why are black people STILL naming their kids these made up, hard to pronounce, hard to spell, and hard to understand names? we all know the stereotype- shaniqua, tyrone, latrell, and on and on. you'd think black people would stop. i'm not advocating for names like becky or meagan or amy or suzie. but what's up with these made-up black names with the apostophes (tra'shara)?
if you have a kid in school, you might see it on a daily basis like i do. just walking through the halls of the school i see names like Dontrayl, raykeshyia, shontayie,etc. i'm only partly knocking the name because of its stereotype ( i do realize that SOME black names have african roots. but come on-some of them are just ridiculous!). but mainly it's the spelling of it. why do these parents have to come up with the most nonsensical way to spell it? isn't the name itself already unique? does their child really need to go through life correcting everyone who tries to pronounce it?
my girlfriend i had had dinner the other night and discussed the fact that despite there being common jokes about black names, people are still naming their kids these names-well, as of 5 years ago, at least. and this the point of my post. who are these people?! do they live under a rock? is it just the uneducated black people? do they really still think that shameika is a good choice? haven't they heard about the studies conducted that show that people who submitted their resumes with weird, hard-to-pronounce names seldom got call-backs?
why would anyone still name their child a name like Devaste? (de-va'-stay)? no matter how professional you are, there are people in corporate america who wont even give a resume a second thought when they see a name like that. have we not learned anything by the year 2008 already?
51 comments:
I was shocked when I read your comments. Are you a Racist? What right do you have to tell someone else what they should name their child.
signed,
white male with common name
Should black people succumb to stereotype and change their history and way of live to suit main stream america? You dont hear of asians changing there names but they are still getting jobs, there are still jose, maria, and pedro placed on resume and they do get call back. Maybe you shold look up the meaning of these names before you start judging the parents as ignorant. There are some things that define people, and names and origins of name may just be one of those.
There are so many Jeffs, and Toms out there but yet european are still being naming their children that.
People do have the right to name their kids whatever they want.
But they are a lot of people out there (especially us black folks) who have kids but don't really think about things in the long run. Like you would not see many of these young low income folk reading parenting magazines or books. Are they even active in their kids education? No, they don't show up to parent teacher confrences. Teachers I know say its the kids who are doing fine that parents usually show up.
So I don't think many of Devastay's parents out there try to set their kids on a sucessful path and that is part of the problem with many of our youth. Not much guidance but other than make sure you are dressed nice and your hair is done.
I didn't know that naming kids and school performance are interrelated.
Have the thought ever crossed your mind that this maybe a systematic racism? Those parentss may have three or four jobs just to send their kids to school and find meal for the table!
Lets stay on course here and join forces in making the black race rise above the standard that has been set by counterparts and stop beating up on each other about proper naming and parenting skills.
I understand all of the racial and social implications of giving a child a "unique" name, but I do think that, even if racism and classism did not exist, there is a benefit to having a name that people can pronounce when they see it. It would be one thing if black people in the US had our own version of "common" names. Over time, everyone would get used to seeing them, and they would be seen in a more cultural context. When people seem to be going out of their way to give their kids one-of-a-kind names, though, it just makes it a big joke for the rest of society. In some European countries (and maybe on other continents, too) parents have to register their child's name, and the gov't can deny them the authority to give that name to the child. I think that is completely ridiculous, and I would never want to give gov't that type of power. I think this just proves, though, that it's not simply an issue with black people (although I beleive that those rules now help enforce racist ideals in those countries). There are certainly plenty of white people these days giving their children the names of common inanimate objects and geographic locations, as well as "unique" spellings of traditional names.
You, quite frankly, are an idiot. HELLO????? Tyrone is an IRISH name not a ghetto name. Ever heard of Stephen Colbert?? His middle name is Tyrone for Christ's sake!. Ever heard of the County Tyrone in Northern Ireland? Obviously you haven't. Just because a lot of black people name their kids "Tyrone" doesn't make it a ghetto name. Don't bother erasing my posts (truth hurts, doesn't it?) because I'll keep posting again and again until it registers in that pea-sized brain of yours.
Hi, I've been a reader of your blog for about a year now and while I don't agree with all of your opinions, I can understand them. I'm mostly entertained by your somewhat perverse thoughts, but your lately blog is quite disturbing.
I know you've been accused of self-hatred, I'm not one to judge, but there doesn't seem to be any other explanation for these thoughts.
If you look at simple American Black history, African-Americans have had to carry europeans surnames for hundreds of years. My very own name is of French origin and I'm obviously not French. Although you find it odd, having the freedom to express individuality through the first name is something that shouldn't be taken away. Yes, it's the names are "weird" and not nancy, sue, and bob, but who cares? Our future president's name is OBAMA!! Are you not going to vote for him because his name is too strange?
