Message: "Non-"Western" names you like"

Non-"Western" names you like

by erb816

9/22/2016, 12:06 PM

I can't remember if I've made a thread about these kinds of names, specifically, though I've likely posted about them before in replies.

Basically, BtN has a very "Western" bias in terms of what users like the most - which makes sense, since most of us are from Europe, North America, Oceania, etc. But I was wondering what names from other cultures might get some love on BtN?

Some that I quite like, and have collected in one spot (I admit to being more... "open-minded" when it comes to feminine names, it seems):

African-
Adannaya
&
Enitan

Arabic / Persian / "Middle Eastern"-
Anisa
Evren
Farrah
Inara (though yes, this has a strong pop culture association)
Isra
Kenza
Layana
Leila (though this is often used in Western countries, as well)
Namira
Nasrin
Nefertari
Nevra
Parvana
Sherine / Shireen
Suraya
&
Hasan
Idris
Isam
Jaffar
Nadir
Navid

Central & East Asian-
Adilet
Aghavni (pronounced arh-HAHV-nee)
Emi
Lusine (pronounced loo-SEE-neh)
Sarnai
Sora
Taline (pronounced tah-LEE-neh)
Tsisana
Zhen-Ai
&
Levon
Narek
Vahan

"First Nations" (Canada, U.S., N.Z., etc.)-
Anahera
Ayelen
Ixchel (pronounced ee-SHEL)
Kiri
Maiara
Manaia
Naira
Nayeli
Nerida
Nizhoni
Nyree
Sacnite (pronounced sahs-NEE-teh)
Sayen
Tamaya
Wynona (my grandmother's name)
Xochitl (can be pronounced sho-CHEET-leh or zo-CHEET-leh)
Zyanya
&
Nahuel
Tiriaq

Hebrew / Israeli / Yiddish-
Ayelet
Freyde
Hadassah
Kelila
Keturah
Kinneret
Levana
Mirele
Perele
Raisa
Raziela
Reina
Shaina
Suri
Tirza / Tirzah
Vardiel
Yocheved
Zelda (though yes, this has a strong pop culture association)
Zipporah
&
Avrum
Evron
Oren
Oved
Ronen
Zimri

Indian-
Darshana
Indira
Priya
Purnima
Sandhya
Veda
&
Navin
Vivek

Please rate my personal name lists:

www.behindthename.com/pnl/69381
www.behindthename.com/pnl/69381/109399
www.behindthename.com/pnl/69381/91835
http://greens-end.myminicity.com

This message was edited 9/22/2016, 12:16 PM

Replies

- Loads of Randomness

9/24/2016, 4:21 PM

I suspect that non Western name are overlooked because people here tend to be from Western Countries and discuss what to name a possible child or characters and ask to give opinions on names they've come across in their real lives so there's going to be more discussion about western names.

Personally love a lot of Arabic, Indian, Modern Hebrew and Asian Names (and have a separate PNL for each of them on this site).

Arabic
Ahmad
Amir
Asim
Hafiz
Ibrahim
Malik
Rafiq
Sa'id
Zahir

Amani
Khadija
Nazli
Safiyyah
Samira
Sana

Asian
Bao
Hwan
YeJun
Zhou

Akemi
Ji
Jia
Ling
Linh
Mei
Tien
Yen
Yu
Zhi

Hebrew
Shai

Orli
Rani

Indian
Ajit
Indra
Kavi
Rakesh
Ravi

Asha
Kavita
Nisha
Priya
Shanti
Sumati
Sunita
Sushila

This message was edited 9/24/2016, 4:26 PM

- Laslow (Buneary)

9/23/2016, 1:14 PM

I like a lot of Hawaiian names, such as Leilani, Nalani, Malia, Moana, and Kalani.

I agree that tastes here tend to have a western bias. I'm from Brazil, but I don't think Brazil counts as non-Western unless you're talking indigenous Brazilians.

- Caprice

9/23/2016, 4:26 AM

African
Abeni
Femi (for a girl)

Arabic
Amani

First Nations
Citlali
Citlalmina
Eluney
Millaray

Hebrew
Keren
Kinneret
Vashti

Hindi; Indian
Padma
Padmini

Japanese
Miyuki
Momoko
Umeko

- LiaMaria (LMS) +8

9/23/2016, 3:58 AM

Answer and tangent...

I have far too many to list. Name a usage and its probably likely I have a name on my PNL that I like from that usage.

Its not that I don't like eastern names, as there are a few I would actually consider using, I just think a lot of them I am unlikely to use on a real child of my own unless I married someone else with a different ethnic or cultural background from my own, therefore I don't discuss them much here, despite liking them.

I cannot decide if using a name from a culture not your own is flattering or kind of rude (not quite the word I am looking for). I know for sure it bothers me when its cultural misappropriation, but I'm not sure how I feel about "abnormally placed" names.

Would you be confused by a white girl named Shalondra?
Would you be confused by a black girl named Xiong?
Would you be confused by an asian girl named Tzipporah?
Would you be confused by a hispanic girl named Fatima?
Would you think it strange for an atheist to be named Moses?
Would you think it strange for a Christian to be named Mohammed?

Thoughts?

This message was edited 9/23/2016, 3:59 AM

- Laslow (Buneary)

9/23/2016, 1:07 PM

Probably yes to all of them except for Moses on an atheist or Fatima on a Hispanic girl. Fatima is used a lot in Spanish-speaking countries due to Our Lady of Fatima. Moses I could see on an atheist who was probably not raised atheist.

I've never heard of any Christians named Mohammed. Arabic names are sometimes used by non-Muslim African-Americans, and even then I've never heard of one with Mohammed as their birth name.

