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HelpNaming dogs and honoring people + cultural sensitivity
Just wondering on some points of view about naming dogs...
I am probably not in the position to adopt a dog yet but I have volunteered with the local SPCA to exercise the dogs there and I'm in love with the idea of getting one some day.
My other two animals (cats) are named after movie characters (Forrest and Jenny) so I thought I would continue using human names if I did adopt a dog. I think the use of human names could help bring a sense of empathy when one first encounters an animal, as well.
There is a lovely black female retriever/collie mix that recently came in. She's so beautiful and elegant looking. Sometimes people shy away from adopting black dogs specifically out of some kind of fear or the fact that you can't see their facial expressions as well so they don't seem as friendly and engaging or "appealing," I guess.
Anyway, her name right now is Angel but I started thinking of names I would give her.
What are people's thoughts about giving her a name that emphasizes the "black is beautiful" concept-- such as after a jazz or blues singer like Billie (Holiday), Ella, Dinah?
Another idea I had was Zadie after author Zadie Smith, or Lupita... Lupita actually has an interesting dimension with both Lupita Nyong'o who has made public comments about dark skin and standards of beauty, and also I think the name comes from Guadalupe which has the Spanish word for wolf in there somehow (this database says it means river of the wolf in Arabic?).
Anyway, what are your thoughts about naming pets after people, especially when there is a cultural connotation attached? Is it likely to be seen as offensive to some people? That's not my intention but I wouldn't want to make an issue of it.
I wish I could attach a picture of the dog to get some of your suggestions but I don't know how to do that!
Thanks!
.......................................
Feedback welcome on my current top names: http://www.behindthename.com/polls/236866
:)
I am probably not in the position to adopt a dog yet but I have volunteered with the local SPCA to exercise the dogs there and I'm in love with the idea of getting one some day.
My other two animals (cats) are named after movie characters (Forrest and Jenny) so I thought I would continue using human names if I did adopt a dog. I think the use of human names could help bring a sense of empathy when one first encounters an animal, as well.
There is a lovely black female retriever/collie mix that recently came in. She's so beautiful and elegant looking. Sometimes people shy away from adopting black dogs specifically out of some kind of fear or the fact that you can't see their facial expressions as well so they don't seem as friendly and engaging or "appealing," I guess.
Anyway, her name right now is Angel but I started thinking of names I would give her.
What are people's thoughts about giving her a name that emphasizes the "black is beautiful" concept-- such as after a jazz or blues singer like Billie (Holiday), Ella, Dinah?
Another idea I had was Zadie after author Zadie Smith, or Lupita... Lupita actually has an interesting dimension with both Lupita Nyong'o who has made public comments about dark skin and standards of beauty, and also I think the name comes from Guadalupe which has the Spanish word for wolf in there somehow (this database says it means river of the wolf in Arabic?).
Anyway, what are your thoughts about naming pets after people, especially when there is a cultural connotation attached? Is it likely to be seen as offensive to some people? That's not my intention but I wouldn't want to make an issue of it.
I wish I could attach a picture of the dog to get some of your suggestions but I don't know how to do that!
Thanks!
.......................................
Feedback welcome on my current top names: http://www.behindthename.com/polls/236866
:)
This message was edited 1/25/2015, 10:03 AM
Archived Thread - replies disabled
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Replies
I very much agree with Mirfak's post and thoughts on this issue. Plus, I'm not entirely sure the correlation between black animals being unpopular has any correlation to black *people* - more in terms of superstition about them being unlucky (that seems to be the case with black cats in shelters, anyway). So making a tie between black animals and black people is kind of dangerous ground.
On the other hand, I don't see anything wrong with naming an animal after an admired person - I've known of dogs named things like Nietzsche, Spinoza and Gorky - but, I think you should pick the name for honest honouring purposes and not just because they are the same "colour". Then things start looking a bit flippant and callous.
