One more thing, my cousin has never played D&D. I don't think he knows the two are related. He just loved the books.
So...beat that!
I have the oddest feeling that, once he gets into school, there will be many beatings, indeed. Seriously, that's a horrible, cruel thing to do to a child. He's going to be tormented from the day he enters school 'til the day he's old enough to have it legally changed.
I don't know about that. Seriously, how many kids read Dragonlance? Also, have you looked at the names a lot of people name their kids? Raistlin is a lot more innocuous than like, LordSerious, Broyce, Jendefferr, or Dermario (all of these are children that my little sister goes to school with, and no, none of them fit the stereotype that you are picturing).
He'll get beat up so much that he will seem like the real Raistlin!
Well played, sir!
He'll get beat up so much that he will seem like the real Raistlin!
QFT (quoted for truth)
About the best he can hope for is that kids will call him "Rai" (ray).
Can you imagine that conversation with his old man?
"Yeah, kid, I named you after a crippled emotionally distant sociopathic egomaniac who tries to fight an evil god and losses."
For the love of Paladine, let the kid call himself "Ray" at school.
I think with my generation there is a big beginning of throwing out traditional names and many people picking something that just sounds good.
Though I will beat up a kid if his name was blanket o_o
edit: a nickname for raistlin besides "ray" could be raisin :P
C'MERE RAISIN!
I worked for YEARS to put that part of my life behind me. Now it's all coming back..Ahhh...can't control...it...
"Autobots, Roll Out!"
: shakes head sadly :
I'm just glad that it's a semi-obscure reference.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/3797823/Adolf-Hitler-denied-his-birthday-cake.html
Compared to that, Raistlin actually sounds OK - after all, 50-80% of the kids he meets won't know where his name comes from.
I have heard, and I can't verify it but it was something I heard, of a man who named his child Optimus Prime.
Not sure if that one is factual...there's a Dane Cook (the comedian) bit that goes on about naming his kids after cartoon characters from his childhood. Optimus Prime, Megatron, Cobra Commander, etc. Actually a funny bit when you listen to the whole thing.
Not the word, but the symbol:
Cheers, LT.
I'm curious what everyone might think of the name "Elric"?
Odd names seem to be the rage now. I doubt the name 'Raistlin' would cause so much as a pause to those that aren't familiar with Dragonlance (and those that are familiar probably won't give him much grief). Without a literary reference, Raistlin almost seems normal kinda sounding.
I'm curious what everyone might think of the name "Elric"?
eric with an l in there.
eric with an l in there.
(Off topic) That reminds me of an Anecdote:
I once got my supply sergeant to put "Cthulhu" as the religious preference on my dog tags by telling him it was a foreign spelling for "Catholic".
That's why I loved Raistlin too. But I think I'd call a kid Tanis or Tasslehoff before I'd go with Raistlin. It'd bode better.
Name him Illadin.
Once he's a teacher:
Illadin: "You have a pop quiz today."
Kid: "I didn't study!"
Illadin: "YOU ARE NOT PREPARED!"
My wife is due to give birth any day now to our second kid. If it's a girl she'll be getting Xena as a middle name. But by the time she's in school, nobody will know. It's a perfectly acceptable Greek name anyway.
I also have met parents who named their kid Raistlin. Another kid I've met (he flirted with my daughter... it was so cute; he was two and my daughter about a year and a half) is named Mister. Then there's my ex who named her son Hunter, which is only funny if you know how much she loves animals.
If names attract Karma, does that mean poor Raistlin is going to end up as an Emo, with Asthma... i hope not.
I met a fella once who claimed he named his daughter Alustriel. And a lady who named her parrot Tasslehoff. Only time in my life I've been out drunk by a bird -- we put a little beer in a bottle cap :P.
Also I had a classmate named "Adolfo Hitler" (Adolfo = Adolf in spanish) when I asked he told me his grandmoher was German or something like that but still it was weird...
Harley, David's son.
A very pretty name, I think.
Mines called Drizzt Elminster Dalamar the IV. That beats it:P
The fourth? Really?
Though I have been tempted to introduce myself as ' the First.'
The fourth? Really?
Though I have been tempted to introduce myself as ' the First.'
Yeah honest would I lie to you:P :P :P
I have the oddest feeling that, once he gets into school, there will be many beatings, indeed. Seriously, that's a horrible, cruel thing to do to a child. He's going to be tormented from the day he enters school 'til the day he's old enough to have it legally changed.
And he said: "Son, this world is rough
And if a man's gonna make it, he's gotta be tough
And I knew I wouldn't be there to help ya along.
So I give ya that name and I said goodbye
I knew you'd have to get tough or die
And it's the name that helped to make you strong."
My poor girls, stuck with such boring names.
(As a side effect, I try to use that name where ever I can because, after playing EQ for almost 6 years, I had a lot of friends who moved on, but will recognize the name, as a way of identifying myself to those people in case I meet them in other places.)
