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HelpTHAT'S why it's a GP?
in reply to a message by vintagelovex
Nothing to do with the fact that it's a degenerative disease? Really? Would you name your kid Alzheimer, or is that on your GP list as well?
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1. Addison's is not a degenerative disease. It is an endocrine disruption that can be corrected with hormonal therapy. People with Addison's live long and healthy lives. There is nothing remotely degenerative about it, so I don't think this argument really hold much water.
2. The factor that adrenal insufficiency happens to have the eponym of "Addison" does not mean it's not a suitable name. The disease was named for a person whose surname happened to be Addison, so the name is a surname, not just the name of a medical condition. Use of a name as a medical eponym does not exclude it from use. Would you not name your child William because there's a Williams syndrome? Edward? Leigh? Marie? Take a look at the list of eponymous disease: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_eponymous_diseases. Are all these names excluded from the pool of usable names because the refer to medical conditions? I understand what you're trying to get at by comparing using Addison to using Alzheimer, but I really don't think the two compare. Here are a few reasons:
a. Most people have never heard the name Alzheimer except in reference to the disease. Addison, while not a super-common surname (at least in the US), is familiar to most people. Furthermore, German surnames are not generally used as first names. While, of course, you could use a German surname as a FN, if you look at the surname names that are popular, most are coming from the English, Scottish, or Irish pool.
b. Everyone has heard of Alzheimer's disease. Addison's is much less common, and likely fewer people have heard of it, or if they have heard of it, they don't necessarily immediately think of it when they hear the name Addison. Alzheimer is so very common that the name is very tightly tied to the disease. I don't immediately think of Edwards syndrome when I hear the name Edward, because that name is not so tightly tied to the disease. If you asked the average person what they think of when they hear the word "Addison," few would answer "adrenal insufficiency," but if you asked the average person what they think of when they hear "Alzheimer," everyone would say "degenerative [and yes, this is actually a degenerative disease] brain disease of the elderly" (or something thereabouts).
2. The factor that adrenal insufficiency happens to have the eponym of "Addison" does not mean it's not a suitable name. The disease was named for a person whose surname happened to be Addison, so the name is a surname, not just the name of a medical condition. Use of a name as a medical eponym does not exclude it from use. Would you not name your child William because there's a Williams syndrome? Edward? Leigh? Marie? Take a look at the list of eponymous disease: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_eponymous_diseases. Are all these names excluded from the pool of usable names because the refer to medical conditions? I understand what you're trying to get at by comparing using Addison to using Alzheimer, but I really don't think the two compare. Here are a few reasons:
a. Most people have never heard the name Alzheimer except in reference to the disease. Addison, while not a super-common surname (at least in the US), is familiar to most people. Furthermore, German surnames are not generally used as first names. While, of course, you could use a German surname as a FN, if you look at the surname names that are popular, most are coming from the English, Scottish, or Irish pool.
b. Everyone has heard of Alzheimer's disease. Addison's is much less common, and likely fewer people have heard of it, or if they have heard of it, they don't necessarily immediately think of it when they hear the name Addison. Alzheimer is so very common that the name is very tightly tied to the disease. I don't immediately think of Edwards syndrome when I hear the name Edward, because that name is not so tightly tied to the disease. If you asked the average person what they think of when they hear the word "Addison," few would answer "adrenal insufficiency," but if you asked the average person what they think of when they hear "Alzheimer," everyone would say "degenerative [and yes, this is actually a degenerative disease] brain disease of the elderly" (or something thereabouts).
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You make some very good points.
Personally, I was familiar with Addison's long before I heard of people naming their daughters Addison [I live in Australia, it's not as popular here] and thus find it hard to accept it as a name, especially with the '-son' ending, which I particularly dislike.
Personally, I was familiar with Addison's long before I heard of people naming their daughters Addison [I live in Australia, it's not as popular here] and thus find it hard to accept it as a name, especially with the '-son' ending, which I particularly dislike.
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Don't you think you're being a little harsh here?
