Names with stigmas, would you use them?

[Trillian]

I'm with BG - she's the only famous Azaria, not the only one ever. I have always thought it was a really pretty name and never thought anything bad about it. Now if you had of been wanting Lindy, well that's another story LOL. Personally I wouldn't use a 'famous' name just to avoid that kind of thing where everyone assumes that the celeb was the inspiration for it, but as time goes on less and less people will make a connection between the two

[Amity]

I would...

My son's nickname is after a very famous bushranger... I loved the "full" name because it had family connotations, however XH liked the nickname... Think the most famous bushranger... such is life.

Azaria is gorgeous - I've come across a few in my time, at work, as I deal with different families every day. It's very pretty. And I think it goes with your other two... But if you have a fourth, you're going to have to call it something beginning with J... (A, J, A, J...)

LOL!

[JordieC]

I think it depends on the era. I think you could safely get away with Azarai now more so than say 10-15 years ago. For example there is no way you could call your kid Schapelle at the moment and get away with it! It would be too weird. But in the end you choose names that you like and deal with any issues as thhey come.

[Jellyfish]

To be honest, I know of "the dingo baby" but never even knew her name until now, only her Mother and last name. I'm 21 so I am guessing as you get younger and younger, it would be less common knowledge.

[Erin_25]

Oh...Azaria I've known two little girls with that name in the past few years & it's never crossed my mind. I think the stigma is more with her Mum/family than the child herself IYKWIM.

I actually think today's fashionable sunglasses carry more stigma with that, I don't know how many times I've tried on a massive pair of sunglasses & turned around to DH to say "the dingo took my baaaaby"...

[Curly]

I think Azaria is a beautiful name but I still relate it very strongly to the Chamberlain case and no, I wouldn't use it for that reason. But I'm in my 30s so I remember the case and the press coverage quite vividly.

I have a somewhat similar issue - I wouldn't say stigma though - in that if my next baby is a boy DH and I want to name him Heath. Heath is a name I have liked for over 15 years...way before Heath Ledger was well-known. I don't like the idea of people thinking we have named our son after Heath Ledger, fine actor that he was regardless. But I love the name and have loved it for so long that I feel I can put up with (and ignore) the "oh like Heath Ledger" comments.

[{sarah}]

You know what Curly, I was expecting to get Romeo & Juliet comments from every man & his dog, but in the last 16 months I've had two comments from random shop staff, so you may get away with it

[Erin_25]

My DH name is Heath & he never gets that, if anything he gets people say "sorry, was the Pete, oh Keith" grrrr it annoys him sooo much. It's like no one has ever heard of the name before.

[Astrid]

If you want to use the name, then use it. I would just suggest that you avoid a central Australian holiday till bubs is much older

[{sarah}]

Astrid, we'd probably have to avoid friends of ours too, they have two dingos as pets

[Pandora]

There was an Adolfus at my high school.
I like Vlad but DH said no
Azaria is a nice name, I thought of the Australian idol guy first. Or was it big brother? someone on a reality show

[AngelPunks]

I've got friends with sons named Rudolf (think Nazi identity and yes the child was named after the Nazi identity) and Vlad (after their ancestor - yep they're related to *that* Vlad)

I love Azaria as a name.

[Glamourcide]

...I feel I can put up with (and ignore) the "oh like Heath Ledger" comments.

FWIW, I think people don't necessarily think you've deliberately named your child after x celebrity - I figure when people say, 'Oh, like Heath Ledger', 'Oh, like Farrah Fawcett', 'Oh yeah, like that guy off *insert TV show*' they're just trying to get a handle on a name that they find unusual... (sorry, I'm not making any sense)... As in, they're not familiar with the name so they try to attach it to a famous person to get their head around the spelling and pronunciation, if you get what I mean?
Like if I was going to say to someone, 'Oh, like Heath Ledger' I don't actually mean 'So you named your kid after that hot guy from that movie', I mean 'So it's Heath, like H-E-A-T-H, gotcha', kwim?

Arrg. It's too early for making sense - I guess what I'm saying is don't take it personally if people always attach your child's name to a famous person's... I think in most cases they're just trying to be clear on a name that is less common

[~clover~]

I love Azaria. But was always a bit shy of using it.

We do have Jesse, who gets Jesse James all the time. I knew it'd happen & have even caught myself accidentally saying it.

I think it'd depend on what its attatched to. I couldn't use Adolf. But always wanted to use Bon (Bon Scott, AC/DC). Family friend beat me to it though.

Don't think I could ever look at a Homer or Bart in the same way I would a Michael, or George iykwim...

[The[cookie]Doctor]

I LOVE Azaria!

FWIW, the only reason names have these stigmas is because they have committed some kind of heinous crime - like Adolf, or that they are unique...

There are probably a number of Tom, **** and Harry's out that have been prosecuted for some kind of murders and yet only some people would be deterred from using them. It's not going to be universally hushed, IYKWIM. Azaria would only be recognised because it is so unique, and just so beautiful

[Lulu]

There's 8 millions Jacks in the world, so The Ripper doesn't come to mind necesarrily.
Charles Manson, Henry the 8th etc etc etc etc.

Azaria is just beautful but it was too soon to use it for DD17, darn.

Anyway, Azaria didn't do anything terrible. Maybe don't use the name Dingo though...

[CrazyLady]

Jokes aside - I wouldn't name them the same name as a psycho killer or whatever... but I would name them after a rockstar who overdosed

LOL!

I think if it's a less obvious connection and it's not "modelled" off a murderer or mass rapist then go for it.

Then again, imagine how many murderers there are out there? can you really guarantee you won't get a murderer's name for your child?

Sorry, 4 hours sleep so logic out the window. but hope i helped. Now to pump more caffiene into me!

[tellytubby]

i'm just subscribing, haha
i'm so curious to know what your name is!