To give my baby a name from another culture.

[BubbleMix]

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?

(We went for something very safe and although it's pretty it is not unusual).

What's the fuss?

I gave DS a Native American name.

I thought Yara was specifically Brazilian rather than Portuguese. Yara the mermaid is from Brazilian folklore. I know many Yara's and the alternative spelling of Iara. If one of our boys had been a girl he would have been Yara, it's a beautiful name.
Anyone can be Brazilian, it's one of the most mixed up places on the planet, so I wouldn't worry about it.

My dd has a very very french name. It’s never been registered in England before. I love it so I chose it, name her what you love x

My dd has a very very french name. It’s never been registered in England before. I love it so I chose it, name her what you love x

I’ve never heard the name Yara, so wouldn’t connect it to a country.
I only think it’s a problem when both first and second names are ‘foreign’ but not from the same country, espcially if they are both hard to pronounce. It’s a bit unfair on the child if people cannot read or pronounce either name.

My children’s surname is very foreign, so we balanced it out with first names that the average Joe in England can read and pronounce with ease.

Yara is nice! It's different, easy to spell and pronounce, and works in many cultures. I watch Game of Thrones, but wouldn't make that association. It's not a main character like Arya or Daenerys.

It's a bit like people who get a Chinese tattoo having never been to China.

And they never take their time over it to research and make sure that it's accurate - they pop into the local takeaway on a mad-busy Friday night with the back of an envelope.

They might well have asked for a Chinese translation of 'Give me liberty or give me death' but who could blame the poor, put-upon person taking orders if they just gave them the symbols for Prawn Chop Suey instead?!

@hottrotsky please please please tell me you have some Native American heritage and you’re not white European. If you are white European 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

When I was in primary school in Essex, one poor boy was called Blanc Blonk. I don't know if he had any connection to France.

@ravenmum, Blonk is genius, I like it

I live in Lisbon and I have never met anyone named Yara.

Are you sure it’s not Brazilian, rather than Portuguese?

I've worked with a white man called Mohammed (his Dad was of Algerian origin) and also know a little Ravi who is fair skinned (one of his Grandads is of Indian origin).

Both my first and surnames are non-English, it comes as a surprise to people sometimes that I'm white and have a Northern English accent. Pick a name that you like and don't overanalyse it too much. I do notice though that non-white people are rarely asked where their names are from, where as myself and other white friends with unusual names get asked all the time. I don't mind but some people might find it irritating after a while.