If your name is Precious you are probably black, if it is Tanner you are probably white. But if it is Erica or Julian it is hard to say:
BOYS
Blackest | Neutral | Whitest |
Darnell DeAndre DeShawn Malik Marquis Terrell Trevon Tyrone |
Adrian Anthony Edward Ian Jonathan Julian Mark Richard |
Cody Connor Dustin Jack Jake Luke Tanner Wyatt |
GIRLS
Blackest | Neutral | Whitest |
Aaliyah Deja Diamond Ebony Imani Nia Precious Shanice |
Alexis Alyssa Arianna Elizabeth Erica Mia Nadia Victoria |
Amy Claire Emily Emma Katelyn Katie Madeline Molly |
oops I placed this comment in the wrong comment box…
it still applies…
Can I say CLAIRE HUXTABLE my main black woman role model other than my momma!
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What if your name is “Ann”?
What picture, Abagond, would come to mind when you hear the name Ann?
White woman OR black woman?
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Oops.
Forgot one.
What image comes to mind when you hear the name “Joyce”?
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Joyce and Ann both “sound” white, but Ann much less so.
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Every Joyce I know is black. And born in the 1960s… or 18th Century (i.e. Joice Heth… the Black woman who was enslaved by PT Barnum, who began his career.)
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Joyce Carol Oates, white American author, born 1938.
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I have a very British name that’s uncommon. I thank my brother each time I have to spell out or pronounce my middle name. The reason why I’m the only person in my family who uses their Anglo name is that my brother could not pronounce my “ethnic” name. My own people can barely pronounce it.
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That’s why I’m gonna name my kid Bojangles… if it’s a she!
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Great info.Very good article.Bookmarked your blog plz keep it up 🙂
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Nice classification. Is it related to your personal observation?
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Yeah, is this all collected data or based on personal observation/perception?
I’ve actually known of two white girls named Keisha, two black girls named Lindsay and one black Maegen (that’s how she spelled it).
I’ve also known two white Duanes, one white Tyrone (it’s a name that’s French in origin) and a black Dustin.
For what its worth, the vast majority of black men I’ve ever known have had the same first-names as their white counterparts. Only a smaller minority have had the more “ethnic” names. Yet, about half of the black women I’ve ever known, have had the more “ethnic” names. Interesting.
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The lists of names are not my own. I “saw them on the Internet”!! LOL. I think the white and black names come from that Freakonomics article that proved having a “ghetto” name in and of itself does not hurt you in life.
I have run across white Keishas too. Male names in general are far more conservative and are far more alike between black and white Americans.
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Where does “Jasmin” fall? I rarely meet girls who spell it like me, without the “e”, but I digress. I’ve never met a White Jasmin (though there is a White girl named Jasmin with both my first and last name), but I don’t know if it’s necessarily “Black” sounding. Plus, it’s Persian in origin but I’ve never met any Jasmin’s from the Middle East.
Variations of it are popular in Spanish-speaking countries, however they tend to call me “Yasmeen” (since the J sounds like an H in Spanish), and the Y spelling is so much more common in those cultures.
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I’m surprised Ashley did not make the cut as a neutral name. I know a bunch of Ashley’s black, white, asian, and hispanic lol. Madison to me should on the list as white names that are popular.
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For girls born in New York City in 2007:
Madison was #1 for black girls. It did not make the top ten for whites, Asians or Hispanics.
Ashley made the top ten for Asians and Hispanics but not for blacks or whites.
Jasmine was #11 for blacks. There are all sorts of spellings for Jasmine, but “Jasmine” is by far the most common. Although it was #39 for Hispanics, there were more Hispanic Jasmines:
32% black
38% Hispanic
21% Asian
9% white
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that’s interesting abagond because I know plenty of white girls whose names are Madison lol than black girls.
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Well, all the Jasmines I know are black but that says more about me than about Jasmines.
Also, popularity of names change over time. Jennifer, for example, is still popular with Hispanics but not whites.
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abagond, which category does Ethan belong to? merci.
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I would like to see a study of the origins of African-American first names. I think they tend to break into 2 categories, you have the Islamic names like Raheem, Shameeka, Rameesh, Aaliyah and such names. I know that some slaves were Muslims who were later forced to Christianity. As well as some blacks such as the Nation of Islam adopting Islam in the 20th century.