(Another side story: my real name is Stella, and while I was only teased about it once (very poorly by some 3rd grader when the Zelda game first came out), It was my maiden name that got the brunt of the teasing (Dunn), however, my married name is very fitting (Leicht (pronounced Light). So, I am the proud owner of the name: star (which is what Stella means) light :P)
...my married name is very fitting (Leicht (pronounced Light). So, I am the proud owner of the name: star (which is what Stella means) light :P)
If it's actually "leicht", it's probably German... and means "light" - as in "not heavy"... but you don't have to tell anyone! ;)
Cheers, LT.
I'm sure it doesn't beat your cousin, but...:
It works out better, but the reasoning is more entertaining on my friend who named his son Luke. So he could hold him up and say, "Luke! I am your father."
The father of my fiancee's son actually did this. The bit just doesn't stay funny. ;) Plus, naming a child so that you can have a joke that you enjoy seems a bit ... childish to me. At least Luke is a normal enough name. :D
A friend of mine named his first born Tristan - after his DAoC and UO character. I think that name is pretty cool, though. The names I use for characters would never fly. And they're generally bad people.
I remember a story from a while back about a woman that tried to name her kid Shithead (pronounced ****-heed). IIRC, this brutal act of pure ignorance was stopped.
I have the oddest feeling that, once he gets into school, there will be many beatings, indeed. Seriously, that's a horrible, cruel thing to do to a child. He's going to be tormented from the day he enters school 'til the day he's old enough to have it legally changed.
Why? It's a cool name, not like naming your kid Peachbear or something. Besides, how many kids are going to know who Raistlin is? Even if they did, it's not kick-my-ass worthy. My nephew's name is Rohan, nicknamed Rowie, and it has nothing to do with the Riders of Rohan. It's Indian for "Princely".
i looked it up a while ago and it seems like it's actually a misspelling of Saint Auxibe, who seemed to have been evangelised by Mark (of the bible). which is kinda cool since Mark happens to be my first name.
which is ironic since i'm agnostic/atheist (which one is it that doesn't really care or believe that there is/isn't a god/heaven/ect...)
.Yes. It's 100% true. My cousin named his child Raistlin. My cousin loved the Dragonlance books so much he named his child Raistlin. Now, if you ask me, he should have named him "ThrowTheBallAtMyFace" but that's kinda mean of me. Raist is about 6 now, I think. Sweet kid. Named Raistlin.
One more thing, my cousin has never played D&D. I don't think he knows the two are related. He just loved the books.
So...beat that!
You cousin doesn't live in Salem MA does he? Because there was someeone in the salem gaming group who did that as well.
A friend of mine gave his daughter the middle name delta.
Not the word, but the symbol:
If it's a name it should be spelled Δ.
WOW. I'm actually suprised that people Geeky enough to think that Raistlin is a good kids name was actually capable of attracting a mate.
If names attract Karma, does that mean poor Raistlin is going to end up as an Emo, with Asthma... i hope not.
Eighties America called... wants to know if they can have their stereotypes back.
I have a name that isn't so much unusual (though it's not common) as it is very not English. It was noted at school, but I can tell you that whether or not the child gets beaten up at school wont be down to his name. Aside from Raistlin actually sounding really good to the ear, kids will pick on you for [i]any[/]i excuse. What determines whether they continue to do so is whether you stop them or not.
If it's a name it should be spelled Δ.
Well, a good thing the name was not ΔΔΔ then, because they'd nickname 'm "Triforce".
Thinking about it, in what parts of the world would "Link" be considered a normal enough name? I know for one that Zelda is a fairly ordinary one, at least.
Hmmmm. I think I will name my son Ahura Mazda. Getting picked on in school is good for character.
Depends, some people tend to take guns to school after being picked on for too long. That's not exactly a good character being developed.
Depends, some people tend to take guns to school after being picked on for too long. That's not exactly a good character being developed.
Hey if it forces him to develop martial skills, all the better.
Hey if it forces him to develop martial skills, all the better.
You misspelled 'marital'.
Depends, some people tend to take guns to school after being picked on for too long. That's not exactly a good character being developed.
There's a lot more going on with those kids than just other kids callin' 'em dorks. You have to have serious issues to decide to shoot up a school. Juvenile taunts are not enough on their own.
I knew someone who named their daughter Deanna Troi, and another guy named Dave who named his son Harley.
Harley, David's son.
That would be funnier if he where icelandic or one of thoes other nordic cultures that historically have surnames derrived from their fatheres first name. Then his name would actually be "Harley Davidson".
That would be funnier if he where icelandic or one of thoes other nordic cultures that historically have surnames derrived from their fatheres first name. Then his name would actually be "Harley Davidson".
