I was just looking through this year's list of the top baby names in the United States.  Number 2 for girls is "Olivia."  I realize that there is a Saint Olivia, but do you think such a name is appropriate, if you are not Italian or Hispanic?

It's a real name; dignified, feminine and the name of a saint to boot.

It's therefore a heck of a lot more "appropriate" than some of the other asinine, androgynous non-names children are being saddled with these days ("Jayden," "Hudson," "Parker," "Madison," "Brayden" etc. ad nauseum) or the vaguely urological-sounding gibberish one finds among the offspring of ghettotards.

Are variations of a name still considered valid for choosing a saint name?

For example, st. Helen, we are thinking of naming our daughter "Elaine", which is an old French variation of Helen. My husband prefers the name, spelled as "Elaine".

While not a saint, the name "Jayden" is biblical, although it is properly spelled "Jadon."  Jadon the Meronathite appears at Nehemiah 3:7.

So it is reflective of two phenomena:

- The prevailing and longstanding Protestant practice of naming children after any and every minor figure from the Old Testament over and against naming them after great Christian Fathers, Martyrs or Saints.

- Using moronically corrupted, phonetic spellings of a name in order that one's child might be seen as "unique" (i.e "Kevyn," "Faleesha," etc, ad nauseum).

Not particularly ringing endorsements, in my book.

"Brayden," more commonly spelled "Braden" is a name of ancient Celtic origin.

So, yet another moronic phoneticization. And a co-opting of pagan Celtic culture. Hardly surprising, as it's become fashionable among American whites of indeterminate ethnic origin to latch onto the Irish for culture cred. I find that offensive not only as a Catholic, not only as someone with a grandparent who was actually born in Ireland, but also as someone whose name (Brendan), while of Celtic origin, was not chosen at random from a Gaelic dictionary, but in honor of a great Christian saint.

I've also had to suffer through 37 years of seeing and hearing my name butchered and bastardized by countless ignorant Americans (mostly southerners), so I'm admittedly not without some personal predjudice on this one.

The others, I believe, were common surnames that have become given names.

A longstanding custom of snobbish WASPs which has now trickled down to the unwashed masses looking to impart false "respectibility" onto their kids. An altogether unpraiseworthy trend, and one which also rubs my Irish half the wrong way.

While I agree that the intention behind the alternate spellings is a poor one, I find nothing wrong with using a different spelling, in and of itself.  As anon posted above, almost all names in English are variations (both spelling and pronunciation) from the name in another language.

Would you described "Jesus" as a "moronically corrupted" variant of "Yehoshua"?

And yet, there is an objective standard.

You can't go making up your own spellings, like "Jesys" in the example you gave. In English, the name has already been imported and converted. It's spelled J-E-S-U-S.

When the answer to "why do you spell it that way" is "because EVERYONE ELSE spells it..." you know you're being a moron.

Kevin is the acceptable spelling in English for that name. Period.

Kehvyn
Kevynn
etc.

are OBJECTIVELY stupid attempts to be "unique".

Some people even (attempt to) violate the laws of English grammar as they pick the spelling AND pronunciation of a given child's name. That's really outrageous.

For example, one might name his child "Kevin" and insist that it's "keh-VEEEN".
Uh, no. Kevin, in English, is prounounced "KEH vinn".

And you didn't even touch on another issue -- making up your own names by changing the first letter.

Megan/Meagan is a pretty name, so let's call her

Began
Degan
Kegan
etc.

That's also just...stupid.

And those last-name-first-names are the most ridiculous of all: hunter, colton, etc.

I'm still waiting to encounter a girl named McKenzie McKenzie, or a boy named Jackson Jackson. Or a girl named Peyton Peyton.

Quote from: Guest

While I agree that the intention behind the alternate spellings is a poor one, I find nothing wrong with using a different spelling, in and of itself.  As anon posted above, almost all names in English are variations (both spelling and pronunciation) from the name in another language.

