To not understand how this is cultural appropriation?

[NewUsername18382828]

Namechanged for this.
DH and I decided to give DD (who is now 6) a name which is originally from another country. Neither of us have relatives or any connection there, we just liked the name. There is an English variant of the name but we didn't like the sound of it as much so went with the one we liked most. Didn't think it would be a problem, a name is a name.

Well anyway, a mum of a girl in DD's class at school was born in that country. She heard me call DD at the gates and started talking to me about her name. She was asking what our ties were to the country, and so on. When I said there weren't any and we just liked the name, she muttered something about cultural appropriation and left with her child. Fast forward another couple of weeks and I've just been informed by another parent that she's been badmouthing us, saying we shouldn't use a foreign name when we have no ties to the country, it's cultural appropriation.

AIBU to have no clue how this is cultural appropriation? I always thought a name was just a name.

she is ridiculous.

how many people in England have truly English names?

But then, I am am offender as well. DH is Portuguese, I am originally French and one of the DDs has a Russian name - and live in the UK. What does that make us??? Jeez

This mum is being ridiculous you can name you child what ever you like

I as at school with 2 kids (not related) with very very German names (pretty full on Germany names too). The boys fail to said they had no connection and the girl (in German family) was named after her mums childhood pal.

Surely as the world gets smaller and cultures become more integrated the cross over of names will become more common, and isn't that a good thing?

My DGD both have what were originally Greek names but they are names that have been in use here for many years.

Look through any baby name book, very few 'English' names are actually originally English.

For example Megan - origin margaret - Greek
David - Hebrew
John - Hebrew
Alice - originally Germanic, then used in France then Britain
Lynda - German
William - Norman French
Lucy - Latin

My daughter has an originally Russian name, and if you were born around 1990 you will know at least one or more people with this name, which is odd because it's pre Internet so how did we all call our daughters the same name.

My son has a name with the Scottish spelling despite having no ties to Scotland, it just suited him better. Rather than taking this as a bad thing take it as a compliment.

When someone uses the phrase “cultural appropriation,” what they are really saying is “I was educated at a top college.”
Source: quillette.com/2019/11/16/thorstein-veblens-theory-of-the-leisure-class-a-status-update/

That’s crazy. I’m half Chinese, half Haitian, was born in Russia and have an Irish name

you can choose whatever name you wish for your child, it isn't this other woman's damn business.

This ^

Arnoldwhat'shisknickers is spot on.

Cultural appropriation my arse. You love the name, so you gave it to your beautiful baby - if anything it is an homage to the beauty of the language/nation the name came from.

If you take this "cultural appropriation" bollox to its logical conclusion, does that mean that people in third world countries shouldn't be allowed to have clean water because it is appropriating western hygiene methods?

Or vaccinations, because those are western medical practices?

Of course not!

What a load of rubbish!

We British are mongrels anyhow. There's probably a bit of diluted blood from almost every country on earth in each one of us. My Blood group is ABrh+ , and apparently we ABs are direct descendants of the Mongol Hordes that swept across Europe, slaughtering, raping and pillaging as they went.

As it happens, we didn't call DS "Ghenghis", but if we'd wanted to . . .

I thought Diana was a Roman goddess, not a Jewish name. You learn something every day. There have been a lot of Dianas in my family for at least 200 years, but the name became too strongly associated with the Princess of Wales for me to want to use it.

I have seen parents from different backgrounds come up with some fantastic ways of representing their child's dualities heritage in their name. Equally, I know parents who don't plan to bring up their children bilingual choose names that indicate integration. Then there are the people who choose what I would call Hollywood names like the names of fruits or landscape features. I gather you can't do that in France beau your child's name must be on a recognised list of names. Names tell you everything and nothing at the same time.

The only names that should offend are the ones that indicate that the parents have a screw loose, like that couple who were banned from calling their son Hitler, or a New Zealander who wanted to call their son a string of numbers instead of a name.

She needs to get a fucking life.
Ignore her and get on with yours.

If we just stuck to names from our own country we’d have very few names. Most ‘normal’ names are from other countries

She is being a twat op. Just ignore her.

It's really impossible to say if it's CA without knowing the name and also hearing from a lot of people from that country or culture.

I'd probably focus on her bad handling rather than the topic itself. Speak with her, let her get it off her chest, and tell her clearly she's not to cause any more trouble that might end up affecting your child who had no say in any of it.

Lots of Irish names like Liam, Sean and Bridget are given to children in the UK and elsewhere. I think it's a good sign of how far we've come. Sorry can't do the fada on the 'a' in Sean although it's not usually used outside Ireland anyway!

That’s crazy. I’m half Chinese, half Haitian, was born in Russia and have an Irish name

That must confuse the fuck out of the bigots if they tell you to go home. I take it as a compliment if someone none Irish, has an Irish name. ☘️

Oh what utter bollocks.

My dd's name could be viewed as culturally French. We have no connection with France whatever.

She may have a bit of a point, but she's not handling it very well. Even if she's from a culture that has been exploited or persecuted to the extent that she has experienced a lot of racism in her life, she shouldn't be mouthing off to other parents about a little child's name in a way which could lead to bullying.

My given name is Greek in origin. I am not Greek. A Jamaican friend gave her daughter a Welsh name. If names never travelled, we’d all be called Ethelburga or some other similar thing!

I think the expression "cultural appropriation" should be flushed down the toilet. People get offended about anything these days, I would think they would find it flattering rather than offending.

How can a child’s name offend someone so much
Jesus Christ

The Cambridge’s named their kid Louis 🤷‍♀️

My dc have fairly English first names but Swedish and Greek middle names. We just liked them.

She’s daft.

I understand if you don’t want to share the name but is it Amelie? I know a lot of (thoroughly English) baby girls called Amelie, it’s becone very popular recently.

My name is French, lots and lots of "English" names are, however calling your child a traditional Indian name would be odd if you are white British with no Indian ancestors.

When someone uses the phrase “cultural appropriation,” what they are really saying is “I was educated at a top college.”

You are being generous. I would interpret it as someone identifying themselves as an utter twat. The grievence industry knows no bounds.