Support NeoGAF

[ymmv]

I came across a Gaf posting about a recent event in which 6 black kids drowned trying to save a sibling who had crossed into deep water and had gotten into serious trouble. An awful tragedy - but it led to a question after reading the names of the victims:

Brothers Litrelle Stewart, 18; Latevin Stewart, 15; and LaDairus Stewart, 17; and siblings Takeitha Warner, 13; JaMarcus Warner, 14; and JaTavious Warner, 17 died.

What's up with black Americans giving their kids such outrageous names? I know it's (slightly) common in the entertainment industry but at least the rest of the world gives their kids regular names you can pronounce.

 

[Imm0rt4l]

thread title didn't make sense by itself


I smh when I see the shit personally.

 

[Brashnir]

I came across a Gaf posting about a recent event in which 6 black kids drowned trying to save a sibling who had crossed into deep water and had gotten into serious trouble. An awful tragedy - but it led to a question after reading the names of the victims:



What's up with black Americans giving their kids such outrageous names? I know it's (slightly) common in the entertainment industry but at least the rest of the world gives their kids regular names you can pronounce.

I can pronounce every one of those names. There's nothing really outrageous there.

 

[Foob]

What's so, Doc?

 

[XiaNaphryz]

At least there's no mention of a Sooki.

 

[Ignis Fatuus]

Oh this will end well.

 

[ymmv]

thread title didn't make sense by itself

I just noticed - too late to change it ... :-/

 

[Xater]

Have you read Freakonomics?

The lower the income level of the parents is, the more like it is they give their kid such a weird or misspelled name.

 

[Resilient]

What happened to phone!

 

[Rich!]

Oh this will end well.

Will it end like this?

 

[pseudocaesar]

Reminds me of the list some Gaffer posted, his wife is a primary school teacher and every kid had those names. Worst of all though is try hard white people that do it. I know a girl who called her kid a-a. I shit you not, A-a, pronounced Adasha.

 

[toastyToast]

What is the origin of these crazy names? It seems like people are just making them up or taking another name and just rearranging it or adding some letters to the front.

The story is indeed sad.

 

[Brashnir]

I know a girl who called her kid a-a. I shit you not, A-a, pronounced Adasha.

My brother's ex-wife worked with a girl who named her daughter Female. (fa-mal-ee) She hadn't named it yet, so the hospital wrote the baby's sex on the tag, and she thought they named it for her.

 

[Atramental]

Just from reading the thread title I wanted to respond with: "Go Jake yourself, you stupid Lisa!"

But now I realize it is one of "those" threads. So, see you guys later!

 

[thebaroness]

So you read an article about children drowning and your only thought was how black their names sounded?

 

[neorej]

I want to name my first-born son Optimus Prime.

Spoiler

my GF won't allow it though, she wants to call him Bumblebee

 

[sebajuNujabes]

It's all about being unique, IMO. Of course, when I look at names like those they just scream ghetto, not "one of a kind". Glad my parents were different; it's still out there but my name's more distinguishing than embarrassing.

 

[Alfarif]

What's up with white people changing their names to ESPN and then naming their son ESPN Jr?

 

[UFRA]

Yeah, I mean, what's up wrong.....with..................ehh???

 

[British Monsoon]

Litrelle; sounds like a brand of kitty-litter
Latevin; sounds like a after morning pill
LaDairus; sounds like diarrhea medicine

Takeitha...youain'tfeelinsogood

 

[BrokenSymmetry]

From an article about the accident:

A study commissioned by the sports governing body USA Swimming found 69 percent of black children had low or no swimming ability compared to 41.8 percent of white children.

I had no idea so many people can't swim...

 

[Brashnir]

I want to name my first-born son Optimus Prime.

Spoiler

my GF won't allow it though, she wants to call him Bumblebee

Compromise and call him Ironhide.

 

[soultron]

Not your kids, who cares, etc.

 

[Always-honest]

could be worse:
Brothers Fucktardo Stewart, 18; Assholomio Stewart, 15; and John Stewart, 17; and siblings Crackwhorelina Warner, 13; Bitchasschildaids Warner, 14; and Poopieface Warner, 17 died.

 

[samus i am]

White people do crazy names too, like Moon Beam and Pilot.

It is not a race thing. People just want to be different.

 

[Myke Greywolf]

Here in Portugal, there are some strict policies regarding the naming of children. Unless the name you're giving your child is an undoubtedly standard one (like José, Miguel, Ana, Maria, etc.), you have to submit a petition asking for the name to be approved. They are quite picky, as the name must conform to standard portuguese spelling rules and have some footing in portuguese history and culture to be approved.

Here's a list of past rulings on non-standard names petitioned for portuguese babies.

All of this in order to keep things sane.

 

[Trent Strong]

Have you read Freakonomics?

The lower the income level of the parents is, the more like it is they give their kid such a weird or misspelled name.

So whats with celebrities giving their kids freak names? Gwenyth Paltrow named her son Apple. (She named her son after a ripened ovary.)

 

[Aaron]

could be worse:
Brothers Fucktardo Stewart, 18; Assholomio Stewart, 15; and John Stewart, 17; and siblings Crackwhorelina Warner, 13; Bitchasschildaids Warner, 14; and Poopieface Warner, 17 died.

