Contentious doll names - gods and so on.

I honestly don't think there's anything I wouldn't name a doll if I thought it fit the doll.

Because, really, a name is a name. If you don't do it with the intention of shock value or offense, really, most people aren't going to mind. And if they do, well, it's not their doll, they don't have to be involved with it.

 

I've got a few characters who are in the clergy, but I'm careful as anything in case something I do majorly offends. Even though I'm a Protestant, I was raised Catholic and as I'm in the accquaintance of an awkwardly large number of future nuns and priests the last thing I want to do is use one of my character's calling for shock value.

And who knows? Maybe his family was out of apostle names. We can't all be named Luke, you know...

 

Well, I know I wouldn't take offense at anyone naming their doll with a name that has religious/spiritual meaning to themselves or others, as long as they were doing it with love and respect. Of course, there may be creative reasons why a name is chosen--I'd love to meet a priest named Padre Pan..

It reminds me of that old Elton John song, "Levon"--"He calls his child Jesus because he likes the name.."

 

Well, I don't shy away from potentially offensive names if I like them, but I DO tend to shy away from 'common' names when I can, or names that I, personally, just don't like. So, I would never name a doll Ashley (even though it's my own name, it's far too common for me!), and because I simply don't like the name I'd never use the name Gertrude or something. There's a LOT of names I wouldn't use simply because I don't like them.

My first doll, when I can afford her, will be Kayou, my second Shikyo. Beyond that I eventually intend to have a Keniichii (I change the spelling a lot as I've not found one for the sounds that I really like yet) a Laran, a Hikage, and a Yllora. Some are Japanese words, or Japanese based, others are ones I created myself because I like the sounds together.

 

The names I tend to stay away from, are the ones that may offend others and myself. I wouldn't want people to think badly of the name of something I consider beautiful.

I would of course stay away from names like Adolf, Satan and Mohammed (naming a doll that would just seem stupid to me), because of many of the reasons people already mentioned.

Names I would also stay away from is Veronica, Finn and Karsten. I don't mind them on others, but they're all the names of people in my life that I really don't like. To me they bring out bad memories, so I simply avoid them. And I'm sure most people wouldn't name a doll after the person that used to talk about you behind your back.

 

Hee, funny you mention those names in that order, I have two characters named Marc and Amanda.

My older brother recently named his kitten Apollo, on grounds of him being sunny, sociable, and energetic and such. I don't see any problem with that, really, even though he was mostly viewing Apollo as more of a literary character than a living god. But the kitten was named, I would think, in admiration for Apollo, which is much different from, say, naming the cat something like "Rotten." (Sadly, there's a sweet little beagle in our neighborhood named this....)

And some people do think it's alright to name their children after Greco-Roman gods and goddesses. Tennis player Venus Williams, anyone? I've known several people named Diana. I've even known one girl named Aphrodite during my lifetime.

So, here's the crucial point I'm trying to make: Your character, in its own universe, is a person. You're naming the doll after the character, dressing him/her like your character, etc.

Say you have a character named Isis. Said character was named that because of her serene, calm, dutiful nature. In a way, she is sort of a homage to the egyptian goddess, but she is most definitely only named after the goddess and not intended to be the goddess herself. You' eventually want to have a doll of your Isis, because she's a character you've been RPing as for years. I don't think it's fair to assume that all dolls who happen to be named Isis are supposed to be all-out representations of the actual goddess.

But, then again, I'm one of those people who would never really have a character with a particularly extraordinary name. Probably the "weirdest" name I have for one of my characters is Kunigunde, which also happens to be the name of a Polish saint. The fact that it's a saint's name doesn't really matter to me, because there are also saints named Peter, Anthony, Mary, etc. I named her this because it's kind of a theme throughout her family to have names like Imelda, Brunhilde, etc, and I thought "Kunigunde" had a meaning that worked well for her.

But I suppose I've rambled enough. ^^;;

 

Though I am religious, there are very few names I would avoid in a doll. I would avoid Satan and Lucifer, and that's it.

 

im not being defensive, but i feel i have to voice my opinion...
i have a doll named Lucifer (i call him Loo). and yes, he is that Lucifer. but, i and possibly others who would name a doll after someone controversial person or figure, have based my Lucifer (and all my dolls) after a character in my entirely fictional comic book that i write and draw. in this fictional universe Lucifer is very different from the concept of satan that is most well known in religious belief (see the B&G doll database for character description).

just because i have a doll named after a very famous fallen angel, doesnt mean i am a satanist, or anti-religious (im actually catholic), im not trying to be offensive to anyone or create turbulence (in fact, i had never even thought about it until today when i found this thread). fiction is fiction and the characters in a fictional story are sometimes not what people expect or even agree with and like....and my dolls character is not a devil, or evil he's just someone doing his job...plus hes adorable! one of my other dolls is Azrael, the Angel of Death, and i fully intend to own a Israfel and possibly Metatron in the future...with them, Lucifer is just another angel...just one with a crappy job.

i feel that how someone creates their dolls character, personality and name is part of what BJDs are about...and everyone is totally entitled to whatever opinion they wish (meaning, feel free to hate my Lucifer, but i warn you, he's awfully cute!). i mean...i wouldnt name one of my dolls Bob (thats my computers name anyway).

