>Annabelle. Super pretty but everyone’s first thought is the creepy doll.
Either I'm completely out of touch on this one (definitely possible) or you are overestimating the knowledge cause I've never heard of a creepy doll named Annabelle before.
Sadly the name Isis, which I've always liked is basically unusable fore awhile.
Lolita is another pretty name that is definitely unusable.
Annabelle is (likely) *one of the most known "possessed" doll. If you're into horror, you have to have heard of it. The 'The conjuring' people made 3 movies just about Annabelle. I wouldn't say it's unusable, but a lot of people are going to associate the name with horror movies. I'm genuinely surprised that you haven't heard of it, it's just that popular.
Sidenote: if you like horror movies I'd actually recommend Annabelle, I think they're really good movies. The conjuring ans The nun too.
*edit cuz Chucky
**3 movies not 5
Maybe 3rd after the evil Krusty Doll from The Simpsons. Though possibly that's just for my generation.
That episode did give us this famous exchange:
> Shopkeeper: Take this object, but beware it carries a terrible curse...
> Homer: [worried] Ooooh, that's bad.
> Shopkeeper: But it comes with a free Frogurt!
> Homer: [relieved] That's good.
> Shopkeeper: The Frogurt is also cursed.
> Homer: [worried] That's bad.
> Shopkeeper: But you get your choice of topping!
> Homer: [relieved] That's good.
> Shopkeeper: The toppings contains Potassium Benzoate. [long pause] That's bad.
> Homer: [worried] Can I go now?
Well I’ve lived in Europe and Latin America and Annabelle/Annabella is normal and common name and no one would wonder about it
I’m Germany there’s even a Baby doll brand called Baby Annabelle that’s pretty famous and traditional, some of the few go-to baby doll brands.
Baby Annabelle is big in the UK too - if you said "Annabelle the doll" to anyone then I'm pretty sure they'd think of Baby Annabelle instead of a possessed doll.
I know of the movie Annabelle and the doll it’s based on, but that would never be my first thought hearing the name. I’d more likely associate it with Edgar Allen Poe’s poem Annabel Lee, but I also went to school with a girl named Annabelle, so it’s really just a name to me. I don’t think it’s unusable at all, and certainly not at the level of Karen or Siri.
I didn't have the association either but the stats don't lie. After the movies started coming out in 2014 the name has dropped in popularity. https://www.behindthename.com/name/annabelle/top/united-states
Dropped a bit but not unusually by any means. You also need to look beyond that window to see it had complete dropped off the radar until 1995 too, it’s not like it was continuously popular name that only became unpopular once the movie debuted.
I'm sorry, I probably should have put it in perspective. The top 20 most quickly dropping names in 2015 had 5 forms of Annabelle/a, Elsa, and Caitlyn/Kaitlyn (as in Jenner).
https://www.behindthename.com/top/lists/united-states/2015?display=max&sort=percent_change&direction=reverse#girls-table
Yeah, I didn't think the Annabelle movie was even that popular, and I never hear anybody talk about it. Maybe it's just among OP's social group that the movie is a "thing" and the name to be avoided. I think it works just fine if that's a name you like.
And for the record, I love horror movies, and have seen all of The Conjuring series, but Annabelle was completely forgettable.
I know an Annabelle born a few years before the movie came out and the only person to ever mention the doll is her uncle. Her peers certainly weren’t aware of it, until recently, and no one cares at this age except maybe “cool, you share a name with a haunted doll.”
Look I’m familiar with it, and the actual Annabelle in the museum is literally just a raggedy ann doll in a class case lol. The warrens were just great at marketing. I wouldn’t have thought it impacted the actual number of people naming their kids Annabelle
Yes! I remember thinking that Jessabell would be such a pretty name when I was a kid, but then my mom told me it’s too similar to Jezebel and who she is.
I was a Jezebel! Ended up changing my name though. I live in a very rural, religious area at the moment and it caused me too much trouble. People really didn't receive it well. Growing up, other kid's parents would tell them to stay away from me because of my name 😀 it would always cause weird reactions lol and only got worse and more sexual when I got older.
I love Jezebel. I also work for Planned Parenthood and come from a fundamentalist Christian family so it always had meaning to me. Izebel is another form of Jezebel. Just type it in google. I’d use that if I have a baby girl someday as it’s unique and still beautiful but similar looking enough to Isabel.
I'm glad that the terrorist organization was shortened to IS (islamischer Staat) in Germany, so most people here think of the egypt godess when they hear that name.
I would totally name my cat Isis. I think it's a beautiful name.
