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Help[Opinions] unfortunate meaning
There's a name on my list that I really like. It's unusual yet familiar and easy to spell and pronounce. I live in Sweden, but the only thing that puts me off from using it is that it's an English word, and with a quite unfortunate meaning (along the lines of mean, awful etc).
I'm trying to convince myself that it's not a deal breaker since we don't even live in an English speaking country. But at the same time we travel quite a lot and you never know which part of the world that your kids will live in as adults. But there's also people out there named Dick and they seem to be alive and well. Plus there will always be names with unfortunate meanings in other languages - like Galen for example, which is the Swedish word for crazy.
So, how much of a problem is this? If you met this person, would you assume that s/he was from another country or that the parent(s) were just plain stupid?
Let us step into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure.
PNL: http://www.behindthename.com/pnl/45898
Top: Alice and Elias
Bottom: Kensi and Alve
I'm trying to convince myself that it's not a deal breaker since we don't even live in an English speaking country. But at the same time we travel quite a lot and you never know which part of the world that your kids will live in as adults. But there's also people out there named Dick and they seem to be alive and well. Plus there will always be names with unfortunate meanings in other languages - like Galen for example, which is the Swedish word for crazy.
So, how much of a problem is this? If you met this person, would you assume that s/he was from another country or that the parent(s) were just plain stupid?
PNL: http://www.behindthename.com/pnl/45898
Top: Alice and Elias
Bottom: Kensi and Alve
Archived Thread - replies disabled
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Replies
Maybe you could make it a middle name so he would have an easy international-style identity to slip into.
Do people go by their middle names in Sweden ever?
If it's actually an insult in another language I would be a bit hesitant to put it up front. I'm trying to imagine what it could be, like, Jerk? Which sounds kind of nice in ... how I imagine Swedish sounds.
Do people go by their middle names in Sweden ever?
If it's actually an insult in another language I would be a bit hesitant to put it up front. I'm trying to imagine what it could be, like, Jerk? Which sounds kind of nice in ... how I imagine Swedish sounds.
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The short answer is it needn't bother you but if it's going to, don't use it.
The longer answer is that I really don't think it should be that bad, especially if the name is pronounced differently from the English word. And if you don't intend to move while your kid is still a kid, I don't think having a name like that would be particularly troublesome to an adult. And I do have a name in mind and it's possible you're thinking of something worse than my guess but still, if you, a person who clearly speaks English, looks at this name and it's not completely ruined for you then I'd say it's probably fine. All the same, if you think it'll be difficult for you to ignore the English meaning, it's probably best that you don't spend years second guessing your choice.
As a caveat I'd just like to add that if the kid really hates their name (whatever that name is, not necessarily offensive or unusual) and asks to be called something else, they should be at least heard out. My parents always ignored my pleas for using my mn and I'm still bitter about it.
The longer answer is that I really don't think it should be that bad, especially if the name is pronounced differently from the English word. And if you don't intend to move while your kid is still a kid, I don't think having a name like that would be particularly troublesome to an adult. And I do have a name in mind and it's possible you're thinking of something worse than my guess but still, if you, a person who clearly speaks English, looks at this name and it's not completely ruined for you then I'd say it's probably fine. All the same, if you think it'll be difficult for you to ignore the English meaning, it's probably best that you don't spend years second guessing your choice.
As a caveat I'd just like to add that if the kid really hates their name (whatever that name is, not necessarily offensive or unusual) and asks to be called something else, they should be at least heard out. My parents always ignored my pleas for using my mn and I'm still bitter about it.
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I'm going crazy trying to figure out what name it is. Do you mind sharing?
My partner and I have had a discussion about names and more specifically if we care if a name works internationally or not (in reality if it works in English). We pretty much concluded that we don't care and don't want to veto old-fashioned Swedish names just because they could be problematic in other languages. I definitely understand wanting names that work in an international setting but it's also sad that this could mean that many names won't be used anymore.
My partner and I have had a discussion about names and more specifically if we care if a name works internationally or not (in reality if it works in English). We pretty much concluded that we don't care and don't want to veto old-fashioned Swedish names just because they could be problematic in other languages. I definitely understand wanting names that work in an international setting but it's also sad that this could mean that many names won't be used anymore.