 

I belive in the norwegian saying (roughly translated): The name shames no one.

I have 3 dolls for now, and two more comming. Jamilie (a mix of Jamie and Emilie...I could not choose) Nimue (named after the godess) Sakura (one of my favorite names) Vincent (A vincent Valentine minimee) and Varg (old norwegian name for wolf, allso a personal favorite)

I do know that the name Varg brings bad thoughts to people (A man that burned down staff Churches in Norway had the name Varg Vikernes) but it`s a personal favorite, and I am using that name with it`s original intent (Vikings belived that naming their children after animals would give then their strengh)

If anyone feels uneasy with my choice of name then that is their problem, not mine. Not that I have names I would never give anyone (like Paal, Johan and Petra) but It`s not my place to judge if anyone else names their dolls that. It`s their choice, and Im mature enough to respect that

 

I guess the only thing I wouldn't like is having a doll and naming it after myself. I don't ever intend to have a doll that looks like me..it's just...creepy. o_O

Anyway, it's your doll and you can call it whatever you wish.

 

Since my religious beliefs tend toward the pagan, I'd never name a doll after someone I know, either in a good way or a bad. For the same reason I'd never have a doll with a human hair wig. That's a little too much of a tie to an actual person for me to feel comfortable..

 

You know, that's a really interesting point, and way of looking at things! For all that I've got friends who are pagan, and went that way for religion myself for many years (honestly, as a teen who was simply not happy with any other she'd tried, and so went that way partially to 'rebel' against a Christian family, but then realized that she did more disrespect to it than actually believed in it, and so 'stopped' completely) I hadn't even thought about that particular aspect when it comes to things like naming dolls, or choosing wigs for them.

 

One of my dolls after my OC is going to be named Amu but her real name is Lilith. I don't seem to find 'Lilith' as a bad name. I think any name for your doll is fine as long as it isn't tasteless or REALLY wierd....for example, if someone named their doll "Abrakadbrah" that's just wierd. I stay away from names like that. But if you name you're doll after a mythical being or god (etc.) it is fine with me I don't see anything wrong with it.

 

I find that Greek and all that Roman mythical names are sooo beautiful, but I didn't want to call my doll...(the first name i chose for him) Yezkel, or something really complicated "or similar to it" :p . Though I love what the name means and how it's spelled, if I'm not comfortable with saying it the name is a no-no.

 

I thinking it is impossible to name dolls the names of Gods. It can cause anger for them.

 

my grandma is very very religious and would kill me if she ever found out this but i love the name lucifer! and not because its satans name i just think the name lucifer is cute! it has a cute ring to it! ive wanted to get a black cat and name it lucifer and get another one and name it grim or sherlock for a really long time now! i think you picked a great name! if you had based it off of the devil, maybe that would be a different story, but even then its your doll name it what you wish

 

I would think that it's the intent behind a name, and not the name itself, that could get a bit iffy. I mean, if it was intentionally a jab at a religion, ethnic group, etc., then of course it's unacceptable. But if you're serious and respectful... well, there's a difference.

 

personaly i don't see a problem with useing relgious figure names at all in a posstive or negative way. you want to make a demon doll and name it jesus go right ahead. actually,... i'd find that funny.

it's like when some manga comes over that uses relgious figures or names having to be changed. angel sanctuary for instance, sarah mudo's angel spirit was Gabreil. wehn it was brought to U.S. her name was changed to jibril. because you couldn't dirty the name of the high angel gabreil with a charcter who was madly in love with her brother. :P so stupid in my opinion.

one of my doll's names is gavril which is romanian for gabreil. only reason it isn't out right gabreil is cause well i like foreign sounding names. lol

and i have another boy who's translated name is little shit. skatolaki i call him laki for short. and you know what even it being a very rude rude word. it fits him perfectly.

no name is taboo in my opinion. for any reason. cause guess what it's just a name.

 

I thought that was just a mistranslation. Comics like Godchild and Hellsing have similar problems with name translation, it's hardly to 'spare' tender readers in the US of A. Most people who'd object to that aren't exactly into comics, and you can't exactly claim Angel Sanctuary is for children.

 

I understood what 'skatolaki' meant without the translation! I was skim reading the page, came across the word and had to read back to make sure I was reading what I thought I was reading!

I guess if your character is a little brat, then the name fits. Just be careful that someone doesn't overhear you and think it's a lovely name for their little (human) darling...!