this post was submitted on 23 May 2026
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Showerthoughts

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

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[–] Atomic@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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

[–] Sludge@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 day ago

I wanted to name my son Lucian and my wife was vehemently opposed to it because it sounded too much like Lucifer to her...

[–] ShinkanTrain@lemmy.ml 26 points 2 days ago (2 children)
[–] ICastFist@programming.dev 2 points 1 day ago

Of course he's a cop in the state that's pretty much where "coronelismo" still reigns

[–] TipRing@lemmy.world 10 points 2 days ago

Nominative determinism

[–] sudoer777@lemmy.ml 16 points 2 days ago (2 children)
[–] Tikiporch@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

President of Africa.

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[–] FriendOfDeSoto@startrek.website 60 points 3 days ago (2 children)

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.

[–] DocMcStuffin@lemmy.world 19 points 2 days ago (4 children)

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.

[–] FosterMolasses@leminal.space 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I wouldn't say Hilary's poisoned. Matter of fact, I can't remember the last time I saw a Clinton headline much less scandal. Also, my definitive Hilary will always be Hilary Banks lol

[–] DocMcStuffin@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Taboos can be positive, negative, or just reserved. For example in Judaism writing "God" is taboo, and Jews will frequently write "G-d". Same with YHWH. They will not say the tetragrammaton. Instead many will substitute the word Adonai.

Of course there are diverse groups of people. So for Hillary, depending on someone's political persuasion could be a positive name, a negative name, or just so synonymous with her it's reserved.

[–] taygaloocat@leminal.space 6 points 2 days ago (2 children)

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

[–] Trail@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

Must have been hilarious.

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[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago (2 children)

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.

[–] Kobibi@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 day ago

His great grandson Kermit Roosevelt III is alive today, and writes law novels

I'm sure, like most Kennedies, he Kermitted his fair share of crimes

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[–] YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today 13 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

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 4 points 1 day ago

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

[–] badgermurphy@lemmy.world 9 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I've heard a fun fact about this! Nowadays, at least in North America, they make great effort to always use the full names of people that become infamous to reduce the poisoning of names like that, as well as to minimize the incidence of living people with the same name.

[–] Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 2 days ago

In Germany I usually see either both or just the last name.

[–] radiofreebc@lemmy.world 55 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Or naming your kid Jeffrey. I think that name is done.

[–] chemical_cutthroat@lemmy.world 17 points 3 days ago (1 children)
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[–] yermaw@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 days ago (5 children)

Is Adolf a safe name yet? How long needs to pass?

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[–] AceTKen@lemmy.ca 9 points 2 days ago

Just make their middle name Duck and you are golden.

[–] FosterMolasses@leminal.space 2 points 1 day ago

Real dude... I was writing a story a while back, and usually when naming characters I just pull one from the noggin that "feels right", and I fell on "Donnie" for a young delinquent that was meant to bite off more than he can chew picking a fight with real criminals. When I revisited it a bit later in time, I internally cringed and had to pick a different name altogether lol

Shame because I felt like the name suited him so well that I wound up not continuing the story much after that.

[–] Fondots@lemmy.world 40 points 3 days ago (5 children)

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.

[–] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

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

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[–] becausechemistry@piefed.social 27 points 3 days ago (2 children)

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

Sorry, grandpa.

[–] Janx@piefed.social 19 points 2 days ago

The solution is obvious: name your kid Grandpa.

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[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 14 points 3 days ago (1 children)

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

[–] EtzBetz@feddit.org 7 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

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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[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 27 points 3 days ago (7 children)

Karen is similarly poisonous

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[–] medem@lemmy.wtf 11 points 3 days ago (3 children)
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