Ebony

[MissAlabamaWhitman]

What do you think?

There is no cultural significence other than the fact that black parents often choose to use it.

The actual name in the English use comes from a tree........the Ebony tree to be precise.

It might be a good idea to take your hysteria elsewhere Alisvolatpropiis* :)

Ebony, as a few others have said, has serious racial connotations. To name a white child Ebony would be incredibly cringeworthy. I know two (white) Ebonys and assume that their parents must have been utterly ignorant to have saddled them with that sort of name.

Bonnie is infinitely better.

Love it, know two Ebonys and an Eboni and they're all white and in my opinion suit it fine. As PP's have said there are plenty of colour names that don't coincide with the colour of the owner

Will she have a sister called Ivory?

I know two Ebonys in the UK and they are both white, but in the US it's almost exclusively used in the black community. I think it has different connotations there.

I like the name Ebony and would associate it with a black or mixed race child. However I live in London so if I met a white or Chinese ebony I wouldn't bat an eyelid. People are free to choose whatever names they want these days. The name Ebony is a lovely name.

I know the name well for both black and white females. So can see both sides of the argument - If you like it - use it. I find we "grow" into our names anyway and it would be great if one day we could choose names because we like the meaning of the name and it feels right! Personally I think it is for either!

Not for a strawberry blonde child, no.

Eleanor
Elodie
Eloise
Elise
Eve

I came on here assuming you were black and to say it's a beautiful name but on a strawberry blonde child I do think it would be odd, sorry. Also bear in mind that sadly people do still prejudge people on their names, it's a fact that CVs with more BME sounding names will be less likely to be chosen for interviews. If you like it use it but just something to bear in mind.

Allisvolatpropiis can you expand on why you think it's 'culturally ignorant' to call a white child ebony?

Oh don't worry Gary she thinks that the name Bonnie denotes an 'fat' person too.

I'll be losing no sleep regarding her assessment of my cultural acumen

I will say that Ebony is most commonly used by black people but I don't think it can only be used people with darker skin. I do though think that it will strike a lot of people as odd if there isn't some feature or other which goes with the name, which is why I'm not sure it will really work for a wee strawberry blonde beauty.

I really love the name Elodie though.

I think Ebony is an underused, beautiful name. However, I imagine a girl with very dark hair.
Call your baby whatever you like OP.😀

Ebony is available to everyone. It does not signify a black person unless you wish it to. So do any of Ebony R-B's names appeal op? She seems to be ok as Ebony!

Why do we have to split names into black/white and say it is culturally unaware to use a name ascribed to a different culture? Could we not choose French names? Or is that culturally unaware too? Or Irish names? Why is it that people think it is not appropriate to use a "black" name. That's just bizarre. Choose what you want op! Blanche will be wrong next!

Also, if you go on naughty websites, you'll see that ebony is strongly linked to skin colour there too

Also, if you go on naughty websites, you'll see that ebony is strongly linked to skin colour there too shock

That is true. Ebony in porn is code for *naked black women having sex". So "Ebony Interracial" is a category of sex videos featuring black women with white men.

For that reason alone, I would not choose the name. And I am black, too!

Tbf, I think the "naked" and "having sex" part is a given.

Only ebony I know is a blonde white kid. Lovely name regardless of child's ethnicity

I agree that it's not right for a white child.

Love it, suggested it the other day on another thread.

Wait... you can't call a white child Ebony?

Not on mumsnet apparently 😂😂😂

Out of interest I googled names that also mean black......who knew there were so many ?? www.meaning-of-names.com/search/index.asp?nm=black&stype=1