Then there are black names that seem to be French or pseudo-French like LaTrell, LeWon, DeShawn, Marquis, Antoine, Andre, etc. Could be that they have Creole origins and those names are most popular in the Louisiana region.
I haven’t seen many studies on the origins of African-American names. I would like to find out more about that topic.
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Aaliyah is such a pretty name. I don’t have children, but I love the sound and the meaning of the name.
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Oops, I meant to add if I had a daughter, I would give her that name.
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I doubt I would ever see my name on any top 100 or even top 1000 names for female children in the world. When I was young that used to get me down but as an dult I’m happier being unique, at least in the states. Every once in a great while someone in either the Philippines or Sweden will pop up with it, but no worries.
I actually had to shorten and anglicized it to Marci for school.
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@Marci:
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Marci,
Marci is my boss’s name! 🙂
Leigh,
I’m guessing people get “Lee” and “Lay” mixed up? I don’t know any Leighs, but I read a book with a main character named Leigh when I was a kid, so I don’t think of it as “strange” even though I guess it is pretty unique!
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@Jasmin:
Leigh isn’t my actual name. However, my real name has the first three letters. I just added the “g” and “h” simply because I liked it. 😀
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And not one of them ‘African’ though I do spot an few Arabic names, or perhaps a couple.
Some scholars argue it shows how ‘acculturised’ we have become
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I thought Imani was of African orgin. I remember when singer, Imani Coppola explained what her name meant. I believe it means faith. It’s a nice name.
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It all depends on perspectives. I was referring to purely African names as opposed to ones later adopted on
the continent from outside sources.
I had thought Imani was derived from the Arabic??
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@J:
I googled the meaning of Imani and you’re correct. Imani is derived from Arabic. It’s odd, though. I distinctly recall Imani Coppola saying her name was Swahili.
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Jasmin
“Marci,
Marci is my boss’s name!”
Oh you poor woman! 🙂
You’re right, Leigh, roll calls in grade school sucked.
How the heck does everyone get those nifty smiley faces to show up here? Copy paste? what?
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Leisha! 😛
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Lol @ Leisha!
I was going to guess Lei Wan, but that’s not a Filipino name (you didn’t mention the origin), so maybe that’s a bad guess?
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@Marci:
Here’s a link. For some reason, not all emoticon texts work on here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emoticon
@tulio:
Nope. Guess again. 😉
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With regard to:
“I googled the meaning of Imani… Imani is derived from Arabic. It’s odd, though. I distinctly recall Imani Coppola saying her name was Swahili
Thanks! On the aforesaid point, your memory may well have served you right.
Still on the issues of perspectives.
Briefly there are some who say with regard to Ki-Sawhili language (leaving aside culture here):
1 It is an ‘African language’ with some Arabic words
or
2 It is essentially an ‘Arabic language.
So the person yu are referring to may have seen her name
as being derived from the ‘Ki-Swahili culture’ rather than being pernicikity like me ha ha ha
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You won’t find a lot of black guys that have my name!
Take a guess at what my name is.
I’ll give you a clue!
I’m named after 5 kings of Spain!
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@Vindicator:
I googled it. 😉
It’s one of these four names:
Felipe
Juan
Pedro
Sancho
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@Jasmin:
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Leilani?
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@Mira:
Ding! Ding! Ding!
We have a WINNER! Yes, that’s right. Boy, you were fast. Leilani is my name. It’s pronounced lay-law-nee. My family and close friends call me Lani for short. 😀
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I must admit: I used Google 😉
I love your name (and I think I understand how to pronounce it). But I understand what is like to have an “unusual name” (roll calls in school, etc).
Ok, now let’s guess Vindicator’s name 😛
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Got a funny story about names and how they (do not) translate.
A good friend of mine who’s a very militant Black activist and also an evangelical Christian decided to name his son “Jethro”. A perfectly fine biblical name and certainly odd enough by Brazilian norms.
He was a bit nonplussed, however, when I explained to him that it was a name heavily associated with poor rural whites in the U.S.!
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Leigh, Leilani is a beautiful name. Very fitting for you, I think. And I don’t believe it’s hard to pronounce.
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Omg, Jethro Tull!
Leilani is a beautiful name! I was sooo close with Leiliana.
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@Mira:
Thanks! I love my name, too. Anyway, out of all the possible names for Vindicator:
Felipe
Juan
Pedro
Sancho
(I’m going with Sancho.)
