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Taboo names (lemmy.world)

Naming your kid Donald now a days is like naming your kid Adolf in the 1940s.

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[-] FriendOfDeSoto@startrek.website 91 points 2 months ago

One of the funniest videos of politicians that I've seen recently was a casual meetup of Poland's PM Donald Tusk and the then incoming Hungarian PM Magyar. He had just defeated Viktor Orban, Putin's fifth column in the EU and authoritarian asshole of the year. Magyar introduces one of his ministers to Tusk. I don't remember which ministry but her name is also Orban. Tusk is ever so briefly taken aback by the mention of that name, which Magyar realizes and quickly adds: "No relation." They giggle at the mixup and Tusk just fires off nonchalantly something like: "Well, my name is Donald." They laugh and move on.

[-] Fondots@lemmy.world 60 points 2 months ago

I think the name Donald has been out of style since before Trump was born.

Imagine spending your whole life being compared to Donald Duck.

[-] Goodlucksil@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 2 months ago

Well, there's Donald Knuth

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[-] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 9 points 2 months ago

The most recent famous Donald I can think of is Glover, who was born in '83.

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[-] becausechemistry@piefed.social 43 points 2 months ago

My grandpa’s name is Donald. I was gonna name my kid after him.

Sorry, grandpa.

[-] Janx@piefed.social 31 points 2 months ago

The solution is obvious: name your kid Grandpa.

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[-] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 6 points 2 months ago

Middle name, maybe?

[-] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 37 points 2 months ago

Karen is similarly poisonous

[-] ShinkanTrain@lemmy.ml 35 points 2 months ago
[-] TipRing@lemmy.world 13 points 2 months ago

Nominative determinism

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[-] DocMcStuffin@lemmy.world 27 points 2 months ago

Hillary. No one names their daughter Hillary and haven't for a while now.

Grover, Kermit. These were also common names. There was president Grover Cleveland. Teddy Roosevelt named one of his sons Kermit. Sesame Street had such a strong cultural impact that these names also fell out of use.

[-] taygaloocat@leminal.space 8 points 2 months ago

I dated a girl named Hilary once. She was okay.

[-] Trail@lemmy.world 10 points 2 months ago

Must have been hilarious.

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[-] Agent641@lemmy.world 7 points 2 months ago

Kermit Roosevelt. I'm sure with a name like that, he definitely didn't do anything of consequence that ripples through geopolitics to this day.

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[-] Zoomboingding@lemmy.world 7 points 2 months ago

Elmo too certainly

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[-] Treczoks@lemmy.world 22 points 2 months ago

Nobody names kids "Adolf" here, even today. That name is thoroughly burned.

[-] EtzBetz@feddit.org 12 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I am German and have an uncle whose name is Adolf. His dad/my grandpa also had the name Adolf, but he got the name before WWII.

My parents told me that my uncle has this name because my grandpa misunderstood the nurse when my uncle was born. He supposedly understood "What's your name?", while she asked "How should he be named?". He then said "Adolf" obviously, because that's his name. And it's said that once they figured out the error, it was too late to be undone.

There's a certain scepticism about this story being real. But for sure my grandpa didn't do it to honor Adolf Hitler (aka being a Nazi. I don't know about his doings during WWII tbh, but at least how I perceived him, he didn't have any sympathy for Nazis), maybe he did it because he wanted to name a son after himself while the name was burnt..

Just a tidbit from my life :D

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[-] sudoer777@lemmy.ml 19 points 2 months ago
[-] Tikiporch@lemmy.world 11 points 2 months ago

President of Africa.

[-] irelephant@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 2 months ago

The country of africa?

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[-] medem@lemmy.wtf 17 points 2 months ago
[-] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago

I wonder if it could be refined to be less…literal? “Adolfo Semit Al-Jihad” or something.

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[-] Simulation6@sopuli.xyz 17 points 2 months ago

Nobody shied away from Joseph after Stalin.

[-] zurchpet@lemmy.ml 28 points 2 months ago

There is a very famous Joseph in a old fairy tale book which most people associate with that name.

But Donald or Adolph?

I mean at least Donald has a Duck, Knuth and Glover.

But Adolf, yeah you named your kid after him...

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[-] FinjaminPoach@lemmy.world 17 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Contrary to what other peole say, donald is still super common as a name. It's culturally significant to many nationalities and scottish people don't really let the fact that the 47th POTUS is a tosser interfere with what they name their kids. I think various commonwealth countries (e.g in the caribbean) like it as a first name, and loads of american people born since '45 have had it - actors, musicians, artists.

I think people should be allowed to use the name adolf without it conjuring association with 🚨🗿.

Edit: btw, Donald Trump is an interesting name because it etymologically means "World Ruler Trump" and Trump, in card games and such, means "victor," so 47's name is "Victorious World Ruler."

No wonder he has issues.

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[-] YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today 16 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Not yet, there are people who have, and will, name their kids Donald. They might actually give him the "t" middle initial too.

[-] MyceliumNetwork@lemmy.zip 7 points 2 months ago

It is also just...an old person's name right now.

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[-] AceTKen@lemmy.ca 13 points 2 months ago

Just make their middle name Duck and you are golden.

[-] ThrowawayPermanente@sh.itjust.works 11 points 2 months ago
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[-] _wizard@lemmy.world 9 points 2 months ago

One of my good friend's is named Adolf.

[-] Valmond@lemmy.dbzer0.com 19 points 2 months ago

In Sweden there are lots of Adolfsson (son of adolf). I think it's more Hitler that's the forbidden name.

[-] AllNewTypeFace@leminal.space 10 points 2 months ago

Adolph was a relatively uncommon name in English, and thus became taboo easily. In Sweden, Adolf has historically been a common name, largely eclipsing all that unpleasantness happening to the south that Sweden didn’t participate in anyway, do why should families change their surname?

Having said that, naming a child Adolf in Sweden is still uncommon, though presumably more out of concern that he may have a hard time if he travels.

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[-] lucullus@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 2 months ago

In germany though Adolf is also taboo. There is even a german drama movie about this naming choice (I think its called "Der Name", so "The Name")

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[-] Atomic@sh.itjust.works 7 points 2 months ago

Naming your kid Judas or lucifer has been pretty taboo for the past 2000 years.

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[-] P1nkman@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

A mechanic in Denmark has Adolf has his middle name. He's about 50. I only went there once...

[-] GreenKnight23@lemmy.world 8 points 2 months ago

A mechanic in Denmark has Adolf has his middle name.

1000003963

He's about 50.

1000003964

[-] Bonesince1997@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago

However, DioramaOfShit is a great name!

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this post was submitted on 23 May 2026
360 points (97.6% liked)

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