View Message

I love a lot of really "exotic" names also. I think for me it kind of comes down to A) how relevant and exclusively common the name is, in its own culture B) how personally connected I feel to that culture. I have a lot of French ancestry and so it feels easier to view French names as honoring. But, my prospective children will be such a blend, I'd still hesitate using Philippe, even though I love it.

---

If it's sort of all around obscure and unplacable, I'm more likely to feel its usable. I would consider using Fairuza in real life, but not Farouk.

---