Nordic cultures are not the only ones. ;) (Though admittably, I can only name Western cultures that boast that tradition. Eh, I'm not all that well-versed in all the naming schemes of the world.)
There's a lot more going on with those kids than just other kids callin' 'em dorks. You have to have serious issues to decide to shoot up a school. Juvenile taunts are not enough on their own.
Ah, but do you really want to be the straw that broke the camel's back?
My first son is going to be named Requiem. (Ra KEEM)
I am not kidding. Really, I hate cookie-cutter names. I want my kids to have unique names.
(Yes, there are stories behind those names...)
EDIT:
My friend has a girl in one of her classes named Le-A. It's pronounced as "Le-DA-sha." If you don't get it, say it out loud to yourself a couple times.
BTW., some time ago a Japanese couple had problem with naming their child Akuma (devil), after an anime character. There just aren't sufficient name-symbols in Japanese.
Ah, but do you really want to be the straw that broke the camel's back?
I'll never say that bullying doesn't play some part. All I'm saying is that it - by itself - is not enough. It certainly could be that straw, though. And piling on is never good.
Re: Le-A:
That poor child. Sometimes I find myself thinking that parents should have to be licensed before having children. It's not something I'd ever advocate, but people that name their kids like this make me think about it ...
A few fantasy names that I think would be . . . interesting in the real world ;): Laeral, Artemis, Eravis.
Artemis isn't a fantasy name. It's from Greek mythology, and I think it sounds perfectly normal. Interestingly, I've only ever seen it on males (Artemis Entreri, Artemis Fowl II) even though it's actually a female name.
Also, I'd like to give my children really cool names, but all the cool foreign names would sound unnatural in Finnish, and my wife thinks our kids will be teased if we give them actual Finnish names (like Kastehelmi [Dewdrop] for a girl). Modern Finnish naming traditions suck monkeynuts.
Re: Le-A:
That poor child. Sometimes I find myself thinking that parents should have to be licensed before having children. It's not something I'd ever advocate, but people that name their kids like this make me think about it ...
What's your problem? I think "Le-A" is an awesome name!
I like it a lot better than Danielle or Sarah or Courtney or whatever other white-bread, cookie-cutter names you prefer...
EDIT: And really, teasing isn't as big a deal as people seem to make it out to be. Pre-schoolers can make fun of somebody named Jack or Ben or Toby.
The problem is with parents who don't teach their kids not to make fun of people. I'm not going to let other bad parents stand in the way of my child being awesome in every imaginable way, including his or her name.That poor child. Sometimes I find myself thinking that parents should have to be licensed before having children. It's not something I'd ever advocate, but people that name their kids like this make me think about it ...
Lewis Black had a bit about this, including the idea that the registrar who puts the name on the birth certificate should have some veto rights. I don't care so much about some of the 'fantastic' names that people give their children, it's when people have to send their kids to school with a pronunciation guide so the teacher knows who's in the class that I have a problem. It's a name, not a cryptogram.
I always thought Sage would be a good name for a boy or girl, also like Rune for a boy.
What's your problem? I think "Le-A" is an awesome name!
I like it a lot better than Danielle or Sarah or Courtney or whatever other white-bread, cookie-cutter names you prefer...
EDIT: And really, teasing isn't as big a deal as people seem to make it out to be. Pre-schoolers can make fun of somebody named Jack or Ben or Toby.
My last name is only four letters, but since it's easily misunderstood when spoken, I've taken to spelling it after I say it. Every. Single. Time. A kid with a name like Le-A or Drizzt007 is going to have an even tougher time of it. You should not have to explain your name every time you use it. And it does get very, very annoying when you have to. People also have some pretty goofy prejudices about stuff like this and they will be seen by kids with names like this. If you haven't got the fame/notoriety/money to make a name like that seem quirky, you're just making life harder on the child because of your feelings about names. When you name a child, you must not think too much of yourself and your opinions of normal naming convention, but the child. They have to live with it. Not you. IMO, it's disrespectful and selfish to name a child something that they will have to struggle with for their entire life. Or until they can change it.
Lewis Black had a bit about this, including the idea that the registrar who puts the name on the birth certificate should have some veto rights. I don't care so much about some of the 'fantastic' names that people give their children, it's when people have to send their kids to school with a pronunciation guide so the teacher knows who's in the class that I have a problem. It's a name, not a cryptogram.
Lewis Black pwns. :D
I agree with the rest. The purpose of a name is identification. When we make the name impossible to understand, it kind of defeats that purpose. And, it's an extremely selfish practice.
"Ugugimdyingyouidiot" has everyone beat. :P
still didn't like it though. why? it felt like my name was devalued. once i hit junior high i just stopped caring and understood that i was called Oxybe when in a crowd and called by my first name with my friends because it was easier to identify me and the others with the same name.
there also happens to be another player with my name in my gaming group. they call him "English Mark" and me "French Mark" :P.
if i wanted my name to mean something, i'll change it to something i feel is important to myself, not some value my parents place on it that has nothing to do with me. until then i'm just the french guy with the hard to spell middle name.
