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HelpRe: US Presidential surnames as first names (long post)
in reply to a message by AwkwardElephant
I'm not at all surprised Reagan is popular; Ronald Reagan is practically canonized in many quarters of the United States. Many Republicans continue to run on the mantle of "the next Reagan," so it does not surprise me at all that that name is rather popular.
That said, I don't think ANY president is worthy of the valorization they receive and I would never use any of them as names in honor of a president. A few - Arthur, Tyler, Grant, etc. - obviously have associations well beyond their presidential associations, though I don't know that I'd use them.
The broader notion of naming children after notable historical figures, that I have no problem with. I just think that, regardless of how historians/the public view them, the realpolitik of being president often involves genuinely awful actions. Politics is messy, and even the most admired have negative marks to their name.
Andrew
put a smile on your face - make the world a better place (:
That said, I don't think ANY president is worthy of the valorization they receive and I would never use any of them as names in honor of a president. A few - Arthur, Tyler, Grant, etc. - obviously have associations well beyond their presidential associations, though I don't know that I'd use them.
The broader notion of naming children after notable historical figures, that I have no problem with. I just think that, regardless of how historians/the public view them, the realpolitik of being president often involves genuinely awful actions. Politics is messy, and even the most admired have negative marks to their name.
put a smile on your face - make the world a better place (:
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