I met a little girl today...

[Twin Sister]

I'm the same way. My husband suggested a few Japanese names for our baby-to-be and even though the names are really nice names, and I'd love them on a Japanese person, they just seemed very out of place on my non-Japanese baby. He then suggested some very Spanish names and again they seemed a wrong match. It's kind of like naming your kid fluffy or Fido, it's just not the right fit.

[luna moth]

An Aussie friend of mine has a little girl called Priya. (her dad is Indian)

It means "beloved"

[Astrid]

I only wanted to use names from a western European/English/Irish background. I also did not feel comfortable using names that were not really part of our ancestral history. Hard to kind of explain, as it was mostly a gut feeling about it.

[Cherished]

I just think a name is a name kwim, if you like it it doesn't matter where it originally came from

[Turkish Delight]

I fought so hard to get my DD to be called Alexis. It is my fave "anglo" name. I wasn't allowed. In our culture, we must stick to Turkish names and nothing else. If my kids, want to name their kids Michael, John, Kate or whatever i'd have no probs as i am not the parent of the unborn child, they are.

I guess, most people stick to their own cultural names.

[berrme]

I am the same. I would just feel silly using a name that was very obviously from a specific nationality that I had nothing to do with. I also think they would sound odd when said along with DH and my name... Melanie, Clive and...Magnus?...Anoushka? It just doesn't work for me.

[Just Me]

I don't have a problem with using names from a different background - within reason. It can be hard for a child to spell a loooong name with lots of different phonics than their own language. I wouldn't say not to for this reason, it is just something to be aware of and if you are the type of person who will get annoyed because people constantly mispell names, it is probably better to avoid it.

I think it is good to look at names from different cultures. If people had stuck with names from only their own background, our choices would still be very limited. Names become more 'normalised' and rise in popularity when people use them more and more often.

Having said all that, I think the meaning behind a name is more important than where it actually comes from. My kids don't have hugely meaningful names, but they still mean nice things.

I recently saw this facebook group called

attention ghetto moms,NOBODY is gonna hire your kid named Shenequataylicha

Some of the stuff in there is quite funny. It has taken being original about naming to a completely new level. My favourite is the name La-a (pronounced La-dash-a). Not really on the topic of cultural names but I guess in a way, it's a culture unto itself.

Good topic LZ

[~clover~]

I absolutely love some of the Maori names I've heard & thought one day that I might use one, but I'm not so sure. I do love them though.

[rhyb]

I love irish names and only wanted to use irish names to go with DS (Aiden). Sienna was going to Brennan, Bella was going to be Riley and Ruby was going to be Irelynn but I lost my confidence after everyone mocked them.

[maz]

All of my boys have traditional German names due to my heritage

Nikolaus
Wilhelm
Mateauz

their middles names are after family members

Owen
Tomas
Joseph

but mini me's

Vyolett

was just one the boys picked and we agreed.
I like to stick to a 'theme' so to speak and if that theme is to stay eg with my tradional's then so be it.

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

Priya is pronounced pre-A (hard a, as in hard, rather than ay or ah). And is a beautiful name. Just out of place on a little white girl, IMO.

I am part French and part Egyptian (and probably a lot more if I looked into my family tree); DH has Scottish and Irish ancestry. I have named DS after family members, so he has very traditional English names. I think if we had more boys we would go down the same route as DH doesn't like anything different.

I suppose it maybe is influenced by the fact I have a Welsh name yet have nothing to do with Wales. Except for being able to do a good Welsh accent! People have a go that I can't spell my name, I point out it's my name and I can and anyway it's Welsh, so people then ask if I'm Welsh... nope. Can't even speak the language. Have spent fewer than 20 days in my whole life in the country, and it's really close to us.

DH has also ruled out Celtic names for our children, claiming that they're too hard to spell. But at least they'd have the background for it when people challenged them on it! Then again, a lot of people think that Lieb's real name is Liebling and I was told, whilst pg, not to call my child that in case he ever visits Germany (OK, strange bossy person posting on my pregnancy website) but also where I drew the inspiration for such a beautiful name. But now, when we visit Austria, his name is considered "very Jewish", whereas over here it's considered as English as George.

Funny thing, names. I suppose I'd avoid other cultures yes partly so it didn't seem I was being all imperialistic and stealing their names (we Brits stole most of our words and ideas from other places; a bungalow was considered a hovel and not somewhere to desire to live before we invaded India) but mostly because I didn't want my child to be put through the grief of "but your name is Indian and you're white", which can happen even with European names, even with a name from a country a mere 100 miles away!

[Junglemum]

i really feel that the world is so cross cultural now that the teasing of yesteryear surely must be fading.
I understand people wanting to hold onto their heritage and follow tradition, but i really don't see how it can be offensive, disrespectful or 'stealing' to use a name from another culture. But if another person used the same name as my children i would be a little chuffed that they liked it too, i know other people get all funny and possessive about namers they choose.

I really wouldn't blink an eye if there was a blonde haired blue eyed girl called Priya. I would just think, wow, that's a pretty name.

I do like the idea of names going together like you say Maz, sticking with a theme, but then again i think it is weird some people have all their kids starting with the same letter.

Names are a funny thing Ryn, you're right. Another of those topics that seems to have many views.

[blue_hebe]

I agree with you JungleMum.

I'm not sure that any one culture can lay claim to a name and not allow others to use it.

Parents have all sorts of reasons for chosing the names they do. I don't think there's anything wrong with chosing a name because you like the sound of it.

I had no idea Priya was an Indian name. Although I probably would have mis-pronounced it to rhyme with "fire"

Personally, I quite like names from other cultures as they seem more unusual to me and I would like to name my children something a little less common that some of the names from my culture.