My first child was born yesterday morning. His name is Hunter. His mother is a vegetarian.
You sir, have won
Any relation to Raoul Duke?
We're still talkin' 'bout middle names. I'm going to suggest "Samewise" because it works on two levels. Not only is the name cool/dorky, his middle initial will be 'S'. That'd be be sweet. Too bad my or her last name isn't Thompson.
You sir, have won
That's what my wife said. She wanted to name him "Shiner."
"Orange! Get over here and clean up your damn Legos!"
"Not now, ma, fighting giant robots, brb."
We're still talkin' 'bout middle names. I'm going to suggest "Samewise" because it works on two levels. Not only is the name cool/dorky, his middle initial will be 'S'. That'd be be sweet. Too bad my or her last name isn't Thompson.
Nice. You could also go with "Steadman" for the middle to keep the "S" and add to the tribute - such as it is. ;) I think with today's culture, though, that people would end up thinking of Oprah more than Ralph.
Actually, I really like the name Steadman. I mean, I *really* like it. Thanks Zombie_Babies, I think you might've just named my child!
Ha! Well, best of luck convincing the wife to adopt it. And congrats! :D
Actually, I really like the name Steadman. I mean, I *really* like it. Thanks Zombie_Babies, I think you might've just named my child!
Its better than Stockton, go for it.
When I called I got the "Let's talk about this later," which is the wife's way of saying "not bloody likely."
Yeah, well since I got to choose his first name I think she's likely to stonewall me on 'Steadman.' He's got 2-of-3 of my names, so I'm sure she's gonna feel the compunction to contribute.
When I called I got the "Let's talk about this later," which is the wife's way of saying "not bloody likely."
Heh. Ain't that the truth. Oh well, it ain't over 'till it's over. Unless, of course, it's over. ;)
So ... he had this feeling that his kid was going to turn into an wierd, strange, sick, twisted, eerie, godless evil person with unlimited ambition that would lead to self-destruction?
That's why I loved Raistlin too. But I think I'd call a kid Tanis or Tasslehoff before I'd go with Raistlin. It'd bode better.
Well he actually saved the world twice now. In the end he was a good guy. Most don't know that. Just ask a gully Dwarf.;)
My last name is only four letters, but since it's easily misunderstood when spoken, I've taken to spelling it after I say it. Every. Single. Time... You should not have to explain your name every time you use it. And it does get very, very annoying when you have to.
That's not in any way special. There are very many people who have names who are difficult to spell just from hearing the,. Heck, I'm one of those people. Nobody has ever correctly guessed how to spell my name on their first three tries. It doesn't bother me, because there's no reason why it should. If it really annoys you, that's very petty of you.
People also have some pretty goofy prejudices about stuff like this and they will be seen by kids with names like this.
People's irrational prejudices are neither my problem nor my child's problem. If you have an irrational prejudice, that's your problem. I'm not letting you make it my problem, and I'm raising my kids to do the same.
When you name a child, you must not think too much of yourself and your opinions of normal naming convention, but the child. They have to live with it. Not you. IMO, it's disrespectful and selfish to name a child something that they will have to struggle with for their entire life. Or until they can change it.
You don't get it. I am thinking of my kids. I'm not giving them white-bread, cookie-cutter names because I don't want them to be white-bread, cookie-cutter people. I want them to be extraordinary. There's nothing selfish about that.
The purpose of a name is identification. When we make the name impossible to understand, it kind of defeats that purpose.
You seem to have this backwards on a lot of levels. The purpose of a name is identification, yes, but having a more unique name is a more unique identifier, and so having a more unique name fulfills the purpose of names a lot better than having an unremarkable name.
Furthermore, having a cool, unique name is not the same thing as having a name that's impossible to understand. The two idea are completely different and unrelated. A name can be cool and difficult, cool and easy, lame and difficult, lame and easy, or anywhere in between.
I have a niece with the middle name of Galadriel.
: shakes head sadly :
I'm just glad that it's a semi-obscure reference.
Heh, not that obscure... I know a guy who did the exact same thing, gave his daughter the middle name Galadriel. He actually wanted it to be her first name, but his wife objected.
Good thing he didn't have a son though, this same guy is quite the Dr. Who fanatic... probably would have given his son the middle name "The Doctor." Now THAT would be awkward to grow up with (but kinda funny too.)
He'll get beat up so much that he will seem like the real Raistlin!
Not if he got a twin brother named Caramon ;)
The youth leader in my church is named Aminadab (he's from the Dominican Rep.). Anytime the group goes on an overseas trip Airport Security ask him to stand in a corner where they pat him down.
Oh say can you see by the dawn's earl light my nation's hypocrisy?