TBG here. I'm really surprised that I'm getting so much flack about this subject! I've had this conversation with a few other black people at different times and we all agree. I'm not sure what the big deal is, what makes me so "ignorant". It's simply my opinion. And I know for a fact that there are other black people who agree.
I AGREE 100%
They arguement "Because I can" does not fly when it comes to the future and livelihood of our youth...You have the right to eat out of a garbage-can...But is that behavior expedient?...Will people have preconceived notion? Will you get sick? More than likely...A name (unless changed with the courthouse at 18) follows you forever...I encourage parents to think before giving children these awful names...
-Does the name mean anythings?
-How will this look on a resume or a college application?
-How long will it take that poor 5 year old to spell it?
-Will that name hinder the child before he/she even walks thru the door?
And it's not so much using a common name as making up a stupid one...There is nothing wrong with michael,william,stephanie,diane,theresa,etec...However, I am seeing too many names in the system that look like a hot-mess alphabet soup...
To CW:
Wow, you are a smart one--to answer your imbecilic questions:
-Does the name mean anythings? Does it really matter? Most names have lost their relevance through time. Some become in use because of pop culture, etc.
-How will this look on a resume or a college application?
How does a muslim name appear on a resume or college application? I hope to God you are not an HR manager because you would be breaking several laws. I believe it would be more about the contend than the actual name.
-How long will it take that poor 5 year old to spell it? Not relevent. Several names don't make sense phonetically and/or longer than usual. The child would have no problem if guided properly.
-Will that name hinder the child before he/she even walks thru the door? Of course it will if someone like yourself is on the other side of the door. Referring back to our Black leaders again-does Condoleezza sound too ghetto for you?
To TBG,
Most of us would agree that it is fun to joke about the "ghetto" names, but to focus on it as a problem is ridiculous. The real issue should be focused on strengthening tights amongst the Black communities, becoming more involved in the lives of our children, actually caring, not pointing fingers and laughing.
In defense of TBG I have to say that I enjoy reading her blog because she's sharing her thoughts. She's not advocating for her opinions to become public policy. We all have thoughts that we'd rather not have up for public consumption (or is that just me?). TBG is open enough to share her thoughts, and some people want to just shut her down. Of course it's much easier to skewer TBG than to take on the actual perpetrators of racist agendas.
On another note: I've been to Ireland, and while I have not been to Tyrone, I have seen it on a map, so I knew its origin. If I hadn't made that trip, however, and didn't know its origin, I don't think that would make me any less intelligent. The world is huge, and its history is long. There is a lot of knowledge out there, and we all have a little piece of it. No need to resort to name-calling because one person has a bit of knowledge that someone else does not. Civility is a worthwhile pursuit, even if those in power these days don't have any interest in practicing it.
@Anon
Please do not play these silly moving target games...A muslim names usually have a meaning...What is being discussed here are uninspired ghetto names which will hinder the child in the long run...We can live in fantasyland and pretend it doesn't matter, however the reality is that your name says a LOT to others....
I also agree with TBG & CW. As a parent you can name your child anything you want. Doesn't mean you should. One of my friends told me that a white woman in her neighborhood named her child the N-word. That was the name on the birth certificate. Does she have that right? Yes. Should she have done it? Of course not. That name will follow that child for the rest of their life. I know this is an unbelievible story; but she said it was true, so I believe her.
Every parent should want the best opportunities for their children. Why would you do something that could possibly hinder your child's future? The studies are true. Though people have had trouble pronouncing my name, I'm thankful its Russian.
I think the thing people are missing here, is that the names themselves aren't bad---people's reactions to them, are.
What's in a name? Someone looks at the name Shaniqua and suddenly they see a ghetto, uneducated girl with no future. Why? Because some racist decided that because her name wasn't Susan, and because the name was "made up" (as if all names aren't made up) she isn't worthy enough to be treated with respect.
Parents can name their kids whatever they want. I have name that gets butchered, spelled wrong, messed up, etc. So what? I have bigger things in life to worry about than whether or not someone messes up my name.
