Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Names in Facebook Era

Expecting parents spend hours and days discussing, debating and sometimes arguing about the potential name of the baby. (Well we all know the wife always wins but that is a topic of another post.) For some choosing a unique name is essential (even if people cannot pronounce it) and some are happy with a common name. Referring religious scriptures, name books, consulting priests, using horoscope and sometimes just using a famous star’s name are common practices. But can you imagine referring to Facebook for a name.

Yes, an Israeli couple named their baby girl ‘Like’ – taken directly from Facebook ‘Like’ icon. See the link below

Inspired by Facbook, Israeli couple names their daughter Like

But that is not the first couple. Earlier this year an Egyptian couple named their baby ‘Facebook’. Link below

Meet baby girl ‘Facebook’

What is coming next? Shall we expect names like

  • Google or may be Bing if parents are bloggers or believe in search engines
  • Yahoo, probably not as that is an old site now
  • IPhone or Mac for the cult that always advocates Apple products
  • 4G, high speed baby name of telecommunication professional parents
  • May be ‘Pentium’ inspired by high speed processors
  • LOL for e-chatterboxes

What do you think? Please do add some more.

(PS:- Like many other posts, readers’ comments are more interesting than the original post, so please do read them.)

51 comments:

kiran sawhney said...

I have more hilarious examples of names that I have heard. Someone I have heard has been named Attachi (suitcase in hindi). and almari (almirah). Really, I have heard these names.

kiran sawhney said...

I also had a client whose actually name was- Aashiq. I used to refuse to call him by his name. And even in my phone, I did not feed his real name. Imagine my phone ringing and the name is- Aashiq (lover in hindi)

kiran sawhney said...

Also I had a friend. In her family the tradition was to keep all names like- Vandana, Bhawna, Pooja (name for prayer in Hindi).
So we friends used to joke with her- Now you should name your children, parshad, ghanti, halwa etc. But that was a joke.

kiran sawhney said...

First 3 comments are mine. Not bad..

Tanvi said...

Hahahha at the Aashiq story!!! Also, there is a singer whose name is Ashanti! Now I am quite sure her parents didn't know the name before they named her - probably they wanted to go with Shanti and someone mis translated it for them!?!

♡ from © tanvii.com

NRIGirl said...

Funny @A! Actually Bing is real name. I know a fellow parent from China whose name is Bing Li.

Of all names, I find these name very interesting Queenstar (that's me) & Sweetstar (my sister)

:)

Amrit said...

@Kiran,

Can't believe name Aashiq. :))

@Tanvi,

Haha. Ashanti..:))

Amrit said...

@NRIGirl,

How many names do you have? First time you mention Queenstar? I knew Queen and your real name and of course NRIGirl?

So star among queens: Queenstar...is the the origin?

Whirlwind said...

Its really ridiculous to see parents name their child like especially when there are so many beautiful names to choose from. It shows lack of creativity not to mention over obsession with facebook.

Anjuli said...

Oh too funny about the facebook and the like names- however, I have a TRUE story- and I think mine tops these! :)

In Ghana, I knew this lady from China and her name was 'Starring' I thought this an intriguing name...so after I had gotten to know her for quite some time, I asked her how she came to have this name.

"Oh this is my European name...my English name"

hmmmm...I had never heard of such a name before...so I asked where she had found this name.

"oh it is on EVERY English movie...you see it at the end...starring...starring..."

I promise this is a TRUE story!!

Amrit said...

@Whirlwind,

Yes. Obsession with Facebook. Some obsessed with movie stars at one time, no wonder why we have so many Rajeshs.

@Anjuli,

So funnnnnyyyy. Haha. I believe you completely.

Insignia said...

There is this gypsy community in Karnataka who have the tradition of naming on objects/places/any damn thing.

Jalebi, Wipro, Cheeta fight(match box), Paris......

They hear to something and if they like it, their children get that name. I forgot the name of the community though :)

Insignia said...

And yeah Malayalees are know for their interesting names without a meaning.

Ninny, Sini, Rini, Joby...

I have a friend whose name is "Nice mone" (mone meaning baby/child) and his brother is "Happy mone" :)

Kavita Saharia said...

Lolz !Soon we will see people with names like Draft ,Link .

Punam said...

yes its so funny. Imagine how the kids would feel after growing up - they would be stuck with such funny names and probably rebuked for it - just because their parents wanted to be 'different'. :)

Smita said...

hahaha!!

Blog? Post? Tweet?? hehehe there are too many names to choose from ;)

Vaise I like Like :D but the baby will be facing probs in future. Imagine some one saying "Hey Liek, I like you, u like me?" and She saying "I am like how can u like me? :D

ಅಶ್ವಿನಿ/ Ashwini said...

I knew a girl from my college and her name was "Rasna" - remember the advertisement was so famous on Indian television that her parents named her so. How about Pepsi or Mirinda ?? has anyone heard of it ? LOL :)

Rama Ananth said...