Artemis isn't a fantasy name. It's from Greek mythology, and I think it sounds perfectly normal. Interestingly, I've only ever seen it on males (Artemis Entreri, Artemis Fowl II) even though it's actually a female name.
Also, I'd like to give my children really cool names, but all the cool foreign names would sound unnatural in Finnish, and my wife thinks our kids will be teased if we give them actual Finnish names (like Kastehelmi [Dewdrop] for a girl). Modern Finnish naming traditions suck monkeynuts.
What about Helmi? That's a name that should work, right?
-Joni
Oh say can you see by the dawn's earl light my nation's hypocrisy?
We do a lot better than other nation's though. Although I agree with that sentiment, I myself have to be patted down in every airport because I have an insulin pump and the IV looks 'suspicious'.
What about Helmi? That's a name that should work, right?
Yeah, but I'm not an oceany person. And Kastehelmi has some sentimental value, since that's what I would've been called without my Y chromosone.
I went to an inner city (Code for whites were in the minority) school and the Rodney King thing had just happened. Being chased home enough times for the color of one's skin and dealing with only being 10 lbs over weight, and one of the stronger white kids so all the other kids could make a name for themselves by fighting me was enough to damn near push me over the edge.
I am not racist and do not blame all blacks for the things that happened to me, so don't start flaming for a supposedly racist statement you found here. Take the whole statement in context.
My apologies to the OP for this rant on a slightly off topic subject.
We do a lot better than other nation's though. Although I agree with that sentiment, I myself have to be patted down in every airport because I have an insulin pump and the IV looks 'suspicious'.
Yeah. Did you hear about the two guys in Kabul who were sentenced to life in prison for translating the Koran (I know it's not the traditional spelling we're all supposed to use now, but it's how I learned to spell it when I was taking religion classes in college and it's how I'll spell it now because it's how I learned) without including the original holy text in Arabic alongside of it? Basically, they said "oh, you're right, we should've done that! Sorry, we've never translated a holy book before!" but they said "too late, infidel," and convicted them!
Now they supreme judge is trying to get them the death penalty!
It's the exact thing that happened when the bible was translated. Human beings are unforgivably stupid.
However, don't respond to this post with anything concerning religion, because I very much don't care about your opinions even in the least, and that particular topic is under a ban right now.
P.S. The 100th post in mine!
That's not in any way special. There are very many people who have names who are difficult to spell just from hearing the,. Heck, I'm one of those people. Nobody has ever correctly guessed how to spell my name on their first three tries. It doesn't bother me, because there's no reason why it should. If it really annoys you, that's very petty of you.
Hardly. Being annoyed at an inconvenience is normal, not petty. ;)
People's irrational prejudices are neither my problem nor my child's problem. If you have an irrational prejudice, that's your problem. I'm not letting you make it my problem, and I'm raising my kids to do the same.
Right. People having a prejudice against you is never your problem. The reason we have anti-discrimination laws is to help those with the prejudices and not those that are prejudiced against.
You don't get it. I am thinking of my kids. I'm not giving them white-bread, cookie-cutter names because I don't want them to be white-bread, cookie-cutter people. I want them to be extraordinary. There's nothing selfish about that.
How will a non white-bread, cookie-cutter name ensure this? It won't. And this completely ignores the many, many "bland" named people that are incredibly extraordinary. Naming a child something off-the-wall doesn't guarantee creativity or an extraordinary personality/life. It doesn't even help. All it does is guarantee they'll have an odd name.
You seem to have this backwards on a lot of levels. The purpose of a name is identification, yes, but having a more unique name is a more unique identifier, and so having a more unique name fulfills the purpose of names a lot better than having an unremarkable name.
Furthermore, having a cool, unique name is not the same thing as having a name that's impossible to understand. The two idea are completely different and unrelated. A name can be cool and difficult, cool and easy, lame and difficult, lame and easy, or anywhere in between.
That's true. Everyone will know who Le-A is because of her name. When li'l - get's older, though, and needs to communicate with people she cannot see through medium that will not allow for visual recognition, she'll run into some trouble. There are plenty of events that will find an odd name like this a failure at identifying the owner of it.
Hardly. Being annoyed at an inconvenience is normal, not petty. ;)
Completely untrue. It depends on the scale of the inconvenience. What I'm saying is that being annoyed about an inconvenience of such small scale as spelling your name is petty.
Right. People having a prejudice against you is never your problem. The reason we have anti-discrimination laws is to help those with the prejudices and not those that are prejudiced against.
I thought it was clear that I was referring to an internal problem, not an external one. You should never have a problem with yourself because of what some stupid people think.
How will a non white-bread, cookie-cutter name ensure this? It won't. And this completely ignores the many, many "bland" named people that are incredibly extraordinary. Naming a child something off-the-wall doesn't guarantee creativity or an extraordinary personality/life. It doesn't even help. All it does is guarantee they'll have an odd name.
