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HelpRe: How can I reduce excessive worry about name associations?
in reply to a message by Francisinfp5w4
You're definitely overthinking things. Maybe you need a break from constantly reading about and thinking about names? My advice is first to stop browsing things like Reddit and the comments section on this site.
Jeffrey is so common, and has been borne by so many people before and since Dahmer, that only his last name (which I doubt anyone ever considered for a fn anyway) should be so closely associated with him. Ditto Donald, actually.
Names like Adolf and Elvis are considerably more unusual in English-speaking places, and there are far fewer associations people are likely to have. There's Hitler and Eichmann, but beyond those two most people aren't going to be able to think of any other Adolfs. I can only think of a couple offhand that anyone might know: one of the founders of Adidas was Adolf, but this is not something you know unless you run across it in a trivia book as I did. And Adolph Coors of the beer company. Again, not very well-known.
Elvis has gotten some more use, nearly always as a direct homage to Presley. I don't find the Presley association to be negative, but I dislike the sound and look of the name Elvis and the fact it's so totally associated with just one famous person.
Same goes for Aretha. Nothing negative about Aretha Franklin, but too closely associated.
Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, when you criticize him, you're a mile away and you have his shoes!
Steve Martin
Jeffrey is so common, and has been borne by so many people before and since Dahmer, that only his last name (which I doubt anyone ever considered for a fn anyway) should be so closely associated with him. Ditto Donald, actually.
Names like Adolf and Elvis are considerably more unusual in English-speaking places, and there are far fewer associations people are likely to have. There's Hitler and Eichmann, but beyond those two most people aren't going to be able to think of any other Adolfs. I can only think of a couple offhand that anyone might know: one of the founders of Adidas was Adolf, but this is not something you know unless you run across it in a trivia book as I did. And Adolph Coors of the beer company. Again, not very well-known.
Elvis has gotten some more use, nearly always as a direct homage to Presley. I don't find the Presley association to be negative, but I dislike the sound and look of the name Elvis and the fact it's so totally associated with just one famous person.
Same goes for Aretha. Nothing negative about Aretha Franklin, but too closely associated.
Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, when you criticize him, you're a mile away and you have his shoes!
Steve Martin
