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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Would the name Adelheid be considered cultural appropriation?

65 replies

dinostars · 01/09/2020 00:52

DH and I absolutely ADORE the name Adelheid with the nn Heidi. I am expecting our first baby, and she is a girl. I was just wondering if Adelheid was too foreign for England/America/Canada, or even considered cultural appropriation?? DH is from the U.S. and has close family in both America and Canada who we visit often. DH has a little bit of German heritage, but I don't have any (at least that I'm aware of.)

Also, we're very much aware of how outdated this name is, lol.

I was wondering if there was anyone out there, (Germans, possibly?) who could let me know their thoughts and feedback. Smile

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twirlywooly · 01/09/2020 23:06

I don't think there's any issues with cultural appropriation. I am another one who automatically thought of the chemical formaldehyde when I read it though which wouldn't be a great connotation for me... so I would personally go for Heidi instead

farmertom · 01/09/2020 22:29

I think it's lovely 😊

HaveYouSeenMyFriendKimberley · 01/09/2020 22:08

How about Aethelflaed if you have Mercian connections?Wink

eggandonion · 01/09/2020 22:03

They would be great names for twins. I like them both.

Original poster
dinostars · 01/09/2020 21:38

@eggandonion Cordelia was on my list as well! I was actually thinking of using as a second daughter's name, possibly. Grin

OP posts:
eggandonion · 01/09/2020 21:11

I really hate my name, Greek in origin, horrendously old fashioned when I was a child. It is beloved on mumsnet. My kids names originate in Russia, Ireland and Turkey. My dh's name is Hebrew in origin.
We are Irish.
I'm trying to think of names originating in England, most seem imported?
Adelheid has lots of scope for change if she hates it. I know a Del, short for Cordelia.

indemMUND · 01/09/2020 21:07

I really like the name.
DD's name is one that's pretty common in Russia. We're not even remotely linked with Russia via heritage but I've always loved the name. Go for it!

Bluntness100 · 01/09/2020 21:01

@eaglejulesk

Forgot to say OP I do like the name. I'm laughing at all the posters calling it old-fashioned - many of the current names in use are also old-fashioned, obviously they aren't intelligent to understand that.
Miaow,,🤣🤣🤣
eaglejulesk · 01/09/2020 20:54

Forgot to say OP I do like the name. I'm laughing at all the posters calling it old-fashioned - many of the current names in use are also old-fashioned, obviously they aren't intelligent to understand that.

Bluntness100 · 01/09/2020 20:34

I’m Scottish so I read it like

Adele heed.

As in scottish for head. Heed the ball, soft on the heed kinda thing.

I think she will have a life time of mispronunciation and piss taking. And if you want her to be known as Heidi then name her Heidi. Don’t make this complicated and give her a life time of small annoyances.

ZoyaTheDestroyer · 01/09/2020 20:29

I think you have misunderstood cultural appropriation. It refers to the use of items / symbols / names etc which are of cultural or spiritual importance to a race or ethnicity which has historically been oppressed, by descendants of the oppressors. So for example using Native American headdresses as fancy dress or having a
Māori tattoo with no other link to the cultural heritage.

Germany is a historically powerful nation. If you went back far enough you would have a good chance of finding ancestors in the Germanic peoples. It is fine to use a German name.

Original poster
dinostars · 01/09/2020 20:17

@Yankathebear I'd pronounce it like add - ull - hide
or slightly add - ull - heit

OP posts:
JanewaysBun · 01/09/2020 20:10

Do you say it adel-hide or Adelaide?

user1493494961 · 01/09/2020 20:01

Very ugly name, I doubt she'll thank you.

frolicmum · 01/09/2020 19:52

I'm German, lived in the UK for 10 years and would not feel anything negative. I would consider your surname though and check it that works.

It's a very old But beautiful German name & can see it coming back into fashion, such as Frida & Greta in Germany - very very popular over there at the moment.

Minimumstandard · 01/09/2020 19:38

Not a fan but don't think there are any issues with cultural appropriation (which is what you asked).

tiredanddangerous · 01/09/2020 19:09

Nobody will know how to pronounce it or spell it. I wouldn't.

daisypond · 01/09/2020 19:05

@ChaChaCha2012

Adelheid was a Nazi. There's even a film about her.
Which Adelheid is that? There’s lots of people called Adelheid, going back centuries.
Yankathebear · 01/09/2020 19:03

Do you say it like the place? Adelaide?

ChaChaCha2012 · 01/09/2020 18:58

Adelheid was a Nazi. There's even a film about her.

daisypond · 01/09/2020 18:58

Adelheid is great. I don’t think it’s cultural appropriation. Heidi comes from Adelheid anyway. I find Heidi too twee as a full name, but nice as a nickname.

VenusClapTrap · 01/09/2020 18:48

Adelheid is a fabulous name. Do it!

FizzingWhizzbee123 · 01/09/2020 13:50

I know an English/Irish family who named their son Lars, simply because they liked the name. He’s not had any problems, aside from people being surprised that there’s no interesting family history behind his name.

Tootletum · 01/09/2020 12:56

They are very old fashioned and have always been more Austrian or bavarian names. I think Adélaïde (err Google added the accents!) is much nicer and can still be shortened to Heidi.
I also know an Adeline which I think is nice. Or just call her Freya, nice scandi name.
Cultural appropriation is a load of utter bollocks but I guess just another thing for people to have an opinion on.

FrothyB · 01/09/2020 12:49

We called our daughter Adelaide, as it's the anglicised form of Adelheid. We wanted an old name with no religious connections and we found it a pretty name. We do shorten it to Ada pronounced close to "Adder" as my partners family is in Eastern Europe. Ada is an official name there, so she kind of has an English name and her second nationality name. We plan the same for any subsequent children, think like John/Janós.

As for cultural appropriation, that's a concept that I won't argue against here and now, because I'm aware it's one of the big progressive things now. Assuming you're both of Northern/Western European heritage, I can't see how there can be any claim of cultural appropriation, as ethnically and culturally we are all very similar and mixed. The English for example, are probably closer culturally to Dutch and Germans than they are to Welsh or Scots, or we would be had we not imposed ourselves on the rest of Britain, but I'm going well off topic here.

Basically, I can't imagine anyone caring in an offended sense. It's a lovely name, and I totally get why you'd give her a "full" name, but also have a preffered shortened option.