... It honestly seems like you had to try to misunderstand what I said in order to respond with this. It's not as though I believe there's really any appreciable correlation between somebody's name and their intelligence or their creativity or their athleticism or anything else. That would be completely stupid.
This brings me back to thinking you just don't get it, and I really don't know how else to explain it to you.
When li'l - get's older, though, and needs to communicate with people she cannot see through medium that will not allow for visual recognition, she'll run into some trouble. There are plenty of events that will find an odd name like this a failure at identifying the owner of it.
I have no idea what you're talking about.
I have the oddest feeling that, once he gets into school, there will be many beatings, indeed. Seriously, that's a horrible, cruel thing to do to a child. He's going to be tormented from the day he enters school 'til the day he's old enough to have it legally changed.
Why? Kids won't get the reference. Most adults won't get the reference.
I have to disagree with you, Z_B. Whereas naming your kid "Bob" won't absolutely guarantee him a life of mediocrity, it certainly won't inspire him in any way, shape, or form. It'll be exactly as if you named him "Kid Number 1;" it will be nothing BUT an identifier, something to call him instead of "Son", "Boy," or "Kiddo." Naming him Einstein, on the other hand, gives him an immediate idea of who he could be like at some point in his life, and whether he chooses to be that person or not is really just his choice. My father majored in Greek and Roman History, and named me after an ancient warrior, and my middle name after an ancient warrior king, and if there's anything I aspire to be, it's a warrior.
Strange, if I named by kid "Bob", it'd probably mean his given name is actually Robert (my brother's name). That's as good a warrior's name as any - or have you forgotten Robert the Bruce? Einstein's first name was Albert, by the way. Is that too plain a name?
However normal your name might be, that has nothing to do with whether you end up extraordinary or not. Upbringing and environment has a lot more to do than that. I'd rather my child have a name that suggests a lot of different possiblities, or even a blank slate, one they can fill as they wish, rather than 'be a warrior? [y/n]'.
Doesn't matter what Einstein's first name was, it matters that there's a field of study called Einsteinian Physics. Naming a kid Einstein (or Newton, or Wells, or Poe) won't reflect at all on what that particularly infamous person's first name was, but will reflect on what Society sees the name to mean. There's a reason it's not called "Albertian Physics," or "Isaac's First Law of Motion;" those are more common names, and for all I know, that could be Isaac Asimov's First Law of Motion, not Isaac Newton's.
If you name your kid Stupid, that child will more than likely end up feeling like an idiot his entire life. I know that being called "stupid" as an insult your entire life will eventually convince you that you are stupid. Being named Genius, on the other hand, may have a more positive impact on your life.
♫ Oh, He robbed from the rich and he gave to the poor. ♪
♪ Stood up to the man and he gave him what for. ♫
♫ Our love for him now ain't hard to explain. ♪
♪ The hero of Canton the man they call Jayne. ♫
♫ JAYNE!!! ♪
:D
Completely untrue. It depends on the scale of the inconvenience. What I'm saying is that being annoyed about an inconvenience of such small scale as spelling your name is petty.
Alright. When your child complains about having to explain his oddball name for the umpteenth time, I sure hope you remember to tell him how petty he's behaving. ;)
I thought it was clear that I was referring to an internal problem, not an external one. You should never have a problem with yourself because of what some stupid people think.
Of course not. But they may treat you differently and you may suffer for it.
... It honestly seems like you had to try to misunderstand what I said in order to respond with this. It's not as though I believe there's really any appreciable correlation between somebody's name and their intelligence or their creativity or their athleticism or anything else. That would be completely stupid.
This brings me back to thinking you just don't get it, and I really don't know how else to explain it to you.
Then what's the purpose of naming a child something odd? How is it thinking of them and not just yourself? I stated naming a child something like Le-a is selfish and you rebutted with a statement about how it's actually meant to somehow inspire them. How will it, then?
I have no idea what you're talking about.
First off, when I wrote "li'l -", I was referring to Le-A - just in case this was confusing in and of itself. ;) Secondly, there are many situations in life where a name and a face simply will not be put together. In these cases, oddball names make identification more difficult. That's about it.
I have to disagree with you, Z_B. Whereas naming your kid "Bob" won't absolutely guarantee him a life of mediocrity, it certainly won't inspire him in any way, shape, or form. It'll be exactly as if you named him "Kid Number 1;" it will be nothing BUT an identifier, something to call him instead of "Son", "Boy," or "Kiddo." Naming him Einstein, on the other hand, gives him an immediate idea of who he could be like at some point in his life, and whether he chooses to be that person or not is really just his choice. My father majored in Greek and Roman History, and named me after an ancient warrior, and my middle name after an ancient warrior king, and if there's anything I aspire to be, it's a warrior.