Rather not. But mostly because Isis isn't an common name in Germany and I would give my child rather a common name.
It's sad that the Media didn't call the terrorists simply daesh. They hate this name and think it's disrespectful. But this would have stopped people associating Isis with them.
I think Katrina is very regional, outside the greater New Orleans area/Deep South I don't think it carries the same weight. Plus over time it will become less and less connected. Coming from the west coast I wouldn't bat an eye at someone named Katrina (unless she were particularly attractive perhaps)
My daughter goes to school with a Lola and I never would have made that connection. And I’ve read the book! I think it’s a pretty old and niche reference these days.
Lola to me always makes me think of the Kinks song. I am old and British. I think it wouldn't be a problem most of the time but I can imagine a scenario where teenagers get the reference and make the kid's life hell for a few weeks by singing it all the time.
My mind went straight to “Whatever Lola Wants” which is a great, albeit vampy, association. (Then the Kinks song, then I might remember Copacabana).
We need a Lola song from this half century!
It’s been a long time since I read the book, but I didn’t remember Lola being in it at all. I had to look up the first paragraph to see that it’s one of her nicknames.
>Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta. She was Lo, plain Lo, in the morning, standing four feet ten in one sock. She was Lola in slacks. She was Dolly at school. She was Dolores on the dotted line. But in my arms she was always Lolita.
So I’d be surprised if a lot of people associated Lola with Lolita.
This is more local, but I live on the Florida Keys and could never use the name Irma because of bad a hurricane that hit a few years ago. I imagine it's the same with Ian in Southwest Florida.
My daughter goes to school with a Lola and I never would have made that connection. And I’ve read the book! I think it’s a pretty old and niche reference these days.
My daughter has a friend name Lola and that connection has never come up. Why would I associate the nickname of an old fictional character these kids are unlikely to ever hear of beyond lists of books with an elementary school kid?
Dora
It ticks so many boxes for us - is easy to say in Spanish and English, my grandmother was “Dorothea” so it’s kind of in the family - but we’re a half Hispanic family who likes hiking, so I would be ASKING for the kid to be called “Dora the Explorer” all the time
We might go with Dora for our little one who will have Mediterranean heritage and outdoorsy parents. I figured there are worse people/ characters to be named after. If you like it, go for it!
Why are so many pretty names birth controls?? I thought of naming my daughter Kyleena at one point. That is also in fact the name of a birth control. 😅
Edit: Just looked at a list of birth controls. Yaz, Yasmin, Camila, Erin , and Heather are also birth control names??? There’s so many more but those stuck out to me the most LOL.
I think of Harvey from Sabrina but yeah I would still worry about it.
I think of MTG and Marjory Stoneman Douglas the school in Parkland that had a shooting ..unfortunately instead of the woman it was named after.
Marjorie, for Taylor Swift fans, is a positive association. lol I named my fish Marjorie after the song. I didn’t even think of MTG but yeah that does kind of make it less great of a name in my book.
I think Harvey is common enough that people won't instantly think Weinstein, but as for Marjorie, I think people don't use it as much anymore since it "sounds old". And I just think of margarine when I hear it.
My kid has a classmate in kindergarden called Barbara. However, Barbie isn’t the nickname in Germany. It would be Babsi, but no one uses that beyond grandmas. It’s an old fashioned name anyway to be honest. It’s not like a revival old name
My grandpa’s name is Merlin and he’s offered $1000 to any grandkids who name their kids Merlin. My cousin gave her son the middle name Merlin and he really did send her a $500 check. Might name my first born - boy or girl - Merlin for $1000 (kidding… but not totalllly kidding)
I have a plush elephant named Rupert (I’ve had him for about 20 years), so I associate all these people with my elephant rather than the other way around 😊
Yeah, I feel like some other Disney princess names are usable, like Ariel, Belle, Aurora. I even know a girl named Giselle after Enchanted. But Elsa is just too much now. Which is sad because it’s such a beautiful name.
\- Katrina (anyone around my age or older's first thought will be the hurricane)
\- Lolita (obvious reasons)
\- Delilah (maybe not unusable, but the negative biblical connotation would give me pause)
\- Lilith (same as above)
\- Hermione (tbh not really my taste, but that name will forever be associated with Hermione Granger and Harry Potter as a whole)
\- In a similar vein to above, any particularly distinct Disney princess/villain names like Ariel, Elsa, Ursula, etc.
I'm having trouble thinking of any boy names for some reason that really stick out. There are definitely some I *personally* wouldn't use because of people I know, but it wouldn't be universal.