Some spellings are completely ridiculous, obviously, but that doesn't mean anyone should be stereotyped, or parents shouldn't do it because corporate America will have a problem with it. Rationalizing racism is an awful thing to do.
i'm offended that you would assume people with 'weird..hard to pronounce' names are ghetto and uneducated or have parents that are. My name, Unekwu, is a Nigerian name and is not 'weird' at all. I would not change my name for anything in the world. The uneducated thing stuck to me because my father is a Ph.D who was educated in Europe and i'm a freshman in college with a 4.0 gpa. don't just assume that people are a certain way because of what they name their kids
keigh... i couldn't agree with you more. who decided that these names were 'made-up' probably some racist somewhere that decided anything that is not anglo is wrong and inferior. the nerve of some of these stupid people making fun of different names...and the thing about a name having meaning... what the hell does Jennifer mean? Megan? Rebecca? Timothy? Jackson? please how many people know of the top of their heads know what these names mean? my bet would be zero, everyone reading this would have to look up the meanings on the internet or some shit.
@ Unekwu: I am not talking about unique, foreign names. I am also not talking about names like Darnell and Keisha. I'm talking about names like De'Frontay and leQuayla,De'jhanay, and Jayqwann. I see kids with these names all the time. They are not foreign names, they are MADE UP, apostrophes and all.
@ ANON: so all those names, Jennifer, Megan, etc are anglo. Big deal. Every good name doesn't have to be anglo, but we live in America, in 2008. Why not have a name at all? You could do that, right? and be totally unique! Why not name a child "Table" or "Chair" or "Carpet"? That would be really unique! Obviously there are social rules with naming. Yes, you could name a child ANYTHING, but come ON.
Obviously TBG has nothing intelligent to say. We all come here to read her ridiculous writings simply for entertainment. It's the same as why "shock jocks" are so popular...you almost feel sorry for these people for the hatred in their hearts.
She cites names such as "De'Frontay and leQuayla,De'jhanay, and Jayqwann" as being made up and hard to pronounce, but they all look easy to pronounce to me.
It is really sad to say that racism still does exist in our society. Yes, a resume may be tossed out because of a "ghetto" name, but your son's resume may very well be tossed out with his "proper" name and all after he shows up and reveals himself as a person of color.
There are no guarantees in life, however why stack the odds higher than necessary...
I am amazed at the viciousness and stupidity of some of the comments here. The most stupid of them actually accuse TBG of....being stupid. She may make some mistakes, and some of us may view some of her opinions as wrong-headed. But I bet if you were blogging your thoughts we might think the same of you.
On this specific issue, I generally agree with TBG though she missed it on the Tyrone one. Well, I missed it on Aisha.(and some others). But lets look at her point. Are these people thinking of the implications of giving their children these weird invented names? NO! NO! NO! Didn't some celebrity name their kid Apple? Bad name, but if they are wealthy and White their kid can escape the repercussions. These kids can't. Why are they doing this? Well, Many Black Americans may want to shed the White cultural names forced upon us. And if they name their child Nzinga (or any other legitimate African name or even word) I have no problem with that. They even have my admiration. But if they name their child Shaqu'anre' well, that's another story. And most, but not all, of the later parents are of low socioeconomic class. We have been aculturated to dispise all things African. (Anyone that cannot see this needs to stop calling TBG stupid and look in the mirror to see stupid). Some of us resist this acculteration to a greater or lessor extent. So, if you want to name your child something non-White, but you despise (even subconsiously) your heritage, what do you do? Well, one option is to Make The Name UP. Something unique and that sounds nice (to you, anyway). That is what is going on.
TBG, why are you worried about uneducated blacks who don't care about their children future anyway. Do really think that people who want there kids to advance in a racist white world would name their child such retard names unless that child is working for McDonalds Laquisha is not going to be setting in the office across from the CFO or CEO of the company not even as a Administrative Assistant. I could understand people doing that if this country was not as racist as it is with all the bad history for blacks in it. Blacks don't even own a majority of the small business industry in the USA, so I would like to know who they think there kids are going to compete against for jobs. The argument that these names are African is so ignorant. This shows how uneducated and culturally unaware some black people are because if you show a true African what names theses kids carry they shake their heads. I have a unique correctly spell African name that I'm very proud of so I not saying don't name your child a unique African, Muslim , Spanish name what ever….just make sure its spell correctly, has somewhat of a meaning not after clothing, alcohol, cars or just because you were high on drugs when you name the kid.
You are correct, these are ignorant black folks giving there children these ridicilous names....I spoke with a friend, her mother is a educator, and she had a student name VAGINA, the girls mother thought that she was naming her child VAY-GENA!
We got to do better, and too all your critics. Those Asian names are real names, not some ignorant made up Ghetto mess. Its clearly a class issue, middle class black folks are concern about their childrens future and dont provide this impediment!
ALL NAMES ARE MADE UP, PEOPLE! You think Anglo names were always accepted? No. You think Italian names weren't called stupid and made up? You think spellings have always remained the same for all names always, and have never been trashed before?
You saying black people give their kids ghetto names is nothing new. I'm just disheartened that you've fallen prey to the same mindset as racists.