I used to know a Punjabi boy named Happy, and his brother with the name Bunnty. Well Punjab too is famous for naming their children in very funny ways. And Bengal too is famous for keeping weird names which has no meaning at all like Bojo, Bebu,Joko and so on.
I think it is natural to find funny sounding names in every community, like I know a South Indian family who call their daughter Vichoo, short for Vijaylakhmi.
And of course when Indians go abroad, they automatically call themselves some very short, funny and Christian sounding name, derived from their own name.

Bikram said...

i wonder what they will come out next .. Orkut .. Blogger. Wordpress ..

Destination Infinity said...

There is a joke in Tamil movie. One guy is named Alagesh and he wants to change his name when he goes to US. Guess what name he selected? - Al Gates!!! :)

But I think the sanskrit names sound much better, atleast for Indians.

Destination Infinity

Rià said...

ha ha that was an interesting read for sure...kind of agree with what Bikramjit has said.

NRIGirl said...

@A! To answer your question, Hephzibah Queenstar Israel (Livingston) aka NRIGirl - to give you my full name! :))

Queen is derived from it

Shobha said...

It's not just funny but madness to some extent..how can parents name their children facebook etc. etc. How will the kids react when they grow up.
In Nigeria people named their children after the days and months like Sunday, Monday, April, May and also like Patience, Comfort.
At least that made some sense.

Felicity Grace Terry said...

Shucks, you got there before me.

hot girl said...

nice.

Anonymous said...

I have 3 cousins named, Thinkal, Chovva and Bhudan..which stands for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in our language. All used to ask their father how the children will react once they grow up... the kids turned adults and no issues with names...so probably "Facebook" too will start taking pride in his/her name...

I too have an unusal name... very rare even when i google...I am still surviving... ;)

subu said...

Quite right! But that is how the names evolve.. Ms Google and Mr Ipad sounds nice, dont you agree?

Jyothi said...

Hmmm.... What's in a name right? There was a dog called Facebook in Gomaal 3. I found that a bit silly too. Can't imagine calling someone blogger or Wordpress! I think I will leave specific instructions in my will to my kids regarding the names I would approve of for my grandchildren. He he

M'Bai Madrasi said...

imagine parents nameing their children as 'OMG','ROFL','LOLZ'......
HECTIC....
Its THE facebook era

Neeha said...

That's interesting..
I never knew that technology helps people in this way:P

hamaarethoughts.com said...

so hilarious...facebook>>>like!!
isnt it dumb!poor kids...they will have hard time in school!
I knew a family where they had twin daughters,,,
Giftu shiftu..
first one was gift of God,next one they didn't know what to name..so something similar shiftu!
funny!

Bhargavi said...

ha ha1 lol is a good option..

Jyoti Mishra said...

ppl r running a marathon of uniqueness, which sometimes result in mockery.

Suruchi said...

considering this...i should have named seeya OMG...coz that's what i evoke mostly;-)

and really...Facebook?????????????
i mean...omg!:-)

R. Ramesh said...

bing Li...i like that name ya...being a bruce lee fan i better do...haha..hey boss good post as usual ya...

PJ said...

Like?!...really ? thats too much!!!

sm said...

lol
google or bing

Urmi said...

Very nice, hillarious and interesting post.
Infact people try to give names something different and thats the trend now. Names which are meaningless can be found more and more.

Ishi said...

hahaha..superb post!!thoroughly enjoyed all the comments and the post itself!!!

dr.antony said...

Hilarious..I enjoyed reading it.
It is as if people have run out of names.Any sound can be used for a name these days.Like music in Hindi movies,most of them have no meanings.

Matangi Mawley said...

named facebook!!! can't imagine...!

i ve a friend by name 'sajni'... but she didn't know what that meant until the day she met me .. (that was whn she was 17..)!

my name itself is rags often times when people mis-pronounce it... it's a sad tale...

good blog! :)

Tanishka said...

You forgot twitter.... n the nick name could be tweety :D
Btw I know a guy whose surname is Yahoo.... :)

Emily, Ruby Slipper Journeys said...

I'm with Tweet!

Yikes, people are unbelievable, and some people shouldn't really be allowed to procreate...

BK Chowla, said...

Very interesting--Doesnt it really show the mind set of present generation?
What Bikram says is funny

Aparna said...

gosh, why..why would anybody do that?!?!?!?!
Thank goodness for being able to change names legally..
I already have one hiking event scheduled for this Sunday..let me know if there is something else you guys are organizing..

Sh@s said...

What's in a name? - Shakespeare

Meena said...

Poor kids!!! imagine how much they'll get ridiculed for their names!!

Mann_se said...
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Mann_se said...
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Mann_se said...
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Mann_se said...

Hilariously ridiculous matter :D....kinna badal gaya insaan :D....i wish i had a "LIKE" button here as well..coz i liked not only the post but also each and every comment inch by inch yard by yard :D:D:D:P:P:P...Gud job all :D....made my day!!:)

(Note:srry Amrit G, i deleted my comment thrice :-\ ...was so xcited 2 comment that it was full of typos ...."TYPO" is also a gud name ryt :D:P or delete :-|)