Poll: Is it [wrong] to name a child after a [video game character]?

[Catfood220]

I suppose some video game names could be considered a little silly, but I think with people choosing stupid names for their kids without the help of video games, it shouldn't really matter.

I hope that if I ever find someone willing to have kids with me, I hope that I have a little girl so I can call her Zelda. Or Bayonetta, I haven't decided yet.

 

[Adeptus Aspartem]

Most names come from some biblical/traditional characters anyway. I honestly don't see why Maria, Eva, Adam or Joseph are any better than Alyx, Chell or anything out of a movie/game/comic.

King Aragorn got it right. The names we use now had to be chosen by someone too.

 

[Scrustle]

It's totally fine, depending on what the actual name is. The parent should consider how people will see their child with that name. It's not the fact that the name is taken from a game character, rather that it simply might simply be a stupid sounding name.

Although, on a slightly related topic, I think it's kind of stupid when people name their pets after game characters. Again, it's more that they tend to pick stupid and unfitting names, not that they are actually game characters' names.

 

[Madman123456]

Naming your Chikd after anything that will have no relevance in later Life is rather stupid. Names that are actually names are alright, April and Nathan were given "real" names and if you name a child like that then they'll still be Nathan and April in 80 years and will possibly never ask why you gave them their name. Also they wont have to explain why anyone would name them like that, for those are common names and People pick them because they like them.

Now imagine some 80 year old dude having to explain why he and his brother are called "Garrus" and "Kratos" D:

 

[CrazyCapnMorgan]

If I ever have a daughter, I'm going to name her Tia Matthew [Last Name].

You tell me if that's silly, stupid or wrong.

 

[SidheKnight]

It has been done.

A WoW-playing couple named their baby girl "Jaina", after Jaina Proudmoore.

http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/01/31/around-labor-and-delivery-pride-and-joy/

It's the cutest thing I've ever seen.

 

[CriticalMiss]

It depends on the name. If your spawn is called Zergling then you may have to explain that decision. And people name their children after stupid things that aren't video game characters, so it's hardly a unique phenomenon if you do decide to call your daughter Bowser.

Captcha: You can do this!
Well, if captcha has given us its blessing it must be okay

 

[Bad Jim]

Some fictional names become popular real names eg Wendy from Peter Pan. There's no reason why names from video games shouldn't become popular real names. Just as long as they don't sound stupid.

 

[norashepard]

I mean, obviously if you're naming your kid Miranda or James, you're in the clear and you can tell them later on and they can either decide to wear it as a badge of pride because of the association, or ignore it's meaning and forge their own self.

Is it worse than other literature? I would say it's actually better because game characters have different associations for different people. Example: Miranda in Mass Effect is thought by some to be heartless and rude, but to others, she is incredibly dedicated to those things she chooses, and this depends on how the player interacts with her. In a book, there is no interaction, so the character is set in stone, which isn't bad, but is less versatile.

Does it matter if there is a positive background story behind it? Well I would guess that's why you're considering the name in the first place. I wouldn't name my kid No-Bark just because that was a character once. But I'd sure as hell name my kid Jade or something if I felt the character would be a good inspiration.

Drawing the line: I would say don't do like, Bastila or Juhani, unless those are common names for your culture, but if you really want to call your kid pikachu, I can't really stop you, and who knows, it might catch on.

And just because it's relevant, speaking as someone who's name just happened to be a video game character (and like one of the most badass ones) it is pretty neat. I play the game and see this cool person doing cool stuff and I just feel very prideful of it. I probably wouldn't feel the same if my name was Martin Walker though, so yeah.

 

[tseroff]

For relatively normal names like Link, Ash, or Cammi, I see no problem whatsoever. I'm even on board with the slightly out-of-place, like Ezio or Cloud. I'm named after an actor who barely anyone in my generation even knows. (Forest Whitaker, if you're wondering.) If you're going to go further into the extreme, though, I would suggest using the video game name as a middle name, or even a full name as a first and middle, like John Marston Smith or Adam Jensen Anderson or Ezio Auditore Palazzo.

Basically, if you give them a weird name, give them a normal one too, just in case they don't like it. Nobody's going to care about Jake Charmander Miller's middle name, or if you reverse it, so it's Charmander Jake Miller, nobody would mind if he went by Jake, but he could still go by Charmander if he didn't mind. I'm going to stop before this gets too heavy

 

[omega 616]

It depends, if you're going to take a name from a game then choose something "normal" call your son Marcus like from gears of war ... don't call your daughter Zelda!

Parents seem to think naming there child is a chance to show how creative and different they are or how unique there child will be, so they come up with a name to show that. What they are actually doing is forcing another person to live with this name, this can have a massive impact on a childs life ... it determines if there going to be bullied for a start.