Cool blog.
http://popwife.blogspot.com/
I guess I am having a bit of trouble following the logic of TBG and cw. Are you saying that since stereotyping makes some names unacceptable people or just black people should give their children names that pleases stereotyping racists?
I guess my point is that I don't have a traditional name and I certainly didn't give my children traditional names and I am a college grad who has done just fine. My son is on the honor roll and doing just fine.
I think that if a person such as cw is running the company that I or my children are applying to we probably WILL be turned away. And she/he would lose out on a great employee. Maybe this is why we are in this financial mess.
People are too busy being interested in incidentals rather than learning about the persons strengths or weaknesses. I don't think that Track, Bristol or Trig make very normal sounding names. But I can guarantee you that white people right now aren't blogging about how stupid white people name their kids idiotic things so they don't succeed.
The problem is that white children succeed with the dumbest of names. Spiro Agnew, Wolf Blitzer, Dick Butkis. I guess it really isn't about the name. It is about if the name sounds as if it is black or African in origin. I know a few WHITE Tyrone and Shaniqua's. And they are NOT children.
We need to stop worrying about a persons name and start worrying whether or not they are getting a fair shake in life. We can't just go with the old adage that "some" blacks agree. Some blacks agreed with slavery, Jim Crow and racism. That doesn't make it right nor does it make it OK to continue the bad practice.
Hey that black girl, I am Back, I have been real busy, and I had a breach in security with my own blog so Cardiowhore is now under a new name!! and check out my blog
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keep Blogging!!
LOL! this is so true, I have family members who do the same thing!!! My brothers kids names are Amaya, Jamari and Omari!!! Seriously come on!! and my brother has a normal name, his name is Gregory. I think this is all his wife's doing. You are correct about the job resume thing in regards to being overlooked because of a weird name. I wouldnt mind if the name actually had some African Roots to these names but they are simply made up. While you are at it, why dont you bring up the issue about grown mean wearing braids and trying to look for a corporate job! thats a joke as well.
I agree 100% with TBG and CW. I am sick to death of hearing these stupid, made-up names that neither have any meaning nor sound good. So many of these names just sound ignorant and betray lower socio-economic status. I remember reading a letter to the editor in either Ebony or Essence magazine and the woman who wrote the letter was named "Brothella" - now can you imagine the snickers behind her back with a name that is essentially "brothel"?! And I once had a resume presented to me for a secretarial position from a woman named "Satanya". Now do you mean to tell me that her mother didn't realize that she was naming her daughter "Satan" with a "ya" at the end?! The degree of ignorance and willingness to saddle children with these horrible names is beyond me. People who can't even spell come up with these ridiculous spellings for kids' names. A foreign language name is not a weird name. I am talking about people whose one and only language is english and they don't even speak that language well, giving their kids' stupid sounding names that no-one can spell or even pronounce. It is the height of idiocy to do so in this day and age where life and work are so competitive. Kids don't need their name getting in the way of how they are viewed at school or limiting their opportunities in the job market.
TBG: It's Unekwu I understand you don't have a problem with African (or any other name for that matter) names that have meaning but the thing is you probably wouldn't have known my name was Nigerian origin if I didn't state it, HELL MOST NIGERIANS DON'T EVEN KNOW. And I cannot fault anyone for not knowing the origin but my problem comes is it seems like you are type casting all names that are different. If you didn't know anything about the name or the person with the name how can you determine whether the name was made up or not? The answer is you can't. Now I know their are some obvious ones like Shaniqua but there are probable some names that are more ambiguous, making it harder to determine the origins. Just my thoughts
Some will always attempt to play these semantics...Readers beware and don't take your eye off the ball...Most of us KNOW the difference between a foreign name and some H.A.M alphabet soup...
@anonymous 11.12
"...Spiro Agnew, Wolf Blitzer, Dick Butkis..."
Spiro Agnew is Greek, Wolf Blitzer is German, and Butkis is also an ethnic name. And I - like many I've spoken to - have nothing against ethnic names and/or black folks who try to reconnect to their African roots via an Afrocentric name.
Crying 'racism' when someone calls non-circumspect black folks on some of their silliness is lame - and lazy. Instead of proactively addressing a societal problem (because we're not talking about ONE mother with bad taste, but about a whole movement!), we are sitting on our proverbial hands or picking our proverbial noses. We CAN do better, and should not allow ourselves to be lulled into a position of eternal victimhood and perpetual disempowerment. Smart choices are the best foundation for success.