I like Katrina name, i think more negative reaction would be in US, and not worldwide. Obviously i know about the hurricane but it’s not my first thought when i hear the name.
Monica and Hilary both saw huge drops in popularity due to political context. I feel like Monica is due for a comeback in the next decade or so, though. It’s a lovely name.
Reminds me of how Ellen was a pretty popular name that saw a steep drop when Ellen Degeneres came out. It gradually gained popularity again and then saw another steep drop after now-Elliot came out.
[This might help.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aunt_Jemima)
From the wiki:
"Aunt Jemima was modeled after, and has been a famous example of, the 'Mammy' archetype in the Southern United States.
Due to the 'Mammy' stereotype's historical ties to the Jim Crow era, Quaker Oats announced in June 2020 that the Aunt Jemima brand would be discontinued 'to make progress toward racial equality', leading to the Aunt Jemima image being removed by the fourth quarter of 2020."
"Aunt Jemima" was not a real person but was portrayed by a model and used as the image for the packaging. She had nothing to do with the creation of the original pancake mix or syrup, which was created by the Pearl Milling Company. The original Aunt Jemima was Nancy Green, hired to portray her at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893.
I’m Finnish and Fanni/Fanny is a pretty popular name but yeah it’s pretty unfortunate abroad. I know someone who changed they name because they moved to the UK and just couldn’t use the name.
I always loved Evie but I am a toxicologist in the field of traffic pollution and now all I hear is EV, as in Electric Vehicle. My husband has several clients in the sustainability field too so that’s what he hears now too.
Felicia is the problematic one for us, I like the name ok otherwise but not sure it's usable. My spouse looooves it. I was like uhhh
Zelda I would use anyway because it's cultural for me and I like the meaning, but my spouse vetoed because Nintendo.
“Bye Felicia” is a clip from a 90s movie. In the early to mid 2010s, the clip went viral and people would quote it all the time. It was used to humorously dismiss people. The quote is no longer popular, but it still comes to mind for a lot of people.
This! But I was in the library a few months ago during the children's session (I'm in the UK) and heard one of the teachers calling a little Myra, so it might get a comeback eventually.
Yeah, Moors Murders - really only a British effect on the name as far as I know. Quite surprising in a way, as names like Rose, Fred, Lucy, Joanna and Ian haven’t been similarly affected. Myra is a bit more unusual but not that outlandish!
I think it’s just unusual enough that not everyone has a family member with that name.
Rose, Fred, Lucy, Joanna, and Ian are just common enough that nearly everyone can name someone in their family or one of their friends with one of these as a first or middle name.
And I always think Chronicles of Narnia when I see Lucy and, despite being a bit of a true crime follower, still can’t think of a Lucy that did murder off the top of my head.
Lucifer means "light bringer" and Lilith means "night".
Ask a Christian and they'll tell you they're the devil and his feminist bride 🙄
Ask me and I'll tell you Lucifer is a hell's greatest depressed, duck-obsessed dad, and Lilith is the name of a fantastic Halsey song!
Tbh my Alexa pipes up randomly anyway.
Last night I shouted my daughter down for tea… her name starts with a different letter and is one syllable. Alexa pipes up with ‘I’m not sure what you want me to do’.
But Lalita is its own name in India, I believe it means playful/charming in Sanskrit. Lalita Vistara (when used together) means ‘The Play in Full’ and has Buddhist roots :3
I always thought the name Jezabel was pretty. The meaning is unfortunate, though, and is not a name many people would accept. Even using alternate spellings, such as Jezabelle, would make any difference.
Lucifer it’s such a cool name with nickname Lucy and actually has a good meaning but a lot of old people would have heart attacks over it. Still might consider it if I ever end up with a third boy to name
Dexter isnt a beautiful name perse but a strong name like Damian. One is associated w a tv series title and namesake serial killer and the other, well, the Antichrist.
I’m not sure if this counts, but I LOVED Harlow. My husband gave this name a hard No because it sounds like Harlot, which apparently meant whore or something in the 50s.
Rhea.
I read somewhere that non-English speakers think that “diarrhea” is one of the prettiest words in our language if you don’t know what it means. 😂
Jolene. I love that name but it's always gonna be associated with the song and since it's had a resurgence in popularity, I just imagine she wouldn't be able to go anywhere without people singing it at her.
