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

[miketehmage]

Massive "don't do it" from me.

Tali would be fine though probably

EDIT:

This pretty sums up my feelings on the matter.

would feel like my parents gave one to me not because they wanted my name to serve me, but because they wanted it to serve them. I'd think they were so wrapped up in what they liked that they weren't willing to consider how their choices affected others.

 

[balladbird]

Anyone who thinks you are can try to voice their complaints to my son: Hercules Sebastion Rockefeller.

Possible complaints? Here you go: What if your son is will turn out to be physically rather weak (statistically not that unlikely), then calling him Hercules will make it really easy for other kids to make fun of him, and he might have a hard time himself because he totally lacks the qualities of which his namesake was famed for. Then you proceed with a middle name with a weird spelling, so your son will have to explain to everyone that, yes, that's really how it's spelled, he'll be asked why it spelled in such a strange way, and he will have to correct other people writing his name incorrectly all the time. Now I don't know where you get such a weird name, but if it's from some anime or something, it makes it even worse. About Rockefeller, if that is your real last name, then that's another story, but if not, you should be able to realize that giving such a name to a kid that might be poor makes it an easy target for ridicule as well.

Just call him Sebastian if you like the name. Just like the OP could name his daughter Tally, Natalie, Talia or something and just call her Tali, that way he can still express his fandom if he must and nobody will be hurt.


Edit: Anyway, this thread is at five pages now, and the vast majority of people thinks naming your kid Tali'Zorah is a bad idea. And these people are all games - exactly the people who you would expect to be the most sympathetic towards such a name. Yet even they dislike it. Other groups will, in all likelihood, give your baby girl an even harder time.

It sounds like you took me juuuuust a tad too seriously.

"Hercules Rockefeller" Was one of the "super names" Homer Simpson came up with when he was trying to think of a new name to go by after his own became associated with an idiot tv character. The other names he came up with were "Einstein Q. Rembrandt, and "Max Power," but I went with the foremost because it was the catchiest. XD

As for "Sebastion", I picked it because it sounded pretentious and fancy, and spelled it wrong because I had just woke up and couldn't be bothered to notice the spellchecker.

Basically, it was just a joke name I set up to sound as complex as possible.

 

[rokkolpo]

I don't see why not.

There are enough people choosing names from books or movies. Why not from a game?
My reason for being totally ok with this stems mostly from your reason: ''My wife fell in love with the name''
Instead of ''My wife fell in love with the game''
Big difference.

Either way I'd say go for it. It's her choice either way if she wants to give her friends her full name or just Tali.

It's because of the name and not the game, but out of curiosity, why does that make so much of a difference? Would it really be that much worse if it was as simple as "man I love that game therefore the name's gotta come from there"?

Not always. But it's the difference between: ''Wow I really like this name a character has, let's name our kid that''
to ''Wow I really like this game, let's name our kid a character from this and have that be the only reason.''
This is so that when people ask you can honestly answer ''We like the name Tali'zorah'' instead of the selfish ''We like Mass Effect.''

The point I'm trying to make is that the focus should be on the name, and not on the game.
But that's just my opinion.

 

[Iron Gix]

i think that is really awesome and she will love it, you guys rock!

 

[Belaam]

Either Tali or Tali'Zorah seem fine to me. Either way, everyone is going to call her Tali, but Tali'Zorah gives her the option of asking people to call he Zorah if she prefers. I'm just happy it's spelled in a sane manner. There have been studies showing that people with oddly spelled names tend to struggle with spelling. The theory behind why is that they get paranoid about their spelling when everyone asks them to spell their name and then gets confused when it Krystell or something.

 

[Immortal_Engines]

Look at it this way:
Tali: Good name (Talia is also good)
Zorah: Okay name
Tali'Zorah: Bad name, don't do it

 

[CloudAtlas]

Thanks for the support. If anyone was wondering the purpose of this thread, it wasn't a "look at me and this nutty thing I'm doing!" but rather a test run to see how receptive the general public is. So far, I've learned that people on the Internet are far more brutal and less likely to mince words than in person, and I'm not sure why I'm surprised. Out of hundreds of combined people comprised of doctors, nurses, friends, and both sides of the family, the absolute worst statement I heard was "is that really her actual name? Oh okay". 98% of people love the name and thinks it sounds pretty, which I must stress is the real reason for the name.

You are right, people on the internet are shittier than in the real world. On the other hand, gamers will be more sympathetic towards a name based on a game character than the average population, so it might balance out.
Unlike people you know personally, people here simply have no reason to be polite, they don't care if you like them or not - they can thus be honest with you. Of all the things I could imagine saying to parents I personally know, telling them that I think the name they gave to their child is stupid has to be one of the worst.

To everyone else I couldn't quote right now - Holy balls this thread got insane quickly. The name is not and cannot change, my wife was deadset on it years ago and it's already on official papers and what not, not that I even want to change it. Now I'm unsure why I even asked, considering that I can't do anything about it and I'm apparently a bad person who's ruining a life. It's alright though, I've got bigger things to worry about right now. Thanks everyone.