There's a flip-side to that, too, Crimson (damn, two Crimsons at once! :D). What happens when li'l Einey is found to have some form of learning disability or simply a lower than normal IQ? A name like that can put undue pressure on a child to live up to some real or perceived expectation. Not that this couldn't be a problem with "normal" names, of course. There are plenty of people that were named after a famous Aunt Jenny or Great-Grandfather Bill or what have you that found it impossible to live up to their name, too. A name like that can certainly be inspiring, but it can also be a painful reminder of who we are not now and will never be.
i have a kid myself named shauna leah after a character in something or other my partner had read but if had been a boy my partner agreed i coulnd name him seph after sephiroth so i dunno. maybe i am just mad
That's why I said "Bob," and not "Bob-short-for-Robert-whichisacoolname."
Fine. Bob Marley, Bob Hoskins, Bob Seger, Bob Dylan, Bob the Builder (the original thread is about fictional names, right?).
Doesn't matter what Einstein's first name was, it matters that there's a field of study called Einsteinian Physics. Naming a kid Einstein (or Newton, or Wells, or Poe) won't reflect at all on what that particularly infamous person's first name was, but will reflect on what Society sees the name to mean. There's a reason it's not called "Albertian Physics," or "Isaac's First Law of Motion;" those are more common names, and for all I know, that could be Isaac Asimov's First Law of Motion, not Isaac Newton's.
And for all we know, it could be Fig Newton's Laws of Motion, rather than Isaac's. Are you arguing that first names don't matter after all, since it's only the last name we'll ever remember if the person in question gets famous enough to add their name onto something? My original point in bring up Einstein's first name is that 'Einstein' didn't mean anything other than another last name until this Albert guy with a reputation for funny hair came along and made the name mean something. Being saddled with an 'ordinary' name sure didn't hurt him any.
If you name your kid Stupid, that child will more than likely end up feeling like an idiot his entire life. I know that being called "stupid" as an insult your entire life will eventually convince you that you are stupid. Being named Genius, on the other hand, may have a more positive impact on your life.
Yeah, nobody should name their kid 'stupid' or any other derogatory terms. Then again, with just a minor shift in tone, 'genius' becomes a derogatory term, or have you never heard someone say, "Way to go, genius"?
*warning: Hyperbole ahead*
Most of the great people in history made themselves great and brought their names with them. Is the greatness gone from our lives? Do we need to borrow the names of the people who came before us in order to make something of ourselves, or are we going to do what they did and place a new list of names among those history will remember?
Alright. When your child complains about having to explain his oddball name for the umpteenth time, I sure hope you remember to tell him how petty he's behaving. ;)
I most certainly will.
Of course not. But they may treat you differently and you may suffer for it.
Sure, stupid people might do that. That just makes it all the easier for him to figure out who he shouldn't be hanging out with.
Then what's the purpose of naming a child something odd? How is it thinking of them and not just yourself?
I already explained this. Having a unique, memorable identifier can be important and indeed very desirable. I had 4 Matthews in my 5th grade class. They hated that their name wasn't unique.
I stated naming a child something like Le-a is selfish and you rebutted with a statement about how it's actually meant to somehow inspire them.
No, that was Lancer. ;)
there are many situations in life where a name and a face simply will not be put together. In these cases, oddball names make identification more difficult. That's about it.
Actually, I can say for certain here that you're completely wrong. If somebody has a job where they have to work with people never identifying them by their faces or personalities but purely by their names and numbers (and I know this from personal experience), a unique or uncommon name makes quick identification very easy ("Ganymede? Yes, hold on..."), while a common name makes identification slow ("John? Which John?... Which John Smith?"). It is in fact only when a name and face will be put together that common names will do their jobs.
Sure, stupid people might do that. That just makes it all the easier for him to figure out who he shouldn't be hanging out with.
WIN.Can you people stop arguing please?
But... but... this is the tavern!
But... but... this is the tavern!
*Throws bar-stool at Ramien* TAVERN FIGHT!!!!
*Throws bar-stool at Ramien* TAVERN FIGHT!!!!
You made me spill my beer!!!!
You made me spill my beer!!!!
Hey, that's exactly what your MOM said LAST NIGHT! >: P
Hey, that's exactly what your MOM said LAST NIGHT! >: P
Well, YOUR mom was too drunk to say much of anything last night!
Personally, I think it is ridiculous...
Hater. :P
Personally, I think it is ridiculous...
But I don't have to live with that decision so really I could care less...
But you still take the time to post.
I personally think that its a parents duty to use a childs middle name in soem freaky fashion. I gave my youngest the middle name of Tiberius. :-)
In the age of Moonunit Zappa i think most names have begun to fly yunder the radar.
I personally think that its a parents duty to use a childs middle name in soem freaky fashion. I gave my youngest the middle name of Tiberius. :-)
Sorry, been old since the late 60s, at least ;)
I second the decision to give the name registerer the right to Veto.
