What's in a name?

[athenaworth]

How offended do you get when you hear someone chuckle or make a joke about someone else's name?

 

[Haven]

Do you mean names in real life? As in, someone joking about my husband's name behind his back?

I can't say I've ever seen that happen!

 

[athenaworth]

I guess if you met someone with a funny name and told your friends about it later. Not necissiarly laughing to their faces about it (unless they had a good sense of humor).

I only ask because I was laughing about someone's name and someone else I know was SO offended. She likened it to making fun of someone's sexual orientation. I just wondered if I had a screw loose and didn't realize it was that touchy.

 

[davi_el_mejor]

Unfortunate pairings, like Micheal Hunt I can't help but laugh...

But when it's based on someone's heritage... that is a fine line... some names just sound funny together

 

[athenaworth]

Yeah, I can see that. I have a friend who named her son after her husband's grandma (tradition in their house). She knew it would be a tease worthy topic, but everyone kind of got why he was named that.

 

[Haven]

OHHHHHH, I see what you're saying now.
I was envisioning a couple of adults whispering behind someone's back.

I think it's natural to muse at a strange-sounding name, Athena. I'm sorry your friend was offended, but I definitely don't think it's on par with making fun of someone's sexual orientation, in my opinion.

Heck--Take a look over in FHH. There's a thread about baby names you hate, and it definitely went off into joking about the names people give their babies. I wouldn't sweat it, if I were you. But I would make sure to keep my name-based opinions to myself around this friend!

Some people are easily offended by things that aren't even on my radar. Sometimes it's the other way around. As Kenny says: People vary!

I wouldn't feel bad about it. You seem very kind, certainly this was just one of those things that you couldn't have seen coming.

 

[junebug17]

Maybe the person who got offended feels it's a little mean to make fun of something a person can't do anything about? Of course, that's not totally true, a person could change his/her name. I think the person was being a bit overly sensitive, I really don't see it as the same thing as making fun of someone's sexual orientation. To me, that's much worse.

 

[jstarfireb]

Ditto what Haven said. Pretty much anything you do is bound to offend SOMEONE. I'd just try to let it go.

ETA: And I mean "you" in the general sense, not as in you specifically!

 

[somethingshiny]

I think puns are the funniest so I usually like a nice name-related quip. I've never heard of anyone who likens it to sexual orientation. Come on. That's just silly.

btw- Ever watch Man, Woman, Wild? His name is Myke Hawke. DH and I live that one upp!

 

[Lulie]

Gal sounds way too sensitive to me

 

[Imdanny]

I guess if you met someone with a funny name and told your friends about it later. Not necissiarly laughing to their faces about it (unless they had a good sense of humor).

I only ask because I was laughing about someone's name and someone else I know was SO offended. She likened it to making fun of someone's sexual orientation. I just wondered if I had a screw loose and didn't realize it was that touchy.

Um, I'm here to tell you that the thing you're describing is not analogous to sexual orientation.

It sounds to me like the person who got offended is the one who has the problem.

 

[Pandora II]

Having spent 36 years of my life with a surname that everyone made jokes out of, I was very happy to adopt my husband's last name 3 years ago - however I was never offended in the slightest.

I often find people's names amusing - and often wonder WTF were their parents thinking????

It doesn't even begin to be on a par with someone's race or sexual orientation. Your friend needs to wise up.

 

[Miss Sparkly]

Sometimes things like that make me wonder what is said about ME behind my back, but I'm not too worried about it and let it go. Maybe that is also what your friend is feeling?

 

[Shoopy]

Depends on the name. If it is a name from another country that perhaps isn't the norm here, I would think it's a bit I don't know, ignorant to make fun of it? Don't know if ignorant is the right word. I wouldn't be offended but I would correct the person.

 

[zoebartlett]

Unfortunate pairings, like Micheal Hunt I can't help but laugh...

But when it's based on someone's heritage... that is a fine line... some names just sound funny together

Duh, my husband actually had to explain that one to me. I was reading it and thinking, huh, what's wrong with Michael Hunt?

I've gotten a good chuckle out of certain names before.

 

[kelpie]

I am still trying to figure out what's unfortunate about Michael Hunt.

My name is unusual but I never get offended when people comment or or get it wrong. It is unfortunately similar to a forlorn cartoon character which I have dealt with my whole life. I do hate when people try to shorten to something more familiar or pronounce it wrong if I've already helped them with it after the introduction. Still thank my parents for the cool name though!

When we were growing up, one of my friends played with Patch Adam's kids and they had names like "Atomic Fireball". People just thought it was awesome rather than ridiculed it.

 

[Shoopy]

I am still trying to figure out what's unfortunate about Michael Hunt.
.

It's Mike Hunt.

Only not Mike Hunt when you say it quickly.

 

[stephbolt]

I am still trying to figure out what's unfortunate about Michael Hunt.

My name is unusual but I never get offended when people comment or or get it wrong. It is unfortunately similar to a forlorn cartoon character which I have dealt with my whole life. I do hate when people try to shorten to something more familiar or pronounce it wrong if I've already helped them with it after the introduction. Still thank my parents for the cool name though!

When we were growing up, one of my friends played with Patch Adam's kids and they had names like "Atomic Fireball". People just thought it was awesome rather than ridiculed it.

Shorten Michael to Mike and say it together quickly. It blends into sounding like something else...

I admit to occasionally thinking "wow, what were their parents thinking?" when I hear an unusual name. I might even ask them where their name comes from if it's really unusual. I would never make fun of it to their face though. People can't help what they are named.