I'm usually all for being nice and friendly in the internet, but here I have to agree that, yes, with all due respect, the two of you made a decision that is selfish and not in the best interest of your child.
You and your wife are not ruining her life, but in all likelihood you made her life a little bit harder. There's a good chance that she'll be picked on more because of her name. And with certainty she will have to explain how her name is spelled all the time, correct others spelling her name wrong all the time, explain where that name comes from all the time. And with a name like this on your resume, job hunting won't exactly become easier as well. Now perhaps your girl won't mind later, but perhaps she will loathe you for it - and the chances for the latter happening are greater than with an ordinary name. But that's an experience that many nerd parents who were equally creative with their kids' names will probably make in the years to come. Now you can tell yourself all that isn't so, but that doesn't change the truth.

Not to mention that you don't even have enough respect for the name to use it properly, since you're cobbling first and last name together.

 

[prowll]

Yeah... You want this kid to get beat up in school, don't you?

Seriously, people are going to ask why she's named that, and if the best answer you have is 'a good video game in the naughts', she will be changing her name as soon as possible. Possibly child services may be involved.

 

[Immortal_Engines]

Look don't get me wrong, Tali is one of my favourite video game characters period, but you should AT LEAST split it into her first and middle names.

Believe me, I know what I'm talking about. I've got a Gaelic name and surname. School wasn't easy.

 

[Tropicaz]

Thanks for the support. If anyone was wondering the purpose of this thread, it wasn't a "look at me and this nutty thing I'm doing!" but rather a test run to see how receptive the general public is. So far, I've learned that people on the Internet are far more brutal and less likely to mince words than in person, and I'm not sure why I'm surprised. Out of hundreds of combined people comprised of doctors, nurses, friends, and both sides of the family, the absolute worst statement I heard was "is that really her actual name? Oh okay". 98% of people love the name and thinks it sounds pretty, which I must stress is the real reason for the name.

You say the internet is brutal, and that's true. But kids are also brutal. If a kid had rocked up to my school with that name they would have been demolished for it.

Please split it into 2 names and do first and middle.

 

[Vault Citizen]

Not at all, in fact I think it is very generous to give the other children she will meet permission to make fun of her in advance. Jokes aside this seems like a bad idea, I think your child might love it for a could of years and then spend the rest of her education feeling self conscious about it, granted kids that age are usually self conscious anyway but this won't help.

 

[The Wooster]

"Don't make your kid stand out because they might get bullied."

Fuck. That. Shit. Name your kid what you want. I know at least a dozen people named after literary characters.

Side note: I think "Tali" alone sounds a lot better than Tali'Zorah. That's kind of like calling your kid "LukeSkywalker Smith"

 

[CloudAtlas]

It sounds like you took me juuuuust a tad too seriously.

I apologize for not getting the joke. I guess it wasn't that obvious to me after reading all the names that weren't any better that people actually gave their children or at least intend to do so.

Seriously, what is it with people like you? A bland, grey society of John Smith's and David Davidson's, I bet that's your perfect world. Christ, expand your mind and learn acceptance. There are FAR more pressing issues we as a species should be focusing on, rather than who's naming their offspring what. Not only that, but who are ANY of us to judge?

I judge you based on stuff that is scientifically more or less proven and that you can observe in daily life all the time. Superficial stuff such as names has an influence on how we perceive people, that's just reality, and if you give your kid a "unique" name, people will unconsciously judge him/her, and you as parent, for that. It would be nice if it wasn't so, but it is. If you fight against that, that is certainly to be commended, but you don't have to make your child, who has no say in the matter whatsoever, suffer for it. Now you can pretend it isn't so, but, with some likelihood, your beloved Willow Tali'Zorah Something will face some disadvantages later for the name you rather selfishly gave her.

Besides, if you take a look into one of those baby name books, you'd realize how many names there are for boys in girls in your and in related languages, so I'd say the risk of our society becoming all 'bland and grey' if parents let go of names like Khaleesi or Dohvakiin is fairly limited.

It's what people will say 20, 30+ years that matter at this point. Do you give a 9 year old shit for not getting laid? Well, maybe YOU do, but I sure don't. They're kids. Once they grow up and learn life, then they can judge for themselves. It's THEIR future. What we have to say about it really doesn't matter, it'll be their world. We can only shape it for them until then, and your narrow-minded resistance wont help. And as for #2, I said to worry years later. Which again, see my response to your #1.

If you're becoming a parent in the next few years, your kid will go begin school some 6 years alter, and that's when it starts to matter. Not that far away. And being only 27 myself, I'd hope that in "20, 30+" years the world will still be my world too.

 

[James Crook]

Gonna jump on the Tali/Talia = fine, stands out but a good name and Tali'Zorah = pushing it bandwagon. Although I don't agree with giving her "Zora" or "Zorah" as a middle name as that would end up on her passport, ID, resume... you name it, and attract attention (not in a good way like just "Tali" would).
Hell, I'd name my kid Patrick myself, but not Patrick Bateman {my last name} because that'd be pushing it. And I'd have to wait until he's old enough to read or watch American Psycho to tell him why he'd be named so.