We should have a registerer on the WotC forums to make sure no weird names like Lulzapalooza or pigknight get through. These names really grind my proverbial gears.
Don't ask the questions if you might not like the answers...:D
Oh, Hater, you know that isn't ever gonna happen. I look at people talking as a neccasary evil if I'm going to get my opportunity to talk. Isn't that really what we're all doing here? Enjoying our own proverbial voice?
Terry Pratchet said most people are thinking about what they're gonna say next while other people are talking.
I can believe that.
Sadly I have nothing left to say
A friend of mine gave his daughter the middle name delta.
Not the word, but the symbol:
I eagerly await the day this child takes her first standardized test.
Teacher: "Yes?"
/\: "What bubble do I fill in?"
His initials will be WACM-S. The poor kid is going to take forever to learn to spell his own name, and it's long. But hey; my wife was carrying him around for nine months, she can add a name if she wants to. First kid is named Victoria. We're really not that frightfully British, but... well, we like the classics, but like some variety too (hence the Cornelius in there, and big sister's middle name is Ashika, which is a fine Hindi name).
I'd probably offend people if I started listing off the names that are currently trendy and I despise, but they're not my kids, I won't have to deal with it. Until they start dating my kids... curses. Anyway, I do have problems with people naming their kids stuff like Raistlin; it's very silly. Could be worse (like Talula Does the Hula From Hawaii), but it could also be a lot better.
I remember I got made fun of for my name, but I just got made fun of a lot, so it probably would have happened whatever my name was.
I'm going to begin training my son to destroy your son right now!
There are two children that have been born during the course of this thread. My own child was born just on the fifth of this month. Maybe our kids will grow up and meet each other one day, and become bitter enemies.
I'm going to begin training my son to destroy your son right now!
Entirely possible. But I should warn you... my own main source of income right now is actually teaching kids how to kill with their bare hands...
Entirely possible. But I should warn you... my own main source of income right now is actually teaching kids how to kill with their bare hands...
Your warning is recieved, noted, forgotten, and only lives now as fuel for my child's hatred for yours. His name is Hunter. Short for Hunter of William.
"First born child, I choose you!"
Your warning is recieved, noted, forgotten, and only lives now as fuel for my child's hatred for yours. His name is Hunter. Short for Hunter of William.
"First born child, I choose you!"
William the Bloody always prevails. Just sayin'. And if it's first-born we're talking here, I think my daughter has the size advantage...
William the Bloody always prevails. Just sayin'. And if it's first-born we're talking here, I think my daughter has the size advantage...
Your hubris shall be your fall.
I really hope the CPA doesn't frequent these boards.
One of the players in my group has the middle name Zaphod...
That.... is awesome.
I figure middle names were created so the parent could have some fun. First name: Roger. Normal.
Kid doesn't have to mention his middle name is Wilco.
Edit: And I should mention, a co-worker of mine actually LET a website name his child. I cannot mention the site, because it MAY break the CoC and may bring some bad memories back. Let's just say 1 letter was involved. It's THAT site.
Anyway when he asked them to name his kid, it was pointed out his post # ended in 666.
So now he will be naming his child either Damien or Lillith depending on the gender.
At any rate some of us don't even have the luxury of saving their child by naming them normally. Even though I have a normal first name, my last name happens to share the name of a city. Whenever I get asked my last name I end up having to answer "As in..." "YES."
It just gets old.
Let's just say 1 letter was involved. It's THAT site.
He let /b/ name his child?!
Now I pray the CPA is listening in!
Hay-elp! Hay-elp!
EDIT: I assumed it was obvious, but it might not be; in real life my last name really is Lulzapalooza. For real. I'm not joking.
He let /b/ name his child?!
No. He specifically ASKED them to.
No. He specifically ASKED them to.
No. No.
At least they picked something almost normal. I don't understand why Damien and Lilith have such negative conotations. Lilith is the first wife of Adam in some Gnostic texts, but who is Damien?
EDIT: Yeah you are.
Anyway when he asked them to name his kid, it was pointed out his post # ended in 666.
So now he will be naming his child either Damien or Lillith depending on the gender.
HERESY GET!
-Joni
Damien seems to be a popular name for Son of Satan. Though that's 'popular' as in 'popular culture of 21st century' for all I know. Hell, for all I know, it started with a South Park episode...
Damien is the name of the antichrist in the movie The Omen.
Damien is the name of the antichrist in the movie The Omen.
That's greek to me.
Now, if he had been named Regdar, that would be different. I realize that Regdar is a beloved character, but I really don't see that name being a good choice for a child.
. I think he pulled those right out of the toilet.Heck I intend on named my future with some fandom spice. I'm going Cowboy Bebob style, Vincent Spike and a girl will be Fay. I don't think thats going too far and thats the problem with most people who name their children after something their big fans of.