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Baby names

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A black child with an Eastern European name ?

66 replies

Namerci · 23/06/2022 08:48

Hi! I have been thinking about this a lot , and would like to get some opinions.
My husband is half Latvian half Black British and I am Black. We are expecting a little girl and we both like the names Karlene and Anya, which are latvian/Russian names. But our baby will probably look fully black ( Since she'll only be 25% Latvian). Would you find that odd or shocking if you met a black person with an Eastern European name ?

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Mouk · 25/06/2022 08:22

Go for it! Both are beautiful.

There is a beautiful little black girl in my daughters class named Saoirse. Mum is Irish, Dad is Nigerian.

HokeyK0key · 24/06/2022 23:36

Namerci · 23/06/2022 09:12

emuloc I am not sure, but if the teacher reads the name , let's say Dimitri Siemonev and a black boy puts his hand up , people might find it strange ? I don't know

My nephew is called Dmitri and is mixed heritage but looks black. He's 25 and it's never been an issue for him.

ChagSameachDoreen · 24/06/2022 23:33

They're both gorgeous names.

TheYearOfSmallThings · 24/06/2022 20:08

Actually there is a little Natalya in DD's class, and when I was putting names to faces I assumed she would be one of the white ones (she's black). But I have a Nigerian friend called Natasha and that has never struck me at all until now, and the names you mention are pretty mainstream.

TheNinthLock · 24/06/2022 20:03

I like both names and the only girl called Anya I know is a lovely black girl.
I love the name Anya 😊

MerryChristmasToYou · 24/06/2022 18:50

The names strike me as being very 'russian' (as in USSR), so I probably would expect someone who looked 'slavic' (Latvia isn't slavic AFAIK), so there might be an initial surprise element, and that would happen a lot in a lifetime, and a lot of 'Are you russian?' type comments, which might get tiresome

Nina is more neutral.

RichardOsmansXraySpecs · 24/06/2022 01:27

Sorry, maybe I should've added it in the OP. I started thinking about it since my sister-in-law made a comment about it. Something like " A black girl with an Eastern-European name ? Strange".

But your Sil knows your DD has Eastern European heritage from her Dad, why would she say this? It's so strange Confused

RichardOsmansXraySpecs · 24/06/2022 01:21

If you met a black person with a Latvian/Russian first name and surname. Like Anya Dimitrieva ; would be like 'What the hell ?!!"

No, not at all. I think DC have so many different/unusual names now anyway no one would bat an eyelid over here. However it's rather irrelevant as you say your DD will be brought up in France or even Latvia anyway.

Namerci · 24/06/2022 00:25

Thanks to all the posters. One more question s'il vous plaît. If you met a black person with a Latvian/Russian first name and surname. Like Anya Dimitrieva ; would be like 'What the hell ?!!"

By the way , this are 3 others names my husband and I like , please tell me if you find them too odd for a 1/4 white child:

Anastasia (Anya for short, I love the name too much haha)
Irina
Nina
Sofija (pronounced Sophia)

OP posts:
BirdWatch · 23/06/2022 23:51

No.

Shikamiri · 23/06/2022 23:45

I know a black woman called Carlene and one called Anya 🤷🏾‍♀️

ScottishStar · 23/06/2022 23:42

I really wouldn’t worry at all. Things are changing in France - for the best! This was in the news lately: the most given names to babies in 2021 (first graph) and the names that had the fastest rise (second graph). Look how different some are! Definitely not traditional names at all. And in big cities in France, lots of children are from mixed heritage.

Babies’ names 2021

 A black child with an Eastern European name ?
 A black child with an Eastern European name ?
Kendodd · 23/06/2022 23:37

Namerci · 23/06/2022 10:58

Can you please tell me which issues it caused ?

That's my fear, that "Anya Dimitrieva" ( not real name) will be assumed to be a european/white girl/woman and she will forever have to explain herself. Or people will think I wanted a white child , or that she is adopted.

Well you describe it as 'explain herself' but I see it as an interesting history to her name and her heritage.
If you have no cultural connection to the name I'd say, use it, its lovely.
With the cultural connection, I'd say use it and be proud.

Luredbyapomegranate · 23/06/2022 23:34

No. Anya is in very common usage and I wouldn’t know where Karlene came from.

Also, people have all sorts of names in the UK.

I think you sister in law needs a hobby.