I'd see nothing wrong with calling a dog Billie or bell after Holliday or hooks, but do it because you legitimately like the associations and people. Billie Holliday WAS elegant and glamorous so I wouldn't think a black dog named Billie was trying to make a racial statement right off the hop, unless someone was like "because the dog is black and beautiful and so was Billie Holliday, GET IT??" - but if you're banking on the glam factor, I wouldn't count out other names that bring elegance to mind, like Audrey, Marilyn, Twiggy, etc., if it's that statement of "beautiful" you want to make above all.
Buuut I also love the idea of Lupita, because that's just an adorable name.
On the other hand, I don't see anything wrong with naming an animal after an admired person - I've known of dogs named things like Nietzsche, Spinoza and Gorky - but, I think you should pick the name for honest honouring purposes and not just because they are the same "colour". Then things start looking a bit flippant and callous.
I'd see nothing wrong with calling a dog Billie or bell after Holliday or hooks, but do it because you legitimately like the associations and people. Billie Holliday WAS elegant and glamorous so I wouldn't think a black dog named Billie was trying to make a racial statement right off the hop, unless someone was like "because the dog is black and beautiful and so was Billie Holliday, GET IT??" - but if you're banking on the glam factor, I wouldn't count out other names that bring elegance to mind, like Audrey, Marilyn, Twiggy, etc., if it's that statement of "beautiful" you want to make above all.
Buuut I also love the idea of Lupita, because that's just an adorable name.
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I seem to remember reading that one reason black dogs sometimes fail to be adopted from shelters, is that they don't show up well, in the cages/runs.
Seems like the walls could be painted a light colour, that might help?
I think also people might find a big black dog intimidating.Not a little one, though.
Seems like the walls could be painted a light colour, that might help?
I think also people might find a big black dog intimidating.Not a little one, though.
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I suppose it can be tricky, but a lot will depend on where you live. Say there's recently been a spate of violent crimes committed by a black person named Ebony. Many people would be rather put off by a black dog named Ebony suddenly appearing in the same community - either because if if was a Chihuahua it would look like derision or because if it was a Rottweiler it would look, well, too close to the bone.
Or, if you live where I live, in South Africa, a white family naming a black pet after a black politician often attracts the wrong kind of attention, accusations of racism etc, though they tend to explain that it's a sign of admiration for a prominent and powerful person.
For my part, I currently own a black cat named Dinah, but when we got her, we had an older cat named Alice so we went for the Wonderland connection. Dinah doesn't have black associations here, at all. Almost all the dogs I've ever owned have been black, mostly Scottish Terriers and currently a part-Border Collie mutt who was named Matilda when we adopted her. Dinah is my second black cat. Here, there is a very real fear that black animals are associated with witchcraft, so they are seldom adopted and often victimised - in some communities more than others, of course. I usually give human names to animals, but not always.
I find Angel rather silly on an animal. Surely there must be a suitable character in the Harry Potter series to name her after: Minerva, perhaps, or Siria instead of Sirius? Even Harriet! I do hope you adopt her - she sounds lovely.
Or, if you live where I live, in South Africa, a white family naming a black pet after a black politician often attracts the wrong kind of attention, accusations of racism etc, though they tend to explain that it's a sign of admiration for a prominent and powerful person.
For my part, I currently own a black cat named Dinah, but when we got her, we had an older cat named Alice so we went for the Wonderland connection. Dinah doesn't have black associations here, at all. Almost all the dogs I've ever owned have been black, mostly Scottish Terriers and currently a part-Border Collie mutt who was named Matilda when we adopted her. Dinah is my second black cat. Here, there is a very real fear that black animals are associated with witchcraft, so they are seldom adopted and often victimised - in some communities more than others, of course. I usually give human names to animals, but not always.
I find Angel rather silly on an animal. Surely there must be a suitable character in the Harry Potter series to name her after: Minerva, perhaps, or Siria instead of Sirius? Even Harriet! I do hope you adopt her - she sounds lovely.
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Well, to be honest, I think you're overthinking it. If you give a dog a name that you feel compelled to explain "It's after such-and-such a jazz singer" and especially if you're doing it out of a self-conscious attempt to overcome prejudices about the dog's appearance, then you're overthinking it.
