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Baby names

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Original poster

Santiago - no Hispanic/Latino connections

55 replies

Saharasunset · 15/07/2019 16:48

What do you think of the same Santiago? The baby will be half English/half Asian so could perhaps look Mediterranean/South American in complexion although that's not me trying to give justification for using it.

Do you think it's strange to use it when there's no Spanish heritage?

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GiraffeMomma · 15/07/2019 21:52

I say if you like it then go for it!
Altho I did teach a boy once who was called Diego because his mother had had a fling with a Spanish waiter of the same name 🙈 It always makes me wonder now about the back story to names where it isn't obvious (eg heritage)....

Teddybear45 · 15/07/2019 21:41

Okay so why not compromise and make the Rashi name the middle name? A lot of second and third gen Gujaratis do this anyway and I bet the Gujji side probably has a lot of cousins etc that did this and so there’s probably precedent too. As for names, honestly, I think having a name that works in English and Gujarati (which comes from Persian / Farsi - which is why you can use those names) is probably best. You could also go to Bollywood for inspiration - there are some beautiful names from old school Bollywood actors etc. Eg Nutan, Nargis, and Mina (girls names); and Raj, Dev, Rishi (boys names) have had a huge resurgence recently. You could also go the Hebrew route as a lot of hebrew origin names like Ari, Josh, etc work in Gujarati too.

Original poster
Saharasunset · 15/07/2019 21:31

@Teddybear45 finding a name just seems so difficult. DH likes unusual names himself and it's taken a long time for his family to come to terms with the fact we won't be naming him in the traditional method of waiting until the 6th day to name him and giving him a Rashi name decided by his sister.

His parents have no real connection to Kenya and like your dad, find the stories of their parents heartbreaking and angering.

I was originally set on the baby have an English forename as our surname is probably one of the most popular Indian surnames, however, the traditionally English names are not to our taste.

I'm aware that you will never appease everyone with the name you chose however I don't want pretty much everyone to raise their eyebrow Sad

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Teddybear45 · 15/07/2019 21:19

The Persian name would work better than the Kenyan one - a lot of Gujarati people in the UK originally from East Africa became refugees and have some very bitter-sweet memories of their homeland. Dad can’t even watch Lion King without getting angry.

NoHummus · 15/07/2019 21:18

I like it! If you want to use it, use it and don't worry about whether or not you have the "right" heritage to justify it.

Original poster
Saharasunset · 15/07/2019 21:15

@Teddybear45 thank you so much! Yes, DH's family are Gujarati and I've never thought about using Persian names. Similarly both his parents were born in Kenya so I hadn't thought about looking for Kenyan names.

OP posts:
Teddybear45 · 15/07/2019 21:12

Because along the south / mid-western coast of India / south India there is a significant Christian community with Spanish and Portuguese heritage - this makes using Santiago okay. I know a few Indian men called Santiago.

If the Indian side is from the Gujarat then using Persian origin names is also okay for similar reasons.

Original poster
Saharasunset · 15/07/2019 20:30

@Teddybear45 He's will be half Indian (DH family originally from a western coastal state). This may sound naive but why will that make it okay?

I do really love the name and just want it to not raise too many eyebrows, and DH does like Brooklyn Nine Nine and I hadn't even made the connection Blush

OP posts:
foreverhanging · 15/07/2019 19:49

99!!!

bridgetreilly · 15/07/2019 19:24

Call him James.

CodenameVillanelle · 15/07/2019 18:58

No way it's really weird. Not at all similar to Isabella which has been used commonly here for centuries.

Hoppinggreen · 15/07/2019 18:56

I know a Dimitri with no Russian heritage (British but with a 1/4 Iranian) and I always think it’s a bit odd.
I don’t really like Santiago and without and Latino Heritage it’s weird

Teddybear45 · 15/07/2019 18:53

Do you have South Indian, Goan or Pinoy heritage? If so it should still be okay to use.

Potatopia · 15/07/2019 18:49

I only know one Santiago, he's lovely and cheeky. And an alpaca.

CatkinToadflax · 15/07/2019 18:22

I too thought Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

I know of a child called Elsalvador who (as far as I know) has no Spanish/Latino connections. Confused

daisypond · 15/07/2019 18:07

I think it’s odd, really. It’s Sant Iago, so even if you get rid of the saint bit you’re left with Iago, which doesn’t have great connotations.

chzarind · 15/07/2019 17:37

Santiago is not a 'place' name

Of course it is Confused

TheVanguardSix · 15/07/2019 17:34

Not for me, place names are a bit naf imo.

Santiago is not a 'place' name. The 'place' (city in Chile) is actually named after Saint James/Jacob /Jago.

Jago's a cool name, by the way.

MargotsFlounceyBlouse · 15/07/2019 17:32

Wasn't Lucky Santiago a character in a racy series by romantic novelist Jackie Collins?

That's all that came to mind! It seems nice enough and unusual. Nickname Santi is cute.

TheVanguardSix · 15/07/2019 17:31

I love that name. Go with it.
I know a boy named Paco, no Hispanic connection.
Such a cool name.
I mean, Sting named his son Giacomo.
Think about all the Isabellas out there who don't have any Italian/Spanish connection.
Or Anya. A very popular name now, given to kids who have no Polish or Russian connection.

chzarind · 15/07/2019 17:30

Not for me, place names are a bit naf imo.

Comefromaway · 15/07/2019 17:30

I think I’d assume that someone who had no Latin or Spanish heritage and had named their child Santiago was into Brooklyn Nine Nine!

Mimca · 15/07/2019 17:27

Are you religious? Rather than calling him the equivalent of Saint James, how about just Tiago?

Pollysizedprimarkpocket · 15/07/2019 17:26

I think it’s fine

MumdayMania · 15/07/2019 17:05

I think it's perfectly fine. People may well think Filipino origins.

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