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I love the name Jemima and have loved it since I discovered the musical CATS. In Sweden it has no bad connotations (but it's rare, I've only seen it used by deeply religious families) and would be totally usable.
I know that when CATS moved to Broadway, the character Jemima was renamed SILLABUB, but I don't know about later productions. When I saw it in London, there was a Jemima among the characters.

This message was edited 7/14/2015, 12:54 PM

I'm Australian, so I don't make the connection at all.

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But isn't using it helping dispel that racist stereotype?

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I think Jemima is gorgeous, and I love the nn Jem. It's on my short list!

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Jemima Ruby
Jemima Carys
Jemima Opal
Jemima Eloise
Jemima Cecily
Jemima Lucy
Jemima Claire
Jemima Sylvie

As you will see from my post below, I love the name Jemima. Here in Australia there is absolutely no racist links to the name, which I am thoroughly happy with. I just think it's a beautiful name with a sweet vintage feel.

I think it's an ugly name. It has nothing to do with race as far as I'm concerned. It just makes a very unpleasant, repetitive sound. It doesn't even look good written. Say it alound, repeatedly and you'll probably get what I'm saying.

Yeah, the "mammy" implications are too much for me to get into it.

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I don't like my names to be reminiscent of racist imagery. Worse yet if I picked a name already knowing as much.

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I remember once I objected to a hypothetical sibset Joseph and Magda because it was the name of Joseph Goebbels and his wife. People replied that surely no one would think of this and people don't know that, etc. Well, I thought it. I'm a person of average intelligence and curiosity, so if it's a fact that I can recall I can't be the only one. I think similarly about the connotations with Jemima; maybe it doesn't occur to everyone, but it does to enough people that I wouldn't go there.

DH and I absolutely love Jemima but would never use it due to its negative associations. Fortunately for us, there's always the opportunity to use it for future pets. :-)

Why is it racist? All I think of is Jemima Puddleduck.

I don't really like the sound of it, but I think it would be perfectly usable, particularly where I live.

I'ts really pretty and I love the meaning, but yeah, too associated with racist mammy stereotypes for me to find it usable.

"Too racist?" took my by surprise and I had to think for a moment what you were referring to. I've met a handful of girls named Jemima and Aunt Jemima has never crossed my mind. At most, I think of Jemima Puddleduck and Chitty Bang Bang. I can't use it, and that does make me kind of sad.

I've actually met a Jemima over here who was mixed race. I don't know exactly how problematic it would be in the USA but it's fine here.

I think it's a lovely name, and I have always thought it was daring, but ultimately innocuous.

I don't think so. I think of Jemima Kirke from Girls. When I heard it on her I didn't even make the connection about "Aunt". I think it's usable.

I love it, but in the US, it's too racist. There's a reason that in the US, it's not even in the top thousand, and the last time it was was 1893.

Pancakes and puddle-ducks. The name is just too goofy for me to be able to picture it on a real, ordinary person. Even for a storybook, it's just totally comical.

All I can think of is Aunt Jemima Pancakes and that creepy commercial for them :/ I can kind of see how it could be cute but I can't like it :S

Ah! "too racist"... I wouldn't have ever thought of it as racist unless it was a stereotyped character in book.

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In fact, I think using it combats the racist vibe some people see in it.

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I thinks it's a fantastic name and totally works. Plus, it has a modern nickname in "Jem" built right in!

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I actually could totally see this as a hipster name.

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"These are my children, Atticus, Jemima and Edie."