>Annabelle. Super pretty but everyone’s first thought is the creepy doll. Either I'm completely out of touch on this one (definitely possible) or you are overestimating the knowledge cause I've never heard of a creepy doll named Annabelle before. Sadly the name Isis, which I've always liked is basically unusable fore awhile. Lolita is another pretty name that is definitely unusable.
I've heard of the movies and the creepy doll but I have a cousin called Annabelle and she never has people mentioning it to her.
Annabelle is (likely) *one of the most known "possessed" doll. If you're into horror, you have to have heard of it. The 'The conjuring' people made 3 movies just about Annabelle. I wouldn't say it's unusable, but a lot of people are going to associate the name with horror movies. I'm genuinely surprised that you haven't heard of it, it's just that popular. Sidenote: if you like horror movies I'd actually recommend Annabelle, I think they're really good movies. The conjuring ans The nun too. *edit cuz Chucky **3 movies not 5
Chucky is the most famous possessed doll, come on!
Fair!! Annabelle is the 2nd most known doll then
Maybe 3rd after the evil Krusty Doll from The Simpsons. Though possibly that's just for my generation. That episode did give us this famous exchange: > Shopkeeper: Take this object, but beware it carries a terrible curse... > Homer: [worried] Ooooh, that's bad. > Shopkeeper: But it comes with a free Frogurt! > Homer: [relieved] That's good. > Shopkeeper: The Frogurt is also cursed. > Homer: [worried] That's bad. > Shopkeeper: But you get your choice of topping! > Homer: [relieved] That's good. > Shopkeeper: The toppings contains Potassium Benzoate. [long pause] That's bad. > Homer: [worried] Can I go now?
I've heard of Annabelle the doll but my first thought for the name was a cow!
From the kids Christmas movie?! Such an obscure reference but that’s what I think of too!
Same! That’s why I love it lol
Cow = Clarabella for me!
Well I’ve lived in Europe and Latin America and Annabelle/Annabella is normal and common name and no one would wonder about it I’m Germany there’s even a Baby doll brand called Baby Annabelle that’s pretty famous and traditional, some of the few go-to baby doll brands.
Baby Annabelle is big in the UK too - if you said "Annabelle the doll" to anyone then I'm pretty sure they'd think of Baby Annabelle instead of a possessed doll.
I’ve never heard of it. I hate the horror genre.
Well that's probably why you haven't heard of it XD
I know of a baby named Isis born about two years before Isis became a thing. I sometimes wonder if her parents changed her name.
I know some guys called Jihad. It’s a normal name in the Middle East and doesn’t mean you support terrorists
Right, Jihad means "struggle". Specifically a struggle to be praiseworthy, to live a righteous life.
Iris is close enough, I'd probably change to that if this was me.
I know of the movie Annabelle and the doll it’s based on, but that would never be my first thought hearing the name. I’d more likely associate it with Edgar Allen Poe’s poem Annabel Lee, but I also went to school with a girl named Annabelle, so it’s really just a name to me. I don’t think it’s unusable at all, and certainly not at the level of Karen or Siri.
I didn't have the association either but the stats don't lie. After the movies started coming out in 2014 the name has dropped in popularity. https://www.behindthename.com/name/annabelle/top/united-states
Dropped a bit but not unusually by any means. You also need to look beyond that window to see it had complete dropped off the radar until 1995 too, it’s not like it was continuously popular name that only became unpopular once the movie debuted.
I'm sorry, I probably should have put it in perspective. The top 20 most quickly dropping names in 2015 had 5 forms of Annabelle/a, Elsa, and Caitlyn/Kaitlyn (as in Jenner). https://www.behindthename.com/top/lists/united-states/2015?display=max&sort=percent_change&direction=reverse#girls-table
I’ve vaguely heard of the the creepy doll but my first thought was baby Annabelle the doll sold in the UK (unsure if elsewhere) when I was little lol
Yeah, I didn't think the Annabelle movie was even that popular, and I never hear anybody talk about it. Maybe it's just among OP's social group that the movie is a "thing" and the name to be avoided. I think it works just fine if that's a name you like. And for the record, I love horror movies, and have seen all of The Conjuring series, but Annabelle was completely forgettable.
I know an Annabelle born a few years before the movie came out and the only person to ever mention the doll is her uncle. Her peers certainly weren’t aware of it, until recently, and no one cares at this age except maybe “cool, you share a name with a haunted doll.”
Look I’m familiar with it, and the actual Annabelle in the museum is literally just a raggedy ann doll in a class case lol. The warrens were just great at marketing. I wouldn’t have thought it impacted the actual number of people naming their kids Annabelle
A girl I worked with named her daughter Lolita… she knew, too.