This message was edited 9/23/2016, 1:08 PM

- mirfak

9/23/2016, 10:07 AM

Would you be confused by a white girl named Shalondra?
- No.
Would you be confused by a black girl named Xiong?
- Surprised is a better word. I would tend to assume she had Chinese ancestry, because the pronunciation of that name wouldn't usually be known to entire families of American black people.
Would you be confused by an asian girl named Tzipporah?
- I might wonder if it was not her birth name.
Would you be confused by a hispanic girl named Fatima?
- I would notice that it seemed odd.
Would you think it strange for an atheist to be named Moses?
- I would think it was funny.
Would you think it strange for a Christian to be named Mohammed?
- Strange, yeah - interesting, though.

- queenv +4

9/23/2016, 7:32 AM

I'd be surprised by a white girl named Shalondra but I know that it does happen that whites are given African-American names, though rarely.

- lakin5

9/23/2016, 9:09 AM

One of my name orgins is African-American, being LaKendra which shorts to my name of Lakin with a minor change in the spelling!

- Joiya +2

9/23/2016, 8:32 AM

I suppose this might be geographical... but in rural NY I think what many people consider "African American" naming is what we see as "low-socioeconomic-class" names.

It's unfortunate, but true. I would not be surprised to meet a white girl named Shalondra, Sha'miah or De'Shawn from smaller villages/trailer parks near where I grew up.

I would be surprised to meet one where I live now in Ohio.

- Solveig (cynthiajames)

9/23/2016, 9:28 AM

Yep

Keisha is a white name around here, though.

- queenv

9/23/2016, 8:42 AM

Man....I'm sorry to hear that, because one of the things I fight against is the perception that African American name necessarily = low-socioeconomic class. That perception is what really causes people to deny that there even is such a thing as an African-American name, because they think that to identify it as such is the same thing as assuming low-socioeconomic class and thus they think it's racist to say, "This is an African-American name." I've always said that what is racist is to deny that there is such a class of names, because the wish to do so springs from racist assumptions.

Anyway, I live in a state where there is a high percentage of African-Americans, my SO is African-American (although he personally hates being called that, preferring to be called black), my workplace employs many African-Americans, so I know darn well that there are African-American names.

- Joiya

9/23/2016, 6:14 AM

I don't usually consider naming cultural appropriation unless the name has very specific value to that culture.

I'll add that I would assume the family had some connection to whatever culture was represented in the kid's name.

It's not necessary though. I know a blue-eyed German girl named Maya-Yuki. I know a white woman named Ebony. I know a Hispanic girl named Lisa. I don't think we should have to be confined to "our" culture when naming because the world is getting smaller and smaller.

For that reason, I would not be confused by any of the names you listed... saving the last choice (Mohammed). That said, I think you meant "would it be strange for Christian parents to name their kid Mohammed?" Answer: yes.

There are actually tons of Christians named Mohammed as it is a very popular name outside of the States.

EX - both my girls have a French first, Filipino middle and Italian second middle name. We have zero connection to French culture (other than appreciation).

- earthnut

9/22/2016, 11:17 PM

Names i like that are neither from Europe nor Israel:
Jasper and Jessamine are from Persian, but they are also English words
Kai come from many languages, among them Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese, and Navajo.
Mira comes from many languages, among them Japanese and Hindi.
Agni
Bo
Jaswinder
Zafran
Mai

- spacealien

9/22/2016, 6:20 PM

I'm not sure if Armenia counts as Western, but I like Avetis and Lusine.

India-- Ananda, Leela

Israel-- Adva, Tom (if Hebrew counts)

Japan-- Yuzuki (I just love the meaning)

Near Eastern Mythology-- Tanith

Turkey-- Evren

- lusia

9/22/2016, 5:42 PM

There are many non-Western names that I like
My favourites are
Arabic names/Turkish, they have some amazing meanings and really nice sounding
Aisha
Layla
Sana
Hana
Hala - means halo around the moon which is beautiful in my opinion
Sahar
Ahlam
Aaliyah
Malik
Umar
Zahra
Zaynab
Esra
Ilyas
Raisa

Armenian
Lusine

Japanese - also has amazing meanings.
Yuki
Kana
Kagura
Ryuu
Hana
Aina
Airi
Kaito
Miki
Sayuri
Sakura
Misaki

Indian
Priya
Hari
Kama
Padma
Rohan
Amita
Lila
Mala
Mina
Mira

Hebrew
Aviva
Dalia
Elior
Leah
Ariel
Ezra
Levi
Asa
Asher

New Names PNL: http://www.behindthename.com/pnl/151224

- Isabel (aussiechic04)

9/22/2016, 4:32 PM

I've probably forgotten some, but here's my list - very much biased towards female!

Aliyah
Asha
Asherah
Aviva
Eliana
Evren
Hadassah
Kamaria
Kelila
Kinneret
Lujayn
Makeda
Maya (although this is quite common)
Nadira
Nahla / Nala
Nara
Nasrin
Nava
Nazli
Nevra
Nila
Ning
Niva
Ophira
Rohana
Safiyyah
Samiya
Sana
Sarnai
Selah
Shaia
Shekinah
Shiri
Soraya
Zipporah

Abraxas
Ashwin
Idris
Meyer
Shai

- hulamigo

9/22/2016, 4:11 PM

I like a lot of these.

Arabic / Persian / "Middle Eastern"-

Anisa
Evren - love it, would use this. It's on my PNL
Farrah
Inara
Isra - love it; also on my PNL
Kenza
Layana
Leila
Namira
Nevra
Sherine / Shireen
Suraya
Idris

Central & East Asian-

Emi
Sora
Levon

"First Nations" (Canada, U.S., N.Z., etc.)-

Kiri
Maiara
Manaia
Naira
Nayeli
Nerida
Nyree
Zyanya
Nahuel

Hebrew / Israeli / Yiddish-