Would you described "Jesus" as a "moronically corrupted" variant of "Yehoshua"?

And yet, there is an objective standard.

You can't go making up your own spellings, like "Jesys" in the example you gave. In English, the name has already been imported and converted. It's spelled J-E-S-U-S.

When the answer to "why do you spell it that way" is "because EVERYONE ELSE spells it..." you know you're being a moron.

Kevin is the acceptable spelling in English for that name. Period.

Kehvyn
Kevynn
etc.

are OBJECTIVELY stupid attempts to be "unique".

Some people even (attempt to) violate the laws of English grammar as they pick the spelling AND pronunciation of a given child's name. That's really outrageous.

For example, one might name his child "Kevin" and insist that it's "keh-VEEEN".
Uh, no. Kevin, in English, is prounounced "KEH vinn".

And you didn't even touch on another issue -- making up your own names by changing the first letter.

Megan/Meagan is a pretty name, so let's call her

Began
Degan
Kegan
etc.

That's also just...stupid.

And those last-name-first-names are the most ridiculous of all: hunter, colton, etc.

I'm still waiting to encounter a girl named McKenzie McKenzie, or a boy named Jackson Jackson. Or a girl named Peyton Peyton.

Common sense is such a sweet draught of fresh air.

Thank you, Matthew.

I'm with you, Brendan, about this:

Nameless said:

The others, I believe, were common surnames that have become given names.

I really dislike to hear children called by surnames. Imagine if some person decided to call their child Butcher (for a boy and Butcha for a girl).

As for the bold underlined given, remember when we had Christian names.

:whistleblower:Collection of worst names from 20+ years of working in govt. run women, infants, children facilities.

La-a = Ladasha (girl)
Sheniquah  (girl)
Jayvid & Jervyn = twin boys
Y'sheenia  (girl)
Pennyroyal  (boy)
Fl'mingo   (boy)
Lawyer  (boy)
Docteurre  (Lawyer's baby sister)
Terrepiña  (girl)
Fa'Real  (boy)
Xiomaryah  = She-o-mar-yah   (girl)
@tilla = Atilla  (boy)
Ma' Merry  (girl)
Majistee  (girl)
Quajillein  = Kwa-ji-line  (girl)
Kunumbra  (boy)
Esoterica  (girl)
Kanopi   (boy)
Freebird  (boy)
Latinkga  (girl)
Siganette  (girl)
Commander  (boy)
C-gwin  (girl)
Cassaday   (girl)
Tapenga   (girl)
Shopan   (boy)
Chiffon  (girl)
Apache  (boy)

That list looks like a satire, but some of these ghetto names absolutely defy parody.

A friend of mine once worked with a woman (not married, it should surprise no one to learn) who named her daughter "A'Treasha" ("a treasure").

I was personally present for the genesis* of one of one of these ghettotarded names. I was in tenth grade and a female classmate of mine, who was about seven months pregnant (I will remind the shocked reader that I attended a New York City public high school) announced aloud to her friend, just as class was starting: "I like the name 'DaShawn,' but I also like my boyfriend's name 'LaVontay,' so I think I'm gonna name him 'DaShawntay.'"

The most hateful example of this phenomenon that I ever personally encountered was when I was shopping for a clock radio in a (now defunct) electronics store in downtown Manhattan about 5 years ago, and I heard a woman nearby call out to her wandering daughter, who looked to be no older than seven: "Luscious! Luscious don't you be runnin in the sto' now!" Another shopper in earshot chuckled. I didn't. It turned my stomach. In giving her daughter that "name," that woman was, in effect, telling her daughter - and the world - "I'm a whore, and I'm going to make sure that my daughter is one too." The fact that the two were dressed in matching ghetto whore attire only affirmed that fact.

*Come to think of it, that would make a fine ghetto moron name too, wouldn't it? Only it'd have to be spelled "Jenna'Sys."