Character names? What do you think?

[Shea]

My dad thinks I'm strange because I want to name my future daughter, if I am so lucky as to have one, Cosette after my favorite character from Les Miserables. Then again he prefers plain sensible names like Jane and Anne. I like these too, in fact Jane Eyre and Anne Shirley are other favorite characters of mine. But what do you think future generations would appreciate in names?

[Admin]

My fiance and I are naming our children after cities.

Aspen
Memphis
Pheonix
Alexandria

etc

I think giving your children unique names is a good idea. There are enough Johns in the world.

[Jay]

I would go with Admin's opinion. And I also like the names he chose, espetially Phoenix and Memphis. I say if you'd like to name your future daughter Cosette, go for it. There are so few people with an original name.

[Shea]

Thanks for the opinions guys! Obviously we're talking about my step-dad (who has guided me as a real father, hence the reason why I call him Dad), so he wasn't there when I was named. I feel I have a pretty original name too.

When I was 5, I found out that the NY Mets played at Shea Stadium. I wanted to be the first female to play for them professionally since they were nice enough to name it after me, but I found that I wasn't very athletic.

I would like to say that my name came from a character in a book, but back in 1980, there was a contestant on Family Feud who's name was commented on and Mom thought it was pretty... So much for exciting beginnings, eh?

[Jay]

Hey, Shea, you were on-line anytime around, let's say, NOW? I posted this message just minutes ago. Did I actually manage to be on-line with another member?
Oh, and my name's pretty boring, but it would say nothing to you, if you don't know something about the Czech rep. It's Jarmila. Pretty dull, but I wasn't there when they were choosing it. But I have the same name as my mother.

[Shea]

Hey I'm here! Like your name!

[Jay]

Thanks, no many people like a name like this one. I thought going by Jay (on the forum) would be better, 'cause I'm not very fond of mine and it's not so long (well, kinda). If you're still on-line, have you already seen the new posts? I replayed almost all of yours, except the ones about the Bible, I don't have an English copy, so you probably won't recognize the parts, but I'm not (as most Czechs) much into religion.

[Shea]

Yeah I've seen some of the new posts, I've been flipping between the Newbie one and the Character Names.

The only other county I've ever been to was France, but it was for a religious function back when my family was able to force me to be Catholic. Is there a predominant religion in the Czech rep.? What are the veiws there about the Bible and other literature?

[Jay]

I was also flliping between these two topics. And yes, there is a predominant religion in here, Catholics. But I'm christened as a Protestant. As far as I know, I'm the only one in our school. My grandma is strongly religious, so she wanted all of us (my sister and brother) to be christened. I don't mind, but except my relatives in Slovakia I don't know anyobe who believes, if you know what I mean. I think I'll have to logout in few minutes, 'cause all the lessons have ended and the computer class-room is gonna be locked. I would like to meet you here sometime, so this is the time I'm usually on-line. Hope we'll manage to meet here in the future.I will be here another ten minutes, so if you couln't replay in time, it was nice to actally kinda "meet" and speak with you. See you around, Shea.

[Shea]

I'm sure you'll read my reply soon (I'm not a very fast typist). But I'm usually here at this time (which is morning for me) or about 12 hours from now. It depends on if I have to work in the day or night.

My Grandmother is a staunch Catholic, and she would call me a protestant. I suppose the word came from those that protested the Catholic church and came to America when it was discovered. But I call myself a christian and am a member of the Church of Christ. We don't have a denominational name, but our view is; we speak where the Bible speaks and are silent where the Bible is silent.

By the way, for those of you who know of it, I'm not talking about the International Churches of Christ. That's completely different.

It was nice chatting with you Jay, and if religion makes you feel uncomfortable, as it does most, what are you studying?

[Jay]

It doesn't make me uncomfortable, it's just that I don't know IF I believe. I was taught to believe, but with passing time began to doubt. But if you'd like to chat about religion, I could try to keep up with you.
I'm in a high-school, graduating this year in May, and I'd like to go to the Collage in Brno to study filology, English language and literature. What about you?

[MarsMonster]

I like names that are typical for the country you come from. it somehow preserves the identity of the nation. and i don't like it when people give names to their children after some character from a book because first of all who knows when you can read an even better book with an even better character who has an even better name, and second you should think of the fact that the name will affect your child in one way or another. i know i wolden't like my mom to tell me that she named me what she named me because she read a book and liked the character. probably because i would feel like she wanted me to be the character, not myself.
and if the name is not common then other kids will pick on your kids that can leave life long trauma.

[apstudent]

Jay, if you don't know if you believe, chances are that you don't right now, but that is all right. If there are any religous questions that I can help you with, just ask, and I will be more than glad to assist you. If you are embarassed to post such personal things on the forum, just private message me. By the way, I am also a senior in highschool, waiting to graduate in May.

[Shea]

Mars Monster, I like the idea of preserving identity of nations, but I'm an American, and though my heritage is predominantly Scottish, my ancestors also come from England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, Russia, and whatever else is back there in the line. Just about everything in my country came from somewhere else.

I know that I'll probably read a book that I find better than Les Miserables (Jane Erye is just about tied), but I love the innocence and purity of that character despite her shameful familial background. This is a moral that I plan to instill in my future kids, that no matter what life throws at you, you can always rise above it, but the world does not always have to see you do it. I don't wan't my kids to be the characters in the books I read, I just want them to be well rounded. Perhaps the names of my favorite characters would give me little reminders as I'm raising them. (I don't plan on having kids for another 4 years anyway, so I'm going by my own observations of the world.)

My fiance can't stand his first name, and when he joined the army, for some reason they started calling him by his middle name and he preffers that. I guess I should consider giving plain middle names just in case.

[Jay]

It's also a solution, to give your kids normal middle names. But still I think original names would be a great idea. And if any other kid would like to make fun of other kids, if it wouldn't be because of the name, he/she will surely find anything else.
And what kind of help are you offering, dear Apstudent? If you think I don't believe (which I don't, as far as I'm conscious of), how could you possibly help me? But I very apreciate the offer you made. If you have any suggestions, bring them out, you may on the forum, if again anyone woudln't think it was becoming a chat again (no offense, MarsMonster, I really didn't mean to bother other members).