Now - since 4 November 2008 - at least a (large) part of the buck stops HERE!
love love *LOVE* your column and I hate crazy names as much as you do. However if Gwyneth Paltrow can name her kid Apple then I ought to be able to call mine Watermelon and Tangerine without hearing about it from white folk. I don't have any kids...I'm just sayin.
Sincerely
Black dude named Steve with a sister named Cheryl.
An email received this week:
"Sent: Monday, November 17, 2008 8:53 PM
Subject: Fw: Le-a
Le-a
How would you pronounce this child's name: "Le-a" ???
Leah?? NO
Lee - A?? NOPE
Lay - a?? NO
Lei?? Guess Again.
It's pronounced "Ledasha" Oh yes......you read it right.
This child attends a school in Livingston Parish, LA. Her mother is
irate because everyone is getting her name wrong.
When the mother was asked about the pronunciation of the name, she said
"the dash don't be silent." "
I LOVE black american names, they are such a profound display of our culture and strength as a people. I think they are a big indicator of not only our pride in our heritage but also our refusal to assimilate, to maintain our integrity and ethnicity.
You can laugh at the names, be embarrassed by them, or even choose to be ashamed of them. I am proud of them and when I see/hear them I think, You know what? Black people, can't be stopped, WON'T stop. We will continue to prevail.
Because it's their kid and they can name him/her whatever the hell they want to.
Just because the kid's name isn't Elizabeth or Mary or David or John or something doesn't mean...
You know what, nevermind. Just...*shudder*.
im for people naming their kids whatever they want but im with u on the whole namin a kid la'qundrika and sha'niqua isnt helpin our case. iv gone to a prodominantly white school my whole life. me and my bro were the only black kids out of 260 other white kids. we heard lots of jokes about how black names sound ridiculous. we dont get respected when we are named such ridiculous names. i dont think its hurtin our society because we already have music videos and prostitutes on the corner of 82nd to worry about, but ovr all it does have a negative effect...
You are absolutely right. My sister is an HR manager and if a resume' says D'Shenwika or Sucreets or something similar it goes in the garbage. Unfortunately, names like those usually wind up in fast food or on street corners.
I understand what your saying. Most of the time when we get names like Treyshauyn it's from an uneducated black person doing it just to do it & spelling it all types of way possible.
my name is Shamieka and i live in Honolulu, Hi originally from South Central, Los Angeles and the locals love my name they think its pretty they also want to name their daughter's after me and ask me what does it mean? or where it comes from so relax its self exspression just like hard to spell or pronounce forgien names, think about it
TBG, it has been the utmost pleasure reading your blogs and the replies. I dont care for all the names the MY Black Sisters & Brothers name their seeds. Some names i find to be outright horrendous and laughable. But, never have I ever thought that the name will hinder that child. You have white children named Apple, Orange and an assortment of fruits and berries. I find the to be just as odd & comical... nor, will they be an hindrance to them. Or will it? Maybe, not being that they're white an having such a name is considered or viewed as unique or eclectic. I respect your viewpoint simply because it is yours. But, do you sometime sit and read what you write. You mentioned in one blog, that you are not ashamed of being black and love your race. Although, it seems to be a little self-hatred in all your writing.
Peace & Blessings.
People always had common names; thats why nicknames became popular; even in the New Testament;common names are better:the four gospels should say MATTHEW,JOHN,LUKE,JOHN; the reason he was named Mark is not to confuse him with the other John:by the way, these were NOT European names, they were Jewish!
Ironically, European names like Amy and Suize are common in Africa.
Well that's not racist or anything.
Let the people do what they want damn..
I'm caucasion-native, but I have black family from one of my sides of the family and they have "different" names, but i like to call it unique. big fucking difference there.
The problem is that the name is a problem to them, not the person named. What is the difference between being prejudice about someones race and someones name. I know there are white women out there who are naming their children "individual" names so you can't say that it is a black thing. You can't judge the person on what their name is (actually its a judgement of the parent and just for the record, not all children grow up to be their parents). Instead of focusing on the problem of why people name their children crazy names, how about we focus on why people concentrate on other people's name and not their character. How about we raise a question to corporate america on why they pass over somebody's application just because they don't care for the name on it. If we can start a cause on natural hair in the workforce, why can't we start a cause on the acceptance of "individual" names.
I am a 36 black woman living in Atlanta and your blog is hilarious!! My roommate and I feel that you are keeping it real! You say what alot people think. People are judging you too harsh...for the people that leave anonymous comments, they are cowards!! Keep posting and let the haters be your motivators!
These are not made up names most of these names are variants of arabic or african swahili names (i.e shaiqua, malika, keisha, etc) Wow, I'm Indian and my mom's name is Fatima! I find your whole ghetto names theory culturally offensive!
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