Naming a black dog Lupita or Zadie isn't the same as naming one Midnight or Shadow. (I confess I do like the idea of a black dog or cat named Black Betty.)
I do know of an old lady who has a black cat named Ebony, but again, it's not named after a specific celebrity.
As to the offensiveness of it, well, I'm not black, but I would think that the moajority of people would not be offended by a dog named in the manner you describe; there's way more obvious and overt examples of appropriation/condescension to get offended over. However that doesn't mean there is NO problem with that particular motive for naming a dog.
I'm trying to think how I would feel if I knew somebody had named their red Irish setter, say, Pocahontas, but it doesn't quite compare. Far as I know red-colored dogs don't inspire fear or distrust the way you say black dogs do (which I have never noticed myself anyway) and in fact, Irish setters are considered beautiful.
Naming a black dog Lupita or Zadie isn't the same as naming one Midnight or Shadow. (I confess I do like the idea of a black dog or cat named Black Betty.)
I do know of an old lady who has a black cat named Ebony, but again, it's not named after a specific celebrity.
As to the offensiveness of it, well, I'm not black, but I would think that the moajority of people would not be offended by a dog named in the manner you describe; there's way more obvious and overt examples of appropriation/condescension to get offended over. However that doesn't mean there is NO problem with that particular motive for naming a dog.
I'm trying to think how I would feel if I knew somebody had named their red Irish setter, say, Pocahontas, but it doesn't quite compare. Far as I know red-colored dogs don't inspire fear or distrust the way you say black dogs do (which I have never noticed myself anyway) and in fact, Irish setters are considered beautiful.
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I've known a fair number of black dogs named Blackie. Not very inventive, but an ok name.(black cats, too.)
And where I live, "Noiro". Which is pretty much, Blackie.
And where I live, "Noiro". Which is pretty much, Blackie.
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my friend ...
Just got a tiny little black puppy, part Chihuahua and part Pomeranian, and it's a little black fluffball with bat ears and big eyes. And her name is ...
Snowball.
Just got a tiny little black puppy, part Chihuahua and part Pomeranian, and it's a little black fluffball with bat ears and big eyes. And her name is ...
Snowball.
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The puppy sounds Too Cute! A black dog names Snowball , a little joke that might wear off after a while, like naming a dog D.O.G.
But it's not serious. Dogs don't go to school and get teased.
I named my car Snowball, it's white. I also call her "Chubby Girl" as she's bigger than my last car(Hyundi Acent) that got messed up by the back end of a tractor-trailer.
Congrats on spelling Chihuahua. :-)
But it's not serious. Dogs don't go to school and get teased.
I named my car Snowball, it's white. I also call her "Chubby Girl" as she's bigger than my last car(Hyundi Acent) that got messed up by the back end of a tractor-trailer.
Congrats on spelling Chihuahua. :-)
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It seems pretty peculiar to me to name a dog after a person whose race supposedly matches the dog's coat color. It would seem irreverent of race issues, at best, and at worst you run the risk of appearing to dehumanize people of color. Appearing cutely irreverent of race issues is something much, much harder to pull off when you're light-skinned.
Also, it has been my experience (limited experience) ... that light-skinned people who name their black animals after dark-skinned people usually have a joke in mind, which is almost always racist and occasionally really offensive, and they crack the joke aggressively if anyone asks about the name. So personally I would worry a little about people expecting that from me, if I had a black dog named for a famous dark-skinned person. Maybe this problem is going out of date. I hope so.
I guess if the name isn't something too easily recognizable as a particular person's name, or you're not planning to ever call the dog Billie Holliday but just Billie, etc, then I don't think it matters too much. But generally I think you should stick with your character theme, and try not to think of the dog's black coat as an opportunity to make a statement about human racial beauty.
