Baby names with connotations

[Happyhappyveggie]

Like Myra for example? What does that make you think of?

Ainu?

I've taught a few Lolas and a Lolita. Cringe.

Isobel necessary on a bike.
Lydia Dustbin.
Justin Case.
Who the is Alice.
Silly Lily.

Also in Wales, Joshua. Accents can sometimes make "Here you are" (a lot of people say this when giving someone something) sound like "you are".

Joshua becomes Josh... you are. It's a standing joke where I live to pretend to give something to a Joshua while saying his name. Also cringe.

Yeah, Lolita is hardly going to fade into obscurity anytime soon.

KimKat, I know a young Casper - although I suspect he's actually Kaspar as his parents are Polish.

Agree with a few others already mentioned, and now I can't hear the (perfectly lovely) name Lydia without hearing Lydia-teapot, since DH says it every time he hears the name.

I think the Lola one is a bit of a stretch to be honest!

I know the Lola Kinks song but I have no idea of the lyrics, all I could sing is the la-la-la-la-Lo-la bit. Just asked DH and he's the same. No idea what it's about.

We know a few Lolas and it just isn't a name anyone's ever raised an eyebrow at!

Marlene was quite popular until Beryl Reid's 'Marlene from the Midlands' with heavy Brummie accent and even heavier earrings

It.makes me think of only fools and horses and i can't help but say Marlene in Boycey's accent.

Surely connotations depend on context ? What may seem a bit outre in the UK (or Europe) might be less tainted elsewhere ? (And thus might find a "back door" way back into UK culture ?).

As for Myra, there's a book by Gore Vidal "Myra Breckenridge", which - given the current obsession with things trans - I am surprised isn't more well known ....

There was a slimming aid you could buy over the counter that came out in the early 80's called 'Ayds' which was quickly changed to 'Ayd slim'.

The only Lilith I can think of was Frasier's ex wife - is there another more notorious one?

Agree about Myra, Adolf etc, as slightly uncommon names with great notoriety.

I'm not sure I see the problem with Lola. We had a cat called Lola and she was a show girl.

could never understand people naming their daughters Roxanne - surely if you like the song that much you'd have realised it was a song about a suicidal whore...

I haven't a clue what's wrong with Myra so yes I think it's generational.

Yes, agreed. I obviously know who she is, but would never jump to thinking about someone who is long dead and who was tried for crimes decades before I was born just on hearing the name Myra.

Can't believe people have equated it to Adolf! He had a tad more impact!

When going through a list of names, my husband and I read Jemima and immediately said 'puddleduck!' and crossed it off the list. Lots of song names too (Roxanne, Lola, Cecelia, Deborah...).

Myra was a name passed on in my family it has now changed to Moira. Lennie was the insult of secondary school because of mice and men, my niece has named her son Lennie. my brother (not to niece) instant response was mice and men.

"Now Maggie, erm, good for some, not for others?"

I hated the name Maggie, because of Thatcher, I grew up in Thatchers Liverpool, from a Merchant navy family.

A few years ago I met a charming, chatty little girl, called Maggie (she introduced herself to everyone) and she is who I now think of when I hear the name.

It's strange because whilst everyone remembers MM, Ben (Needham) didn't have the same effect on that name, nor did the MJ song.

I don't think that Baby Peter has stopped the use of that either, or any of the other high profile child murder cases (Victoria Climbie).

I totally agree with using a name that you like, we've just had a baby in the family called one of the much criticised names on here. I've stopped what was my connotation to the name after meeting her.

" I read Jemima and immediately said 'puddleduck!'",

See, Jemima, to me, has Racist connotations, so it does depend on age and family background.

I could never have called any of the Ds's Nicholas
"Nicholas girls should never climb trees!"

could never understand people naming their daughters Roxanne - surely if you like the song that much you'd have realised it was a song about a suicidal whore...

Or, (if you are French) the unrequited love of Cyrano de Bergerac in Edmund Rostands timeless classic ????

I suppose these days a quick google can check for any unpleasant connotations or unknown jokes etc that a name may suggest.

It is probably telling that if you start typing Myra into google, the suggestion Hindley is right there at the top of the list. You don't get the same for Rose, Fred, Peter (Sutcliffe) etc.

The notoriety may be regional. I live not so far away from Saddleworth Moor and it will be a long time around here before those crimes are forgotten.

My niece just called her baby Felix, I think everyone in the family had a face.

With killers if the first name is uncommon then it does become connected to the murderer. Adolf is out of the question but Joseph as in Stalin is not linked.

Lillith - Adam's first wife but too 'feisty', as some misogynists would call her. Various sources say she bore Adam a child and their future offspring became demons of the night, others say she was replaced by Eve because she wouldn't submit to him, and she stole babies... Blah blah blah.

I think it was an excellent choice of name for Frasier's hated wife!

On my list would be:
Adolph (obviously)
Lolita
Lola
Jezebel
Rhonda (help me Rhonda, help help me Rhonda!)

Strangely Myra no, as although i'm 42 and know all about her, i think for me the link has passed. Ditto Margaret/Maggie. Isn't there a Maggie in Walking Dead?

Egg is a cool name (thinking of Walking Dead and poor Andrew Lincoln!) can't remember what his character is called in WD and i have seen 3 seasons Sheriff Something?

Lillith - Adam's first wife but too 'feisty', as some misogynists would call her. Various sources say she bore Adam a child and their future offspring became demons of the night, others say she was replaced by Eve because she wouldn't submit to him, and she stole babies... Blah blah blah.

Pre-Raphaelite staple ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Lilith ...

I don't see the problem with Lola. I know a few. It's popular where I live.
I also didn't immediately jump to Hindley with Myra. I just V thought it was a pretty name (although I do know who Myra Hindley was).
A friend's recently called their ds Barney....I could only think of a big purple dinosaur. That being said, I realty wanted to name my ds Casper but dh said no. I still love that name.
I agree Adolf is a definite no now but it is weird that Joseph doesn't have the same connotation (as a pp said). Maybe because of the biblical Josephs?

Can't believe people actually use Lolita!

Also hear the Kinks song whenever I come across a Lola but it's not actually a bad connection is it - a pretty name that a man picked for his feminine name, I don't really see what's wrong with that tbh.

Also I know Jude is rising in popularity now but it always makes me think of Jude the Obscure.

But I have to say I wouldn't make the Myra Hindley connection if I met a little Myra.

At 36 I immediately thought 'Hollyoaks' at Myra although obviously see the issue.

I think popular 'song' names are frustrating - Layla, etc., but the worst are the ones which have negative connotations which are unlikely to fade soon e.g Adolf, Judas, Lolita.

I vetoed Isis when pregnant but even (only two years on) now I think 'I.S.' is more prevalent in media and it is a lovely name.

Trouble is the more you look, the more you find something wrong and you never know who might become (in)famous with the same name. My dd's name can elicit a certain response because saying it out loud sounds like something else (not rude at all), but figured if she gets used to the 'joke' early it won't really matter.

I'll never understand why people name boys "Cain". Whenever I hear it I wonder if he has a brother.