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I'm sorry, but NOTHING should be labeled as "african american" name. That only promotes racist stereotypes. Many of the names listed as these are names that come from poor, uneducated areas in the ghettos and are made up. Black and ghetto are two different things. We are American citizens, just like anyone else and we don't all have made up ghetto names.
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They are not implying that all black Americans have those names. The website means that the names are predominantly used by black Americans. You probably won't see a white person using a name like Shaniqua or DeAndre. But you're right that many black people in the United States have normal names.
I do sympathize with what you're saying, though. I'm from Brazil. There aren't many names we'd associate with black people, since black Brazilians generally use the same names as white Brazilians. My girlfriend, an Afro-Brazilian, is named Clara, which is common on white Brazilians too. But there are a lot of names that people in Lusophone countries would associate with Brazilians in general, such as Isamar, Thiago, Ayrton, Dercy, Valdir, and Iracema - names you would never see in Portugal. However, not all Brazilians have names like that. My name is Eugenio, which is a standard Portuguese name. Probably the majority have standard Portuguese names that you would find in Portugal. But some Brazilians do have specifically Brazilian names. Unlike Portugal, we don't have naming laws down here, so we get away with a lot of names that would be considered ridiculous in Portugal.
I do sympathize with what you're saying, though. I'm from Brazil. There aren't many names we'd associate with black people, since black Brazilians generally use the same names as white Brazilians. My girlfriend, an Afro-Brazilian, is named Clara, which is common on white Brazilians too. But there are a lot of names that people in Lusophone countries would associate with Brazilians in general, such as Isamar, Thiago, Ayrton, Dercy, Valdir, and Iracema - names you would never see in Portugal. However, not all Brazilians have names like that. My name is Eugenio, which is a standard Portuguese name. Probably the majority have standard Portuguese names that you would find in Portugal. But some Brazilians do have specifically Brazilian names. Unlike Portugal, we don't have naming laws down here, so we get away with a lot of names that would be considered ridiculous in Portugal.
This message was edited 4/13/2013, 1:17 PM
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To say that a name is "African American" shows its origin in that ethnic community. It certainly does not mean that all persons who are African American have names which are among those listed as such, any more than all people in Ireland have names which are listed as "Irish".
It also seems to me that your objection to not listing these names as "African American" because they come from "poor, uneducated areas in the ghetto" shows a bit of classism on your part. People who are poor and live in inner cities are just as much part of the Black community as those who are highly educated and middle class are. They do not deserve your contempt. I think you are perpetuating classist stereotypes more than this site is perpetuating racial ones.
It also seems to me that your objection to not listing these names as "African American" because they come from "poor, uneducated areas in the ghetto" shows a bit of classism on your part. People who are poor and live in inner cities are just as much part of the Black community as those who are highly educated and middle class are. They do not deserve your contempt. I think you are perpetuating classist stereotypes more than this site is perpetuating racial ones.
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Agreed. Many of these names were invented at the end of the Civil Rights era and during the Black Power movement of the 1970's, when many black Americans felt that the names they had were too connected with white people and were inspired to create new names for their children.
People of all races and ethnicities make up names, and some cultures have specific traditions and/or noticeable trends.
People of all races and ethnicities make up names, and some cultures have specific traditions and/or noticeable trends.
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