Isausernameavailable · 23/06/2022 23:30

I thought Latvia was north European, not east

gemloving · 23/06/2022 23:23

No! Beautiful names 💓

Ruralbliss · 23/06/2022 23:21

Anya is an absolutely stunning name. So graceful yet strong. I wish I'd heard of it when my daughters were born.

Namerci · 23/06/2022 23:15

MaChienEstUnDick · 23/06/2022 10:56

I think in France it's very different, isn't it?

In the UK there's research that suggests 'white' names get called for interviews and opportunities more than 'black' names - which of course is massively racist and I very much hope will be eradicated by the time your LO is in the job market. Is that maybe what your sil is thinking about?

Whatever, Anya is such a beautiful name.

HAHAH LOVE your screen name ; but it should be " ma chienne" .

YUP; if your name is Marine Durand it's not the same as Aminata N'diaye or Fatima Osman. I am afraid she will lose job opportunies because of our choice and above all RACISM.

To my husband; his heritage is very important , he wanted a Nigerian , well his mum's ethnicity name, but I hate all the names he liked. I love Anya.

We can't go for my heritage , because I don't know where I am originally from .and I really don't care' for french names.

OP posts:
Namerci · 23/06/2022 23:09

Thank you everyone for taking the time to respond to me. There is something I didn't think about and that some posters have pointed out : Yes her surname will be Latvian anyway , so it doesn't matter what name I give her. If she was "Chloé Dimitrieva" , her surname will still be from Eastern Europe. Thank you ; Merci to the posters who made me realise that.

I LOVE ANYA. I love it.

@MerryChristmasToYou Yup. I agree. If I read the name Mariama Diallo; I'd expect a West African/ Black Francophone person. If a white woman showed up , I'd think , Oh she has Malian/Guinean/Senegalese/ French speaking west Africa heritage.

AND YOU ARE RIGHT France is way more racist than England. I remember when I first went to England - I don't know about the rest of the UK, so only talking about England- I remember seeing diversity, I have never ever met Jamaicans or Indians before. Wow, I could get angry if someone was rude to me and people were OK with me not speaking English perfectly. Please, don't be offended; but before going to England, I thought I'd have to be polite with white people everytime, no matter what they say or act with me. they are not horrible to all black people though , you have the good and bad blacks. Americans are OKKK black folks , they are coooooool and welcomed. Then you have Black people from French Overseas territories , then Black Europeans and at the end Black Africans. Unfortunately ; you cannot always guess where people are from.

I'd suggest to any Black person visiting my town to wear a American flag tshirt and look like a tourist. It might different in bigger cities like Paris or Marseille; I don't know: Only talking about my experience. I've been to remote places in England and I WAS NOT FOLLOWED in any shops.

Hopefully, we'll move to my husband's country. He doesn't like France either.

Plus; I met my husbandin the UK so it makes it even better.

OP posts:
BonnyAndBlythe · 23/06/2022 16:49

If she’s going to have a Latvian surname anyway, she’ll be identified as having some connection to Eastern Europe even if you call her Jane. That’s because she has! I wouldn’t overthink it. She’s got a mixed heritage. Embrace it!

RuthW · 23/06/2022 16:36

I wouldn't even register that they are European names

Go for it.

Hallyup89 · 23/06/2022 11:51

I wouldn't find it strange at all. Neither of the names that you've mentioned are obviously Latvian to me, and black people often have names that are somewhat different to the bog-standard names that you hear for white British people. I wouldn't bat an eyelid.

Anya is gorgeous.

Somethingneedstochange · 23/06/2022 11:49

I wouldn't find it strange at all. Some white British parents choose European and Asian name's. I know an Aisha which is Asian and an Eloise which is French. Have a few names to pick from though. Sometimes when the child is born you might decide the name you had your heart set on isn't the name for her.

Thejoyfulstar · 23/06/2022 11:34

For starters I don't think it's an issue. Secondly, I think it's cool to have a name that reflects your ancestors, despite outward appearance.

I live in Italy and know a little boy, let's call him Mick O'Reilly*. Mick has some Irish ancestors on the Dad's side but he is very 'Italian'. I thought it was brilliant when I first met him!

  • His name is very 'stereotypical' Irish, which is why I used this example.
RudsyFarmer · 23/06/2022 11:23

I honestly think any name goes now. People will often call their children Irish names without any heritage there. Same with German names. It’s a case of if you like it, use it, no one will give it a second thought.