When choosing a name, are you influenced by the meaning of that name?

If a name sounds nice, but has an unappealing meaning, would you still use it?





For example, Caleb is a popular name which means "dog". Catherine is a common name, and although the meaning is unclear, one of the meanings suggested is "torture".





Cecilia is often interpreted as "blind" and Claude as "lame".





Malory, once rather popular, means "unfortunate".





Does etymology influence you in any way?

When choosing a name, are you influenced by the meaning of that name?
Yes it does. I love my name very much, and it seems to describe my character well. My parents couldn't have predicted I would become the person I am really, but the name choice was appropriate for me.





I would like to choose names that have characteristics I'd like my children to emulate, and stay away from names that have less desirable attributes. For example, I am really attracted to the name Loki, because it's unique and simple. But research history on the name Loki and you'll find it's origin isn't so appealing. Well, isn't appealing to me at least.
Reply:Only if a name I liked had a really terrible meaning.





For instance I would never use the name Damien. Not just because of the meaning and negativity surrounding it though, I also don't much care for it.





But yes if the name had a horrible meaning like Satan or something really evil like that I wouldn't use it. I love Biblical names though so most of the ones I like don't have really bad meanings.
Reply:Not really, no. If you love a name you should use it. Most people do not know the meaning of names I doubt. Unless i liked a name that was commonly known to mean, "pile of dog crap" I think I'd never give it a thought.


Hopefully there is not, nor ever will be a name meaning "pile o' dog sh*t". !!


Good question, very thought provoking. A star for you.





edit......wow you got 5 stars. i never think to give them often and doubt I;ve ever gotten one. good for you.
Reply:yes. but only when the meaning is bad. like i wanted to use jessy, but it means unplanned, unexpected. my hubby n i tried for months to get prenant, so i dont want to call her anything that means unplanned. i dont really care too much what the meanings are if they are nice though, my sons name means dark haired, and he is a blondee. i dunno how true those meaning things are.
Reply:Well my name is Katherine which means pure, virgin. My parents picked our names because they like how they sound. I've picked out some names I like but I don't remember their meanings. I look up the meaning but it doesn't really matter as long as it's not something like "from god" which I don't like because I'm an atheist.
Reply:Yes for me it does. I love the name Leah but it means weary so I am reluctant to use it. Also, I look for at least one name, first or middle, that has God in the meaning. I will do that for each of my kids.
Reply:Sometimes.





If I really, really like the name, the meaning, as long as it isn't too horrible, doesn't influence me.





Interesting question. Heres a star for you.
Reply:I would check the meaning of the name. if it was bad, I'd pick a new pretty name w/ a better meaning. But who uses those names you listed, anyways? I mean, come on! Mallory? What the heck?!
Reply:no...i use the name if i like it...





besides...


names have different meanings it just depends on the source.





in one book a name could mean delicate and in another the same name could mean dirt.
Reply:Yeah sorta. I want my kids' names to be meaningful.





Answer mine?? Easy ten points??


http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...
Reply:Yes. I don't like the highly popular name Addison because of Addison's Disease. I used to like the name Milena but looks too much like melena (bloody stool).
Reply:If I really like the name it doesn't matter what it means. If Im not sure about the name and hear the meaning is bad then I disregard the name.
Reply:No not me. I looked at the meanings of my children's names but it did not make me not choose them or choose them either way. I guess it's out there and available so I looked.
Reply:I would never chose a name that meant unfortunate! I would chose a name if I liked it and the meaning was hollow for instance. (That would be Korey.)
Reply:I don't pay attention to the meaning. If I like the name I'm going to use it.
Reply:it does somewhat to me it just makes the name that much more nice my daughter's name is dora meaning Gift from God
Reply:only if the meaning is super bad
Reply:yes, i looked for months to find a name i liked that meant princess
Reply:no
Reply:yes i am, and how it is spelled as well.
Reply:It depends. If the name had no significance to me, I probably would avoid choosing one with a bad literal meaning, even if I liked its sound. However, names mean much more than their literal denotations. As they are used throughout history and literature (and among one's relatives and acquaintances), they pick up many different connotations.





I like the name Caleb, for instance. Though it literally means "dog," it makes me think of the man in the Bible who was sent to spy out the land of Canaan. Even though most of the other spies came back saying Canaan looked way too scary to try to conquer, Caleb trusted God's promise. I associate the name with faith and courage, not dogs.





Though Cecilia means "blind," she was also a saint -- the patron saint of musicians. That's a lovely connotation, and it makes Cecilia a fitting choice for musician parents (or Catholic parents or any parents who hope their daughter might enjoy music).





There are names, though, that I would consider primarily because of their meaning. I first stumbled across Susanna when looking for alternatives for the overused Lily -- Susanna comes from the Hebrew word for Lily, so it feels like a fitting replacement.





And there are names I wouldn't consider primarily because of their meaning. Mallory, especially, is one of these. While most people are unaware of Claude's and Caleb's origins, many people recognize that the "mal" prefix means "bad." I have no positive associations with Mallory; it reminds me of the girl on "Family Ties," but that's a rather neutral association for me. If it had a lovely meaning, I might consider it, but as it stands, it has nothing to recommend itself.