Baby Names - You're kidding Right???

[RebeccainGA]

We saw one last night - "Jazzman". A woman, working at the restaurant we ate at - and she was white, for those who think that it's a racial thing.

Freakanomics said it best - naming your child something absurd is the easiest way to relegate them to the lower classes of work, in the vast majority of situations. For every Condoleezza Rice or Rumer Willis there's a few thousand "Latrina" or "Joe-Beth" named kids trying to get a job that doesn't stereotype them based on poor choices by their parents.

[gramma dishes]

We saw one last night - "Jazzman". A woman, working at the restaurant we ate at - and she was white, for those who think that it's a racial thing.    ...

Did you see the name written out?  It sounds like maybe her parents were trying for Jasmine.   

[RebeccainGA]

We saw one last night - "Jazzman". A woman, working at the restaurant we ate at - and she was white, for those who think that it's a racial thing.    ...

Did you see the name written out?  It sounds like maybe her parents were trying for Jasmine.   

It was on her apron, in two inch high embroidered letters - I hope it was just a misspelled Jasmine, but it was a far miss.

[Betelnut]

I'm growing increasingly uncomfortable with some of the 'funny' names submitted here.

Not to put too fine a point on it, a lot of the names are basically names (or naming conventions) associated with black communities. There have been many studies which show that such names hinder employment prospects, hinder chances of getting housing, and even cause children to be treated differently by teachers.

To say that sterotypically black names are 'funny' is highly problematic, and feeds into the kind of insidious urban legend we see exemplified in the tales of La-a, and the -jello twins.

I'm all for laughing at somebody who names their child 'Super T-Rex III', but I can't stand by and see the Shaniquas and DeShawns of this world being mocked because of their ethnic and cultural background.

I see what you mean but I don't think I've seen very many people making fun of Shaniqua or DeShawn per se.

[BB-VA]

We saw one last night - "Jazzman". A woman, working at the restaurant we ate at - and she was white, for those who think that it's a racial thing.    ...

Did you see the name written out?  It sounds like maybe her parents were trying for Jasmine.   

I work in a call center and spoke on the phone to a young lady whose name was spelled Jazzman but she did pronounce it as Jasmine.

[BB-VA]

I'm growing increasingly uncomfortable with some of the 'funny' names submitted here.

Not to put too fine a point on it, a lot of the names are basically names (or naming conventions) associated with black communities. There have been many studies which show that such names hinder employment prospects, hinder chances of getting housing, and even cause children to be treated differently by teachers.

To say that sterotypically black names are 'funny' is highly problematic, and feeds into the kind of insidious urban legend we see exemplified in the tales of La-a, and the -jello twins.

I'm all for laughing at somebody who names their child 'Super T-Rex III', but I can't stand by and see the Shaniquas and DeShawns of this world being mocked because of their ethnic and cultural background.

I see what you mean but I don't think I've seen very many people making fun of Shaniqua or DeShawn per se.

I think Shaniqua is a very pleasant-sounding name, myself. 

[Library Dragon]

Madison is a very popular girl's name here.  Most live in the city and/or county of Madison. 

I've had a Molley as a student.  A young man we had over for Christmas is named Stebby. 

My DIL's name was made up by her mother.  She spends a great deal of time correcting pronunciation and spelling.  DIL is in a love-hate relationship with her name. 

Parental weirdness over names transcends groups. 

[Barney girl]

It's interesting how fashions change. I've just read a couple of books written about 60 years ago. In one someone is surprised at the name Miranda, thinking it only appears in Shakespeare. In the other someone comments that no-one is called Tabitha

[Bethczar]

It's interesting how fashions change. I've just read a couple of books written about 60 years ago. In one someone is surprised at the name Miranda, thinking it only appears in Shakespeare. In the other someone comments that no-one is called Tabitha

I read one set in (I think) the 30's where Melissa was considered unusual.

[RegionMom]

Oluwatomiwa & Oluwatomisin.
Ba Blu Moo

Ok, these make me think of the last song in the movie Grease, where they sing,
 We're for each other
Like a wop ba-ba lu-bop and wop bam boom
Just like my brother is
Sha-na-na-na-na-na-na-na yippity dip de doom
Chang chang chanitty chang sha-bop
We'll always be together
Wha oooh, yeah!
We'll always be together
We'll always be together
We'll always be together

Anyone else get that?

(sorry for the earworm!)

[*inviteseller]

Thanks Region mom..thanks

[Carotte]

When my siter in law was pregnant, early on she was mentioning names.

I heard Heiress, and I'm sure my face was interesting as I tried to figure out how to respond.  So she spelled the name, E-r-I-s. 

Oh, I had a mental connection there! "Like the goddess of Discord?"

Not my finest moment, but if the name was truly in contention, I don't feel too bad about basically letting them know the first thing that popped into my mind.

Probably for the best the baby was a boy.

I find Eris quite cute for a little boy, but being in France that's a very different pronunciation from the one in English. But the kid will always have to correct from the Eric spell that everyone knows. (it wouldn't sound the same at all, but written most would think it's a typo and correct it to Eric ).

[Nikko-chan]

One of the people in my training class is named after one of the Fonts.... O.o

[Carotte]

One of the people in my training class is named after one of the Fonts.... O.o

Either I'm missing something or you really mean a typography font/type face?
Are they named Arial,Verdana, Colibri ? Times New Roman?
Bonus point if they are named Akzidenz-Grotesk, or one of those Something STD (who are a type of font licensing thingy or something like that, not a disease riddled font, but I always found the name funny).

[Layla Miller]

One of the people in my training class is named after one of the Fonts.... O.o

Either I'm missing something or you really mean a typography font/type face?
Are they named Arial,Verdana, Colibri ? Times New Roman?
Bonus point if they are named Akzidenz-Grotesk, or one of those Something STD (who are a type of font licensing thingy or something like that, not a disease riddled font, but I always found the name funny).

WingDings!