Man, do you all bitch about those wacky Chinese giving their kids strangely spelled unpronouncable names?
I know it isn’t the same thing, but it seems equally silly to me.
As long as the name isn’t a JOKE (aka Mary Christmas) I don’t really have a problem with it. All names start some time. Esra sounds pretty strange to me now; as does my middle name (Melford, from my grandfather).
I got a normal name, but not so common when it was given to me (Alexander). My next sister got a normal name with an uncommon, though increasing, spelling (Aimee). My final sister got a common name with a spelling that, so far as I know, my mom made up (Arrin). My first half-sister got a common nickname that isn’t actually short for anything (Beth); it seems to cause some people physicial pain that her full name isn’t Elizabeth. My final half-sibling got a “trendy” name (Skyler). My sister named her daughter after a character from Mortal Kombat (Mileena), not because she liked the game, but because she liked the name.
Alexander, Aime, Arrin, Beth, Skyler, Mileena
In the next generation up from me:
Debra, Linda, Robert, Kevin, Keith, Kim
In the next one up:
Melford, Frieda, Ruth, Cecile, Roberta, Lynn, Merlin, Leslie, Warren, Regine
I don’t see any names on that list that I would consider unacceptable, though for all I know Roberta was the McKaelia or Dyllan of its day.