Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

Salem

85 replies

Rickandmortified100 · 15/01/2023 00:57

I met a little Salem yesterday and was surprised by how much it suited her and what a lovely name it seemed. If someone had posted on MN about the name I’d probably have been a bit pessimistic about the name due to the witch trials, but weirdly I really liked it. A quick Google shows me that it’s both a Hebrew and Arabic name meaning ‘peaceful, safe, complete, perfect’, and also a biblical name referring to Jerusalem. What do you think?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Zonder · 16/01/2023 07:19

Rickandmortified100 · 16/01/2023 04:57

I have no idea what the Crucible is, but unless it was translated into the language of the country where we live then I doubt they’ve read it. And even if they have read it, the word ‘Salem’ won’t be ‘Salem’ in the book because place names aren’t translated directly and we also don’t even use the same characters so words are very, very different.

honestly even if the parents have heard of the trials and/or seen the movie, the name in the translated version of the movie won’t be ‘Salem’ but a totally different word, because of how the language is translated.

Show quote history

You've come onto an English language website asking what people think about a name. People respond with answers about English language connections and you say you have no idea and the people concerned don't speak English or use the Latin alphabet anyway so the replies are irrelevant.

What was your point? Were you just hoping for a round of responses all saying yes, we agree with you?

IAmWomanHearMeRoar1 · 16/01/2023 06:43

Only if you're a cat:

Salem
TellMeWhere · 16/01/2023 06:08

How are you saying it?

In Arabic it wouldn't be pronounced Say-lem, as in the witch trials, it would be Saah-lem, also commonly spelled Salim.

MrsTerryPratchett · 16/01/2023 06:00

MySpace? That takes me back!

Original poster
Rickandmortified100 · 16/01/2023 05:01

MrsTerryPratchett · 15/01/2023 19:42

eVeRyThInG i DoNt lIkE iS eDgY

Are you trying to be down with the kids from ten years ago?

Haha this made me laugh 😂 I remember being a MySpace user back in like, 2005, and this way of typing had already long gone out of fashion even then!

OP posts:
Original poster
Rickandmortified100 · 16/01/2023 04:57

Zonder · 15/01/2023 09:20

That's nice. But it's also the place name of somewhere that women were horribly abused. I'm guessing the parents never read the Crucible.

Show quote history

I have no idea what the Crucible is, but unless it was translated into the language of the country where we live then I doubt they’ve read it. And even if they have read it, the word ‘Salem’ won’t be ‘Salem’ in the book because place names aren’t translated directly and we also don’t even use the same characters so words are very, very different.

honestly even if the parents have heard of the trials and/or seen the movie, the name in the translated version of the movie won’t be ‘Salem’ but a totally different word, because of how the language is translated.

OP posts:
Original poster
Rickandmortified100 · 16/01/2023 04:54

Backstreetsbackalrightdadada · 15/01/2023 10:49

Salem being a place where Puritans waged a terror campaign against women and outsiders… and these parents are Puritan you say? That’s rancid

😂😂😂 the parents aren’t Puritans. Are there even Puritans around these days?? I don’t think people have described themselves as Puritans since like the 18th century 😂

I feel I should defend the family in specifying that 1) we aren’t in the UK 2) English isn’t their first language and they’re not from and English speaking country 3) They’re Christians and chose the name as it’s a biblical word used to refer to the city of Jerusalem. I can’t even say with any certainty that they’ve even heard of the witch trials, and can say with certainty that they haven’t heard of the movie.

I suppose asking this question on a British thread was a mistake as the witch trial association is too strong.

Calm down everyone. I’m not considering using it, I just thought it sounded interesting (viewing it from the religious perspective and not the witch trials perspective obviously 😂)

OP posts:
MrsTerryPratchett · 15/01/2023 19:42

eVeRyThInG i DoNt lIkE iS eDgY

Are you trying to be down with the kids from ten years ago?

teezletangler · 15/01/2023 18:03

Where do you live? Maybe that's relevant.

Objectively, I think it's a beautiful name with a great sound. I'm sure it would have been lovely in Puritan times. But with the baggage of the subsequent witch trials, it's absolutely awful. I'm struggling to think of many girls names that would have a worse association!

StrychnineInTheSandwiches · 15/01/2023 17:47

I think Salem is a nice sound but there's no denying the with trial association that most people will make. And her parent chose it because they're extremely religious? I'd wonder if their thinking was 'yay for the witch trials'

yikes.

Jomummy1013 · 15/01/2023 17:39

Oh no! I can't imagine a child called that xx

PatrickBasedman · 15/01/2023 17:39

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines. Previously banned poster.

MrsTerryPratchett · 15/01/2023 17:37

Backstreetsbackalrightdadada · 15/01/2023 10:49

Salem being a place where Puritans waged a terror campaign against women and outsiders… and these parents are Puritan you say? That’s rancid

Rank misogyny. Poor girl.

Clawdy · 15/01/2023 17:29

Awful choice, for a boy or a girl.

Backstreetsbackalrightdadada · 15/01/2023 10:49

Salem being a place where Puritans waged a terror campaign against women and outsiders… and these parents are Puritan you say? That’s rancid

DirectionToPerfection · 15/01/2023 10:39

Why would anyone give their child a name that's associated with the torture and violent deaths of women?

Honestly, do people use their brains at all?

Original poster
Rickandmortified100 · 15/01/2023 10:32

The parents are very religious and chose the name for religious reasons. It was apparently a popular Puritan name (probably why I liked it as I love Puritan names!)

OP posts:
Soubriquet · 15/01/2023 09:45

Salem is a cats name… I had a cat called Salem

UncleQuentinsWife · 15/01/2023 09:38

It makes me think of drowning. It's bloody awful.

Kanaloa · 15/01/2023 09:36

Zonder · 15/01/2023 09:20

That's nice. But it's also the place name of somewhere that women were horribly abused. I'm guessing the parents never read the Crucible.

Show quote history

Even if they’d never read/seen The Crucible I would think most people have heard of the Salem Witch Trials. Just such an odd thing to want to associate your daughter with.

Lcb123 · 15/01/2023 09:36

Awful, so sorry for that child

Outfor150 · 15/01/2023 09:28

No. The Salem witch trials. Salem’s Lot.

I don’t really understand how a name “suits” a child, as well. The name just is. Unless it’s a virtue name.

ProfYaffle · 15/01/2023 09:24

Makes me think of this cat! www.facebook.com/salemthepubcatyork

Zonder · 15/01/2023 09:20

Rickandmortified100 · 15/01/2023 05:08

Yes, it is a place name, which I usually don’t like, however I am rather fond of biblical place names

That's nice. But it's also the place name of somewhere that women were horribly abused. I'm guessing the parents never read the Crucible.

littleburn · 15/01/2023 09:17

Instantly makes me think of witch trials and McCarthyism, which isn't good. Once of those names where you think the parents can't be aware of those associations or else why would they pick it!