If you like the name "Dovahkiin" change your fucking name to it! Don't make your child that weird kid in class with the hippy parents.

Edit: There should be an unwritten law somewhere, if you honestly feel comfortable going into a job interview and using X as your own name, then it's okay to be a name.

Or If you want a unique name, you have to change your name to it first before you can call your child it.

For relatively normal names like Link, Ash, or Cammi

Link or Cammi, relativity normal? You hanging out with Wreck it Ralph?

PS. who hasn't heard of Forrest Whitaker? He's the black guy from phone booth, right?

 

[hermes]

It depends on the context, but in most cases... yes, its kind of silly.

If the name is an established name in your country, or doesn't sound so out of place, its fine. If the name is utterly foreign and no one would use it in any context outside of the game, then its silly. In other words, if your son will be able to use his/her name as it is without a "yes, my parents named my after a foreign fictional character" look, then its acceptable.

 

[Keneth]

I've seen both ends of the spectrum on this.

One one hand, a friend of mine named his son Sephiroth. They call him "Seph." I suppose this could be mistaken for "Seth" in public. And, in school he has the defense of: "My parents named me after one of the most bad-ass video game villains of all time!"

On the other hand, I had a co-worker that named his son Neelix. The kooky, strange, comedy relief, alien chef from Star Trek: Voyager. This poor kid is going be picked on and bullied mercilessly for the rest of his life...

 

[Legion]

I'm currently writing an article about this and wanted more opinions on this matter, so:

Is it wrong? Silly? Stupid? [even if its an established name like April and Nathan] Why?

Is it worse than naming your child after a movie/tv show/book character? Why?

Does it matter if there is a positive background story behind it? (i.e the character stands by good morals that are inspiring/meaningful to you).

Where should you draw the line? Between established and totally obscure. Does it matter?

Those are the only questions I can come up with now, but I might add some more later.

Please comment and vote, if you wish.

1) No, a name is a name. Unless you name your child something like Sarif Industries or Master Chief, I don't see why it really matter where it comes from.

2) No different at all. They are all under the fictional entertainment category.

3) I think that's down to the parent, if they feel it's important for the name to mean something or not is their business.

4) I'd draw the line using the examples to my first reply. If the name isn't something that is "supposed" to be a name, then I think you are being quite selfish, as the child is the one who has to live with it. If the name is a "real" one, but just so happens to be from a work of fiction, I don't see the issue.

That said, I don't think I'd ever do it.

 

[krazykidd]

Dude , i named my son after Wolverine ( Logan ) what do you think? If it was a girl , i was definately naming her Lufia , and dying her hair blue! [small] just kidding about dying her hair blue , but iv'e wanted to name my kid Lufia since i was 6[/small]

 

[Happiness Assassin]

It really would only be a problem if you gave them some really strange name. But even then it is little more than silly. I say go ahead, though I certainly wouldn't want to name my kid Atari or something like that.

 

[madwarper]

It depends, if you're going to take a name from a game then choose something "normal" call your son Marcus like from gears of war ... don't call your daughter Zelda!

Obviously, no one should ever name their daughter Zelda, someone might be think she was named afer...


Zelda Fichandler (born 1924), American director and educator
Zelda Fitzgerald (1900?1948), author and wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald
Zelda Harris (born 1985), American actress
Zelda Kahan (1886?1969), British communist
Zelda Kaplan (1917-2012), American socialite
Zelda La Grange (born 1970), former private secretary to President Nelson Mandela
Zelda McCague (1888?2001), Canadian supercentenarian
Zelda Schneersohn Mishkovsky (1914?1984), (pen-name "Zelda"), Israeli poet, notable writer of Hebrew religious poetry
Zelda Popkin (1898?1983), American mystery novelist
Zelda Rubinstein (1933?2010), notable for starring in the Poltergeist film series
Zelda Sears (1873?1935), American entertainer
Zelda Wynn Valdes (1905?2001), African-American fashion designer and costumer
Zelda Williams (born 1989), American actress and daughter of Robin Williams
Zelda Zonk, a pseudonym used by Marilyn Monroe (1926?1962)

Because, that 'someone' would might not know the fact that Zelda comes from the shortened version of the Germanic name Griselda.

 

[The Funslinger]

As with all name homages, this isn't black and white. More than anything, it depends on the name.

Naming your kid Chewbacca, because you want your son to be someone's faithful bro, while hilarious and great in sentiment, is a no.

Naming the kid Nick, because your favorite Left 4 Dead character kills zombies with style is fine. At the end of the day, he's just named Nick, and that little homage is something to smile over.

Looking at you, parents naming their kid Dovahkiin.

Edit: If I had a son, I'd give due consideration to naming him Roland, because Dark Tower.