Considering that it ranked 11 for girls in popularity, it's not like she just picked something out of a medical dictionary without care to who may be affected. It has a common name usage. Comparing it to Alzheimer's is overreacting.
Considering that it ranked 11 for girls in popularity, it's not like she just picked something out of a medical dictionary without care to who may be affected. It has a common name usage. Comparing it to Alzheimer's is overreacting.
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No, I don't
I really don't think I'm being harsh here. I get that it's popular, but I think it's really silly to name your child something without at least checking for bad connotations first. Its popularity doesn't say anything except that people think Madison is getting old (thank goodness). Maybe the comparison to Alzheimer's is a slight overreaction, but would you name your child "adrenal condition?" I doubt it.
I really don't think I'm being harsh here. I get that it's popular, but I think it's really silly to name your child something without at least checking for bad connotations first. Its popularity doesn't say anything except that people think Madison is getting old (thank goodness). Maybe the comparison to Alzheimer's is a slight overreaction, but would you name your child "adrenal condition?" I doubt it.
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well i have never heard of the disease soo....
Ive started to like since watching season 3 of greys anatomy after Addison on there
Ive started to like since watching season 3 of greys anatomy after Addison on there
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I don't think that you're being too harsh. Addison is ridiculous as a name.
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Yeah, but it's one thing to say what you put here -- that you think one should consider such connotations; it's another thing to get all huffy and sarcastic with the "Really? That's why it's a GP?" mock questioning. It definitely has the tone that your opinion is the only right one on this matter, which is just not true.
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Okay, but what about Anders, Bell, Benedikt, Hailey, Amelia, or Benjamin? These are all names shared by diseases, birth defects, learning disabilities, and children.
Sensibly, there's a big difference between naming a child "born without a limb" and naming a child Amelia. The name Amelia isn't going to do a child any harm just because it's associated with a genetic/medical condition and (as much as I hate the name) neither will Addison. They're both accepted, unremarkable names.
Sensibly, there's a big difference between naming a child "born without a limb" and naming a child Amelia. The name Amelia isn't going to do a child any harm just because it's associated with a genetic/medical condition and (as much as I hate the name) neither will Addison. They're both accepted, unremarkable names.
This message was edited 4/16/2009, 10:50 AM
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I was going to say them same thing. There's lots of FNs names (mostly surnames) that are names for diseases as well. There's Cooper's Disease, does that mean no one should name their son Cooper? Okay so I had to google that to know it exists, but still there's way too many names for diseases that are also FNs to know them all and avoid bad associations.
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Wasn't Addison's Disease named after a person and not the other way?(
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Most diseases are...
Alzheimer's: Alois Alzheimer
Lou Gehrig's disease: well, duh
Cushing's: Harvey Cushing
Huntington's: George Huntington
Raynaud's: Maurice Raynaud
Just because a disease was named after a person does not make it a good idea to name your child that. In fact, I'm willing to bet that 99% of the general public would have heard of the diseases mentioned above before the people after whom they are named.
Alzheimer's: Alois Alzheimer
Lou Gehrig's disease: well, duh
Cushing's: Harvey Cushing
Huntington's: George Huntington
Raynaud's: Maurice Raynaud
Just because a disease was named after a person does not make it a good idea to name your child that. In fact, I'm willing to bet that 99% of the general public would have heard of the diseases mentioned above before the people after whom they are named.
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But many names of diseases, including Addison's, are not well known by the public (versus Alzheimer's). It seems like you are equating the name Addison for a child to naming a child something like Cancer or Rubella or Eczema or Jock Itch.
Also, just as a reminder, I really dislike the name Addison!
Also, just as a reminder, I really dislike the name Addison!
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This.
Also, Raynaud is his last name. It doesn't really have an established history of use as a first name. Addison does, even if it is male not female.
Also, Raynaud is his last name. It doesn't really have an established history of use as a first name. Addison does, even if it is male not female.
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Ditto.
I really don't care for the name, but the ailment criticism is a bit much.
I really don't care for the name, but the ailment criticism is a bit much.
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