Alabama???

[Amandawest447]

I’ve been looking around for names and I do prefer what some people would call “weird names”. I’ve come across Alabama, I know a lot of people don’t like place names on Mumsnet but im falling in love with it for a little girl. Travis barker named his daughter Alabama years ago and I think that’s how the name came into the mainstream. I do also like other state/city names like Memphis (which would be for a boy) For a girl there’s also Georgia which is obviously a state but that is more of a classic old name that has been used for decades as appose to a “trendy name” like Alabama. I also adore the nickname “Bama” I would just like to hear peoples thoughts as I don’t know how a name like this would work in England because people here tend to stick to old fashioned names like Lily, Elsie etc? Middle name will be rayne

What other middle name could possibly work with Alabama? I guess maybe do a switch and have Alabama SweetHome.

I mean Alabama Rayne? I’m honestly usually the one on mumsnet rolling my eyes at people in vapours over children named perfectly nice names like Jackson or Macy and acting like they’re horrible and I usually think it’s the height of snobbery.

But Alabama Rayne???? That’s the name of an alcoholic drink or a Billy Currington tune.

I’ve just seen the middle name Rayne. I was going to suggest Reign actually before….

Is it because of the song Alabama Rain that you like it OP? Is the baby due in July?

Starting to think this must be a wind up.

No one who drove through Indiana would ever call their child after that state.
On that basis Alabama is better but honestly still quite terrible.

I guess I like Indiana but that might just be because I'm an Indiana Jones fan.

To those enamoured of the name Indiana - have you ever been to Indiana? You can smell some parts of it when you're still miles away, and it has more than its share of MAGA folks too. Mike Pence was once governor.

bittersoutherner.com/alabama-chanin#.YmNg0tPMJ1s
There's more to the South than the stereotypes, but there's truth to them all the same.

I would wonder about someone with no links to the US using a name so closely linked to America.

There's Carolina - also Southern, but not overtly identifiable as an American state, and the old JT song is still appealing.

No one who drove through Indiana would ever call their child after that state.

Oh yes indeed - in fact, nobody who lived up to 150 miles downwind of parts of Indiana would call a child after it...

My name is Alba and it's pronounced as jts written. It's a name that exists all over the world and it's short sighted to say there's only one way of pronouncing it.

Alabama is awful (sorry OP).

No. It's a horrific racist place..

Sounds gr8 hun u go for it and ignore the haterz

It's very cool, it reminds me of the movie True Romance which used to be a favourite of mine. But you'd better be certain that your kid is going to be super cool, it would seem a little ridiculous on a mousy shy girl!

I'd look up some history first. Not a place I'd like my child's name associated with.

I’ve an Italian aunt Alba and it’s definite Al-ba there. Means dawn.

I'm surprised at people suggesting Alaska as a good alternative. The first images that spring to mind are baked Alaska and Sarah Palin. I think the problem with place names is that they do recall everything about that place, good and bad. They aren’t as unambiguously positive as most traditional names or neutral like many modern names (nature-inspired, surnames used as first names).

The first thing I associate with the name Alabama is crimson tide so that’s a huge no don’t do it from me.

There’s a poo fetish move called an Alabama hot pocket. Boys at school used to joke about it.

There's Carolina - also Southern, but not overtly identifiable as an American state, and the old JT song is still appealing.

I was so confused for a minute, JT (Justin Timberlake) is from Tennesse… then realised James Taylor.. 😳

Thought about Kentucky but that’s poss worse than Alabama.

Various capital cities could work: Augusta, Charleston, Raleigh, Boston, Hartford, Trenton, Atlanta, Jackson, Charleston, Montgomery, Frankfort, Anna(polis), Nash(ville), Harris(burg), Madison, Jackson, Helena, Austin, Lincoln, Denver, Phoenix, Olympia.

also Springfield is actually a real place - What?!?!

There's an area of Cardiff called Splott. Just putting it out there...

Honestly as everyone else has said, Alabama has awful connotations and along with its historic slavery is in the vanguard of denying women abortions.

I recently came across a child called Jersey-Blu. 😶

Springfield is several real places.

Only if you want every date she invites up to her place for a drink to look around and then exclaim, “sweet home, Alabama!”

I'm not usually one to have particularly strong feelings about names but I wouldn't. I live in the States and even here it would be considered...unusual. Sorry. Would Alaska or Indiana work instead?

I suspect this is a wind- up, but let us take the OP at her word and catalogue the contenders for non-yucky alternatives.

Albany
Alexandra
Alastrina
Adelaide
Alberta
Albertine
Alba
Alana
Amanda
Amaryllis
Angelica
Annabella
Antonia
Anastasia
Alicia
Andrea
Antoinette
Avalon
Astolat

That's just off the top of my head, and you'll see there's a few euphonious place names in the list. No need to go all Trump trashy, which particularly would not be a good look in the UK, which is far from Alabama geographically and culturally.

Nothing wrong with Redneck America and hillbillies.

I think it would be fine if you were American or had some connection to Alabama. A twee English girl with a name like this seems a little incongruous to me.

I would say that those arguing it's an unacceptable name because it was once a hotbed of slavery are a bit ridiculous. If someone thinks "Alabama = Slavery", that just shows their extremely limited awareness of American history. Yes, slavery took place there, and that was awful, but that doesn't mean it's the only thing it's known for. Almost every first name that recalls a place has some darkness in its history, but people who conflate it with those events alone are just ignorant. India is a popular name, yet India aa a country has seen some atrocious human rights abuses over the years and certain minority groups continue to be persecuted there. Paris has had an extremely bloody history. The list goes on.

Alabama like travis barkers kid
and reign like Kourtney kardashians kid
people will presume you are a super fan.