Unfortunate name choice.

[Inneedofacookeddinner]

So a friend of mine just shared a lovely picture of her and her niece on social media and her nieces name is Isis. I didn't know this was her name and I was momentarily taken aback. I know this has long been a name and the little girl is about 7. My question is-would you have changed it if you were her mother? Such a shame that a once lovely name has been ruined by something so horrible.

Interesting about perceptions of being called Isis.

As Chocolate mentioned, Isis is synonymous with our stretch of the Thames, here in Oxford, so seeing/hearing it everywhere is common and just part of the landscape.
(University's tech company/ local businesses' brand logos/ Oxford Uni's magazine is Isis etc. etc.).

Not the same as a child growing up with the name, though, I realise.
Maybe Lord Grantham's friendly old labrador in Downton is a nicer association?

Part of me thinks, sod it, it's a beautiful name with a classical heritage, and the more babies named Isis the more it's 'reclaimed' from the terrorist association (at one point, the media started using "DAESH" instead of ISIS, specifically because the terrorist themselves hate that first term...wonder what happened to that?).

But then the actual lived experience for that young kid called Isis is what's important, not our adult ideals. Could go either way.
Situations where they'd be needing to wear 'first name only' labels (sports tournaments/ activity groups etc.) might draw unwanted attention in later years. Personalised t-shirts possibly wouldn't be risked.

Minor, occasional name-calling, shut down instantly by a few snappy comebacks from the Isis on the receiving end, is very different to (worst case scenario) sustained bullying.

Could very much depend on what environment we're talking about here, too.
e.g.

• Academic circles, classicist's daughter Isis: name probably doesn't even register within her peer group as unusual.

• More 'alternative' lifestyle, and/or musical/arty/theatrical/creative's daughter Isis: ditto.

Conversely, in an area heavily politicised, battling serious Islamophobia: pretty doubtful Isis is going to be chosen for anyone's baby daughter's name? And a child already called Isis moving into that area might not have the easiest time

Personally, I certainly wouldn't change an older Isis's name unless she was being made unhappy by it and the decision came from her.

^ Oops, I missed the DAESH post by MissWillmotsGhost. Agree with you.

And even then spelled her name wrong. Gah!

I think it would be much worse to be called something like Fred West or Rose West, which presumably some other people are. Really tough. I don't think I would change names, unless it became professionally problematic.

I know an Ira also, always thought was odd and he's a massive twat

I genuinely thought about Ira for my little boy, then realised he was going to have an Irish surname and it would be terrible.

Is it short for something? Irving?

The first time i heard Ira was on a programme with cybil shepard and christine baranski. Cant remember its name but it seemed funny at the time. Ira was her xh

And i remember being shocked the name was considered usable over there. Wthat character predated The Troubles but i wonder if it is used now?
America more insular. Other countries' troubles affect their choices less.
Eg they dont car3 if Randy is unusable here.

My sister moved to the states in the late 70s and used to get aggro from pro Ira idiots ('because my great great great grandmammy once ate a potato, I'm Irish'). One guy in her office used to love telling her that he sent money over to them.

I have a 6 year old, I can't imagine changing her name! I think Isis is a beautiful name. If she grows up and wants to change it then of course that's different, but wouldn't it be more difficult for her to have all her friends etc confused about her sudden change of name?!

As an aside, I'm sure the first club I went to was called Isis (in Nottingham).

I definitely would not change her name. My son goes to pre-school with an Isis and honestly nobody who knows her bats an eyelid. It's just her name and rather pretty. As with so many other words, I think our brains can cope with more than one meaning.

I wouldn’t change a 7 year olds name, no.

The dog in Downton Abbey was called Isis I always wondered if the terrorist connotations of the name was the reason she was killed off :/ lol

Oh and it’s a lovely name I think

Of course not. Everyone says so-called Islamic state now and they're shortly going to be history anyway. It's a lovely name that in a few short years won't have any more connotations than the second oxford rowing team :)

There are no longer any Dr Shipman's registered in the UK. They all disappeared at roughly the same time. Lots of deed polls issued... people don't want to be associated with such negativity. At the very least it would get tiresome listening to the same old jokes and pretending it's the first time anyone has said that.

Baked,

Apparently not!

time.com/4155205/downton-abbey-dog-isis/

I wouldn't change it.

If I knew a person named Isis, I might first think of the terrorist organisation, but that'd be it. I wouldn't continue to ponder on how it's linked with ISIS.

I was going to write this:

People need to call the terrorists daesh

I know a 8 year old Isis, I wonder if it's the same girl.

I'd call her Izzy or Sissy for short and pray it caught on.

There is a barber shop called Osama's in my locality. It was there on 9/11 and still prospers. If it had been my business I wouldn't have changed the name either, and there is no way I would change the name of a 7 year old.

Yeah, its a shame. Isn't this the reason they killed the dog on Downton?

I actually think Isis is nice as a name, and should be reclaimed. I do know an Isis - in their mid-20s - and it's been fine, although they were named before the negative associations came along.

I think it is a pretty name.