# Is Damien a safe name for my son? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 26, 2004, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-damien-a-safe-name-for-my-son/256950 "2004-07-26T16:41:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-damien-a-safe-name-for-my-son/256950/41 "2004-07-27T01:03:25Z")
> [@Celyn](#): > > Might I ask about all the references to Hawaii? I have a disntict feeling that I’m failing to understand soem conneciton with Damien and Hawaii. [Father Damien](http://www.hawaiiguide.com/origins/damien.htm). ---
**Author:** ![peri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/67e7ee/32.png) [@peri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peri)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-damien-a-safe-name-for-my-son/256950/42 "2004-07-27T01:04:43Z")
I automatically think of The Omen, but I worked at a movie theater when the film came out and we showed it for a couple of months. “No, Daddy, no!” That said, I think it’s a fine name. The neighbors’ kid never knew of any connection to a movie or the whole antiCrist thing until he saw the film recently. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-damien-a-safe-name-for-my-son/256950/43 "2004-07-27T01:23:29Z")
Thank y ou, **Tengu** Being an idiot, I Googled _after_ lazily asking. 🙂 Another bit of ignorance fuoght. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-damien-a-safe-name-for-my-son/256950/44 "2004-07-27T02:11:24Z")
> [@betenoir](#): > > You might want to ask Damien Wayne Echols. Jumping to conclusions is always poor form, but wouldn’t the middle name be more of an eyeopener? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-damien-a-safe-name-for-my-son/256950/45 "2004-07-27T02:12:10Z")
> [@Nametag](#): > > What the hell is is about parents these days and their “moderately uncommon” names? Common names are protective coloration for your children – don’t knock it. It’s not that I want something bizzare that’ll make him or her get their butts kicked every day, it’s just that I don’t want something that makes them the twelfth kid in their class with the same name. I grew up with one of the most popular names of my generation, and so did my sister. I know at least six other people in my social group with my sister’s name, including Mr. Armadillo’s sister. It gets tiring. For example, the names I like for girls are Zoe, Arianna, and Lily. Not like I’m leaning towards Dehystinnneee or something. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-damien-a-safe-name-for-my-son/256950/46 "2004-07-27T02:47:44Z")
Looking at St Damien and Father Damien… If you name your kid Damien, your guaranteeing he’ll either be the Anti-Christ, or a doctor. It’s a no-lose situation! ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-damien-a-safe-name-for-my-son/256950/47 "2004-07-27T02:53:21Z")
My sister dated a guy named Damien. When I first met him, I said, “Ahh, Damien. I hear you’re quite the little devil.” He stared at me, politely but blankly. I guess The Omen wasn’t a big hit in Ireland, where this particular Damien was from. I understand your anxiety about giving your kid a name with potential mockability and less-than-pleasant associations. BUT - the same case could be made for any name. Name your kid Scott, and some idiot is bound to mention Laci Peterson’s husband. Name him Tommy and wait for the Rugrats jokes to start. Name him Juston and prepare to hear countless “original” jokes about his middle name being Case, or Time. Hell, my husband’s name is John, and there aren’t many more innocuous names than that - yet he hears all kinds of commentary about it, ranging from bathroom jokes to hooker jokes. Damien is a fine name. ---
**Author:** ![jellyblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e480ec/32.png) [@jellyblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jellyblue)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-damien-a-safe-name-for-my-son/256950/48 "2004-07-27T02:59:12Z")
How about something generic like good old Satan Spawn? 😉 I think it’s a beautiful name for a boy, or a girl, for that matter. And the Omen is the first thing I think of when I hear it. I can’t imagine that getting someone beaten up, though. It’s definitely not a dorky name or a geeky name, it’s a, well, \*wicked cool \* name. It would help if you could arrange for the child to be blond with blue eyes, however, and to have a distinctly extroverted and sunny disposition. I have an unusual first name and no one ever made fun of me. I did go to exceedingly polite private schools, though. ---
**Author:** ![aaslatten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@aaslatten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaslatten)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-damien-a-safe-name-for-my-son/256950/49 "2004-07-27T03:06:18Z")
Oh geez. I think they are a lot of Gen X’ers here. If your kid is going to go to school with them, I would say you have a problem. Nobody watches that movie anymore, least of all elementary-age children. Even if there is a kid or two who’s heard of it, the most likely reaction would not be ridicule but possibly fear (as somebody already said), and what’s wrong with that? Hehe. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-damien-a-safe-name-for-my-son/256950/50 "2004-07-27T03:14:05Z")
> [@MixieArmadillo](#): > > For example, the names I like for girls are Zoe, Arianna, and Lily. Not like I’m leaning towards Dehystinnneee or something. See if you can find a site that lists the year’s most popular baby names. Then skip about 10 pages. You’ll find something less common you like that way. That’s how I end up (though using a book not a website) naming story characters Jacey(f), Landon(m), Price(m), Quinn(f) and Calla(f). In the past year or so since I’ve only come across the name Landon in two other places and none but Quinn anywhere at all. 😛 This site, [Nickelodeon Parents | Printables, coloring pages, recipes, crafts, and more from your child’s favorite Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. shows.](http://www.babynamesworld.com/names5/) for example, lets you seach by popularity level (the star system) and ethicity at the same time. And this one [http://pregnancy.parenthood.com/babynames.html](http://pregnancy.parenthood.com/babynames.html) lets you enter meanings to see what names would match what you would want a name to mean. ---
**Author:** ![tailake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/439d5e/32.png) [@tailake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tailake)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-damien-a-safe-name-for-my-son/256950/51 "2004-07-27T03:36:12Z")
we always waited till kid was born… Kid tells you what their name is… ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-damien-a-safe-name-for-my-son/256950/52 "2004-07-27T03:53:47Z")