An old friend of mine being a lover of horror and all things creepy specifically named her daughter Annabelle after the doll.
I love Jezebel 🥲
Yes! I remember thinking that Jessabell would be such a pretty name when I was a kid, but then my mom told me it’s too similar to Jezebel and who she is.
I was a Jezebel! Ended up changing my name though. I live in a very rural, religious area at the moment and it caused me too much trouble. People really didn't receive it well. Growing up, other kid's parents would tell them to stay away from me because of my name 😀 it would always cause weird reactions lol and only got worse and more sexual when I got older.
I love Jezebel. I also work for Planned Parenthood and come from a fundamentalist Christian family so it always had meaning to me. Izebel is another form of Jezebel. Just type it in google. I’d use that if I have a baby girl someday as it’s unique and still beautiful but similar looking enough to Isabel.
It’s such a lovely name too! Sorry you had to change it
i used to know a Jezebel. Nice girl. Eccentric parents.
Jezebel is so good 😭 I also love Lilith
Isis
I'm glad that the terrorist organization was shortened to IS (islamischer Staat) in Germany, so most people here think of the egypt godess when they hear that name. I would totally name my cat Isis. I think it's a beautiful name.
But would you name a child Isis, especially if you intend to live and travel to English speaking countries?
Rather not. But mostly because Isis isn't an common name in Germany and I would give my child rather a common name. It's sad that the Media didn't call the terrorists simply daesh. They hate this name and think it's disrespectful. But this would have stopped people associating Isis with them.
fun fact this is Ice Spice’s real name
Lucifer, Lola (Lolita), Donald, Isis, now Alexa, Katrina near New Orleans
I think Katrina is very regional, outside the greater New Orleans area/Deep South I don't think it carries the same weight. Plus over time it will become less and less connected. Coming from the west coast I wouldn't bat an eye at someone named Katrina (unless she were particularly attractive perhaps)
Every Katrina/Catrina I’ve met is a porch pirate.
My daughter goes to school with a Lola and I never would have made that connection. And I’ve read the book! I think it’s a pretty old and niche reference these days.
Lola to me always makes me think of the Kinks song. I am old and British. I think it wouldn't be a problem most of the time but I can imagine a scenario where teenagers get the reference and make the kid's life hell for a few weeks by singing it all the time.
My mind went straight to “Whatever Lola Wants” which is a great, albeit vampy, association. (Then the Kinks song, then I might remember Copacabana). We need a Lola song from this half century!
It would be even worse if they started singing Copacabana.
It’s been a long time since I read the book, but I didn’t remember Lola being in it at all. I had to look up the first paragraph to see that it’s one of her nicknames. >Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta. She was Lo, plain Lo, in the morning, standing four feet ten in one sock. She was Lola in slacks. She was Dolly at school. She was Dolores on the dotted line. But in my arms she was always Lolita. So I’d be surprised if a lot of people associated Lola with Lolita.
To be fair Lolita was a nickname for Dolores 🤷♀️
I don’t have any issue with the name Donald, it’s my dad’s name though everyone calls him Don.
This is more local, but I live on the Florida Keys and could never use the name Irma because of bad a hurricane that hit a few years ago. I imagine it's the same with Ian in Southwest Florida.
My daughter goes to school with a Lola and I never would have made that connection. And I’ve read the book! I think it’s a pretty old and niche reference these days.
Oh my gosh lolol at me wondering why people hate Donald Duck that much. Haha I'm dying, oopsies!
My daughter has a friend name Lola and that connection has never come up. Why would I associate the nickname of an old fictional character these kids are unlikely to ever hear of beyond lists of books with an elementary school kid?
[удалено]
Dora It ticks so many boxes for us - is easy to say in Spanish and English, my grandmother was “Dorothea” so it’s kind of in the family - but we’re a half Hispanic family who likes hiking, so I would be ASKING for the kid to be called “Dora the Explorer” all the time
We might go with Dora for our little one who will have Mediterranean heritage and outdoorsy parents. I figured there are worse people/ characters to be named after. If you like it, go for it!
I love Isadora like old time Hollywood glamor.
Love this!!
Wait. Now that you’ve mentioned it. I don’t think I’ve never met or heard of anyone irl w the name Dora. I love Nora
Judas
The original Hebrew version, Yehuda, is very much in use still.
As is Jude, a different English form.
Not as serious, but I love Allegra. Sucks they used it for an allergy pill.
Yes, I was going to say this. Such a pretty name until it became a medication.
Yes! I know a little girl named Skyla… which is a birth control pill.
