<p>^^ Good grief. Why do parents feel they should get clever with their kids’ names? That’s what pets are for! </p>
<p>Vladimir Guerrero was pretty good.</p>
<p>Oh my, Christopher, Jonathan and David are now gay men’s names? Wouldn’t Michael be included here, as it was the most popular name? What about Jared? There were 3 in son’s class.</p>
<p>In my Pilates class are 2 Beverleys, a Tina, a Polly–I like these names. I remember when girls were given names of jewels and flowers; don’t hear that much any more. I still like Lili and Carolyn. I guess I am dating myself.</p>
<p>I promise to keep out of the naming of future grandchildren. It will be hard, if they want names like Cambridge, Seattle, Cupertino.</p>
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<p>I’ve never met a MIchaela but I know a lot of Makaylas… including my cousin’s kid (oh, and Mikayla’s mom has a master’s degree and is high up in hospital administration).
Makayla is MUCH more common than Michaela… if anything, “Michaela” is the weird first name. </p>
<p>My first name is Marcyana, and everyone says it is beautiful. It’s a morphing of my mum nd dad’s names, and I have never ever had a problem regarding it!</p>
<p>You’re right, bookworm. Michael should be included. I’ve never thought of Jared, but Dylan was in the running. </p>
<p>I knew a Ruby & Crystal( they were married)
One of Crystals sisters was named Pearl.
My H & I had grandfathers with the same first name but it was pronounced differently.
( Emil)
I really liked the name Marina, but I was shot down
Also shot down was Cleo and Opal.
( good cats names though)</p>
<p>Bookworm- My dd is Carolyn and Lily, Ivy and Rose are creeping back. My dd went to school with a girl named Daisy who became a dentist. Dr. Daisy! Romanigypsyeyes- have to disagree. I think Michaela is the original form of the name and I think it got a boost from the old show, Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman. It is the feminine version of Michael.</p>
<p>Vlad Guerrero not so unusual when you think about the close political relationship between Cuba and the former Soviet Union. Plenty of Cubans working or studying in Russia back during the cold war. By the same token, plenty of Russians living or serving in Cuba back then.</p>
<p>When did I say anything about it not being original? I said it was “weird” because it was less common. </p>
<p>My middle name was originally Elisheva/Elisheba (origins of Elizabeth) but does that mean Elizabeth is weird? No, because it’s far more common. </p>
<p>There was a great mystery story–by Edmund Crispin, I think–with a character whose first name was Mammon. The theory was that his parents were only vaguely familiar with the Bible.</p>
<p>Many of my kids’ friends are Nigerian. They typically give their kids a name that has meaning in English. So, Prince and Princess are really common. Two of my son’s best friends (male) are Precious and Melody. Both boys go by this name (no nicknames) and both graduated at the top of their class and were accepted to Ivy league schools. Yes, they have “weird” names - but their drive and intelligence will lead to their success in life. </p>
<p>There is a Michaela at DDs school. She pronounces it Michael a. Just as it’s spelled. </p>
<p>How could certain names be “gay” when a parent cannot possibly know the sexual orientation of their child at birth?</p>
<p>I’ll never forget a conversation with a good friend when she was pregnant in 1990. She has a very common last name and wanted an unusual first name. She picked Emily. Emily then took off and became one of the most common names of the 1990s. (Well, actually I do remember rolling my eyes and thinking she could do a lot better job coming up with an uncommon name.)</p>
<p>When I taught, I had two girls named Chanel in my class. Chanel No. 1 and Chanel No. 2. The other day we were at an event and there was a girl named Chanel. My husband turned to me and said, “Chanel No. 3. We’re only two away from Chanel No. 5!”</p>
<p>I knew someone whose name was Chet whose wife had just given birth to a baby girl, and they were discussing names. I suggested Chette. 
Only kidding. They decided on Emma.</p>
<p>A friend of a friend named her D Ashley when its only reference was GWTW. About a month later, a child named Ashley appeared on Happy Days and it suddenly became a trendy name. She was chagrined, to say the least.</p>
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<p>People think I’m Haitian <em>all the time</em>. In France, I’m often asked if I’m from the Antilles, which is, mostly, another way to say the same thing. </p>
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[quote=mom2collegekids]
^^^
or Louisiana…where there are AA’s with french names.[\quote]</p>
<p>My father’s from Alabama, so not far off. However, once, I encountered a man who decided I was Creole, and would not accept any of my contrary protestations. I’m not sure why he thought he had a better idea of my ethnicity than I do…</p>
<p>My MIL’s assisted living facility if full of women with names from the past. Names that show no sign of becoming popular again. They are like a time capsule from another age: Agnes, Bertha, Marcella, Lucille, Norma, Doris, Laverne, Rozella, Leticia, Clara…</p>
<p>I always joke that I married my husband for his simple four-letter last name. It was a relief to retire my easy-to-pronounce but odd-looking (has a “jk” combo) Czech last name that gave me nothing but grief throughout my young life. DS has a timeless first name but combined with our last name, he is impossible to Google. When we try adding his middle name to the search, the results are hilarious.</p>
<p>Tatin, same at my mom’s AL. She and her 3 siblings have/had names that clearly designate them as children of their era, and I can’t see any of them ever being trendy again, except maybe Polly. I could see that one coming back. </p>