[TXBubba]

Hey it isn't just limited to "African"-Americans. I have plenty of caucasion friends who give their kids seemingly "normal" names. Then you find out they are spelling it some really strange way. Poor kid is going to be correctly people their whole life. Idiot parents.

[LS]

One could point to the whole "Phoenix" family of actors: River, Leaf, Twig, Moss, Pond Scum.

[armymarinemom]

Hey it isn't just limited to "African"-Americans. I have plenty of caucasion friends who give their kids seemingly "normal" names. Then you find out they are spelling it some really strange way. Poor kid is going to be correctly people their whole life. Idiot parents.

Amen. My son took a world of grief from some of his female classmates a few years ago when he made a comment(What do they hate the kid?) when he heard the name Maximus was given to a little one born to a couple that had graduated the previous year. I have to agree with him. The kids name sounds like a condom.

[GrandEagle]

My wife works in the intensive care nursery.
At times it seems that they just pick the number of letters they want, say 18, then just draw them out of a hat. She has brought home names that can be spoken. I've seen names with three vowels together. You can't imagine.

I couldn't imagine doing that to one of my children

GE

[Osage Orange]

I know a Doctor named Jumbo....

And another one named Joe Bob....

Of course..I'm here in Oklahoma...!! LOL!!

[No Truce With Kings]

'I have plenty of caucasion friends who give their kids seemingly "normal" names."

And let's not forget names that are spelled "normally" but are really, really strange -- Moon Unit Zappa comes to mind.

[Clemenza]

Although black folks are the most "creative" when it comes to naming their kids, white folks either get creative with alternative spellings (Sandee, Brytnee) or give them a yuppie name like Cameron (Spanish for Shrimp!) or Parker.

[wouldntbprudent]

Golly, what the author said all the way. And what you said: non-AA parents giving their kids' names dumb spellings that no one can figure out.

I knew a boy who was constantly upset that people misspelled his name. I said change it or live with it. People are not going to hear "Ben" and have a clue your parents spelled it "Benne" or whatever.

Get a clue, people! There are so beautiful and meaningful names to choose from.

[esquirette]

In my very first adoption, they named the kid 'Linzee' because she was 4 and could already write it that way. I begged them to spell it right. That poor child is now in her twenties living with that.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Alisyn Camerota

[Churchjack]

I KNOW that's right.
Merdedes
Alexis
Madison

I proudly named my firstborn -- JOE.

[pepperdog]

"caucasion friends who give their kids seemingly "normal" names. Then you find out they are spelling it some really strange way"

I've noticed that spelling things, it affects me like fingernails on a blackboard, or plastic squeaking if that is more expressive to the younger generation. I do not understand why this is happening unless it's an example of personal expression or personal stupidity. Regardless, they will come to regret it, their children will someday tell them how embarrassing and illiterate their names look when written.

[oldbrowser]

Hey it isn't just limited to "African"-Americans. I have plenty of caucasion friends who give their kids seemingly "normal" names. Then you find out they are spelling it some really strange way. Poor kid is going to be correctly people their whole life. Idiot parents.

I have also seen some young people change the spelling of their name to differentiate themselves from others with similar names.

These people invariable are insecure or egotistical.