@Natasha W:
Thank you. You’re too kind. And it’s really not hard to pronounce once you hear it for the first time. Believe me. Roll call at school was a pain in the butt. The teachers always mispronounced my name and called me Lillian or Liliana. As one of the few minorities in school, I was teased because my name was different. Also, I was made fun of since I was also Asian. Oh, and the children who made fun of me called me Salami, Baloney, and Linguine. One of the “nicer” names I’ve been called.
@Marci:
Thank you, too. Growing up, I just wanted a so-called normal name like everyone else. I’m happy with my name now. Btw, Leilani means heavenly flower in Hawaiian.
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Heavenly flower, that’s beautiful.
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Thad, are you a fan of the ‘Beverly Hillbillies’ by chance, in particular the character Jethro?
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Vindicator,
My guess is Carlos, probably because I had to read a letter to Carlos V for class today. (Hope I’m right!)
If not Carlos, my next best guess would be Felipe.
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Leilani is a great name! Nice and unique, but not hard to pronounce (to me anyway).
People always spell my name wrong, which can be irritating, but I’m (mostly) over it. 😛
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@Jasmin:
To think, I was supposed to be named Elizabeth instead of Leilani. No offence to any Elizabeth out there, but I don’t look like an Elizabethe at all.
Jasmin, I’m assuming most people misspell your name with an “e” at the end, correct? I have a cousin with a similar name to yours and it’s spelled Yasmin. She always said she found it annoying when people added the “e”. Jasmin is a pretty name. 😀 Be glad you weren’t named Dorcas. My Greek friend has that name. She’s called Dorcas Malorkus all the time. Poor thing.
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Frank Zappa named his daughter “Moon Unit”.
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And what’s up with Sarah Palin naming her son “Track”. What the hell kind of name is that?
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^ He also has two sons named Dweezil and Ahmet.
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Oops. I was referring to Frank Zappa and his children’s wacky names.
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Oh, and what was going through Jermaine Jackson’s mind when he named his son, Jermajesty?
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Jermaine is a little weird to begin with. Do these parents ever think of the hell their kid is going to go through in school?
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Aww Leigh your real name is so cute Leilani!
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@tulio:
There are far more weirder/worse names out there. However, parents should bear in mind what they name their child. I should know. Kids can be so cruel.
@dani:
Aww, thank you very much, dani! 😀 Btw, is Dani the short form of Danielle?
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Leigh,
Yes, people always spell it Jasmine. The irony is that my parents spelled it w/o the “e” because people were pronouncing it “Jas-mine” instead of “Jas-men”! But I was born right before the name got really popular, so go figure.
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Yes it is Leigh it’s obvious isn’t it? lol
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@Jasmin:
You look like a Jasmin. It suits you. 😀
@dani:
I guessed correctly? Yay, me! lol! 😉
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Thanks! I’ve had some people say I don’t look like a Jasmin, and others say I don’t at all, so it’s kind of split down the middle I guess. 🙂
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@Leigh
You’ve got a nice name! Pretty name for a pretty lady, simple! LOL!
The next clue to my name is.
I am named after a famous commander’s father!
(This should be easy for you to guess now!)
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Vindicator,
I’ll guess Juan.
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I think what your name is can have big social significance independent of your race and ethnicity. A white guy with an Arab name may be treated differently than one with an English name. Many whites don’t like these ultra-black names, so the Darnells and Dejas probably have a rougher time than the Anthonys and Ashleys.
Personally, I prefer the names in the middle range. Alot of the ultra-white names like Connor and Tanner don’t sound that good to me either.
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My name is Danielle and it is of the Hebrew and French origin.
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What I’ve noticed is that unusual or ethnic names are only a “problem” if you’re NON-WHITE. Otherwise it doesn’t seem to be a big deal.
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I like having a unique name. I don’t have a problem with the names themselves, but I would hate to be named Catherine or Elizabeth, because you just get lost in the shuffle. Even if you take on a nickname, there are a million other Beths, Kates, Lizs, etc. I would get annoyed at being one of the many “Katies.”
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How about these names
Earl
Michael
Leroy
Lamont
Fred
DeShawn
Andre
Darnell
Reginald
Jamal
Maurice
Jalen – My White nephew has this name
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My name is somewhat common in Italy.
Me and my siblings all have common names.
My friends here in the uk all get a laugh out of the fact I called my son Caesar
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I was sure since I was a child that I would name my future sons after emperors or something similar. I wanted my sons to have the qualities of courage, strength etc. and I guess I have always loved ancient history.
anyway as a child I picked out.. Hannibal.
