Re: Mixing Ethnic Names -WWYD

I think it's all about how YOU feel the name sounds/flows.

IMO, Jose O'Neill, Vincenzo McDonald and Ronan Pappadopalous sound "off"....So if you want a mix of culture, and your last name is strongly in one culture or another, perhaps trying to find a more subtle dose of the opposite culture.

I agree with a pp that I don't think Liam Russo sounds bad at all...

This is all from a girl who's married surname is 4 syllables, and VERY polish...so (according to DH) not many names sound "right" with it...

But really, it just boils down to a name that you can both agree on, that you both feel flows well....

Re: Mixing Ethnic Names -WWYD

i like the way liam russo sounds. go for it.

Re: Mixing Ethnic Names -WWYD

DH's name is Carmine - I think that explains his heritage including how Italian his last name is

I am Norwegian and German.

The only spec of Italian I have in me are these twins I'm carrying

DS is Ryan. Can't get more Irish than that, right?

And the girls names are not Italian nor do their origins have anything to do with our ethnicity.

Hope that makes you feel better about sticking to your guns about the name you love

Re: Mixing Ethnic Names -WWYD

i somewhat agree. i think liam with an italian last name is fine. i have a norwegian last name but DH is mostly italian and i think really italian last names sound funny with my last name because it doesnt "go" so in that aspect i wont do a very italian first name. but your way i think isnt bad

Message edited 3/23/2011 6:52:09 PM.

Re: Mixing Ethnic Names -WWYD

I have an italian last name & if its a boy its Gavin Joseph. So i guess it doesnt bug me.

Re: Mixing Ethnic Names -WWYD

Re: Mixing Ethnic Names -WWYD

Crashing- I don't think Liam Russo sounds bad at all.

If we ever have a boy, his name will most likely be Liam and we have a very strong, Jewish, 3 sylable name ending with stein. I don't care. It's hard to find names that go with strong last names...hence why we are already talking about names without a baby on the horizon

Message edited 3/23/2011 7:19:28 PM.

Re: Mixing Ethnic Names -WWYD

Well our son's name goes well, but that is because I am so used to hearing it. It is DH and FILs name.

Stuart Patterson.

Re: Mixing Ethnic Names -WWYD

Posted by Eireann

Posted by VickiRG510

I have an italian last name & if its a boy its Gavin Joseph. So i guess it doesnt bug me.

See, but I don't think people consider Gavin an ethnic name.

Anyhow, my name went from being Erin Eileen Mc... to Erin Eileen something-with-a-couple-of-z's-and-several-vowels. AKA an Italian name. I don't think it's weird.

Here are my thoughts...
"Liam Russo" doesn't sound odd to me.
#1 because Liam is so common now, it's almost not an ethnic name at all. Sort of like Aidan...nowadays every nationality names their kid Aidan.
#2 because Liam--as an Irish name--is part of the English language.

"Giovanni Murphy" would stand out to me.
#1 because Gianluca is very ethnic.
#2 because Gianluca--as an Italian name--is part of the Italian language. One could wonder if the non-Italian speaker in the family even pronounces Giovanni in the correct Italian way.

Either way, however, I have absolutely no problem with people naming their kid whatever THEY WANT to name their kid.

Hey, I have a Patrick somthing-with-a-couple-of-z's-and-several-vowels...what do I know?

Re: Mixing Ethnic Names -WWYD

I think if you have an Italian last name, than its perfectly fine to give an Irish first name to represent...lol!!!

To me a name like Carlo Italiano (made up name) sounds like the kid just got off the boat! (totally my opinion, l know lots of ppl with Italian last names give their kids Italian 1st names).

(I have an Italian last name as well,but DH and I are both half Irish)

Message edited 3/23/2011 8:52:51 PM.

Re: Mixing Ethnic Names -WWYD

My parents named me Colleen (Irish - of which I am ~20%) with a very Italian last name (of which I am ~75%). It never bothered me growing up. I think if the names flow, ethnicity shouldn't matter.

Re: Mixing Ethnic Names -WWYD

Message edited 1/15/2014 5:20:23 PM.

Re: Mixing Ethnic Names -WWYD

you're talking my walk! :) DH is Irish and Italian (his mother from Ireland, father from Italy, but the Italian last name.) DH's first name is Irish. When goes to italy, his Italian cousins can't say his first name (they have a nickname for him), and when he goes to Ireland, no one can say his last name!

My parents are from Ireland, but I have a very American name. We named our DD an Irish name... she has this very Irish name with an Italian last name. Sometimes, I laugh when I see it in print, because they are so opposite, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE her name and it reflects so much of my family (and 1/2 of Dh's) culture in her.

I say if you like it, go for it. DC #2 will also have a Gaelic name.

ETA: it also helps that our last name, while Italian, is very uncommon, so often people don't even know what it is when they see it. and they never prounounce it right either, it loses its Italian-ness. :)

Message edited 3/23/2011 9:40:19 PM.

Re: Mixing Ethnic Names -WWYD

We have a pretty simple generic name (think: Jones, Smith, etc) and I think that some overly ethnic names sound a little funny when paired with it (ex: Marcello, Isabella, Miguel) so we tried to stick with something less ethnic, although all of my favorite girls names are french sounding so we'll see what happens in the future

Re: Mixing Ethnic Names -WWYD

My maiden name is Italian but my first name is French.

Why can't you incorporate both of your heritages?

Message edited 3/23/2011 9:38:06 PM.

Re: Mixing Ethnic Names -WWYD

Posted by donegal419

you're talking my walk! :) DH is Irish and Italian (his mother from Ireland, father from Italy, but the Italian last name.) DH's first name is Irish. When goes to italy, his Italian cousins can't say his first name (they have a nickname for him), and when he goes to Ireland, no one can say his last name!

My parents are from Ireland, but I have a very American name. We named our DD an Irish name... she has this very Irish name with an Italian last name. Sometimes, I laugh when I see it in print, because they are so opposite, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE her name and it reflects so much of my family (and 1/2 of Dh's) culture in her.

I say if you like it, go for it. DC #2 will also have a Gaelic name.

ETA: it also helps that our last name, while Italian, is very uncommon, so often people don't even know what it is when they see it. and they never prounounce it right either, it loses its Italian-ness. :)

Re: Mixing Ethnic Names -WWYD

Posted by maybemommy10

That's def another one of DHs reasoning..."my mom doesn't even know how to say LIAM or Jason!!!" ummmm that would be HER problem

Message edited 3/23/2011 10:09:34 PM.

Re: Mixing Ethnic Names -WWYD

My DH is jewish and has a pretty jewish last name. I am hispanic! And we named out son Liam! I loved the name and did not care what anyone else thought. Liam did kind of flow with out last name though so I didn't feel as bad. lol. Oh and to me the name Liam is more of a generic name than an ethnic name.

My family in Guatemala have a hard time saying the name and in Israel my in-laws mispronounce it cause in Israel they put the emphasis on the last syllabal.

But I am happy with the name. So I say go with it.

Re: Mixing Ethnic Names -WWYD

I have a friend who is VERY Italian (off the boat ) and married to someone with a very Jewish last name. Their daughters are Isabella and Marianella. Somehow it works!

Re: Mixing Ethnic Names -WWYD

Posted by donegal419
Translate it for her into English or whatever language. Liam is Irish for William. She could call him Bill... I believe William in Italian is Guglielmo, does that help? ;)