In November, Tyler turns seven and I am still amazed at the number of people who make comments about his name. You see apparently some people don’t think it’s “ethnic” enough. I have actually had people tell me that Tyler was a “white” name. At first, I kind of laughed it off but then I started getting irritated at these small-minded people.
I like the name Tyler and I didn’t set out to make any statements when I named him. I am proud of my heritage and giving him a so-called “black” name would not have made him more ethnic. He is what he is. In fact, he’s a potpourri of black, white, Indian, French and Cuban.
I admit when I was younger I thought that when I had a child I would make up a unique name for him and yes, I was leaning toward a name that would identify my child’s blackness. I remember after Roots, many parents started naming their kids African names. A male friend of mine named his four sons and one daughter African names; each one harder to pronounce than the previous one. Some adults even changed their names. That’s cool but as I got older I realized that just like clothes don’t not make the man, neither does a name.
When you name your child you have to consider that this name is going to follow the child around (unless he changes it when he reaches adulthood) so you want to be careful. You may think that Apple is a cute name but consider that your child may be teased. Same is true when you select a name that is so hard to pronounce (and spell) that your child will have to constantly pronounce or spell it for others. Selecting a name for your baby is a personal choice and the idea that names are black or white is simply ridiculous.
See also:
Being Proud of Your Baby’s Name
Baby Girl Given 25 Middle Names