My daughter is named Tali'Zorah. I suppose I'm crazy : )

[DalekJaas]

Don't call her Tali'Zorah, at least just make it Tali if you're dead set on that name. Remember that this kid will have to suffer through a whole life with that name, and you don't want her saying "my parents gave me this name cause they liked an alien in some computer game". Poor kid.

 

[BarbaricGoose]

Are you naming her Tali'Zora or Tali?

Tali = Good (well, acceptable) idea
Tali'Zora = Terrible idea

I have no problem with people naming their kids after media and whatnot but choose something normal if you're going to do that. Parents think that naming their kids with a unique name let's them stand out and it does...but not in a good way. Your child is a person, not a fashion accessory or toy for you to break out at parties.

The kids gonna get teased and she's going to have to tell people how to spell her freaking name for her entire life (assuming she doesn't change it the second she's legally allowed to).

Yeah... I mean, my name's Graham, and I got tons of shit for that in school. Just for Graham. They called me Graham Cracker. And I didn't even know about that other possible meaning, but it still felt pretty horrible. I don't even wanna think wanna they'd turn Tali'Zorah into. They probably wouldn't need to turn it into anything--they'd just laugh at it. And if people calling me Graham Cracker--a dessert, just to put that into perspective--turned me into an emotional wreck, naming your kid something that's actually a rather weird name, well... I don't know. Seems like a bad idea.

I can tell you that if I were named, I don't know, Aragorn, I'd probably be a little angry about that. I like LotR, and I think Aragorn's fucking great, but what if I didn't? What if I saw LotR and thought "This is a piece of shit, and my parents named me after this asshole?" Growing up I never liked my name much, but it grew on me as I got older. I think it's a somewhat unique name (All the Grahams on the Escapist say WHAT!) and I like that. If I were named after a video game character or something... I don't know how I'd feel about that.

It seems more like a name for your pet in World of Warcraft; something to show off how much you like something, or that you're a part of a fanbase or whatever. I always name my one of my pets Zevon, but I'd never name my son Zevon. Or Hendrix. Maybe Warren, but I don't know. If I named my kid Zevon, it would be selfish; I wouldn't be naming him Zevon because I think it's a great name for kid; I'd be naming him Zevon because I think Warren Zevon is the best singer/songwriter that ever lived/will live.

 

[MasochisticAvenger]

I feel that anything I could say has already been said better here. Just remember, you're not the one who has to live with the name, and it is very unlikely the name is going to mean anything by the time the child is old enough for it to matter. So all you're going to do is make it a lot harder for her in life by starting her off with a weird and unusual name. Believe it or not, people will judge her for the name, and, at the very least, she is going to have to constantly explain it to people.

Not to mention it looks like you're trying to force your child to like something by naming her after it. What if she absolutely hates video games? She's going to be stuck with a name she hates just because you tried to force something on her. You can't tell what someone is going to like and dislike, just from what you like and dislike. Everyone in my family can't stand anime, but I absolutely love it.

I mean, would you like it if your parents named you after something that was popular in their time. It can also create a rift between you and your kid. What happens if she hates the name so much, she chooses to change it? Are you prepared for that? I have heard stories where the child has hated the thing they're named after so much, they changed their names as soon as they could. A child should be given a chance to forge their own identity; they are not just a tool to express your own individuality. If you really want to give something a crazy name, get a pet.

Just think about things like college applications and job interviews before you make any hasty decisions. Do you really want to hamper your child in life, just to make yourself look cooler. That seems kind of selfish if you ask me.

 

[Aesir23]

Nah, you're not crazy. At least it's because you guys like the name and not because you have an obsessive love for the game itself. Besides, there are far worse things out there that people name their kids without being connected to video games, such as North and Apple.


Admittedly, if I had a son and I didn't have a preference for old fashioned names then I would name him Garrus in a heartbeat.

 

[frizzlebyte]

I like it a lot, I'm assuming she'll like it, and I don't think she'll get teased for it or anything like that. Out of curiosity, am I totally off base about that?

