Names with strong cultural references

[dayonara]

Where would you draw the line about using a name with a strong cultural reference? My girls list has lots of names on it that I feel are strongly associated with one celebrity, film etc and I'm struggling to decide whether I should steer clear or whether I'm overthinking it. We tend to favour more common names for boys so our boys list doesn't have the same issue.

Celine (Dion)
Elsa (Frozen, or Born Free depending on the generation)
Lyra (Philip Pullman)
Adele (singer)
Juliet (& Romeo)
Delia (chef)
Miranda (comedian)

I feel like at this rate I'm going to talk my self out of every single name at this rate but feel I'd get irritated if when I introduced my child people were constantly saying " oh, like the singer" etc. But I do really love the names. Do you think the above are usable or best avoided and has anyone else had this issue?

Well are you picking them because of the celeb? Or did you like them anyway?

you're way overthinking it.

I might steer clear of Madonna, but the rest aren't exclusive to only the people you named.

No not picking them because of the celeb at all ( with possible exception of Lyra as I love that book/character) just like the names but worrying people will think I have picked them for that reason.

I have a Lyra and, while we do get the odd person asking if she’s named after the Pullman books, most people who comment just seem to think it’s a lovely, unusual name. No regrets, still love the name.

I did name her after the character in the books.

Unless you pick something very specific, e.g. Beyonce or arianna, most people won't make a connection, unless they love/hate the name due to its connection. Most names have been known for ages - Juliet is not exactly a new name. I wouldn't connect miranda to a comedian, its Shakespearean to me.

Elsa and is the only one I would immediately make the connection to.

With Celine I only would if I saw it written down, otherwise I'd assume Selene and not make a connection at all.

I think you're over thinking, they're all fine.

I think you're overthinking. Any name you choose will have belonged to some famous person.

Would it help you to have a reply prepared for the (occasional) people who bring up the celebrity? E.g.:

"Beautiful baby! What's her name?"
"Adele."
"Oh, like the singer?"
"Spelled just like that, yep. We chose it because it means "noble" and it's such a pretty, traditional name - it suits her so well!"

(Or insert whatever the reason is in your case.)

Juliet, Lyra and Miranda are not exactly uncommon names. It's not like Adolf is to Hitler, or Celine is to Dion, to take one of your examples.

I managed to get DH to agree to my DS's name because it was the same names as a famous sports personality that he liked!

I know a lyra and Arianna. Tbh, there's a good chance most people don't know or don't care about any celeb connotations.. Unless you're going for a Beyonce Elvis type name.

They're all fine! I particularly like Miranda and Juliet.

They’re all nice. I do think Lyra originates from the books, you can see from the graph here it only started being used then and has gone up as parents of that generation have kids! Quite right too as it’s lovely.
names.darkgreener.com/#lyra

Miranda will always be a moon of Uranus to me, named after the character in the Tempest of course. Shakespearian name, brilliant. Although Oberon and Titania aren't so common!

I would say that the celebrity names to be avoided are those who can be referred to by their first name only and everybody knows who you mean - Elvis, Madonna, Beyonce, Kylie etc. The rest are fine! Most of those on your list are unlikely to make people think of the cultural references you mention, except perhaps Lyra, but there are precedents for names "invented" by an author which then became standard names unlikely to raise an eyebrow - Lorna and Wendy spring to mind. I bet Lyra will outgrow its origins in the same sort of way eventually.

Lyra is a constellation - the lyre. It wasn't made up by Pullman.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyra

My Dd is Elsa, named before Frozen came out. She hates it, people telling her to 'let it go' all the time and asking her if the cold bothers her. Funny the first time, not so much after 500 jokes!

I’d never have thought of the comedy series Miranda until you mentioned it tbh. How long since that show finished anyway? About five years?

My DD is going be called Eowyn when she's born in April - after the character from LOTR :) In my defence JRR Tolkein based the name on the Cornish name, Elowen (we're both Cornish)...which I also love...but DP is obsessed with LOTR so I'm going along with it!

Go with what you love, screw other people's opinions :P

I wouldn't associate any of those names with any cultural reference (with possible exception of noting that Miranda and Juliet are shakespearean names)

We have a Lyra, named after the constellation not the character, and chosen because we have Greek family. Everyone asks if it's after the PP books but it doesn't bother me because I love the books and the character. I think only Elsa and Celina from your list would make me ask if your daughter was named after those characters. The rest are common enough names to not invite question. But I personally don't mind people asking "is that after..." because it's just a convenient little conversation filler that bridges the gap between "oh you have a baby" and "well good luck, see you around".

I know a Miranda and a Juliet, both are lovely names. Miranda often got called panda as a child! (she liked it)

Kylie sounds like you’ve named her after the singer but more generic names like celine or Adele are fine.

Leia- cultural
Leah- generic

Macauley- celeb
Jackson - generic

Lennon- celeb
John- generic

I had Elowen on our shortlist too @IMissMargaritas. It's a gorgeous name, as is Eowyn. I'm also Cornish and a huge LOTR fan!

I think that Elsa is the only one which has "strings". But if you love that, go for it.

My DH vetoed pretty much every boys name because they were associated with some footballer, politician or friend. He wouldn't even consider names like David or Nicholas because he associated them with plonkers or thought his friends would think he was naming DS after them! (we weren't, but if we were, wouldn't they be flattered?) That left basically nothing! We ended up choosing a Gaelic name that has no associations with anyone! 🙄

So unless the association really bad, I wouldn't worry about it. I do know a Lyra, and pretty much everyone asks her mum if it's from the books, so as long as you're happy to answer that question all the time then go for it!