Come on. It wasn't a story about an Insane Clown Posse rally.

 

[xbhaskarx]

What's up wrong with thread title making no sense?

What is the origin of these names with La / Le / Li / Ja added to the front of them? Where and when did it start and why?

From an article about the accident:

I had no idea so many people can't swim...

If we discuss the swimming aspect of the story also, how is this thread any different from the original one?

 

[Brashnir]

Here in Portugal, there are some strict policies regarding the naming of children. Unless the name you're giving your child is an undoubtedly standard one (like José, Miguel, Ana, Maria, etc.), you have to submit a petition asking for the name to be approved. They are quite picky, as the name must conform to standard portuguese spelling rules and have some footing in portuguese history and culture to be approved.

Here's a list of past rulings on non-standard names petitioned for portuguese babies.

All of this in order to keep things sane.

What you call sanity I call madness. Your country has name police? Really? That's fucking crazy if you ask me; way crazier than naming a kid LaDanian.

 

[Rahxephon91]

Yeah those are strange names and I've never understood why people would name thier kids that. But I don't want to say anything stupid and ban worthy as I'm sure I would if I got into this issue. So I'm out of here.

 

[eXistor]

I know names are constantly changing with the times, like clothing and such, but I'm having trouble accepting these names myself.Not just the names posted above, but just names in general. Here in The Netherlands it's not quite this bad, but a lot of people I know give their kids English names and pronounce them in Dutch. What's up wrong with that indeed.

 

[devilhawk]

L'trelle, L'tevin, L'Dairus, T'keitha, J'Marcus, and J'Tavious

Those are worse.

 

[Xater]

So whats with celebrities giving their kids freak names? Gwenyth Paltrow named her son Apple. (She named her son after a ripened ovary.)

That's not something economics can explain.

Bonus info: If your kid has such a weird name and wants to get a some, his or her resumee are more likely to be weeded out early on.

 

[Brashnir]

What's up wrong with thread title making no sense?

What is the origin of these names with La / Le / Li / Ja added to the front of them? Where and when did it start and why?

I don't think there's really anything to it other than someone did it and others afterwards liked the idea and continued with it.

Pretty much the same way "traditional" named became traditional in the first place. Every name is just some made-up jibberish if you trace it back far enough.

 

[industrian]

What's up with white people changing their names to ESPN and then naming their son ESPN Jr?

I hope I have seven sons, and that the youngest has seven sons too. I doubt anyone in that decade would get it though.

 

[Imm0rt4l]

I met a guy named 'accident'



....true story.

 

[blame space]

Have you read Freakonomics?

The lower the income level of the parents is, the more like it is they give their kid such a weird or misspelled name.

Yeah and low crime rates caused abortion to be legalized

 

[Kabouter]

I remember freakonomics mentioning someone had named their child "Shithead" to be pronounced "Shuh-teed"

 

[Xater]

Yeah and low crime rates caused abortion to be legalized

No you got that wrong. Legalized abortion caused the crime rates in the 90s to drop.

 

[industrian]

I met a guy named 'accident'



....true story.

Better than being called "Regret" or "Mistake" or "Unfortunate Consequence of Escalation of Dry Humping whilst Intoxicated Jr."

 

[neorej]

Better than being called "Regret" or "Mistake" or "Unfortunate Consequence of Escalation of Dry Humping whilst Intoxicated Jr."

Or Dave "Damntherubbermusthavetorn" Junior...

 

[Monocle]

I was going to mention this in the thread about the drownings before deciding it would be in poor taste. But yeah, those are all pretty redonkulous.

 

[Brashnir]

Oregon Trail, dude.

Dysentery is a pretty name.

 

[Kritz]

I am in a position where I have access to see a lot of people's names. A lot of names. It always amazes me what these people's parents named them, and I always enjoy seeing names like Elmo and Zelda and Chukaphjnticula E Hendu Zibathenci pop up. (That last one is fairly close to an actual name I've seen.)

 

[Myke Greywolf]

What you call sanity I call madness. Your country has name police? Really? That's fucking crazy if you ask me; way crazier than naming a kid LaDanian.

*shrugs* If you're portuguese, there's no pertinent reason for you to name your child something like Abxivispro or Kanigunda (real brazilian registered names), or to ignorantly misspell otherwise common names (like using "Diaimis" for "James"). If you're a foreign person and want to name your child according to your origin country's rules and/or tradition, you can just register him at your consulate and then transcribe that to the portuguese registry.

 

[Shiggie]

Ghetto fancy.

 

[Monocle]

I don't think there's really anything to it other than someone did it and others afterwards liked the idea and continued with it.

Pretty much the same way "traditional" named became traditional in the first place. Every name is just some made-up jibberish if you trace it back far enough.

Even names like Roy or Grace?

 

[Thunder Monkey]

Even names like Roy or Grace?

If you really don't think about it what is language but a bunch of grunts that we gave meaning too?

 

[xbhaskarx]

No you got that wrong. Legalized abortion caused the crime rates in the 90s to drop.

I'm pretty sure reversing the causation was the joke.