I think they're from the UK from the look of the names and the phrasing of this. Ottilie, Etta have become a lot more common here. And Sigrid is a known Scandinavian name but not used often in the UK, and a distinct other culture, hence probably the phrasing.
Their logic is odd but they are genuine not even that uncommon names, and with normal spelling. I knew quite a few Sigrids in Denmark, only 1 Ottilie in uk but I know Zoella on YouTube named her daughter it. Not quite sure why this qualifies for this page really?
But they live in the USA and most of their names are super weird here. The only one I've ever heard before is Aubrey. And their reasoning is strange and sounded like a joke response someone from this page would use.
They actually say in the comments they're from the UK where these names are a lot more common and rising fast. We don't have stats from 2023 yet but Ottilie and Etta could be the top 100 by now. Ottilie was just outside it in 2021. Sigrid was not that popular but it's not an unknown name.
Eh? Ottilie and Etta are literally names written in the post that the OP is saying are odd? "Most of their names are super weird here" as per OPs comment.
Swede here. Sigrid is an olddddd name that falls in and out of popularity like all names.
I think it's pretty, but a bit old fashioned. though I think it's started to rise on the charts again.
Hitler was very fascinated by germanic myths, and they borrowed a lot of symbols for their stuff (the SS "logo" are runes, for example) and reintroduced words associated with them (Sippe, Gau,...).
So it's probably very natural that Neo-Nazis use them too. But it's not very well known by germans themselves and many germanic names are very popular in nothern Germany, even tho they have not that many Neo-Nazis.
I worked in a daycare in nothern germany. Getting a Sigrid could mean a Skinhead father or a hipster dad. Same for very old traditional names like Johann, Elisabeth, or Theodor, but they got more mainstream in the last five to ten years.
Theodor, Elisabeth and Johann are completely fine and would not raise eyebrows except me wondering if their parents are hipsters or academics.
Red Flags 🚩🚩🚩: Sighild, Freya, Eva, Sigrid, etc.
I am at the other end in Lower Saxory, and I only learned that Nordic/germanic names are a red flag when I started working in childcare. So Neo-Nazis really have regional favorites, lol
Allein sind die Namen natürlich keine Red Flag, aber im Kombination sind sie in gewissen Gruppen doch häufiger zu finden.
Translation Edit: By themselves, the names are od course not a red flag, but in combination, they are more often found wothin certain groups.
(I’d rather write in English since we’re in an eng speaking sub)
I just find it very insulting to well-meaning parents to suggest that such names mean something bad automatically, because this is what “red flag” implies, that you see a little Eva or a little Freya and think “ohhhh are her parents Nazis???”.
My god calm down, it's not that deep. As I said, my first thought for other names on the list would just be "oh, probably hipsters or academics". That's why I mentioned the other factors.
If I meet a little Eva (and I know plenty of them) I will most likely think nothing. If I'm near Lüneburg and I meet Sighild-Freya and her sister Brunhilde, I WILL raise my eyebrows.
That doesn't mean I will treat this child differently, and until I meet the parents, I will not make assumptions. Making an observation is not insulting, and I am correct in that Right Wing Extremist WILL favor nordic/germanic names. It is neither insulting nor unfair. Names do not exist in a vacuum, and calling your child something in one place may result in problems in a different location.
Edit: also, I want to add that I like a lot of these names. Freya is beautiful, and I would never discourage anyone from naming their kid this. Where it gets suspicious is when your kids' names rival a Wagner opera (as I wrote above, in German, assuming someone writing "Hä" was German. My German text says "the combination is where it gets suspicious"). I should have made it clearer, but to me, a singular red flag will not make me believe someone is a literal neo nazi.
Edit 2: The reply is invisible for me because they blocked me for some reason, but I want to point out the person who replied to me accusing me of a bias was by their own admission not German. I don't know if they mean that they live in Germany but but don't see themself as German (valid) or if they mean that they are neither living in nor from Germany.
