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

boradam

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Jan 14, 2010
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If I like the name enough to name my child that particular name, it wouldn't be because I'm naming my would-be child after the character. It'd be because I like the name. Naming someone after a game character would depend on the name really, like if you named someone Joker because of Mass Effect or Batman, I'd want to slap you for being stupid -- but if it was a name like Keyes or Adam, why not?
 

Waaghpowa

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Apr 13, 2010
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People name their kids after fictitious people all the time. Like all those kids named after people in the Bible. I don't see anything inherently wrong with it.
 

Tiamattt

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Jul 15, 2011
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Should be fine as long as they give the process a little thought. Like if it's freaking Sephiroth then noooooo, but on the other hand Cloud you can probably get away with.(granted it's kinda pushing it) But no matter how weird or normal the name is some annoying kid and their friends will find some way to make it into a insult, so not really something to really beat yourself over.
 

LackofCertainty

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Apr 14, 2009
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This makes me think of the asshole couple that named their first son "Winner" and their second son "Loser." The best part is that Winner ended up becoming a small-time criminal, whereas Loser ended up becoming a cop.
 

Unstoppable Wall

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May 12, 2009
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Nah, not at all, I mean, provided it's not something that will cause the kid grief later in life I don't see an issue with it at all.
 

deadpoolhulk

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Dec 22, 2010
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in all fairness, you have to get the idea of the name from somewhere right? the big book of names or a game. as long as isn't going to cause the kid problems, there's nothing wrong with playing a game and suddenly saying: "Oh that character has a nice name. HEY HONEY! what do you think of name ......." is there?
 

Loonyyy

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Jul 10, 2009
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Is it wrong? Silly? Stupid? [even if its an established name like April and Nathan] Why?

How could it possibly be wrong? And you have to get a name from somewhere.


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

As Fappy pointed out, it's the same.

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).

Nope. You probably shouldn't call your child "Hitler" "Voldemort" or anything, but having a special meaning behind a name for a child you haven't met yet always seemed hokey and overly sentimental to me. And it's presumptuous and stupid to give a child a name with a story behind it they might not agree with.

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

Nowhere. There's no line.

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


Those questions don't really address the real issues:

Is the name already one in common usage, or real, or completely fictional?

If you call a child Nathan because you like Uncharted, you're not going to cause any waves. I shortened my name because I liked how a similarly named character in a television show sounded. If you call your child "Dhovakim", or "Soap", then you're a bad parent, irresponsible and immature.

And why are you doing it? Because you like the name, or the character? Because calling your kid "Marcus Fenix" because the character is badass is fucking moronic. Calling him "Adam" or "Nathan", or even a fictional name that's not too out there because you like the name is not. The child will be a person, and it's important to think of them as one instead of as a plaything you can screw with.
 

nightingale

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Nov 10, 2012
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One of my former bosses was trying to explain us how to be a responsible parent by seeking the perfect name for your baby daughter. And how did he do this? By taking into consideration how her name would sound when linked to her future husband's name. He ended up choosing the most common female name in our region because that one had the biggest chance of not sounding weird next to any male name she might chose later on.

....

So thank you, I'll take my crazy video game names any friggin day over that "mature" and "responsible" bullshit.
 

zxvcasdfqwerzxcv

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Nov 19, 2009
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As someone who can constantly bullied in school for my outlandish first name, I think names should be very carefully chosen. I would never give a child a ridiculous name, and I think I would like to name my child for something more significant than a character in a video game. Just cause I've enjoyed Bioshock: Infinite doesn't mean I'm going to name my kid Booker (or Elizabeth for that matter). Names should mean something, and if naming the most precious thing in your life after a video game character is your priority in naming, then I think one should seek some more significant inspiration.
 

SuperSamio64

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Nov 4, 2010
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I don't really see a problem with it, so long as it sounds like an actual name. If I ever have a son, I was thinking of calling him Atlas(though perhaps naming a child after a lieing, manipulative bastard who isn't even a real person isn't a brilliant idea).
 

RoBi3.0

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Mar 29, 2009
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Name your kid what you want. Everyone that does not like can take a flying leap. Haters gonna hate.

My youngest daughter is named Cambria and I wouldn't have it any other way.
 

MacChris1991

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Mar 19, 2011
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Depends on the reason and on the name. If you are doing it because you lost a bet, well yeah its wrong. Even if you have a positive reason for it you may be wrong. You do have to think about your kid here, and what it will be like growing up with that name. If your last name is Butts, maybe you shouldn't name your son Seymour because he will never hear the end of it. Ever. It all comes down to doing it right and doing it for the right reasons.
 

AstylahAthrys

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Apr 7, 2010
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My firstborn is being named Garrett, Viktoria if it's a girl, after the Thief characters. Also may use Alistair after the Dragon Age character. If that makes me a bad mom, oops. My baby Garrett will be marvelous.
 

William Dickbringer

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Feb 16, 2010
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Eleuthera said:
Really depends on the name, doesn't it. If I want to call my hypothetical future daughter Lara, no one is going to assume it's for a game/movie character. Same goes for Gordon if it's a boy.

If we decide to call them Arthas or Chell, we're going to have to explain ourselves, a lot.

EDIT: The most important part is the fact that the kid is going to have to live with it. Reasonably useable in more than one country is also a plus...
Chell can be used as a name (Arthas not so much) it'd be a different spelling of Shelle

O.T. If the name isn't too out there then sure why not my name came from a movie character
 

Vankraken

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Mar 30, 2010
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Its mostly fine if it is a name that sounds like a legit name and not something completely made up or ridiculous. Ok so ill use League of Legends for these examples. Names like Lux, Darius, Viktor, Caitlyn, Ashe, Fiora, Jayce, Kayle, etc would names that are used or similar to names that people have heard. Naming your kid Renekton, Rammus, Blitzcrank, Alistar, Brand, Mordekaiser, Swain, etc would not really fly because they don't sound like common names people would use. You could maybe push the limits with names like Garen, Jarvan, Olaf, Riven, Shen, etc as they are not common but do actually sound sorta like a name. Of course naming your kid Draven sets the bar of expectations really high to the point that failure is almost certain.

The biggest issue is giving a kid a oddball name will make their school age and professional lives a burden as people won't take them seriously or make them a lightning rod for ridicule. It just needs to be acceptable as a good name instead of something goofy. If you want to use a risky name then make it the middle name and give a really proper and boring first name so they may prefer the middle name but it doesn't screw them over in the professional world. Worst case they call the kids full name out in graduation as "Mathew Mordekaiser Smith" and somebody yells out "HUE HUE HUE". Maybe the kid would rather be called Morde instead of Mathew or Matt.

(Disclamer) When i say common i mean a name that people have heard of before or sound very similar to other names outside of works of fiction. It doesn't have to be a name that you could potentially find 3 other kids with the same name in a 30 child classroom.
 

FalloutJack

Bah weep grah nah neep ninny bom
Nov 20, 2008
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I don't see why it would be. If we ever have children, I'm naming them after characters I created in my writings and RPs.
 

Mikeyfell

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Aug 24, 2010
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Nope.
Considering that my name is an adjective, and everyone seems perfectly fine with it, go nuts.

Also as soon as they join a forum they'll just pick their own handle. (My real name isn't Mikey...)

Names are becoming obsolete, or maybe they always were. but the idea of having a title that you didn't earn and didn't pick just seems stupid.

Hopefully in the future after everyone who's currently alive now has died children will be referred to as "Child of (Insert parent's name)" until they earn a name of their own.