I was looking at the Mormon Name Generator in another thread and it said Mormons make up unique names all the time for babies. Do they really? This is something I'd never heard before. I mean, I've heard some weird-ass baby names but I wasn't aware it was a Mormon thing.

In my experience Mormons tend to go with biblical or book of mormon names. ie Jacob, Elijah, Joshua, Issac etc I've even heard of Nephi being used.

Brigham, Benson, Kimball etc.

One variation I've seen is the name "Bensyn." When I first read that name in the paper I just about gagged.

I think they are rather enamoured with celebrity, soap opera and reality tv names.

A few of the odd ones: River, Jhett, Londin, Bostin, Gunner,Taylie, Dusty, Tlina.

Yes these are all names and spelled correctly.

Mormons also have the habit of giving their kids nicknames instead of the real thing (like Kristi for Christine)

Actually since we live on the East coast and TBM family lives in Utah, every time they tell us the name of a new family member we sort of cringe-the names sound so odd. The only frame of reference there is for SOME of the names is they are similar to African American names. I believe the choice of names is motivated by the desire to 'be different' and to 'stand out from the crowd'.

I have three different TBM family members that named their kid Talmage.

I don't think it's just a Mormon thing. Some people get some crazy notions of naming their children so they will be seen as special and different. What they don't realize, is most of these names can unfortunately label these kids as uneducated and low-class adults. I don't know if it's the desire to copy celebrity baby names or what...

I always raise an eyebrow when I hear a child is named Cheyenne, Dakota, Lakota, etc. especially if the kid is "white and delightsome." These tribe names generally mean "The people." Why would you name your kid people?

A few others like Savannah, (also Cheyenne), and Asia remind me of porn star and stripper names.

Some of the made up names and spellings make me cringe like "Ashole" or Mykynzy." (check notwithoutmyhandbag.com for those.)
Also naming kids after alcohol- When I was taking insurance claims, I ran across a client named "Chablis." I've seen Merlot and Chardonnay as names as well.
I have a few names in reserve that will probably sound whacky and nutty to others, but they are very traditional and old names.
I don't blame parents for not wanting the same name (my new niece is named after our paternal grandmother and is unfortunately the most popular girl name ths year) as everyone else, but yikes. Sometimes, just yikes.

It deals quite a bit with the socioeconomics of baby naming. Incidentally, I found out that my sons have the 2nd and 3rd most popular boy names for African Americans in 1990 as middle names (Anthony and Christopher).

BF is trying to get me to read it- He laughs everytime I start running my mouth about issues the book covers. I'll have to put it on my reading list. Thanks for the reminder! :)

I live in the greater NYC area. I interact with people of all different races, religions and backgrounds BUT...all the weird names of numerous new TBM newborns never fail to bring a look of incredulity when run past the circles I travel within. There is definitely a dinstinction.

In fact, back in the early 1980's when my mom visited UTah for the first time and sat reading the local paper and it's 'society page', she (and I as well) rolled with laughter...hysterical with laughter as a matter of fact at the names people had. There is no denying that as a group they are strange.

out

My DH and all seven of his siblings have biblical names.

My mother is a nurse and she's worked for many years in a newborn nursery. She's seen some names that made me go "What?" and some that made me say things much less ladylike. On the other hand, we've got some winners in our family as well. For example, I have a cousin who named his son Colt Winchester, and another who named her two daughters Azriella Delayne and Destiny Delight (I wanted to ask her if she is planning on them having careers in porn?) It's not restricted to this generation, though. Back in the 70's my sister went to school with a girl named Fantasy Tiara. I think the 60's were very good to her parents.

That Mormon name generator said Mormons like to make up names for their kids but I'm sure they don't have the market cornered. LOL! Although I'll admit whenever I meet someone named Brigham I automatically assume they've got Mormons in their woodpile.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/19/2011 02:41PM by frankiepup.

Destiny is also a common stripper name as well as *gasp* Stormy.

Don't get me wrong, I like strippers and they are fun to hang out and party with, but everytime I hear a kid by those particular names, my mind flips to t-bars, 9'' lucite heels, 80's buttrock music, and the smell of pine-sol mixed with Victoria's Secret body sprays.

Is your cousin religious? Why would she name her child after a demonic entity, Azriel, out of curiosity?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/19/2011 02:46PM by Itzpapalotl.

Itzpapalotl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Is your cousin religious? Why would she name her
> child after a demonic entity, Azriel, out of
> curiosity?