Oh, yeah. You're not even in the same state as the ballpark in which the base resides, actually. Those of us with odd names (or moderately different spellings of common names, in my case) really just find it annoying. I mean, in a perfect world I'd love my name, but the awkwardness of it gets me down sometimes.

I can see Tali as a first name; that's actually a pretty name for a girl. But Zorah? Nope, I can't see any scenario where she likes that name, even as a middle name.

And the "I don't think she'll get teased for it" thing?

I guarantee you, unless she's born a celebrity, she *will* get teased for a name like that. Absolutely.

 

[wulf3n]

Yeah, if you name your kids "Adolf Hitler" and "Aryan Supremacy", dress up as an SS officer and cover your house with swastikas. Otherwise, not so much.

OTOH, in New Zealand, a kid went to court to get her named changed, IIRC, because it was "Talula does the hula from Hawaii".

I suppose it depends on who signs the birth certificate... That does have the name on it right?

That also raises an interesting dilemma, who would one go to if they though a child had an offensive name? I'm guessing you don't call the police, that would be a weird conversation.

 

[Rodolphe Kourkenko]

Imo, you're not mad, just a little selfish and lazy.
It's your child so only your opinion count, the only advice i can give you is to think about your child life. ME is popular now, even if i think the word "popular" isn't the good one to use, but in twelve years ?
Like someone said, Duke Nukem was popular...

 

[Eomega123]

Chalk up another suggestion for splitting it into a first and middle name, or at least hyphenating it, if for no other reason than that apostrophe in the middle of the name is going to be a pain in the ass for her every time she has to fill out a form/introduce herself.

 

[rednose1]

Tali'Zorah is a horrible first name.
Tali is a fine name though.

Why not have the best of both worlds and make Tali her first name, and Zorah her middle name? You get to have a name from ME3, and she avoids a lot of cruel teasing. Everyone wins!

 

[The Enquirer]

Are you naming her Tali'Zora or Tali?

Tali = Good (well, acceptable) idea
Tali'Zora = Terrible idea

I have no problem with people naming their kids after media and whatnot but choose something normal if you're going to do that. Parents think that naming their kids with a unique name let's them stand out and it does...but not in a good way. Your child is a person, not a fashion accessory or toy for you to break out at parties.

The kids gonna get teased and she's going to have to tell people how to spell her freaking name for her entire life (assuming she doesn't change it the second she's legally allowed to).

Yeah... I mean, my name's Graham, and I got tons of shit for that in school. Just for Graham. They called me Graham Cracker. And I didn't even know about that other possible meaning, but it still felt pretty horrible. I don't even wanna think wanna they'd turn Tali'Zorah into. They probably wouldn't need to turn it into anything--they'd just laugh at it. And if people calling me Graham Cracker--a dessert, just to put that into perspective--turned me into an emotional wreck, naming your kid something that's actually a rather weird name, well... I don't know. Seems like a bad idea.

I can tell you that if I were named, I don't know, Aragorn, I'd probably be a little angry about that. I like LotR, and I think Aragorn's fucking great, but what if I didn't? What if I saw LotR and thought "This is a piece of shit, and my parents named me after this asshole?" Growing up I never liked my name much, but it grew on me as I got older. I think it's a somewhat unique name (All the Grahams on the Escapist say WHAT!) and I like that. If I were named after a video game character or something... I don't know how I'd feel about that.

It seems more like a name for your pet in World of Warcraft; something to show off how much you like something, or that you're a part of a fanbase or whatever. I always name my one of my pets Zevon, but I'd never name my son Zevon. Or Hendrix. Maybe Warren, but I don't know. If I named my kid Zevon, it would be selfish; I wouldn't be naming him Zevon because I think it's a great name for kid; I'd be naming him Zevon because I think Warren Zevon is the best singer/songwriter that ever lived/will live.

