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Arian - isn't this name a bit problematic in Germany? It makes me think of Aryan, the "Aryan race" etc

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-- Not really since the german word for it is Arier or arische Rasse, so no german would really draw a connection between it and the name Arian (at least that's what I think but I never met someone named Arian). I would think most people would think that it sounds like Adrian without the d.

Perception of Names

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Colin - I wonder how this and the other English names on the list are perceived in Germany. Are they considered hip and fresh or tacky? I've noticed that English names used abroad often are considered either "cool" or just tacky.

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I depends on the region you are in but more so it depends on the social class of the person you ask. Most English names are more popular in East Germany. Western Germans (or southern ones in my case) usually perceive them as typically "ossi" (slang word for eastern). Plus, they are more common among lower social classes. Very educated people almost don't use them at all. They consider them tacky.
Btw, there is a similar thing going on with SOME French names (Jacqueline & Chantal are the classic examples which are popular among less educated people in the Ruhr area.
I live in Bavaria and if you named your child Colin, Justin or Kevin here, it would be alright with his peers for a while but the grown ups he meets in his life will not be able to stop themselves from drawing certain conclusions about his regional and educational background.

This message was edited 5/19/2010, 11:05 AM