Also, it has been my experience (limited experience) ... that light-skinned people who name their black animals after dark-skinned people usually have a joke in mind, which is almost always racist and occasionally really offensive, and they crack the joke aggressively if anyone asks about the name. So personally I would worry a little about people expecting that from me, if I had a black dog named for a famous dark-skinned person. Maybe this problem is going out of date. I hope so.
I guess if the name isn't something too easily recognizable as a particular person's name, or you're not planning to ever call the dog Billie Holliday but just Billie, etc, then I don't think it matters too much. But generally I think you should stick with your character theme, and try not to think of the dog's black coat as an opportunity to make a statement about human racial beauty.
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Mirfak, I agree with what you're saying here.
After I thought about it a little more I almost deleted my original post because of the very points you made.
I found it kind of an interesting conversation topic related to a discussion I had recently with someone over whether naming a football team after a Native American group could be considered honoring or not.
I had a neighbor who was a social studies teacher who used to name his dogs after Native tribes.
However, it's not something I feel the need to do, one way or another.
I would rather not try to make a political/social statement with my dog's name. ;)
Thanks for your well-reasoned input! :)
After I thought about it a little more I almost deleted my original post because of the very points you made.
I found it kind of an interesting conversation topic related to a discussion I had recently with someone over whether naming a football team after a Native American group could be considered honoring or not.
I had a neighbor who was a social studies teacher who used to name his dogs after Native tribes.
However, it's not something I feel the need to do, one way or another.
I would rather not try to make a political/social statement with my dog's name. ;)
Thanks for your well-reasoned input! :)
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as to the football question ...
"Redskins" is not a Native American group, and very few Indians use the term even in jest among themselves, as some supporters of the team's name attest. Some do, sure, but they're a definite minority. The term is a dated, very offensive one, and I have never understood why the team's name hasn't been changed long ago.
As to naming pets after tribes, well, I'm in two minds about it. Setting ot to deliberately theme your pets this way seems lame and show-off, but I wouldn't have a problem with somebody doing it with just one animal. The people down the road from us used to have a big, beautiful white dog named Cheyenne. I don't know if they named her that or she was already answering to it when they got her, but it never struck me as offensive. I don't usually find people naming their kids Dakota or Cheyenne to be offensive, but when I see somebody's named their kid Cherokee, Lakota or like that, I roll my eyes. Indians rarely feel the need to do that; Cheyenne and Dakota are popular across the board so they're kind of exceptions. But in general if you see a kid named something like Dakota Cheyenne or Navajo Star, it's a safe bet (though not a guarantee) that his parents are white people trying to show how culturally "with it" they think they are.
"Redskins" is not a Native American group, and very few Indians use the term even in jest among themselves, as some supporters of the team's name attest. Some do, sure, but they're a definite minority. The term is a dated, very offensive one, and I have never understood why the team's name hasn't been changed long ago.
As to naming pets after tribes, well, I'm in two minds about it. Setting ot to deliberately theme your pets this way seems lame and show-off, but I wouldn't have a problem with somebody doing it with just one animal. The people down the road from us used to have a big, beautiful white dog named Cheyenne. I don't know if they named her that or she was already answering to it when they got her, but it never struck me as offensive. I don't usually find people naming their kids Dakota or Cheyenne to be offensive, but when I see somebody's named their kid Cherokee, Lakota or like that, I roll my eyes. Indians rarely feel the need to do that; Cheyenne and Dakota are popular across the board so they're kind of exceptions. But in general if you see a kid named something like Dakota Cheyenne or Navajo Star, it's a safe bet (though not a guarantee) that his parents are white people trying to show how culturally "with it" they think they are.
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On a side note there is a basketball team called the The Fighting Whities from the University of Northern Colorado. The team is made up of people of Native American, European American, and Latino ancestry. Originally, the idea behind it was to bring attention to negative stereotypes, but people found it hilarious. The logo is of a stereotypical white guy in a suit who looks like the product of the 50s.
