2023 Author: Gabrielle Mercer | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 12:25
While here in Austria there are quite strict rules regarding naming, parents in other countries are allowed to be very … creative. Those "affected" exchange information about their lives with the unusual names on the Internet.
According to American name researchers, after this crazy year, parents should no longer be in the mood for the classics. Unusual names such as Arya, Kylo, Marigold or Arlo - that is the trend for 2021. Realistically, however, a great many Noahs and Annas will also be born next year. Especially because here in Austria it is rather difficult to get a completely crazy name approved.
This is not the case in other countries. Just think of the celebrity parents Elon Musk and Grimes, who named their little son X Æ A-12 [ˈɛks-ˈeɪ-ˈaɪ]. Well, they had to change the name for the official documents (only letters and no numbers are allowed in California), but the pronunciation remained the same. At least X Æ A-12 is growing up in eccentric celebrity circles, where everyone understands their parents' antics. But the normal people out there have to live with their strange, strange and unusual names every day.
Fortunately, there is the Internet where you can talk about anything. And so you can find tons of reports from people who have come to terms with their names, although it was not always easy. We have put together the most interesting:
Mastery: "… I was blocked by Quora because they didn't believe me, that it's a real name."
Quora user Mastery Sheets reports under the thread for unusual names of multiple problems in the course of her life. Most often she was mistaken for a man, even at school, which is why she was suddenly the only girl in the boys' workshop. Also, people she gives her business card to would often believe that "Mastery Sheets" is the name of their company and not their own. And the announcements in fast food shops or coffee shops are a lot of fun anyway: "In the meantime I've stopped repeating my name again. I just wait to see what happens when I let them write what they believed they heard. " And to illustrate that, the user has added a few examples. Our favorite: "Massacre" (German: Massaker).
George: "I'm the only child and my parents wanted to continue the tradition …"
George is not common in this country, but not at all unusual in English-speaking countries. But here comes the catch: Usually boys are called George and not girls. The respondent in an interview with Kidspot is the latter. No wonder she has spent - and still does - her whole life being mistaken for a boy or a man. When people then think of the mistake, it always leads to laughter: "I am often judged negatively and laughed at - especially by older men." But pity is also on the agenda: "Many simply cannot understand that my name is what my name is. They then say that they pity me."
Xanthe: "… I was most afraid when new teachers came."
Also interviewed for Kidspot was Xanthe, whose full name is Xanthe Skye, which means "blonde sky". Accordingly, her mother would call her "Sunshine", which is actually quite nice. If it weren't just for the school situation, when a supplement is on the agenda. Because that's always what the young woman was most afraid of: "I hated having to repeat my name three times, especially because I was very shy at the time and didn't like speaking in front of the class."
April: "M'am, I'm 48 years old. How often do you think I've heard that saying ?!"
Nadinastiti: "Before I explain anything, I should introduce you to the Indonesian naming."
We already mentioned at the beginning of the article that naming is not strictly regulated in every country. That probably also applies to Indonesia. Because as Quora user Nadinastiti explains in a long post, there is actually no legal regulation. So not only can you combine all possible consonants and vowels into a name, you can also use any terms. Names like "God" or "Merry Christmas" are not that unusual. The only exceptions would be the Muslim and Chinese minorities. They have their own "normal" traditions. "I associate my name with a love-hate relationship, but I don't really mind if people pronounce it incorrectly - especially non-Indonesians. I often introduce myself as 'Nadine' to make it easier for everyone.", so the user.
Quodvultdeus: "Read the name slowly, but all the way through!"
Quora user Quodvultdeus is also a "victim" of the Indonesian naming scheme. In his contribution, he explains that although he would understand why his mother specially chose this name for him (Latin: God's will), he would probably be better off if he lived in Europe: "This name comes from the Latin language and the people there could possibly pronounce it easily. " We wouldn't be so sure about that …
Quodvultdeus made our absolutely favorite comment in the thread, because the Indonesian explains what people with unusual names want from their counterpart: "If you come across a difficult name, make sure to try to pronounce it correctly. Read it through slowly and it gets easier and easier. (..) I hate it when people just stop in the middle, read it carefully and then say, 'Ah, that's just too difficult to pronounce'."