[Opinions] Re: Is it wierd to give your kids mexican names if your not Mexican?
in reply to a message by Heidi
In theory, I think it's fine to choose names outwith your own heritage. But in practice, they'll often raise eyebrows or just seem odd with your surname. I admit I *would* wonder, if I saw a redheaded child named Muhammad or a Spanish-speaking child named Tighearnan. I wouldn't think there was anything wrong with it - it would just surprise me.
Then again, the same redheaded child could pull off another Arabic name - Layla or Samara would work fine - and I wouldn't be surprised to see a Hispanic child named Conan. So I suppose it depends on how ethnic the name *seems*, rather than the actual ethnicity. Hope this makes sense :-/
Esteban does sound quite out-there to me, as an English speaker. I think of firstname-surname combos such as Esteban Smith and Esteban Jones, and it would seem a little odd. But if your surname is less bread-and-butter English, it might work.
Then again, the same redheaded child could pull off another Arabic name - Layla or Samara would work fine - and I wouldn't be surprised to see a Hispanic child named Conan. So I suppose it depends on how ethnic the name *seems*, rather than the actual ethnicity. Hope this makes sense :-/
Esteban does sound quite out-there to me, as an English speaker. I think of firstname-surname combos such as Esteban Smith and Esteban Jones, and it would seem a little odd. But if your surname is less bread-and-butter English, it might work.