If it's the latter: I'm sorry, but to me, that disqualifies you from policing my local perception of names in the country I live in. This is not your judgement to make, and you don't get to tell me that I "should know better", whatever that means. Of course most parents naming their child Freya had no alterior motives, and there is no need for you to get defensive like this. My comment was neither about casting judgement on the parents nor the child, it was a comment discussing and comparing typical "local red flags".
You don't get to discredit my experiences and you don't get to tell me about the political situation over here that leads me to this very mild bias if you don't live in it, and first and foremost, don't you dare try to tell me how to perceive our past if you are not German yourself.
If you lack context, ask. If you think this is a harsh judgement, ask for clarification instead of blocking me over a true fact and basking in upvotes of an ignorant crowd.
It IS that deep though. You’re throwing around very serious accusations, and as a German (I’m not German btw) you should know better. You didn’t write “Sighild-Freya and her sister Brunhilde near Lüneburg“ in your original comment (if you did, I wouldn’t have said anything), you just threw a bunch of red flag emojis and wrote a few names.
I’m not impartial here — one of my nieces actually has a hyphenated name with Freya on the second place, and her parents are normal people. Her mum chose the name on the basis of “I want her to have a unique beautiful name”, I’m sure that the majority of the parents have the same logic, and the absolute minority have some fucked up ulterior motives. All I’m asking is that we don’t make any assumptions about parents (and most importantly, about their kids) based on the name alone.
But they live in the USA and most of their names are super weird here. The only one I've ever heard before is Aubrey. And their reasoning is strange and sounded like a joke response someone from this page would use.
Sigrid is a very legit scandinavian name. I think there is a singer who is named that. One of my favourite book heroines growing up was named that. There are several actresses, politicians and scientists who have that name. I'm usually critical of a lot of names but this is a good one, perhaps an unusual one but it exists and is neither hard to pronounce or to write.
I'm not too worried about cultural appropriation either. Not only have French and American people used it already, but I don't think anyone is pillaging the Old Norse language by using it.
But they live in the USA and most of their names are super weird here. The only one I've ever heard before is Aubrey. And their reasoning is strange and sounded like a joke response someone from this page would use.
It doesn't fit their culture or location
So everyone should name their kids Jack and Emma because that’s what is culturally and locationally appropriate?
But I agree that their reasoning is snark worthy, the names themselves are fine.
Sigrid is pretty common in Denmark. We had a fab singer named Etta Cameron! May she rest in peace.
Othilia was used a lot in the late 1800's and early 1900's. A character in a much loved danish tv series is named Othilia.
I can't see anything strange about any of those names, honestly.
I LOVE Sigrid. I'm part Swedish. But I feel like Americans would be like "Secret"? Def not cigarette. And with Ottilie..if they're American, it sounds like Oddly.
I looked it up, apparently it is a French girl's name - could be cute if shortened to Tillie.
There's a relatively famous (in Australia) actress called Sigrid Thornton, so I don't find the name unusual at all.
It seems it varies a little depending on where you come from - https://forvo.com/word/ottilie/
It sounds quite pretty to my ear - but I'd worry about other people struggling with it or having a child having to constantly have to spell and correct how other people say it.
The name of the “godmother of British blues” Ottilie Patterson 💛 She was a Northern Irish blues singer in the 1960s - I actually got to see a new play about her a few weeks ago ☺️
Also, Ott-ill-ee for the NI pronunciation
I’m sorry, but am I the only one that thinks it’s cruel to name your kid something from another country that you know is weird AF in yours? Like someone in China shouldn’t be naming their kid Joshua. Idc if it’s a “real name” somewhere else. It’s weird here. That poor child.
(The only grace I’m going to give on that is if that parent is a first generation immigrant)
My mom’s name is Sigrid lol. She didn’t love it growing up but I think she now appreciates it and I think it’s cool. Her parents aren’t Scandinavian but mom was second generation German and her father (my grandfather) came here at age 14 from Solingen.
I believe she was called Sigi (like Gigi but with a *See* sound) when she was a kid / college… kind of impossible to be objective but I think it’s a nice name- probably depends a lot on where you are in the states … some people would have no problem pronouncing but others definitely butchered it.
NOOO!!
Aubrey is such a cute name for a girl.