It made good sense to me because Hannibal was an amazing brave historical figure( I mean who else led african elephants through the alps?!?) – I also thought it would be a nice hint to my african ancestry.
When I Found I was having a boy 11 years later- I told my husband he laughed “noooo”- and then he told me about Hannibal Lecter(I had never heard of those movies).
Well that name was sent to the rubbish bin because Silence of the lambs ruined that name for me and my husband would never have been able to take Hannibal as a serious name.
lol.
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“Marci
Omg, Jethro Tull!
”
LOL, I thought i was the only one who knew who they were 😀
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@Lynette:
Aw, thanks! 😀 Btw, you have the same name as one of my good friends except her name is spelled with an extra letter “n”. She’s a sweetheart and quite the beauty. In fact, all the Lynettes I’ve met (3 in total) were genuinely nice people. Lovely, too.
Do you think people live up to their names? For example, I’d have to say all the Brendans and Chads I’ve met were major jerks and pervs.
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@Vindicator
You mean it’s NOT Sancho? 🙂 Bummer.
I give up. I’m not good with guessing. However, the three names left are:
Felipe
Juan
Pedro
I’m going with islandgirl. It’s Juan, right? lol! 😉
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@Jasmin:
Same here. Having a unique name is chic! lol I’m so cheesy. 😀
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@dani:
What does Danielle mean? I’ll have to google it. 😀
@laromana:
Maybe it’s just me, but it seems if you’re non-white, you’re practically expected to have an ethnic name. I’m sorry, but my name is not Mei Mei, Keiko, or Soon Yi.
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O.k. guys this is my final clue is.
I’m named after the french king that was meant to accompany Richard the Lionheart for the crusades!
I’m pretty sure with the clues I gave you guys, you should work it out by now!
Check up on it on wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_I_of_England
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I have had enough all of this guessing ha ha ah
I know your name
Is it Rumplestilskin – Get it – The fairytale
ha ha ha ha
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It’s gotta be Felipe then.
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One question: is name Dwayne considered to be black, white or neutral?
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I always thought of Dwayne as more of a black name(the only two guys I knew with the name were black). I had to change stream when I found out it was more of a southern sort of name, both black and white.
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I consider Dwayne to be a black name.
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I knew 3 felipes 2 of them were black angolan and brazillian and the third was i don’t really know he was african but not black maybe portugese mixed coz he was quite dark.
All my names are ‘ethnic’ arabic and yoruba
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Well guys here’s my name. Drum roll please! LOL!
It’s Philip
Mira and Jasmin were sort of right with Felipe!
Felipe = Philip
I’ve rarely known any black guys with the name Philip, still I like my name!
It’s a strong name!
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I love that name. I really, really like it. Well, I use different spelling (Filip) but it’s the same name. One of my favorourite names.
I also want to thank Marci and islandgirl for their info on name Dwayne.
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@Vindicator:
Hi Philip! It’s nice to place a name with the, uh, gravatar. lol! 😉
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Hey, I’ve just written a blog on my fave and worst names for boys and girls!
Take a look and hopefully comment!
Here’s the link:
http://neckback.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-favourite-and-worst-names.html
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And what about my attempts
Rum’p-hilip’-stilskin
ha ha ha…
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@Vindicator
(I posted a comment. Two, actually).
It’s interesting I don’t care about (nick)name Phil, I just like Philip.
Now you should try to guess my name… I guess. 😀
PS-Out of the names mentioned in Abagond’s original post, I like:
Boys
Tyrone, Richard and Edward.
Girls
Nia, Shanice, Arianna and Madeline.
And dislike
Boys
Malik, Ian and Luke.
Girls
Erica and Emma.
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“Even if you take on a nickname, there are a million other Beths, Kates, Lizs, etc. I would get annoyed at being one of the many “Katies.””
@ Jasmin
You are so right! That is what has made me appreciate my name more.
@ L
I, huh, have a really weird and eclectic taste in music. I play the flute, that’s my official excuse for listening to them.
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Marci,
I play the flute too! High five! 🙂
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Hello. I am working on my research thesis about ethnic name perception and stereotyping and ran across your blog. May I ask where you found this information. I would like to use it in my thesis. If possible, could you please provide me with the source information. Thank you in advance.
Karen Lane
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