 

[blackrave]

a) I'm fairly certain that Tali is her first name and the Zorah is her surname, considering her father is Admiral Rael'Zorah.
b) Tali [http://www.ourbabynamer.com/baby-names-Tali.html] is a real name. Hebrew in origin, meaning "dew of heaven".

This one is right
You wouldn't call your kid Nikola Tesla Smith (Smith being surname here)?
Then why are you adding Zorah to name of your daughter?
And Tali is really nice name.

 

[James Crook]

a) I'm fairly certain that Tali is her first name and the Zorah is her surname, considering her father is Admiral Rael'Zorah.
b) Tali [http://www.ourbabynamer.com/baby-names-Tali.html] is a real name. Hebrew in origin, meaning "dew of heaven".

This one is right
You wouldn't call your kid Nikola Tesla Smith (Smith being surname here)?
Then why are you adding Zorah to name of your daughter?
And Tali is really nice name.

Thomas Edison Smith sounds nice though. It doesn't sound too foreign and kids in elementary school or the first years of junior high, where they are much more prone to bullying, won't make the connection with Thomas Edison immediately, whereas with "Nikola Tesla" stands out phonetically as well as "Tesla" being a brand of electric cars and a name being thrown around in sci-fi movies and such.

I wouldn't name my kid Sherlock though. That's too high a standard to live up to, even for a kid I'd have to raise and educate.

 

[Tropicaz]

Gonna jump on the Tali/Talia = fine, stands out but a good name and Tali'Zorah = pushing it bandwagon. Although I don't agree with giving her "Zora" or "Zorah" as a middle name as that would end up on her passport, ID, resume... you name it, and attract attention (not in a good way like just "Tali" would).
Hell, I'd name my kid Patrick myself, but not Patrick Bateman {my last name} because that'd be pushing it. And I'd have to wait until he's old enough to read or watch American Psycho to tell him why he'd be named so.

Zora is an actual name in Europe. I knew a girl who was Dutch named Zora.

 

[Neyon]

Yes. Because your daughter is now forced to be associated with a video game.

 

[Chemical Alia]

I was pretty embarrassed when I learned my middle name came from Dune, and I even liked that book. Personally, I wouldn't even name a pet after a video game or something similar...it's just too nerdy and you're not the one who has to live with it and explain it whenever someone asks. As someone with a first name that's also kind of unusual, people DO ask.

The only exception is "Thwomp." For a cat.

Really? There isn't something neat to finding out the origin story to your name and finding out "Oh this is the character my parents thought very highly of to name me after"?

My own name was choosen at the whim of my mother upon seeing me the first time. It's a fine name, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't wish it had some sort of deeper meaning.

Names with deeper meanings are great. I don't really see "character from some game my parents liked playing two decades ago" as all that deep, to be honest. I think it might be nice to discover the relative you were named after, or a historical figure, but a video game? That would be a huge let-down, especially because it most likely won't even be relevant. My mom got my first name from some mediocre, forgotten 70's sci-fi novel called "The Mirror". I like my name regardless (plus points for it being an actual name), but that seriously was a little disappointing when I found out about it.

Also, who's to say that the kid will even have the same interests, or even like video games? It strikes me as a little unfair to go with a name whose meaning is so narrow in significance.

Were you embarrassed due to the fact that your name came from a book, or what character they chose to name you after?

"Seriously mom/dad, did you have to name me after Alia? COuldnt you have picked Ghanima, or Atreides?!" ...Now that I think about it Atreides or Harkonnen would be interesting middle names for a kid...

Eh...mostly because of the whole "The Abomination" part. The name itself is okay, I think because it's also found outside the context of the book. Giving it some more thought, that's definitely where I draw the line. I think if my middle name were Harkonnen or Atreides, that'd definitely be more embarrassing. Like I wasn't picked on as a kid enough for being a geek as it was.

 

[CloudAtlas]

Gonna jump on the Tali/Talia = fine, stands out but a good name and Tali'Zorah = pushing it bandwagon. Although I don't agree with giving her "Zora" or "Zorah" as a middle name as that would end up on her passport, ID, resume... you name it, and attract attention (not in a good way like just "Tali" would).
Hell, I'd name my kid Patrick myself, but not Patrick Bateman {my last name} because that'd be pushing it. And I'd have to wait until he's old enough to read or watch American Psycho to tell him why he'd be named so.

Zora is an actual name in Europe. I knew a girl who was Dutch named Zora.

It's a slavic name, yes. But whether it's in its best interest to give your child a name that is of another language than your own/of the country you live in, is another question, and since I'm not an English native speaker, I wouldn't want to make a judgement about the alien-sounding-ness of Zora in the US either.
But with all the anime and manga fans around these days, I'm sure it won't be long until we see blue-eyed, blonde-haired Yukis and Ayakas and Fumikos and what not popping up, and at least here I'd say that it might not be such a wise idea.