> [@MixieArmadillo](#): > > It’s not that I want something bizzare that’ll make him or her get their butts kicked every day, it’s just that I don’t want something that makes them the twelfth kid in their class with the same name. I grew up with one of the most popular names of my generation, and so did my sister. I know at least six other people in my social group with my sister’s name, including Mr. Armadillo’s sister. It gets tiring. > For example, the names I like for girls are Zoe, Arianna, and Lily. Not like I’m leaning towards Dehystinnneee or something. I don’t mean to pick on you specifically, **Mixie** … But if you think that she won’t be one of twelve Lilys in her class, you’re on crack. you can’t throw a rock in the playground these days without hitting a Zoe or a Lily. Not that I advocate throwing rocks at little girls with trendy names… Listen, you want a not-bizarre but non-trendy name for your kid? Here are some suggestions: Linda Janet Paula Bruce Barry Craig There you go. I’ll guarantee that in the class with 4 Damiens and 5 Mayas, there will only be one Barry. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-damien-a-safe-name-for-my-son/256950/53 "2004-07-27T04:43:30Z")
Here’s the site you need: [http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/](http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/) I went to Jr. High and highschool with a Damien – a good friend. We all knew the “The Omen” connotation but I don’t remember anybody ever mocking him for his name. (Not that it didn’t undoubtedly happen to him sometimes.) It’s true that any name can be made into a taunt, and it’s also true that “The Omen” will eventually fade from the collective hive-memories of young children of name-taunting age. What you need to be doing is asking five-year-olds if they think of anything in particular when they hear the name Damien. Second the suggestion above that a traditional name is going to be less common than a currently popular name. I looked down in the bottom half of the Top 1000 list for 2003 on the Social Security site, and found such names as Glen, Stuart, Kent, Perry, Geoffrey, Kurt, Leonard, Stanley… It’s funny how many names on that list are, frankly, misspellings, or nicknames as given names. You could do much worse than Damien. ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-damien-a-safe-name-for-my-son/256950/54 "2004-07-27T05:08:56Z")
I have to fess up…I’ve never seen _The Omen_, but I grew up thinking that no one actually named their kids Damien. I heard enough references to it being the name of a demon-child that I thought it was along the lines of, say, Lucifer name-wise. Lucifer=Satan=The Devil; Damien=Demon child. I was stunned to discover people later in life actually named that. ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-damien-a-safe-name-for-my-son/256950/55 "2004-07-27T05:45:29Z")
> [@Green Bean](#): > > I don’t mean to pick on you specifically, **Mixie** … > > But if you think that she won’t be one of twelve Lilys in her class, you’re on crack. you can’t throw a rock in the playground these days without hitting a Zoe or a Lily. Crack use aside, I’ve never met a young kid with either name, but I guess I don’t spend much time hanging out in kindergartens. The point is moot anyway, because we aren’t planning on having kids for quite a while. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-damien-a-safe-name-for-my-son/256950/56 "2004-07-27T07:49:06Z")
> [@betenoir](#): > > Errrr…in my copy the kid they think is the antichrist is called Warlock. Unless you have a _nicer_ copy 😃 . :eek: SATAN MESSED WITH MY MIND! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Beauty\_Personified](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@Beauty\_Personified](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beauty_Personified)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-damien-a-safe-name-for-my-son/256950/57 "2004-07-27T11:10:37Z")
**Aesiron** - Damien Demento came to mind after opening the thread (the _Omen_ films came to mind before opening it), but I couldn’t place the name. I’m much more familiar with Damien 666, but didn’t think of him either (despite seeing his picture in a magazine just the other night). Then there’s Jake Roberts snake. That said, Damien is a better name than Elvis, IMO. I think it’ll be a long time before people are comfortable with naming their sons Elvis. Damien’s probably better than Conan, as well. Actually, I think Damien is a very nice name. But what about Hannibal? That’s a nice historical name with no pop culture influence. 😉 Anyhoo… ---
**Author:** ![Abbie\_Carmichael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@Abbie\_Carmichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abbie_Carmichael)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-damien-a-safe-name-for-my-son/256950/58 "2004-07-27T11:55:46Z")
I’ve never seen The Omen, but I do associate the name Damien with the devil, I guess because I know _of_ the movie. I go by name meanings a lot, and Damien means read “tame, domesticated,” which is kinda wimpy to me, so that’s why I’d nix it more than rejecting it over some movie. My kid’s name has become popular over the past, oh, 7 years or so. Oh, it’s not as popular as, say, Hannah or Madison or Taylor, but it’s probably in the top 20. We picked it because we liked it, felt that’s what God was telling us to name her, and now as I look at her that _IS_ her name. I can’t imagine her being called anything else. What I’m saying is go with your heart. There are much, much worse names out there. Maybe your kid will grow up and make the name Damien synonymous with “boy next door.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-damien-a-safe-name-for-my-son/256950/59 "2004-07-27T12:07:35Z")
I went to school with a Damen. He was kind of a weird kid…and smelly. Once we were at the community pool and his swimming trunks had a tear in them. The way the fabric stuck to his butt with this big rip exposing his butt just stuck in my mind. For forty fucking years. So in my mind, I get Damen = Damien = Smelly kid with an exposed butt at the community pool. It will forever be negative in my mind. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-damien-a-safe-name-for-my-son/256950/60 "2004-07-27T12:15:10Z")
BELIEVE IT OR DON’T: I once taught a seven-year old boy named D’Emon (prounouced DUH-mon) as a subsitute teacher. Real hellraiser. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-damien-a-safe-name-for-my-son/256950.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-damien-a-safe-name-for-my-son/256950.md?page=4)