What is in a Name? Should Germanics Have Germanic Names?

[Granraude]

My first name is Greek (named after you know who, starting with an A), but my middle and surname are both very Norse/Norwegian.

My girlfiend has a German first name, Scottish/Norman middle, and Norse/Norwegian surname.

[Heinrich Harrer]

I think my first name has a greek origin. For my children I would probably pick germanic names, but I'm not that annoyed by names traditionally used in our countries which have roman or greek roots.

I'm much more annoyed by this new trend of picking cheap sounding anglo names like Cindy, Justin, Dennis, Marvin, Jaquelin, Kevin, etc.

Usually parents who choose these names have a low education and most of their knowledge about the world comes from trashy TV shows.

I remember actually having read an article about name-based discrimination a while ago (it's only available in German):
http://www.spiegel.de/schulspiegel/w...649421,00.html
Shoddy machine translation by Google Translate:

Unjust primary school teachers
"Kevin is not a name but a diagnosis"
A study shows that primary school teachers are prejudiced against certain names - and why some children behave even very noticeable classify. (..) They were of the opinion to assess from experience that children are born with certain name, albeit from the lower class, less powerful and behavioral disorders are. (..) "I would recommend: Look at teachers, doctors or pastors' families, how their children are called, then you are pretty good," she says with a laugh. Actors and celebrities would be less suitable.

[Barreldriver]

I am embarrassed about my forename, it was taken from the Bible and is a Jewish forename, my folks were staunch Christians, traditionally we used more ethnically applicable names from the times of my great grandparents on back but since then a Biblical naming trend emerged, often we'd also give a Christian forename but a more ethnically representative middle name.


These are ethnically applicable forenames that have been used historically in my family and are still used to this day, I've checked the meanings in a number of databases, most are English some are Welsh, Gealic, and German, some also share meanings with Latin, French, and Spanish names (I'm guessing they came to be in England and such via literature trends): Talford, Mainous/Mannus, Arvil also spelled Arvel and Arwel, Lottie, Hardy, Clifford, William, Lee Roy, Elizabeth, Wilburn, Emeline/Amelina, Eveline/Evelyn, Buchanon, Nancy, Norma, Norman, Richard, Lucy/Lucia, Grace, Robert, Sion, Arthur, Ewing/Ewen/Eòghainn, Charles, Susan, Francis, Rose, Emma, Isabell, Viola, Marjorie, Reba, Ethel, Laura Bell, Nova, Laura, Matilda, Martin, Catharina, Ludowich, Johann/Hans, Agnes, Irene, Frederick, Mathias, Ellen, Aidin, Edward, Gertrude, Amanda, Leonard, Agatha, Wilhelm, Alby, Carl, and Henry.

[Vignir]

I come from an old English family on both sides but even though i was given both of my grandfathers 1st names it does not do my family and its history any justice ...

Victor (first) Maurice (2nd) neither truly fitting for my family "in my opinion" but glad i was honored to be named after good men!

[velvet]

I think my first name has a greek origin. For my children I would probably pick germanic names, but I'm not that annoyed by names traditionally used in our countries which have roman or greek roots.

I'm much more annoyed by this new trend of picking cheap sounding anglo names like Cindy, Justin, Dennis, Marvin, Jaquelin, Kevin, etc.

Usually parents who choose these names have a low education and most of their knowledge about the world comes from trashy TV shows.

What I find always really "great" about that is the pronounciation the parents rape then that name with

Only works in German though, but

Jacqueline is spoken Scha-cke-li-ne, Chantal becomes Schantall, and Cindy.... guess Cindy aus Marzahn ruined the last 'positive' reputation of that name and sounds rather like a diagnosis too Lately I've seen a show in TV where Justin was spoken with "German pronunciation", so rather Joosteen/Yoosteen or something....

Herbert Knebel once had an extreme funny piece on those names in Mitternachtsspitzen, but cant find it... because really, English speaking Skadites, you cannot imagine what uneducated proles do to those names

[Angelcynn Beorn]

I've got 2 Biblical forenames, although i never particularly liked either. Of my 2 children one has a Biblical name and the other has an Old English name, and i'm happy with both.

Apart from the new generation of hippie names, and the low class/black habit of making up names by putting together sounds, i don't have much of a problem with anyone's names.

[Thorwolf]

My name is Michael Jason Lingo. I thought many times about changing my name, but then, my family will still call me Michael. So I gave all three of my children fitting names. My first daughter is Morgann Willow, My second daughter is Danna Rowan, and my son is Connor Saxon.I like their names much better.

[Þoreiðar]

My first name is of Jewish origins. I'm thinking about changing it to one of my grandfathers' name; either 'Thor Olav' or 'Reidar'. I've also considered a combination of the two, but it wouldn't sound very natural.

[Thusnelda]

Charles Martel fought against the muslims in Poitiers a long time ago (and protected Europe in the same time !)... and Charles still be a germanic name, frenchified, ok.

Then why don´t you use the Germanic version of the name? Karl! "Karl" is a good Germanic name. The boy´s name "Karl" is of Old German origin and the meaning of Karl is "free man". It´s stemming from "Kerl", German for "strong and artful fellow". ("Er ist ein echter Kerl!")

Well, I´ve some Karls in my family and it´s a fine name. One of my grandmothers had the name "Barbara" and I like it as well! It´s no Germanic name, okay, but Barbara = Barbarian = Not like the sissy-like Romans and Greeks.

[Sigurd]

Then why don´t you use the Germanic version of the name? Karl! "Karl" is a good Germanic name. The boy´s name "Karl" is of Old German origin and the meaning of Karl is "free man".

...though strangely enough, the female version, Caroline, sounds much less Germanic again, perhaps since it underwent Latinisation in the process (Carolus > Carola > Carolina "little Carola").