See I actually think if someone were to give you the nickname "Graham Craker" that might be kind of neat. As you stated you don't seem to think that's the case. For a while I had an afro (or something close to it) and people still call me "Frozo". I didn't mind it when I had the afro and I don't mind it now. So really I think it is going to depend on the child a lot as well as the people they surround themselves with.

Sorry if this somehow belongs in gaming discussion.

Anyway, tomorrow my daughter is scheduled to be born. I'm freaking out and all that, but that's not why I'm here. Since day 1, her first name was always going to be Tali'Zorah. It's not necessarily "named after Mass Effect", but rather my wife fell in love with the name during our first playthrough of ME1 many years ago. Confused friends and relatives are told "we wanted a nice Quarian name" just because it's funny to see the confusion become worse.

All that aside, a couple of people have told me that we're nuts for giving a child that name. I like it a lot, I'm assuming she'll like it, and I don't think she'll get teased for it or anything like that. Out of curiosity, am I totally off base about that? For further discussion value, this thread can be about the entire concept of video games being used to inspire names.

As many have stated, Tali is actually a really nice name. I'm actually quite fond of it. But using the full name is a huge nope. Personally if I met someone who was named Tali I'd think it would be pretty cool. Not because I like Mass Effect, but because I think it is a cool name. I guess what I'm trying to say is, if you want to name you child Tali, do so because you like the name, not the character in a game who you child will most likely not be. However, you did say that you found friend's and relatives confusion funny when explaining the name to them. Kids, when confused, will most likely pick on your child. More mature people are old enough to not say anything (most of the time).

To answer your question of which this thread was supposed to be about, the naming of people after characters in a video game, name your child that name because you like that name. Not because of a character. It is really that simple.

Also congratulations on becoming a parent

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

As someone who got a name that was a compamise between two grandmothers (don't ask) for the love of your unborn baby child do not have 'Tali'Zorah' as her first name.

Splitting the name up would be better and more lore friendly as Zorah is her family name.

 

[Scarim Coral]

Meh I guess it's better than some couple out there had name their child named "Neo" and technically "Tali" is a proper name?
I guess time will tell if you will regret it or not especially your daughter.

 

[Stu35]

My daughter is named Tali'Zorah. Are we crazy?

My personal opinion? Yes. I think it's cruel to give a child a fucking weird name. Growing up is hard enough without giving other children ammunition.

I honestly think that, in the United Kingdom (where I live), we should do it the same as Germany, where a name has to fulfil two obligations:

1) You have to be able to tell the gender of the child based on the name
2) The name can't cause any undue suffering to the child (or words to that effect)

In other words, if your child is likely to get bullied because you give it a fucking Mass Effect name, then it's not allowed.


Again. This is entirely my personal opinion - I don't have children, and contrary to what I've put above, I wouldn't presume to involve myself in how you go about raising yours.

and I don't think she'll get teased for it or anything like that.Out of curiosity, am I totally off base about that?

Honestly I don't know. I know what schools I went to, and I know the children I grew up with - I knew a lad get the piss taken out of him on a daily basis because his name was Gaydon.

I suppose, objectively speaking, a name is just a name, it doesn't make a difference really - odds are her personality will determine how she interacts with her peers growing up, and perhaps young Gaydon didn't have many friends because he was a fucking weird kid.

Then again, I was a fucking weird kid, I played D&D and Warhammer, and I didn't spend my lunches sat on a bench eating alone.

As a final point - lots of parents are giving their spawn "unique" names these days (in a hilarious irony), so by the time your daughter hits school, could be that her 'crazy' name is exactly as unique as everybody elses, and won't make the slightest bit of difference.

For further discussion value, this thread can be about the entire concept of video games being used to inspire names.

Well, at the start of my post I was vehemently against people giving their younglings (what I feel to be) stupid names.

I'm still kinda against it. Thinking about it though, I suppose it doesn't make much difference in the long run, and it's so common for people to give their brats ridiculous "unique" names to show how fucking unique they are, that 'Tali'Zorah' is the new 'Harry'.


Regardless of any of this, I wish you and your family the best.

