose "Jewish" names recorded I'm not sure where, and whatever other name my parents chose, generally beginning with the same letter as the deceased person.  For example, one of my sister's Jewish names is Blima, but her English name is Beth, my sister Abbey, is named after my maternal grandmother Anna, my Jewish name is Lana after an uncle Louis, but my English name is Linda.  In retrospect, I would not have minded my English name being Lana.  
      January 7, 2024 9:12 AM MST
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  • 13277
    Actually, naming babies for the deceased is an Ashkenazi tradition.

    Sephardim don’t do that.
      January 7, 2024 9:21 AM MST
    3

  • 3667
    I am from the Ashkenazis.  I didn't realize that the Sephardim didn't follow that tradition.  Thanks.
      January 7, 2024 11:21 AM MST
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  • 5451
    I like the name Lana but Linda’s also a beautiful name.  My husband seems to like Hebrew names because he picked Hebrew names for our oldest son and youngest daughter.
      January 7, 2024 12:23 PM MST
    5

  • 34171
    I don't know of anyone who has done that.  
    I know some who used names that were in the family, and the names were not that common. I don't know that they caused teasing.  

    I have a Gr Grandfather who was named Obadiah.  He was not the only one with the name in the family. But back then it may not have been such a strange name. 

    I think most parents think about if this name will cause teasing when thinking about names and rule out ones that would. One of the names I wanted for my son was vetoed because my husband said he would be teased....Dimitri  This post was edited by my2cents at January 25, 2024 8:22 PM MST
      January 25, 2024 7:57 PM MST
    1