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Fagin
I have loved the name Fagin for a girl for a long time (got it from Oliver & Company).I know it has "fag" in it, so would that be a concern to use it? My mom said it shouldn't matter, but then my dad said he wouldn't like it. I really don't care if it has it personally, but I amwondering what you think if you were named Fagin would you hate that it has that in it? It's pronounced fay-gan.I tried spelling it different ways, but I dislike all except *maybe* Faegan, but even still I prefer Fagin, WDYT?any MN for it as well?

This message was edited 3/1/2009, 10:22 AM

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thanks everyone
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Oh, yuk! It's like naming a kid Sambo. Fagin was an antisemitic creation of Dickens, and the Alec Guinness film/movie dating right back to 1949 showed a really grotesque villain that I find quite astonishing especially just after the Holocaust. Subsequent depictions haven't been much better!
If you must use this sort of name, there's the Yiddish girl's name Feige to play around with, though most girls named for a Feige will be Faye or Fiona!
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hmm Feige is interesting thanks
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I think there was some polemic at the time concerning anti-semitism. Apparently, David Lean and Guinness wanted to render the character as similar as possible to the original novel and illustrations.Interestingly, Dickens somewhat regretted having created such an anti-semitic character, and in "Our Mutual Friend" there are some positive Jewish characters. Maybe that had also something to with Disraeli coming into power and making Judaism more acceptable.
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In the US, fag is derogatory towards gays, and in the UK, it's slang for cigarette. Neither is good in my opinion.
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Ewww.It would be slightly less horrible if you used it for a boy, but I still hate it.
And even though you and a few other people don't think about the fact that the word 'fag' is in it, I promise any kid would and she would be teased.
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I don't like it and if it has to be used I wold prefer it on a boy.Here are some MNs anyway:
Fagin Rebecca
Fagin Sarah
Fagin Sara
Fagin Joanna
Fagin Naomi
Fagin Emily
Fagin Leah
Fagin Elizabeth
Fagin Mary
Fagin Hannah
Fagin Catharine
Fagin Abigail
Fagin Anna
Fagin Elisabeth
Fagin Johanna
Fagin Rachel
Fagin Ffion
Fagin Savannah
Fagin Fallon
Fagin Florene
Fagin FinleyAny you like?
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Fagin Rebecca
Fagin Sarah
Fagin Joanna
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No!To be brutally honest:Never mind the "fag" part, but do you really want to name your child after a sleazy villain who ends up hanged, and who has an antisemitic connotation? And don't pull the excuse of "not everyone will be aware of it" because it's a really well-known character, in between the book, the musical and the various film adaptations.If you REALLY want it it might be marginally better if you change the spelling, but not very much if it's still pronounced Fagin.ETA: I'd suggest you look up the actual Dickens character, rather than the Disney cartoon adaptation which is bound to take away the nastier elements.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fagin

This message was edited 3/1/2009, 10:22 AM

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Hm while that's a sucky character the child wouldn't be named for him.I like the name Fagin in general, though I did get it like I said from O & C cause it was interesting sounding. I honetly forgot about Oliver Twist (ironically, lol) since Fagin in O&C isn't considered bad. I think of O & C, before Twist which is odd too.Thanks for sharing though I admit I'm not completely sold to nix it all together. ETA: I'm not saying others wouldn't think of that character mind you :).

This message was edited 3/1/2009, 2:52 PM

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Hm while that's a sucky character the child wouldn't be named for him.That really doesn't matter, though. The people your child encounters on a daily basis aren't going to see your intentions; they're just going to see the name. And, like it or not, the name has very ugly connotations for most people.
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Never said they wouldn't :). I can't help what others think when they see names, thanks for the opinion though.
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Yeah butwhile people shouldn't be judged for their names, they are. You may not care that people associate your child's name with a terrible character, but I bet your child will. Try going around for a day introducing yourself as Cruella or Medusa and see how people react.
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I'd never use a name I'd hate to be called myself :) [m]I know a cat named Cruella. For me honestly? I myself wouldn't mind being named Fagin at all, but that's just me personally though I'm starting to like it spelled Faegan better. Though it doesn't sound girly really the more I think of it. I might just use it on an animal or a sim most likely.ETA: I have to read the book again to see how Fagin is. It's been a long time since I read it *goes and starts to read it*.

This message was edited 3/1/2009, 4:36 PM

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Okay, well, it's your choice :-)
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Ok so if someone likes the sound of Hitler it's ok to use it as a name because then you're not naming the child "after" Hitler? The bad association still remains.I've become more open-minded towards your naming style than I used to be, and I ackowledge that you have imagination and maybe the rest of us are too concerned about the opinions of others, but in some cases, like this one, you really seem naive, not to say blind.
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I never said others wouldn't think of the character. I can't help what others would think. :o) Naming a child Hitler is totally different than using a name associated with a fictional character.ETA: none the less, thanks for sharing still.

This message was edited 3/1/2009, 2:56 PM

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