Funny you should mention that -- in fact, my cousin is VERY religious and I told her when she named that child that Azriel was a demon. She said "It's not Azriel, it's AZRIELLA!" So, that makes it okay I guess. Um. Yeah.

frankiepup Wrote:
-She said
> "It's not Azriel, it's AZRIELLA!" So, that makes
> it okay I guess. Um. Yeah.

In that case, "Satana" has a nice ring to it....

Faith Hope and Charity are not my cup of tea, but seem relatively harmless. Naming you child Chastity or Modesty is just asking for trouble.

frankiepup Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My mother is a nurse and she's worked for many
> years in a newborn nursery. She's seen some names
> that made me go "What?" and some that made me say
> things much less ladylike. On the other hand,
> we've got some winners in our family as well. For
> example, I have a cousin who named his son Colt
> Winchester, and another who named her two
> daughters Azriella Delayne and Destiny Delight (I
> wanted to ask her if she is planning on them
> having careers in porn?) It's not restricted to
> this generation, though. Back in the 70's my
> sister went to school with a girl named Fantasy
> Tiara. I think the 60's were very good to her
> parents.
>
> That Mormon name generator said Mormons like to
> make up names for their kids but I'm sure they
> don't have the market cornered. LOL! Although I'll
> admit whenever I meet someone named Brigham I
> automatically assume they've got Mormons in their
> woodpile.

Where I am from some of the names you have mentioned (such as Destiny Delight) have unmistakable African American connotations. I don't know why but it is true.

That cracks me up because where I'm from it connotates "trailer trash" upbringing.

Well, I'm from Southern California and we're pretty white.

Two which she mention that stick in my mind are Suhfilis (say it out loud), and Teflon Velveeta. Of course I have some jewish relatives who chose to be trendy with baby names too. Their boy and girl are Brodie and Auriella Brie.

Auriella is a lovely French/Latin name, but Brie?!? Why would you name your kid after a mild French cheese? I hope she never has to go to France.

Jared, Joshua, Sariah, Sam, Dan, CoreyWhore, Sister of Jennifer, Pudhead.

Ron

I'm Catholic and work for a parish . . . and though most parents tend to use 'Top Ten' names, they spell them rather unusually: Kristoffer, Makensie, Emali, Huntar, etc. Hey, at least they are decipherable! Sort of. Just wait 'til they get to school!

The elementary school teachers I know can't STAND it when parents come up with such "creative" spellings. They think they're being "different," but the (mis)spellings only confuse other people and also make things harder for the child who has to constantly correct everyone on the spelling of his or her name. I don't live in a heavily Mormon area, by the way, so I think this is unfortunately a more widespread phenomenon.

Sometimes the 'odd' name spellings are because the name is spelled that way in the parents' original language. For example my name is spelled with an i: karin, not because my parents wanted to be original but because it is spelled that way in German. I did find it difficult to get people to spell it correctly but because i identified with my german heritage, for me it was great that my name matched my heritage ( i was actually born in Germany, but came to Canada as a baby.)

However, i'm not sure that i would have liked to be 'caryn' just because my parents wanted to be odd. I named my child a european name with the canadian spelling so she wouldn't have to tell people how to spell it. Sometimes i still call her Katerina tho, instead of katrina.

Look up the Utah baby names list online. There's a funny article about bonafide crazy Utahn names.

My husband went to school with a girl who named her daughter "Celestial (first) Marriage (middle)" I guess that is an ever present reminder of your life's goal. I don't know what people are thinking sometimes.

Here's the Utah Baby Namer: http://wesclark.com/ubn/

When my nephew's then wife was knocked up with her second child (it wasn't his and a long story)(and we hate her), they wanted to name the baby Destiny if it was a girl. Fortunately it was a boy and they named him Gage Paul. If the baby was Destiny, we were going to call her "It" or "Spot".
I would never buy a house from someone called Destiny, nor would I allow a Destiny to perform surgery on me.

Susan

I don't want to reveal my identity but lets just say SIL married someone with the last name the same as that of an insect and then they named their firstborn son an adjective synonomous with 'unclean'. Same thing along the lines of someone with the last name "Pan" naming their kid 'Frying"

I don't know where their brains are.

The worst I heard was recently in our local maternity hospital a poor infant saddled with the name Abcd!!!!
Pronounced Appsedee. One wonders what the parents were smoking