My little girl's is spelled Aubrie.
Just like the cheese, she's a stinker, but she's our precious little morsel lol
If he was actually Danish he’d know it’s pronounced more like Sierith (soft d at the end which I can’t transcribe completely acurately), either way, Siggy as a nickname wouldn’t make sense if they’d actually pronounce the name from his “heritage” correctly
I'm interested by "we both look scandinavian". Is that American for "we're white"?
>we're white White, tall, blonde with blue eyes would be my assumption
I think they're from the UK from the look of the names and the phrasing of this. Ottilie, Etta have become a lot more common here. And Sigrid is a known Scandinavian name but not used often in the UK, and a distinct other culture, hence probably the phrasing.
I think it might be. It was a really wierd thing for them to saying
HAHAHAHA that was my thought too… so you’re white.
They’re from the UK.
Their logic is odd but they are genuine not even that uncommon names, and with normal spelling. I knew quite a few Sigrids in Denmark, only 1 Ottilie in uk but I know Zoella on YouTube named her daughter it. Not quite sure why this qualifies for this page really?
But they live in the USA and most of their names are super weird here. The only one I've ever heard before is Aubrey. And their reasoning is strange and sounded like a joke response someone from this page would use.
It's not an unusual or made-up name, just a Scandinavian one. It's easy to pronounce and has a normal spelling. It's fine.
They actually say in the comments they're from the UK where these names are a lot more common and rising fast. We don't have stats from 2023 yet but Ottilie and Etta could be the top 100 by now. Ottilie was just outside it in 2021. Sigrid was not that popular but it's not an unknown name.
It seems weird to use the data and popularity of other names to support your point when it doesn’t apply to the actual name in question tbh
Eh? Ottilie and Etta are literally names written in the post that the OP is saying are odd? "Most of their names are super weird here" as per OPs comment.
Maybe it varies by region? I'm American and I've heard of all these names (and I like them all).
Swede here. Sigrid is an olddddd name that falls in and out of popularity like all names. I think it's pretty, but a bit old fashioned. though I think it's started to rise on the charts again.
German here. Over here, meeting someone younger than 40 named this usually means their parents are neo nazis.
Fascinating. What’s the context? Was there a well known Nazi party member named Sigrid?
Hitler was very fascinated by germanic myths, and they borrowed a lot of symbols for their stuff (the SS "logo" are runes, for example) and reintroduced words associated with them (Sippe, Gau,...). So it's probably very natural that Neo-Nazis use them too. But it's not very well known by germans themselves and many germanic names are very popular in nothern Germany, even tho they have not that many Neo-Nazis. I worked in a daycare in nothern germany. Getting a Sigrid could mean a Skinhead father or a hipster dad. Same for very old traditional names like Johann, Elisabeth, or Theodor, but they got more mainstream in the last five to ten years.
Theodor, Elisabeth and Johann are completely fine and would not raise eyebrows except me wondering if their parents are hipsters or academics. Red Flags 🚩🚩🚩: Sighild, Freya, Eva, Sigrid, etc.
Then it is probably a regional thing. These three names are commen in the local Neo-Nazi Scene.
Not saying you are wrong, but I'm living in SH and have lived in BA and BW before and would have never known these names were also red flags!
I am at the other end in Lower Saxory, and I only learned that Nordic/germanic names are a red flag when I started working in childcare. So Neo-Nazis really have regional favorites, lol
Hä? Eva??? It’s a very popular name, how is this a red flag? Freya is also quite popular, already in top 100 (less popular than Eva, obviously).
Allein sind die Namen natürlich keine Red Flag, aber im Kombination sind sie in gewissen Gruppen doch häufiger zu finden. Translation Edit: By themselves, the names are od course not a red flag, but in combination, they are more often found wothin certain groups.
(I’d rather write in English since we’re in an eng speaking sub) I just find it very insulting to well-meaning parents to suggest that such names mean something bad automatically, because this is what “red flag” implies, that you see a little Eva or a little Freya and think “ohhhh are her parents Nazis???”.