 

[Flutterguy]

If you do name her Tali don't make her middle name Zorah as some recommended.

1)Keeps the Mass Effect reference blatantly obvious
2)Doesn't give her the option of being called her middle name

 

[Andy of Comix Inc]

My dad told me he wanted to name me Dolph (after Dolph Lundgren). And my mum talked him out of it.

Fuck you mum. I could've been... the Dolphin. Dolphman. Dolphuck-U. Something amazing. Instead I got Andrew. What do you make out of Andrew? Andy. Or Drew, I guess. But man Dolph could be anything. So yes. Call your child an amazing name. Don't be another goddamn boring parent and rob your child of something incredible.

 

[not_you]

Wait... Tomorrow.... as in, US tomorrow or EU tomorrow?

Because if tomorrow is the 4th, I'm all for that day! HA

Anyway, as many, many others have said, Tali is a fine first name, or at least, name the child Tali'Zorah, but only call her Tali for short...

But yeah, having never played the ME series, I have no feelings for the name... Of course, if I were to pick a name out of a videogame I'd probably use....
oh, wow, I really have to think about this...

get back to me later... or in a few years, if I ever get to that stage of my life...

 

[Abomination]

If you had a son would you have named him "Commander"?

No, Tali'Zorah is a BAD BAD BAD idea.

Tali would be nice enough.

 

[INF1NIT3 D00M]

Congrats first off.

Secondly, I wouldn't say that it's crazy. Maybe a little weird, but that may just be me, and mostly because you're also giving her Tali's last name as a part of her first.

THAAAAAAANK YOOOOOOU!

I was hoping someone else would bring this up. The Quarians have a different naming system than we do. Her full name, "Tali'Zorah vas Normandy" translates into "Tali Zorah, from the Normandy".
So technically, if you're naming your child after the ME3 character, "Tali" would be the correct first name because that is the character's first name. Using "Tali'Zorah", you're not only giving your child an awkward legal first name, but technically you're giving your child both a first and a last name for a legal first name. It would be like naming your child "Terry-Weinstein Fitzgerald". It even sounds like a first and last name, so not only does your child get to experience the joy of having a non-normative first name, they get to explain to literally every new person they meet that their last name isn't "Zorah".

My advice to the OP is to just stick with "Tali". It's unique enough without being a socially-crippling choice. As some other users have already said, your child isn't a toy. This is a person who has to live with your choice of name, not a pet or some sort of trophy. If people pay any attention to the name you've given your child, you've already failed. It should be something that a new acquaintance hears and can easily associate with the person they are meeting. There shouldn't be any discussion. Nobody should ever have to explain what Mass Effect is or acknowledge the fact that you like the game. No mention of your child's name should ever include a mention of you or your interests, because they're not meeting you. You don't matter to them (yet). Nobody that your child meets cares about your love for Mass Effect or any of its characters. It's damn selfish of you to try to wedge yourself into every initial contact your child has with people. When you give your child a name like "Tali'Zorah", whether you realize it or not, you're doing so because you want people to ask. You want people to say "Oh, what a cool name, where did you get it?" and you expect your child to say "Oh, my mom and dad just loooooove Mass Effect". Who cares what you like? This wasn't a conversation about you. The person your child is speaking to has never met you, and probably doesn't plan to ever run into you. And yet there you are, just baiting people to ask. Daring them to ask, every single one of the innumerable meetings your child has with new people. Don't stick your nose in their business. Let them be a person. Let them meet new people without having to bring you up, or discuss Mass Effect. How do you expect to share a passion for Mass Effect with them, when that's the very game, the very character that's become the bane of their every legal document?

The only reason that something like "Tali" by itself or "Garrus" might work as "unique" first names is because "Garrus" sounds a little bit like a derivative of "Gary" and "Tali" sounds enough like an Asian or Middle-Eastern name that most westerners will hand-wave it as a normative name from a region they're not familiar with. I'm certain that those are intentional choices on behalf of Bioware, in order to make their characters feel less alien (despite the fact that they are literally aliens).