Arabic names for white child

[Violetrose7]

Me and my partner are both white British, the baby girl names we love the most include Amira, Amaya and Safiya, all of which are of Arabic origin. I also love Zara but he isn’t keen.

has anyone got any other suggestions similar to these names and also does anyone think it would be an issue using an Arabic name when we have no connection to the culture? We just love the names!

So your criterion of accepability for an unusual name is that its a main character in a well known work of literature....

I asked Chat GBT to suggest some unusal names occuring in well-known works of literature. Here's it's top ten suggestions. I take it, from what you say, that you would also be in favour of these?

1. Slartibartfast (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams)

1. Zaphod Beeblebrox (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams)

1. Ignatius J. Reilly (A Confederacy of Dunces, John Kennedy Toole

1. Uriah Heep (David Copperfield, Charles Dickens

1. Mr. M’Choakumchild (Hard Times, Charles Dickens)

1. Oedipa Maas (The Crying of Lot 49, Thomas Pynchon)

1. Tyrone Slothrop (Gravity’s Rainbow, Thomas Pynchon)

1. Meursault (The Stranger, Albert Camus)

1. Kilgore Trout (appears in multiple Kurt Vonnegut novels)

1. Humbert Humbert (Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov)

which of these is your favourite? 🤣

@SixtySomething , So your criterion of accepability for an unusual name is that its a main character in a well known work of literature.... Not at all.
Some of those names are established names that are underused.

Some of them suggest that the parents are diehard fans of the piece of literature, and are not established as names in the UK.

Some of those characters are unsavoury and the association would not be acceptable for a child.

Exactly, so this supports my main point that the connoataion and culture of a name need to be considered alongside whether it 'sounds nice' and occurs in a work of literature.
a name is not 'just a name' as a p poster claimed. It comes with a whole set of associations , which parents should consider before foistering them on their child.
How on esrth will her teachers, let alone a child learn to spell Scheherazade?
Okay, it can be shortened to Sherry but some people might find that pretty laughable.
What if she's teetotal? I guess some people will think she's called Sherry becsuse she can't stop drinking it! 🤣
It's a ridiculous conversation.

@DuchessOfNarcissex what do you mean "like this in real life" ?
I didn't know how to pronounce a name.
That happens a lot with lots of names.
My own name gets pronounced differently depending on people's accents.
I don't really give much thought to people's backgrounds just by their name.
Other than boys named Mohammed I don't think I've ever made an assumption of nationality/culture/religion because of someone's name.

@SixtySomething , How on esrth will her teachers, let alone a child learn to spell Scheherazade?
Are you implying that teachers are not good at spelling? Would you make the same comment about a name like Alexandriana, Christabelle or Maximiliana?

@Needmorelego , there are lots of names that are religious. An awareness of them helps.

I know white girls with the first two names and never thought anything of it but I think Safiya would be pushing it.

Actually, NO, teachrs are not always good at spelling. Believeme, I know and I've seen threads on MN about ' should I correct DC's teachers spelling mistakes.'
Do you believe all teachers know how to spell?
What about the dyslexic ones?

@DuchessOfNarcissex why does it matter if a name has religious origins and I personally don't know that?
If I meet someone whether or not they follow a religion or not is usually not relevant. Obviously if faith is an important part of their life then I will find out through talking to them.
Why exactly do I need to be "aware"?
What difference does it make?

@Needmorelego , to you, none whatsoever, I expect, but your incessant and IMO pointless questions are tiresome.

@SixtySomething , dyslexia among teachers is probably beyond the scope of this thread.

@DuchessOfNarcissex I don't quite understand your issue with me.
I thought this was a conversation 🤔
Which questions are pointless?

It’s not cultural appropriation, what a load of crap!

It’s a name fgs. Pick one you like and don’t worry what anyone else is thinking.

This is the world gone mad too far.

* dyslexia among teachers is probably beyond the scope of this thread.*
I couldn't agree more, but it was you who introduced teachers' spelling capabilities into the discussion!
I don't mind getting into a discussion with you, @DuchessOfNarcissex , because you've not gone straight for the insults as do some Mumsnetters.
🤗

My Aunt is British Iranian and called Scheherazade. She goes by Sherry for short. You sound delightful.

I am delightful many thanks. I'm taking that as a compliment.

Perhaps Scheherazade is a name recognised in the Iranian community? I obviously have no problem with that; presumably people cope with the name if they know it in advance, like English Charlotte (also hard to spell). English doesn't normally have -sch- or the other sound combinations.
Only difficulty is with the name being shortened to the name of an alcoholic beverage, but if it's already a known quantity, that's different.
You, too, sound absolutely delightful, if I may say so.

@SixtySomething would people really think of alcohol when hearing the name "Sherry" ?
I associate it with being a very 1960s name that's short for Cheryl.

Why would it be an issue? My siblings and I have Hebrew names and we’re not Jewish.

Also I know a fair few little girls called “Amaya” none of whom are Arab or who have any Arabic descent.

If anything I would say don’t use Amaya because it’s common.

@JHound Are the names something like Matan and Rotem, or are they more like Matthew and Ruth?

Not quite the former but nowhere near as common as the latter.

@JHound , I'm not sure if the two examples I gave would be recognisably Hebrew to the untrained eye, but I wanted forms of the same names.

If I started a thread on whether to name my baby Yehuda (love the name, and I know a lovely man with the name), the response would be quite different to a thread on whether to name my baby Jude.

I know / knew a Yehuda, a Jude and also a Judah!

None of whom are Jewish though.

Really?!

Thanks everyone for your comments, opinions and suggestions. It’s been an interesting and insightful read. We’re going with Amaya which I’ve learned is more commonly used in Spain

Yep!

It was the way I felt almost interrogated by the owner, him having only just met us, it felt totally inappropriate, almost creepy, completely different if it just comes up in conversation with someone you’ve known a while. I have often felt ‘othered’ by people merely on account of my name