Names and ethnicity? Please help?

[caitlynnnn]

Hi, everyone!
I'm 100% Asian and my fiance is half blood, Japanese+white British. He was born and raised in England, and I'm not.
I don't know how my baby would look like but I guess she(I want a girl ) would be look like just Asian.

I have begun to fall in love with the names Isobel, Freya, Imogen, and other English-originated which are completely originated from none Asian culture, or even alternative spellings such as Katharine, Mikaela something. I can't overlook the many predicted problems when if she have Asian originated names in England. My fiance says it doesn't really matter if we name our baby as British or other western name and use a such alternative spelling because she would be also born and raised in England. But my mom says it have been always funny that Asian girl with the name "Elizabeth", etc so I should stick to Asian names or just super normal and formal names like Hannah, Emily, Emma, etc.

I don't want to let her seemed to white-wannabe. But I love the western originated names and she would be just British. On the other hand, I know I have to be concerned about her ethnicity.

What should I do?

[meogan]

My grandfather is Japanese and the whole family going back several generations has western names. I've never thought it was weird, or sensed that anyone else did. If you would like to use a western name then go for it, no one will even bat an eye. However, you also shouldn't let the fact that you're going to be living in the UK stop you from using a name from your (or any) culture.

[ellenelle]

I wouldn't think twice if I met a young girl or grown woman of Asian (or any) descent with a European name (mainstream or more unusual). FWIW, I personally have worked with Asian-American girls named Camden and Piper and thought no more of their names than when I worked with a little girl named Kim Li. I think societies are so global now that people pull from different cultures and all's well--and in this instance, I would venture to say you'd hardly be drawing from a different culture for her since she will be raised in Britain. If you want to work her heritage into her name, I would say to go for it and people will catch up. But if you want to go with a less common Anglo moniker, I doubt anyone would find your choice weird

[catloverd]

My mom is Chinese and my dad is white, I look EXACTLY like my mom and I'm named Diana, which typically isn't an Asian name. I have never had issues with people saying you're too Asian for that name.... then again I live in the USA...

I've met plenty of Asian girls with English names, like Jenny, Alice, Melissa, Joy, etc.... I don't think ethnicity is an issue when you are born into a culture. Many girls from China who come to study in the US, like my mom, change their names to and English one so it's easier to pronounce. She chose Clare, and goes by that, her Chinese name is Juo Lan/Ruo Lan depending on what system you use, and she moved that to her middle name. So you could always give your girl an Asian middle name so if she wants to use a Chinese name she can.

My sister and I were given completely English names, Diana Rose and Melissa Beth, we never had ethnicity problems....

One of my best friends is Puerto rican and her name is Michelle and her sister's name is Nicole.

I don't think it'll be an issue

[essjay]

I went to school with quite a lot of Asian kids and a lot of them had English first names and a cultural middle - Maisy, Emma, Christine, Lucy, Adam, Jamie, Kelvin... pretty standard names really. I don't think giving her an English first name instead of an Asian one will cause any issues at all. If your child will be born and raised in England I think an English first name would be perfectly suitable, nobody really bats an eyelid at how ethnic or not a name is any more.

[nat108]

It sounds like you're concerned about two things
1) A child with an Asian name in England
2) An Asian child with an English name

1) It depends on exposure. I'm terrible with Asian names but that's because I don't know many Asian people. The Brits seem to do well with Asian and African names so I'd guess pronunciation wouldn't be a too much of a problem

2) Is the last name Asian or English? Honestly if I met an Asian girl named Imogen Philips it'd strike me as a bit odd but not really. I wouldn't think the parents are trying to white-wash the kid either. I'd only wonder about the English last name (Is from adoption, marriage, a name change?) My first name is Irish and Indian (Tara), my middle is French, and my last name is Scottish- I am none of those.

[onomastics]

Your little girl (or boy) will be British, so it is completely normal for her to have a British name! I have a lot of Chinese-American friends and all but one has a Western name. They usually also have an informal Chinese name that the Chinese family calls them.

[flick]

I think that the world is multicultural enough by now that I don't pay a whole lot of attention to what someone looks like and what ethnicity their name is - use what you like.

[sweetpea2peanut]

One of my friends is part Hispanic and her husband is part Japanese. They oldest son a Hispanic first name and an English mn. Their second son has an English first name and a Japanese mn. You could always use Chinese of Japanese middle names if you love English names for first names.

[elisabeth rae]

I don't see it being an issue at all. Names cross cultures so much now. Plus so many of the British names are great!