Would you give your DC the same name as a historical 'baddie'?

[AKMD]

I've been trying to figure this out. There are some fairly obvious 'baddie' names e.g. Adolf, Herod, Cain, Jezebel, but also some less obvious ones which are quite popular e.g. David, Delilah.

When you choose a name, do famous historical figures with the same name influence you at all? If there was a notorious person with the same name you were considering, would it stop you using it? Would it make a difference if it was the first known person with that name?

Just wondering :)

I'd do a straw poll of people I know and ask them what's the first thing you think of when you hear the name X. If more than one of them say "what, like the serial killer?" then it's a no no.

Fred for example is fine. But I wouldn't name a child after a tragic figure either - Sylvia, or Cassandra or Jude.

Move to Glasgow freelancegirl Enoch will remind people of St Enoch and the subway station, square and shopping centre named after him.

Ivan was on my list until I realized people associated it immediately with "The Terrible".. It might still end up as a middle name though.
Anders is a really nice name and honestly it took me 5 minutes to figure out why it was on this list...but I am probably a little slow.

But is Anders not the most common Scandinavian boys name? Every Scandinavian man I meet seems to be called Anders. (usually quite handsome too, mmm).

I think it's safe to use.

My brother has almost exactly the same name as a mass murderer (think Hungerford), but it wasn't intentional and I'm not sure he even realises!

I wonder if Italians avoid Benito? I think I'd definitely run the possible connections through my head (and wikipedia) before choosing a name. Always better to be in the know before you fill in the birth certificate!

George W Bush doesn't seem to have made 'George' any less popular, however...

I teach a boy (of Turkish origin) called Attila.

I think Raoul will suffer the same fate, can't imagine anyone using it for a long long time!

This has got me thinking... Would you connect Barthelemy with a terrible historical event immediately?
I am a whisker away from giving it to DC2 if it is a boy.

I have a David and a Peter. And a Robert (Mugabe)! I should try for a little Myra!

I met a little Myra the other day. Luckily she lives in Canada so the association is less there, although the older generation know about the murders so I'm surprised it wasn't said to the parents.

I was still shocked though despite myself and wondered whether the mum knew.

I wouldn't connect anything nasty with Raoul or Barthelemy.

I like Lilith, Jezebel and Morgaine (seem to have a thing for bad girls! ) but couldn't bring myself to use them for DD because of the negative associations.

Someone I know called their DD Pagan, which I also love, but actually changed it after a couple of weeks because of the hateful response they got to it.

It depends, some names do bring instant associations but other more common names don't.
I once knew a young girl called swastika, I felt so bad for her as for me, it brings thoughts of the nazis immediately. Awful name

See, raoul just reminds me of phantom of the opera. I think names and associations are different for everyone

Myra has no associations for me. (Am 30 yr old and American) I know why now, but I would never have known or thought of that before.

raoul i will always associate with the irn bru advert (scottish people will know what im talking about)

it seams to me that if the anem of the villian or murderer etc is an unusal name then it will always be associated with the person and the deeds they did. Adolf is a pretty unsual name to English speaking people, but also he was so wicked Im sure the generations afterwards would not call their children this.
But more popular names such as Robert or Josef (Joseph) can not be just associated with the bad person or their deeds.

Its the same with people we all like or who are popular, like Elvis, its an unusal name but people just dont call their kids that.

Of course there are people who will call their children these names but they are in the minority

Tragic figures are a little different, my DD1 has the name of a tragic literary figure, I suppose it depends on the meaning and the deeds that they did.

Anakin? No.
Loki? No.
The Dark Lord Sauron? No.

Wow, I just googled Myra...terrible indeed.

So, no one associates Barthelemy with St.Bartholomew's Day massacre? Good. :)

Bless, one of my lovely nursery nurses was called Myra.
I like Jezebel but no, you just couldn't.
I like Cameron but given 'call me Dave' also not, not for a while anyway
And i loved Madeleine but only ever think of the poor missing wee girl when I hear it now
Names are like songs aren't they? They will always have some kind of connotation for the individual.
Most teachers struggle because of the number of 'Baddies' they teach - it can really put you off a name
Still feel a bit sorry for anyone who named their children Jordan or Jade when both were getting a lot of stick (I like both those names. And Maggie of course - which now you might associate with the Simpsons or the actress Gyllenhaal but when I was growing up was always The Milk Snatcher).

freelancegirl

I was in a cafe in Whitmore Reans a week or two ago, there was a poster showing the names that are common in the bBible and the Koran - top of the list was Enoch - I found that quite amusing.

When someone says Myra I just think of my mum's friend not THAT one.

Well yes, obviously it depends on the prevalence of the name and how many 'goodie'/normal people there are with it to counteract you thinking immediately of the nutters.

I mean the Stalin example - apart from I thought it being spelt Josef - there's Jesus' earthly Dad to detract, so quite a safe bet.

It's a question of education to a degree as well e.g. Delilah - are people going to think Samson or Tom Jones? Jude, Cassandra too - will that many people know the details of the tragedies they figure in?

And the other way - I know an Inigo and although I knew of 'Jones', my best mate's and my immediate response was to say to each other 'Halllo! My name is Inigo Montoya - you killed my fadda; prepare to die.'

Badgerina - 'And here's our son Smeagol'

Delilah will always make me think of Tom Jones and rugby. We go to watch Wales quite often and they sing it as if it was their national anthem.

Joseph makes me think of Mary and Joseph. Stalin didn't cross my mind at all.

And the other way - I know an Inigo and although I knew of 'Jones', my best mate's and my immediate response was to say to each other 'Halllo! My name is Inigo Montoya - you killed my fadda; prepare to die.'

YY!!! Love the name!

I'm not sure how well known a historical baddie would need to be for me to rule out the name. I don't think I would consider historical baddie names which I associate with terrible events, which would put Josef out for me, but literary baddie names are fine. Waits for Voldemort to show up on a names thread...