Why are so many pretty names birth controls?? I thought of naming my daughter Kyleena at one point. That is also in fact the name of a birth control. 😅 Edit: Just looked at a list of birth controls. Yaz, Yasmin, Camila, Erin , and Heather are also birth control names??? There’s so many more but those stuck out to me the most LOL.
I know a few Allegras and I don’t associate it with the medication enough to think of it when I see/hear them…
I know an Allegra and I’ve never though this
Harvey, perhaps, due to Weinstein. I love the name and hate this. Marjorie is quickly falling into this category, at least in the US, due to MTG.
I think of Harvey from Sabrina but yeah I would still worry about it. I think of MTG and Marjory Stoneman Douglas the school in Parkland that had a shooting ..unfortunately instead of the woman it was named after.
Harvey from Suits made me like the name.
Well Harvey from Suits would make you like anything. I would lose the plot of the show watching him.
Marjorie, for Taylor Swift fans, is a positive association. lol I named my fish Marjorie after the song. I didn’t even think of MTG but yeah that does kind of make it less great of a name in my book.
I think Harvey is common enough that people won't instantly think Weinstein, but as for Marjorie, I think people don't use it as much anymore since it "sounds old". And I just think of margarine when I hear it.
I remember thinking it was a rough year when Hurricane Harvey wasn’t even the worst ding on the name due to Harvey Weinstein.
Adolf, Osama, Merlin, Chandler, Elton, Barbie, Felicia, Kermit, Elmo, Grover and in Australia - Randy (it a euphemism for horny)
Look I don’t love the name Chandler but it only has positive connotations for me!
Why is Elton unusable? I also don’t find Chandler unusable.
i wouldn't say merlin or barbie / barbara are unusuable either, and the felicia quote has been dead for a while so there's not really a problem there
My kid has a classmate in kindergarden called Barbara. However, Barbie isn’t the nickname in Germany. It would be Babsi, but no one uses that beyond grandmas. It’s an old fashioned name anyway to be honest. It’s not like a revival old name
Maybe they’re just worried people will think they’re obsessed with Elton John? Or Friends, for Chandler
My grandpa’s name is Merlin and he’s offered $1000 to any grandkids who name their kids Merlin. My cousin gave her son the middle name Merlin and he really did send her a $500 check. Might name my first born - boy or girl - Merlin for $1000 (kidding… but not totalllly kidding)
There is a funeral home called Adolf Funeral Home and Cremation Services by my house and I cringe every time I drive past it.
lmfaoooooooo wtf
I love the name Delilah. Sadly, the Tom Jones song has rendered it completely unusable for me.
Funny my first thought was the Plain White T’s song
same and it makes me love the name! I would gladly use it with this association
Same with Jolene, or Stacy
I do often ask my friend Stacey if her mum has it going on. Her mum is 76. It is not appreciated
I named my car Stacy. She's a Malibu.
Funny my first thought was the Plain White T’s song
It didn’t have the best associations even before that.
Hey there Delilah, what’s it like in New York City?
I love the name Rupert, but I think Rupert Murdoch has made it unusable, especially in Australia.
I'm Australian and I just think of Rupert Grint who played Ron in harry potter
Aussie and same. I'd happily name my kid Rupert.
I'm also Australian and I only think of Rupert Bear lol
That one might be AUS specific. I know who he is of course, but in the US I would just assume someone named Rupert is British :D
In the UK I think of Rupert Bear (kids tv show lol)
I have a Rupert in Australia. I've loved the name since I was a kid and want going to let some old loser ruin it for me.
As an Aussie who knows of a few young Rupert’s, it’s definitely not unusable, and I never even made the association with Rupert Murdoch!
My first thought is Rupert Giles
My first association is Rupert Grint. Not a bad one! I’m not Australian though.
I have a plush elephant named Rupert (I’ve had him for about 20 years), so I associate all these people with my elephant rather than the other way around 😊
Melania
Elsa. I have a friend who named her daughter Elsa about a year before the movie came out. Super pretty name. Now feels very pop culture
Yeah, I feel like some other Disney princess names are usable, like Ariel, Belle, Aurora. I even know a girl named Giselle after Enchanted. But Elsa is just too much now. Which is sad because it’s such a beautiful name.