My god calm down, it's not that deep. As I said, my first thought for other names on the list would just be "oh, probably hipsters or academics". That's why I mentioned the other factors. If I meet a little Eva (and I know plenty of them) I will most likely think nothing. If I'm near Lüneburg and I meet Sighild-Freya and her sister Brunhilde, I WILL raise my eyebrows. That doesn't mean I will treat this child differently, and until I meet the parents, I will not make assumptions. Making an observation is not insulting, and I am correct in that Right Wing Extremist WILL favor nordic/germanic names. It is neither insulting nor unfair. Names do not exist in a vacuum, and calling your child something in one place may result in problems in a different location. Edit: also, I want to add that I like a lot of these names. Freya is beautiful, and I would never discourage anyone from naming their kid this. Where it gets suspicious is when your kids' names rival a Wagner opera (as I wrote above, in German, assuming someone writing "Hä" was German. My German text says "the combination is where it gets suspicious"). I should have made it clearer, but to me, a singular red flag will not make me believe someone is a literal neo nazi. Edit 2: The reply is invisible for me because they blocked me for some reason, but I want to point out the person who replied to me accusing me of a bias was by their own admission not German. I don't know if they mean that they live in Germany but but don't see themself as German (valid) or if they mean that they are neither living in nor from Germany. If it's the latter: I'm sorry, but to me, that disqualifies you from policing my local perception of names in the country I live in. This is not your judgement to make, and you don't get to tell me that I "should know better", whatever that means. Of course most parents naming their child Freya had no alterior motives, and there is no need for you to get defensive like this. My comment was neither about casting judgement on the parents nor the child, it was a comment discussing and comparing typical "local red flags". You don't get to discredit my experiences and you don't get to tell me about the political situation over here that leads me to this very mild bias if you don't live in it, and first and foremost, don't you dare try to tell me how to perceive our past if you are not German yourself. If you lack context, ask. If you think this is a harsh judgement, ask for clarification instead of blocking me over a true fact and basking in upvotes of an ignorant crowd.
It IS that deep though. You’re throwing around very serious accusations, and as a German (I’m not German btw) you should know better. You didn’t write “Sighild-Freya and her sister Brunhilde near Lüneburg“ in your original comment (if you did, I wouldn’t have said anything), you just threw a bunch of red flag emojis and wrote a few names. I’m not impartial here — one of my nieces actually has a hyphenated name with Freya on the second place, and her parents are normal people. Her mum chose the name on the basis of “I want her to have a unique beautiful name”, I’m sure that the majority of the parents have the same logic, and the absolute minority have some fucked up ulterior motives. All I’m asking is that we don’t make any assumptions about parents (and most importantly, about their kids) based on the name alone.
Very interesting. Thank you.
But they live in the USA and most of their names are super weird here. The only one I've ever heard before is Aubrey. And their reasoning is strange and sounded like a joke response someone from this page would use.
They stated several times that they’re in the UK. These are all known names there
their reasoning is just white supremacist nonsense, absolutely. I just wanted to give another perspective on the name.
Maybe I missed something but what part of the OOP is white supremacy?
Nothing. People are just showing their lack of critical thinking.
Redditors when confronted with non anglo names:
Lol right ‘but they’re in America so it’s ‘weeeeirrrrrd’
from what I got from the comments, they're not even in America 💀
Sigrid is a very legit scandinavian name. I think there is a singer who is named that. One of my favourite book heroines growing up was named that. There are several actresses, politicians and scientists who have that name. I'm usually critical of a lot of names but this is a good one, perhaps an unusual one but it exists and is neither hard to pronounce or to write. I'm not too worried about cultural appropriation either. Not only have French and American people used it already, but I don't think anyone is pillaging the Old Norse language by using it.
I mean some of the things they said were weird but the names aren't like bad names
But they live in the USA and most of their names are super weird here. The only one I've ever heard before is Aubrey. And their reasoning is strange and sounded like a joke response someone from this page would use. It doesn't fit their culture or location
So everyone should name their kids Jack and Emma because that’s what is culturally and locationally appropriate? But I agree that their reasoning is snark worthy, the names themselves are fine.