This message was edited 9/16/2021, 10:33 AM
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all that really matters ...
Is that it bothers you. You know what it means, and if it didn't bother you you wouldn't have to try and convince yourself it didn't bother you.
It would help to know what the name was. If it was a name whose roots in early English originally had that meaning but it has become just another name over the centuries, I would say it's much less of an issue than if it still means the same thing and hasn't been changed in spelling or pronunciation, and if ordinary, reasonably well-read/educated people would know the meaning.
Yes, there's plenty of guys named Dick, but you will notice that it's been very much out of favor for several generations. It's had its unsavory slang meaning for almost as long as it's been a nn for Richard, from what I have been able to tell, but for most of that time, decent people didn't let on that they knew it was a nasty slang term. But once they began acknowledging that other meaning, and it became less of a taboo to use bad language and talk about sex and bodily functions in mixed company, well, there's no going back and nobody can unknow what they already know.
English is so widely spoken even in non-English speaking countries and in so many different professional fields, and what with the Internet, it's more than likely that this English word is understood by people wherever you go. You are obviously well-educated and well-read and fluent in English, so frankly, you'd be likely to be thought otherwise or to have poor judgment when you did encounter someone who recognized the word/name.
Is that it bothers you. You know what it means, and if it didn't bother you you wouldn't have to try and convince yourself it didn't bother you.
It would help to know what the name was. If it was a name whose roots in early English originally had that meaning but it has become just another name over the centuries, I would say it's much less of an issue than if it still means the same thing and hasn't been changed in spelling or pronunciation, and if ordinary, reasonably well-read/educated people would know the meaning.
Yes, there's plenty of guys named Dick, but you will notice that it's been very much out of favor for several generations. It's had its unsavory slang meaning for almost as long as it's been a nn for Richard, from what I have been able to tell, but for most of that time, decent people didn't let on that they knew it was a nasty slang term. But once they began acknowledging that other meaning, and it became less of a taboo to use bad language and talk about sex and bodily functions in mixed company, well, there's no going back and nobody can unknow what they already know.
English is so widely spoken even in non-English speaking countries and in so many different professional fields, and what with the Internet, it's more than likely that this English word is understood by people wherever you go. You are obviously well-educated and well-read and fluent in English, so frankly, you'd be likely to be thought otherwise or to have poor judgment when you did encounter someone who recognized the word/name.
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As someone who moves around a lot and uses English all the time it would probably be a deal breaker, especially if there’s potentially other names I like as much.
Anyway I wouldn’t assume the person’s parents were stupid, knowing they were Swedish, I’d just think oh well that’s a bit unfortunate it means something bad in English.
Anyway I wouldn’t assume the person’s parents were stupid, knowing they were Swedish, I’d just think oh well that’s a bit unfortunate it means something bad in English.
This message was edited 9/16/2021, 7:33 AM
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It would be deal breaker for me, but considering our lifestyle I'd expect our child to be outside of the Netherlands a lot. I know lots of Dutch people with names I'd never use for exactly this reason (Joke, Lies, Tjerk, Kick, to name a few). I think in the future our children will encounter more English. I mean, WE are typing in English.
Any other language or a more neutral word would not be a deal breaker for me. I know Elva means 11 in Swedish but the word Eleven isn't too much of an issue for me, nor is she likely to end up in Sweden.
I've always found the name Dick odd in its common usage for this reason btw. In English it's obviously slang, but even in Dutch it means 'fat', still, there are people I know who chose this....
Any other language or a more neutral word would not be a deal breaker for me. I know Elva means 11 in Swedish but the word Eleven isn't too much of an issue for me, nor is she likely to end up in Sweden.
I've always found the name Dick odd in its common usage for this reason btw. In English it's obviously slang, but even in Dutch it means 'fat', still, there are people I know who chose this....
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That really depends on the name in question. I'd avoid names with negative connotations in other languages if there was a large probability my child would ever interact with a speaker of that language, and with English, it's nearly inevitable in Europe.
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