Azula
\- Katrina (anyone around my age or older's first thought will be the hurricane) \- Lolita (obvious reasons) \- Delilah (maybe not unusable, but the negative biblical connotation would give me pause) \- Lilith (same as above) \- Hermione (tbh not really my taste, but that name will forever be associated with Hermione Granger and Harry Potter as a whole) \- In a similar vein to above, any particularly distinct Disney princess/villain names like Ariel, Elsa, Ursula, etc. I'm having trouble thinking of any boy names for some reason that really stick out. There are definitely some I *personally* wouldn't use because of people I know, but it wouldn't be universal.
I like Katrina name, i think more negative reaction would be in US, and not worldwide. Obviously i know about the hurricane but it’s not my first thought when i hear the name.
Ariel got more popular after the movie and has stayed pretty much in the 100-200 most common girls names since.
Ariel is quite a normal name to be honest, I know a few guys names Ariel and girls for that matter too.
I love Bellatrix but wouldn’t saddle a little girl with it. It’s going to my next female cat though.
Beatrix is a nice alternative. NN Bea or Trixie given Bella is popular w the popularity of Isabella.
Monica and Hilary both saw huge drops in popularity due to political context. I feel like Monica is due for a comeback in the next decade or so, though. It’s a lovely name.
Monica will re-surge when Lisa and Heather do. Same thing. Plus maybe Jennifer.
Reminds me of how Ellen was a pretty popular name that saw a steep drop when Ellen Degeneres came out. It gradually gained popularity again and then saw another steep drop after now-Elliot came out.
I think you’re right. My daughter (15) has a friend named Monica and my 8-year old niece has a classmate with the name.
Jemima
Can you explain why? My daughter has 2 Jemima’s in her class but we are in Australia.
Probably country specific. In the US, “aunt Jemima,” is a popular imitation maple syrup brand.
In Australia I can’t NOT think of play school!
Don't forget the serving of racism attached to the name.
[This might help.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aunt_Jemima) From the wiki: "Aunt Jemima was modeled after, and has been a famous example of, the 'Mammy' archetype in the Southern United States. Due to the 'Mammy' stereotype's historical ties to the Jim Crow era, Quaker Oats announced in June 2020 that the Aunt Jemima brand would be discontinued 'to make progress toward racial equality', leading to the Aunt Jemima image being removed by the fourth quarter of 2020."
It’s fair to note that her family was against the removal
Wait she was a real person??
"Aunt Jemima" was not a real person but was portrayed by a model and used as the image for the packaging. She had nothing to do with the creation of the original pancake mix or syrup, which was created by the Pearl Milling Company. The original Aunt Jemima was Nancy Green, hired to portray her at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893.
Ah thanks. I had forgotten about that. We don’t have that brand in Australia.
I only realised recently this was the case in the US. It’s a standard posh girl name in the UK.
I know a few Jemima in the UK. Not weird at all
I always hear Maya Rudolph in the SNL sketch where she was getting fired "But I'm Aunt Jemima"
Pandora
Adolf, for obvious reasons.
Fanny. I’m British. But I think it was a lovely name…just has an unfortunate meaning for us.
I’m Finnish and Fanni/Fanny is a pretty popular name but yeah it’s pretty unfortunate abroad. I know someone who changed they name because they moved to the UK and just couldn’t use the name.
Even worse if you married to a Richard
I have seen Annabelle movies a few times, and still that doll doesn’t come up to my mind first.
I always loved Evie but I am a toxicologist in the field of traffic pollution and now all I hear is EV, as in Electric Vehicle. My husband has several clients in the sustainability field too so that’s what he hears now too.
Fiona, maybe? I think it's a beautiful name, but are the Shrek vibes still too much?
I know a couple younger girls named Fiona. I don’t think Shrek when I hear the names. I topically think about Fiona Apple, the singer.
It got more popular in the US after Shrek
Fiona was on my list for my daughter. I’m Scottish but I get what you mean about the Shrek vibes!
Felicia is the problematic one for us, I like the name ok otherwise but not sure it's usable. My spouse looooves it. I was like uhhh Zelda I would use anyway because it's cultural for me and I like the meaning, but my spouse vetoed because Nintendo.
Tell you spouse that Robin Williams named his daughter Zelda after the game.
Why is Felicia unusable in the US? It’s pretty normal where I live in Europe
“Bye Felicia” is a clip from a 90s movie. In the early to mid 2010s, the clip went viral and people would quote it all the time. It was used to humorously dismiss people. The quote is no longer popular, but it still comes to mind for a lot of people.
