Do You Care About the Meaning??

[Jossina]

When you named your child did you care about the meaning or did you just like the name?

I cared about the meaning; I wouldn't have chosen a name if I didn't like its meaning.

I'm quite fascinated about names though, and what they mean.

I didn’t think about it really, my daughters name means merciful pearl.

Names don’t really ‘mean’ anything - they just refer to the person in question.

I find the etymology of names really interesting though. My son’s name has an interesting etymology and that’s one of the reasons I like it, but I think I would have chosen it anyway. I’ve been put off names by their unfortunate ‘meanings’ before though. So, I suppose it’s one factor but rarely the deciding one.

No. I love the name Claudia and seriously considered it for our daughter, even though I knew it meant lame/crippled. Most people in real life aren't going to know about name meanings, much less care tbh.

I care more about negative namesakes. For example, I also like the name Myra, but wouldn't use it because I wouldn't want Hindley being the first association people make when they hear my daughter's name.

It depends on

1. how obvious the meaning is -eg derived from a l(Latin or Greek) word
2. whether the meaning is negative

I'm not overly concerned but I wouldnt choose a name with a negative meaning, for example Claudia as mentioned by PP. I couldn't use it for that reason.
Also we are fair haired and I wouldn't use Ciaran or Keira for the reason they mean 'dark haired' and I picture them on dark haired children.
Generally though I don't worry too much, although it can push me towards using a name if the meaning is lovely.

I agree that Claudia's meaning is very obvious, derived from claudus (disabled/lame) which would put me off.

Negative meanings or connotations would turn me off (will never understand why people name their children things like Cain, Dolores, Hector, Ophelia, Lilith, Damian, Mallory, Candida)...

Most of those I get but why hector and Mallory?

Not really. Our downstairs neighbour told us off for calling our firstborn Benjamin

That said, I was put off the name Jacob when I found out it meant “deceiver”.

Look up what 'to hector' or 'hectoring' means!

Queenoftheashes with Hector I think of the verb "to hector" as in "to bully someone" rather than the Iliad.

Mallory comes from 'the unlucky/misfortunate one'. "Mal" is a negative meaning in French and Soanish and some other European languages.

I hate the name Amelia ( it's a birth defect with a missing limb(s))

It mattered to me. It didn't need to be some epic meaning but it needed to not be negative.

Most names do not actually have a meaning. The 'meanings' listed on baby name websites/books are made up or are the meaning of words that sound a bit similar. But obviously that's not how language works. Words that look or sound similar can mean completely different things. And collections of letters that look similar to a word do not suddenly mean the same thing as that word.

Oh I always think of the hero Hector. It never crossed my mind to associate it with the verb. Mallory I think of natural born killers or the babysitters club 😂

What @bridgetreilly said. I don't care at all really about meanings. I would be bothered by namesakes to a limited extent (e.g. Judas, Adolf are no) and I would think twice if it meant something rude or embarrassing in another language but only to a certain degree.

If I loved a name, a nice 'meaning' or origin would be a bonus. A negative meaning wouldn't put me off - only negative namesakes as mentioned above.

It is the child's actual name you will be hollering 100 times a day when they are selectively hearing toddlers, so whether it means 'angel from heaven' or 'one who makes much trouble' makes no difference for me

Yes it was why i named themthat name

I don't care much about names apparently meaning "one from whom the river is blessed" or "the lights shines upon their face" and that sort of thing, but I do care about the associations of names and if the actual etymology is negative.

Yes, meanings of names are important to me.

My third son's middle name was chosen specifically for its meaning. I liked the name anyway, but when I looked up the meaning it made the name perfect for him - it means, according to a very old book of names I found in the library, 'God has added another son'.

I would hate for my child to find out his/her name's meaning and it being obviously negative!

Many names don't have 'obvious' meanings but some do, being directly derived from an actual noun or adjective (in either English, Germanic or Latin/Greek).

but I do care about the associations of names and if the actual etymology is negative.

Exactly. Me too.

One of my kids is named Cain so no, I don’t care

I find it interesting, DM called us all something that had a meaning to it. Although I wanted to have this too, DS name meaning is bloody awful (at the time I was 4 days in hospital and I liked nothing) however it was special in a way as it was the name of the trainee mw's son who helped me try bf him and she was wonderful and really touched by it.

Baby coming in March will have something with a nicer meaning behind it.