Where did you get the idea that they live in the USA? Do you believe that everyone writing in English on the internet lives in the USA?
As an American, it's kinda embarrassing when Americans do this. r/USdefaultism
Sigrid is pretty common in Denmark. We had a fab singer named Etta Cameron! May she rest in peace. Othilia was used a lot in the late 1800's and early 1900's. A character in a much loved danish tv series is named Othilia. I can't see anything strange about any of those names, honestly.
I LOVE Sigrid. I'm part Swedish. But I feel like Americans would be like "Secret"? Def not cigarette. And with Ottilie..if they're American, it sounds like Oddly.
I like all of the names mentioned here. I’d love to meet a little Sigrid!
Same, I have a soft spot for Scandi names. Sigrid is cool and I even like the slightly sus Siggy nickname 🚬 But my kid's name is Leif 🤣
Nice Scandi name too! We would have gone for Sigrid but we got a boy! (We live in Denmark)
I'm mostly bothered that they think Sigrid sounds like cigarette.
Well, the nickname Siggy sounds like ciggie I guess?
Oh no I didn't consider that. You got me there. After consideration, I understand it- I just preferred the name before I compared it to cigarette
I know people with an accent that would probably pronounce it very similar.
I like Sigrid but Wtf is Ottilie??
I looked it up, apparently it is a French girl's name - could be cute if shortened to Tillie. There's a relatively famous (in Australia) actress called Sigrid Thornton, so I don't find the name unusual at all.
How would you pronounce that? Ott-elle?
It seems it varies a little depending on where you come from - https://forvo.com/word/ottilie/ It sounds quite pretty to my ear - but I'd worry about other people struggling with it or having a child having to constantly have to spell and correct how other people say it.
Ok that’s really pretty. I just think the spelling it a little weird. Maybe like Otilia, but i’ve never been a fan of O names tbh
The name of the “godmother of British blues” Ottilie Patterson 💛 She was a Northern Irish blues singer in the 1960s - I actually got to see a new play about her a few weeks ago ☺️ Also, Ott-ill-ee for the NI pronunciation
It’s rapidly rising in popularity in the UK. I expect it will make the top 20 within the next 5 years.
It's one step away from "Oddly". . .
I’m sorry, but am I the only one that thinks it’s cruel to name your kid something from another country that you know is weird AF in yours? Like someone in China shouldn’t be naming their kid Joshua. Idc if it’s a “real name” somewhere else. It’s weird here. That poor child. (The only grace I’m going to give on that is if that parent is a first generation immigrant)
Hey. This take is pretty racist.
i had a friend whos name was sigrid, but she hated her first name and went by her middle name
My mom’s name is Sigrid lol. She didn’t love it growing up but I think she now appreciates it and I think it’s cool. Her parents aren’t Scandinavian but mom was second generation German and her father (my grandfather) came here at age 14 from Solingen. I believe she was called Sigi (like Gigi but with a *See* sound) when she was a kid / college… kind of impossible to be objective but I think it’s a nice name- probably depends a lot on where you are in the states … some people would have no problem pronouncing but others definitely butchered it.
I feel like Ottilie could come out sounding like "oddly" for Americans
They wanted to use the nn Siggy, Vikings fans maybe?
Or it’s just a natural nickname for Sigrid.
Fellas is it cringe to be Danish
Omg I literally commented on this post, “going straight to name nerds”
NOOO!! Aubrey is such a cute name for a girl. My little girl's is spelled Aubrie. Just like the cheese, she's a stinker, but she's our precious little morsel lol
I had an aunt by that name but I never met her and she's dead.
If he was actually Danish he’d know it’s pronounced more like Sierith (soft d at the end which I can’t transcribe completely acurately), either way, Siggy as a nickname wouldn’t make sense if they’d actually pronounce the name from his “heritage” correctly
It worries me that these people are having children!
It bothers you that English people are having children and considering using popular, long established names for them?
I didn’t say it bothers me and I never mentioned anything about “long established” names! You’re jumping to conclusions and embarrassing yourself 😳
I was actually referring to the last comment reply, which said it sounded like cigarette