On a slightly more serious note if the Redskins are pressured to change their names, do you think that the Fighting Irish and the Minnesota Vikings should also be renamed? After all, the title Fighting Irish could be construed by a politically correct person to be subscribing to the stereotype depicting the Irish as pugnacious. Historically, the Irish are an oppressed people group, and technically they are a minority although they don't receive status as such. The portrayal of the Minnesota Vikings wearing a horned helmet is inaccurate and ludicrous. The horns were the product of the imagination of the German opera. However, the Fighting Irish and Minnesota Vikings choose to interpret the usage of their stereotyped images as light hearted fun and a compliment to their fighting spirit rather than an insult, so they haven't gotten as much public attention.
P.S. Of the three, the Minnesota Vikings, Redskins and Fighting Irish, the Redskins's image is by far the most dignified in appearance.
On a slightly more serious note if the Redskins are pressured to change their names, do you think that the Fighting Irish and the Minnesota Vikings should also be renamed? After all, the title Fighting Irish could be construed by a politically correct person to be subscribing to the stereotype depicting the Irish as pugnacious. Historically, the Irish are an oppressed people group, and technically they are a minority although they don't receive status as such. The portrayal of the Minnesota Vikings wearing a horned helmet is inaccurate and ludicrous. The horns were the product of the imagination of the German opera. However, the Fighting Irish and Minnesota Vikings choose to interpret the usage of their stereotyped images as light hearted fun and a compliment to their fighting spirit rather than an insult, so they haven't gotten as much public attention.
P.S. Of the three, the Minnesota Vikings, Redskins and Fighting Irish, the Redskins's image is by far the most dignified in appearance.
This message was edited 1/27/2015, 9:04 PM
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Wel, since it's not actually a Native American name per se, I don't feel the same way about it as I would about a white kid named Cherokee or something. However, it is almost exclusively associated with THE Geronimo.
Besides that, anytime you yelled for him, people would look around to see if you were about to jump off a cliff or out of an airplane or something. lol
Besides that, anytime you yelled for him, people would look around to see if you were about to jump off a cliff or out of an airplane or something. lol
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Well, it's a Spanish name, not from an indigenous language, so even though it's so strongly associated with an Apache with the name. The kids where I work might think of Geronimo Stilton first. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geronimo_Stilton I think I'd try to start calling him Gerry/ Jerry. I'm sure I'd get used to it, even if he doesn't like the nn.
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Why would you start calling a kid Gerry if no one else calls him that, and he doesn't like it? There is nothing wrong with the name Geronimo, and forcibly pushing a nick name onto the boy would give him the idea that their was something wrong with his name or with him. Just because a child's name doesn't fit within someone else's arbitrary ideas of what appearance and ethnic identity they need to go along with their name does not give another person the right to rename a child. Would you press a nick name onto a boy with some Spanish lineage named Arthur just because the real Arthur was from Britain? Hopefully not.
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My sister and her family have a black lab named Sadie. She's a giant lap rat, and always looking for attention from my parents and me when we visit. I don't know why people would think bad things about all black dogs. Sadie is a really popular name for dogs right now, so Zadie would really blend in with the rest.
I'm fine with the "black is beautiful" naming, and those are all good names. I'd probably stick with a Scottish name since she's part collie, but everyone is different. Then there's Belle, or Dido, from the painting and movie. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dido_Elizabeth_Belle
I'm fine with the "black is beautiful" naming, and those are all good names. I'd probably stick with a Scottish name since she's part collie, but everyone is different. Then there's Belle, or Dido, from the painting and movie. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dido_Elizabeth_Belle
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Jennifer, I have been meaning to see that movie! Thanks for reminding me of it! :)
Sadie is a lovely name, too.
I have a friend that seems to go out of her way to adopt black or mostly black dogs... She is the one that made me most aware of that issue!
I don't think I can adopt Angel/Zadie/Bella now but a girl can dream, right?
;)
Sadie is a lovely name, too.
I have a friend that seems to go out of her way to adopt black or mostly black dogs... She is the one that made me most aware of that issue!
I don't think I can adopt Angel/Zadie/Bella now but a girl can dream, right?
;)
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