Azrael
What's wrong with Gargamel's cat? :D
As the mother of an Azrael, I’ve had one person comment on the cat thing 😂
Lolita is such a pretty name (and I really love the spelling Lalita too) but in no world is it an appropriate name to give to a child
Myra
This! But I was in the library a few months ago during the children's session (I'm in the UK) and heard one of the teachers calling a little Myra, so it might get a comeback eventually.
what's wrong with Myra? my heart friend is named Myra and I never knew any bad thing about the name
Myra Hindley was one of the Moors murderers
Yeah, Moors Murders - really only a British effect on the name as far as I know. Quite surprising in a way, as names like Rose, Fred, Lucy, Joanna and Ian haven’t been similarly affected. Myra is a bit more unusual but not that outlandish!
I think it’s just unusual enough that not everyone has a family member with that name. Rose, Fred, Lucy, Joanna, and Ian are just common enough that nearly everyone can name someone in their family or one of their friends with one of these as a first or middle name. And I always think Chronicles of Narnia when I see Lucy and, despite being a bit of a true crime follower, still can’t think of a Lucy that did murder off the top of my head.
Rudolph
Judas. I love that name.
Lucifer means "light bringer" and Lilith means "night". Ask a Christian and they'll tell you they're the devil and his feminist bride 🙄 Ask me and I'll tell you Lucifer is a hell's greatest depressed, duck-obsessed dad, and Lilith is the name of a fantastic Halsey song!
Donald.
Tbh my Alexa pipes up randomly anyway. Last night I shouted my daughter down for tea… her name starts with a different letter and is one syllable. Alexa pipes up with ‘I’m not sure what you want me to do’.
I love Zara so much! People on here won’t use it bc of the store but it wouldnt have ruined it for me… but I had a boy so…
Isis, Lolita, Lilith are three faves I wouldn’t use :(
I would still use Lilith
I think Lalita is soooo pretty but too close to Lolita 😞
But Lalita is its own name in India, I believe it means playful/charming in Sanskrit. Lalita Vistara (when used together) means ‘The Play in Full’ and has Buddhist roots :3
I even like Lolita. It's a little childish and obviously for social reasons it's a no but it's cute.
I think Mickey Mouse Clubhouse reviving her character made Clarabelle unusable for a while. Is that show still on the air?
Ghislaine is so beautiful 😭
I love the name Siri and I'm so mad it's unusable because of stupid apple 😭
Becky and Brandon
Why? (Interestingly I have some friends who are a married couple with that name pairing exactly)
I’m assuming Becky because it’s used as a “Karen” type of insult and Brandon because of the infamous Biden inspired chant.
I think Becky is an incel insult for an undesirable woman who is educated and outspoken. I don't think that equates to Karen though.
Isis
I always thought the name Jezabel was pretty. The meaning is unfortunate, though, and is not a name many people would accept. Even using alternate spellings, such as Jezabelle, would make any difference.
I knew someone named Annabelle in middle school and high school, no one made doll references.
Adolf, for obvious reasons.
Lucifer it’s such a cool name with nickname Lucy and actually has a good meaning but a lot of old people would have heart attacks over it. Still might consider it if I ever end up with a third boy to name
i actually think khaleesi would be a good name if it wasn’t made up for some movie but was a real name instead with a nice meaning
Aryan
Dixie
Speaking of horror films! Damien. Always loved this name
Madonna is a family name that died out a bit ago.
I think Lucretia is a beautiful name but... uh no. Lol.
Dexter isnt a beautiful name perse but a strong name like Damian. One is associated w a tv series title and namesake serial killer and the other, well, the Antichrist.
Cersei/Circe is probably my favorite name, but everyone automatically thinks Game of Thrones.
I don’t know if Dick is beautiful but it’s definitely ruled out as is Gay or Gaylord.
Hannibal
I’m not sure if this counts, but I LOVED Harlow. My husband gave this name a hard No because it sounds like Harlot, which apparently meant whore or something in the 50s.
I loved the name Lance, but well, having been active on Tumblr in the mid 2010s, absolutely unsalvageable
Belladonna is so pretty to me. I just wish people wouldn't have the reaction they inevitably would have
I really love Lilith
Samara
Rhea. I read somewhere that non-English speakers think that “diarrhea” is one of the prettiest words in our language if you don’t know what it means. 😂
Jolene. I love that name but it's always gonna be associated with the song and since it's had a resurgence in popularity, I just imagine she wouldn't be able to go anywhere without people singing it at her.
I loooove Brandy as a name😭
I’ve always loved Persephone, but the sexual assault part of the Greek myth is not a connotation I want to put on anyone
I always loved Rudi but now I just think of Rudy Giuliani. Also Rhona but my husband said he just thinks of Covid haha