Naming a child from a country you have no links with

Aha! I was expecting something well crazy :P
Douglas and Ingrid are perfectly normal, if at times more unusual, names which have been used throughout the UK for centuries.

Coming from someone from someone who is quite intent on using a Japanese middle name...

noisy chihiro is beautiful.

Nothing wrong at al. Why not?

Come to think of it, my own DCs' names are Irish, French, Shakespearean madey-uppey, Hebrew and Greek/Russian. All of them are family names used by my Irish family for generations.

Douglas and Ingrid seem very mainstream to me. I know they come from elsewhere, but for starters, Britain is a multicultural society, and secondly they have been used for a long time by English people. I would put them in the same category as names like Ruth or Alexander - neither are native English names (whatever that means) but they have been co-opted into the culture.

(Fwiw, Douglas and Ingrid are both lovely names imo.)

Ingrid is not just scandi, it is very common in the Netherlands and in Lithuania the equivalent is Ingrida.

Both names are fine. As earlier posters have said, Douglas has been used in many parts of the UK for generations. And I think filmstar Ingrid Bergman made Ingrid an international name.

Just to put the record straight, Angus and Lachlan did not originate as Scottish surnames. Angus = a Celtic god of love; Lachlan = a nickname, in Gaelic, meaning 'person from Norway (ie the land of the lochs', ie a Viking)

Well, I'd think of Ingrid as an Orcadian/Scottish name rather than a Scandi one - which just goes to show - no country really owns a name.

They're both nice names which are immediately recognisable throughout the UK. No-one is going to say 'Eh?'. I think they're fine.

Criteria for me is: is something lost when said with my accent? Ie. I know when I say etienne and morag something beautiful is lost with my English accent. I also would probably not use a non European name as I think as an English person it's a little odd to give a child an Indian/ japanese name. Is it kian from west life who gave his son an Hawaiian name? I found that odd.

I think a lot depends on how aware people are of name origins. As SurfsUp1 said, the number of truly English names is miniscule, and most people accept names like Deborah or Michelle without immediately assuming the person has Israeli or French roots.

I think French, Irish and Scottish names are so ubiquitous in England - look at Isla, for example - that no-one would raise and eyebrow at them, and Nordic names aren't that unusual either.

Douglas has been popular in England for hundreds of years, to the point where the accepted pronunciation is now based on how English people say it - originally it was pronounced Doo-glas.

noisytoys a fan of Spirited Away by any chance? I love Chihiro, it is a lovely name :)

OP I'd wonder if you did have a connection to the country and would maybe think it a little odd if you didn't, but I wouldn't ever comment on it and it'd be more of a moments thought than a lingering feeling. Saying that, Douglas and Ingrid aren't 'out there' names by any means.

Sukvinder and Abdul might be a bit weird if you had no connections but Douglas and Ingrid are in common use in England so they are fine.

I've never been asked about our heritage as a result of our children's names (Scottish and Italian origins). I think there are some names that would draw those sorts of questions but I don't think Douglas and Ingrid are anywhere near that mark for most people.
Neither of them scream "culturally specific" to me. Not like Niahm where you would have to understand it's cultural heritage to have any idea how to say it.

Embarrassed to admit this as it is incredibly juvenile but I work with a Spanish woman called Belen and I cannot hear her name without thinking 'bell end' ....probably just me!

I agree that Douglas and Ingrid are sufficiently well known not to raise questions. Fabienne, Jean-Claude and Etienne without a French connection on the other hand....

These things are impossible to measure and obviously culture is constantly evolving. There are Sarah and Anne's which have featured prominently in English history which in turn have made them culturally relevant.

I guess it boils down to your own sensibilities.

TheXxed

How English does a name have to be, though, for it to be considered English? Lots of people would think of Sarah and Anna as normal English names, but they aren't are they?

I'm honestly not trying to goad just trying to understand the POV. For example I would say that I really don't like surnames as first names, but there are quite a few Scottish names that are originally surnames (Lachlan, Angus, Cameron) that I do really like. So I guess my tolerance level kicks in given enough history as a first name?

Both lovely names and wouldn't strike me as strange at all.
I've never personally come across a Ptolomy but am assured that it is popular!
Ingrid could become the next Freya!

Well its really not up to me to decided on which names other people give their children, personally its not something I would do. Names come with their own cultural history and it feels weird to have another culture feature so prominently in your life that you share no connection with.

x-posts there TheXxed.

What names Do you find acceptable for English children? That sounds a bit goady - sorry - I don't mean to be, but I'm genuinely interested! There seem to be so few if you limit it to names that are really English!
No Sarahs, no Annas, no Alexanders, no Leos, no Fionas, no Sophies...

I would not automatically think of Scottish or Scandi if I heard those names.

Unless they have non-anglo spellings or pronunciations I think most names have become pretty global. If English people were going to limit themselves to purely English names then they'd be fishing in a very small barrel!

I wouldn't but then I am generally cats bum mouth about a few things.

This thread reminded me about a name I heard a few weeks ago I was in a park in south London and a nursery had taken a few of their pre schoolers out to play in the park.

One child bolted and the nursery workers starts screaming Isis, Isis come back Isis. I was looking at this clearly European child thinking what possible connection could you have to Ancient Egypt.

I met a little girl from the Solomon Islands with one of the most Irish names ever, she had no connection whatsoever to Ireland, and yes I will admit to finding it strange (that said I don't like Irish names anyway, so maybe I would not have given it a second thought if she was called Ingrid which is a lovely name)

Both names are lovely & well known. PS I knew an Ingrid who was half Japanese half Italian American.

Ingrid is fine. Honestly.