Can I use names from other cultures?

Not only is this really offencive, it's terrible for the readers' suspension of disbelief if you have a redhead from a grassy, rainy island filled with the fair folk, but they're called Abdul al-Bashir and the island is called Aokusajima.

 

I'm a native of my country. I'd find it offensive to read one of my ancestor names used in someone's story that had nothing to do with them because our language means something. It isn't just words. At the same time I have no issue with using say 'Karen' or 'Debbie' for some reason. Characters have to have names. I've had to come up with probably 30 names so far. Depending on the chapter - the 'feel' of the name has to reflect the 'country' they inhabit. My countries are fictional but they do have a grounding in real countries with their cultures. I've chosen to use 'ish' names - names that have a Polynesian-ish feel, an 'African-ish' feel etc. I make them up but I usually do a bit of research first.
I had interesting feedback from my editor though. She said one of the names I used for a male character was actually a Celtic female name. She asked me if I wanted to change it. I will actually when I get to it but it won't be easy - I've come to know and love that character with the name I gave him

 

You can go through the rabbit hole of etymology of names and find that often times they are variations across cultures. Depending on spelling and accent, some name cross that barrier.

I've gone the route of using names that fit the persons temperament or magical affinity as placeholders and when I further develop the separate cultures can go back to make the appropriate edits.

If you're going to the chance firstly educate yourself on the meanings and cultural significance of the names your using.

 

This is where we get into heritage, cultural importance, and identity. I'm first generation Dominican and we have a history of colonization and "mixture" with other colonized peoples. So having a blend of Taino, French, Spanish, Dominican, Haitian, African, Dutch, Italian (so many more) makes it easy to have a wide field of names to choose from. Especially if I'm writing characters like that in my project. So Moonalight if your region is one of constant and/or historical conquest with shifting power and regime dynamics: having various cultural/religious names can work and work well.
But if you're writing in the lens of a marginalized group, like Native Americans, than keep those traditions sacred. Names hold weight in every culture, but the importance varies throughout. Or writing in the lens of an isolated group that has never or barely interacted with others, take that into account.

This may be a confusing or heavier answer than needed to be but if you're concerned of culture appropriation or misuse than again take the time to learn. Create your own religions, customs, cultures using the framework of existing ones.

It will take longer to craft your vision/story but that's where the richness lies.

 

I think it depends on the context in which the names are used. And it has to be said that some people will get offended for literally anything they can. I don't get offended just a bit irritated when people assume I'm Scottish or Irish just because I have read hair. Life becomes a lot easier and happier when you just get over it and stop worrying about offending others with harmless things. I'm not talking about a deliberate force or dig being made. As long as it choice of name feels right for that character and who they are and were they have come from.

 

I think you should be extremely, extremely cautious of using names that are specific to a culture that you know nothing about. For one thing, if you know nothing about the culture they come from, you're more likely to end up using the names incorrectly or inappropriately.

But I'm a little confused about how you can know that a name is "relevant" to your character if you know nothing about the culture it comes from? How do you know that you are understanding the name and its usage if you don't know the culture? Why would you even want to use names from cultures you know nothing about? How could they be meaningful to you?

 

I name the different kinds of humans after actual names from the irl culture they're most inspired by, but almost exclusively old archaic names, like Alaric. Other races I do the same, but I corrupt the hell out of the word so it doesn't mean anything, but still sort of invokes the air of where it came from, and still sounds neat.

 

A lot of people here have talked about potentially being offensive, but another risk is having the name come across as just corny to a native speaker. I mean, if you're used to anime or video games you probably don't notice it anymore, but just think about it for a moment. You've got people named Light Yagami, Monkey D. Luffy or Cloud Strife.

 

First off, simply because you may or may not "offend" some professional victim is no reason to do or not do something. Unless your catering to that specific audience, if so don't mind me.

Second that writing with color website is rife with illogical political crap, I would avoid it IMHO. Better option is come here and ask people.

The most important thing is how you use those names. If it's simply because you don't know what to call your chars, that's just lazy and most likely means the rest of the book will reflect such. There better be an explanation about those strange foreign names that makes sense

If your setting is Eurasia and the nemes of villagers are Kevin, Tom, etc it doesn't really make sense. The same applies to any name used to give things an exotic feel. It just makes you the writer look lazy and incompetent, no one wants to read a book like that.

 

I guess I find the context for this question a little bit odd. You seem to be implying using names from different real-world cultures irrespective of whether they match the culture being depicted in the story, otherwise you'd presumably be asking about whether it's offensive to draw from real-world cultures more generally, not just names.

If that's the case, I would say that while it might be offensive, I also just wouldn't do this from a writing practices perspective. The names of your characters should reflect the cultures you're depicting, and the names of characters from the same culture should have some measure of consistency. Don't just pull random names from the real world because you like what they mean.

 

I get that people have different opinions on this and that it can be something of a divisive issue, but I'm not sure we need to try and make people feel bad that they care about whether or not they might offend someone.

 

That's my whole point I cannot control how you or other people feel. My intention is/was not to make people feel bad that they care, caring is good. Example, I am offended that you think I intentionally set out to make people feel bad about caring, you didn't seem to worry about my feelings. My intention was never to make anyone feel bad. Or... I find belittling that you think they need you to defend them, ( ok not really but you get my point).

However it is not good to modify or censure oneself or others because it might/ or might not cause offense. The problem is now people get offended over everything. We as writers should be the last group to fear giving offence. Don't let fear of giving offence limit you. There are more important things to worry about such as writing well.

My phone's text editor is going crazy. It delets words or inserts words when I go back to edit, sorry if it's incoherent, I'm not writing the paragraph agai.

 

Yeah, this is what I mean. If you're saying it's "not good" to censor oneself out of fear of causing offense, and that writers should not fear being offensive, then you're saying it's wrong and bad if they do censor themselves or do fear offending.

 

Yeah it is wrong to censor themselves out of fear of possibly offending someone. I'm not really understanding what the terrible thing about this is... Unless your implying that self-censorship is a good thing. To which I would disagree, for the reasons I already mentioned.

I have a question. What makes this hypothetical group who might be offended so much better than me that I should censor myself. Why are their feelings more important than mine, or my artistic expression. What about the hundreds of other people who think differently than them?

 

I think maybe you're misunderstanding. I am not taking a stand on whether or not it's good to self-censor one way or the other; I am pointing out that you are taking a stand that it's always bad to self-censor out of fear of offending.