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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To give my baby a name from another culture.

213 replies

BubbleMix · 02/08/2018 16:45

We are expecting our first DD in October. There is a name I really like, however everyone I have ever met with this name has come from a specific country which myself and OH have no connection to. I love the name but I don’t know if DD will have to keep explaining her name growing up. Should I go with it or pick something else?

OP posts:
FlopsyRabbit89 · 02/08/2018 19:32

I love Yara OP. It's obviously a name used in various cultures because the only girls called Yara I've ever known were middle-eastern- not Portuguese girls!

Uhohmummy · 02/08/2018 19:34

@Summerisdone I think we might have the same name. I do get comments on it - mostly compliments - but also questions about my link to Italy as I don’t look Italian at all (tall, fair and blond). I have never minded though.
As an aside, Priya is a beautiful name. Is it short for Priyanka?

Goldenbear · 02/08/2018 19:46

It sounds fine to me. My husband is Jewish and we wanted to name our son Ezra but my MIL said it just reminded her of the anti - Semite writer Ezra Pound. We didn't want anything overtly English as it seemed odd with the mixed heritage so we chose names for my DS and DD that were more representative of that.

coco2891 · 02/08/2018 19:49

I like Yara , we've been asked if we're religious or Jewish a few times as our boys names are Old Testament but we're atheist 🤷‍♀️

ElfridaEtAl · 02/08/2018 19:50

My son's name is Jewish but neither me or OH are. I really don't think it matters.

Yara is lovely, OP.

mikeyssister · 02/08/2018 19:51

Make sure you can pronounce and spell it properly. It makes me scream when I hear or see Irish names misspelt or mispronounced. I think it's incredibly insulting.

savingmysanity · 02/08/2018 19:52

I am white british with an English first name and a VERY south asian middle name, think Katy Harpreet. I love it, it has special meaning for me and my fmaily and makes me stand out. If you google me I'm the only one in the world that comes up currently. If you like it, do it

DameSylvieKrin · 02/08/2018 20:27

You might want to read up on the character from game of thrones as everyone will assume you're a fan.

coco2891 · 02/08/2018 20:32

I've watched all of game of thrones and I hadn't even thought of it

Davros · 02/08/2018 20:36

DD had a friend of Indian origin called Arya in 2005 so it's not originally a GoT name

youknowwherethecityis · 02/08/2018 20:46

It's a nice name but a lot of GoT character names are getting pretty popular now. So whereas very few UK babies would have been called Yara a few years ago, it won't be all that uncommon now. But most people will assume she is named from GoT

BeenThereDone · 02/08/2018 20:47

Rubyflint

🤣🤣🤣🤣

Butterflykissess · 02/08/2018 20:52

This isnt unusual surely? My dds name is arabic and im not. My middle name is african despite me not beingr!( i am mixed though and my mums first husband was african and she liked the name)

OftenHangry · 02/08/2018 20:57

Yara is good! It's obvious how it's spelled and it's actually cute

ImogenTubbs · 02/08/2018 21:02

My daughter has a very spanish name. We are not spanish.

karigan · 02/08/2018 21:15

On the game of thrones front my DH takes our DD to a toddler group one day a week and one of her friends there is called Samwell Tarley. His mum named him for his Jewish grandfather and had never watched/read game of thrones and so was completely unaware of the character. She now preempts questions with 'No. Not after GoT' when introducing him.

Bizzylizzyloo · 02/08/2018 21:17

I think it's a bit weird / pretentious but surely it only matters if you like it?

GoldenChildReturns · 02/08/2018 21:17

Bubblemix YANBU, as long as you know how to spell it and understand what it means. Nobody owns a name.

GoldenChildReturns · 02/08/2018 21:19

ImogenTubbs

my daughter has a very spanish name. we are not spanish same here and neither am i!

firawla · 02/08/2018 21:24

I’ve only came across one yara, she was Arab. I think it’s a name that can work across cultures so go for it?

defuqshudido · 02/08/2018 21:31

My name is Arabic origin but I'm white British. Go for it!!

Laquila · 02/08/2018 21:34

I’m pleasantly surprised at this thread! I asked a similar question when I was naming one of my children with a very obviously Welsh name and was told (by more posters that I expected) that I was being insensitive. I can see that there may be questions of cultural appropriation and insensitivity in some cases, but it’s by no means open and shut.

I like Yara, by the way! She was called something else in the books, strangely.

Zadig · 02/08/2018 21:37

Yara is fine OP. We already have Sara, Tara, Zara, Cara, etc. One of our daughters is Zahra. DH has ME origins. Go for it.

TheCatFromOuterSpace · 02/08/2018 21:45

It's a lovely name, I thought of game of thrones rather than any particular country

Frogscotch7 · 02/08/2018 21:46

Never heard of Yara before. It sounds like an exotic potato.