# No, you may not name your baby 'Messiah' **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 12, 2013, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-may-not-name-your-baby-messiah/666038 "2013-08-12T14:22:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-may-not-name-your-baby-messiah/666038/21 "2013-08-12T15:57:15Z")
What about Salvador? Is that still an acceptable name? Or Emmanuel? ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-may-not-name-your-baby-messiah/666038/22 "2013-08-12T15:58:00Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > I feel sorry for the kid, though. Mom and dad can’t agree on his name, and Mom thinks that Messiah is a perfectly good name for a kid? Kid’s gonna get into all kinds of situations. On the plus side, he’ll usher in a period of peace and freedom. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-may-not-name-your-baby-messiah/666038/23 "2013-08-12T16:00:05Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > He’s not the Messiah, he’s a very naughty boy! Pssst! [Post #6](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16564048&postcount=6). 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-may-not-name-your-baby-messiah/666038/24 "2013-08-12T16:21:32Z")
The judge is an idiot AND the name is stupid. But people are allowed to name their kids stupid names and judges aren’t supposed to make decisions based on their nutty religious beliefs. Also, as usual you guys are wrong to assume he will be ridiculed for the name. Seriously, haven’t any of you ever known people with weird names who _weren’t_ made fun of for them? ---
**Author:** ![Kiyoshi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e19adc/32.png) [@Kiyoshi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiyoshi)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-may-not-name-your-baby-messiah/666038/25 "2013-08-12T16:27:34Z")
I’m more offended by the stupid middle name DeShawn. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-may-not-name-your-baby-messiah/666038/26 "2013-08-12T16:29:16Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Pssst! [Post #6](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16564048&postcount=6). 😉 Bugger. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-may-not-name-your-baby-messiah/666038/27 "2013-08-12T16:35:14Z")
> [@Blackberry](#): > > Seriously, haven’t any of you ever known people with weird names who _weren’t_ made fun of for them? Apparently you were home-schooled. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-may-not-name-your-baby-messiah/666038/28 "2013-08-12T16:36:19Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > So, you’re all assuming the kid isn’t _the_ messiah? Two men say they’re Jesus, one of them must be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-may-not-name-your-baby-messiah/666038/29 "2013-08-12T16:38:56Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-may-not-name-your-baby-messiah/666038/30 "2013-08-12T16:56:52Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Apparently you were home-schooled. I wasn’t, and I’ve known people with names so weird I can’t say them because they’d be too easily searchable. Popular people who didn’t get any shit for their names in school. That’s not to say no one gets made fun of for having a weird name, but Messiah could easily go either way depending on how well he pulls it off. I think it’s stupid no matter what, the whole narcissistic, special snowflake aspect of it is obnoxious, plus I hate boy names that end in an “ah” sound anyway. But he’ll probably be just fine and if he’s a popular kid, his classmates will think his name is awesome. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-may-not-name-your-baby-messiah/666038/31 "2013-08-12T17:24:47Z")
The parents and the judge are equally stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-may-not-name-your-baby-messiah/666038/32 "2013-08-12T17:28:13Z")
Eh, if kids want to make fun of someone, they’ll find something about them to make fun of. I don’t think having an unusual name really makes a difference. Plus as the article notes, it’s an increasingly common name in the States, so its hardly impossible the kid will end up not being the only Messiah in his class. And the name itself doesn’t seem any sillier then Jesus, Moses, Mohammad or any of the other common names based on religious figures. Finally, even if the parents wanted to name the kid Poopypants McGee, its none of the Judges business. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-may-not-name-your-baby-messiah/666038/33 "2013-08-12T17:36:40Z")
A kid will survive having their name picked on. It’s really not a big deal. There are worse things kids get picked on about in school. Having your name be the target is really getting off super duper easy compared to some of the other targets. If my kid came home all upset about having her name picked on, I’d take that as an opportunity to teach the kid some perspective. But Messiah is a dumb name. It calls so much imagery to mind that it is just annoying for everyone…the kid and those who have to interact with the kid. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-may-not-name-your-baby-messiah/666038/34 "2013-08-12T17:44:35Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > But Messiah is a dumb name. It calls so much imagery to mind that it is just annoying for everyone…the kid and those who have to interact with the kid. More so then “Jesus”, “Moses” or “Mohammad”? I actually find it less distracting then those. I refer to the aforementioned religious leaders by name semi-frequently, so the names are pretty closely linked in my head to those figures. But I can probably count on one hand the number of times I’ve actually used the word “Messiah”, and the main association I have with it is that Monty Python movie. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-may-not-name-your-baby-messiah/666038/35 "2013-08-12T17:59:51Z")
> [@JerrySTL](#): > > I wonder what the judge would do with a Hispanic person name Jesus. “If Jesus was Jewish, how come he had a Mexican name?” ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-may-not-name-your-baby-messiah/666038/36 "2013-08-12T18:02:17Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > More so then “Jesus”, “Moses” or “Mohammad”? > > I actually find it less distracting then those. I refer to the aforementioned religious leaders by name semi-frequently, so the names are pretty closely linked in my head to those figures. But I can probably count on one hand the number of times I’ve actually used the word “Messiah”, and the main association I have with it is that Monty Python movie. Yeah, if “Jesus” isn’t pronounced, “Hay suus”, then yes, it is annoying. Mohammad isn’t really, because it is so common. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-may-not-name-your-baby-messiah/666038/37 "2013-08-12T18:07:46Z")
So the judge didn’t like Messiah’s handle? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-may-not-name-your-baby-messiah/666038/38 "2013-08-12T18:26:06Z")
He felt it too complex. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-may-not-name-your-baby-messiah/666038/39 "2013-08-12T19:37:06Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > and his name (and his name) shall be called (shall be called) Wonderful! Counsellor! Almighty God! the Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace Goldfarb. Musical nitpick: I don’t recall “shall be called” ever being echoed. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-may-not-name-your-baby-messiah/666038/40 "2013-08-12T20:08:16Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Musical nitpick: I don’t recall “shall be called” ever being echoed. 🙂 Oh? You’re not familiar with the Goldfarb Variations then? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-may-not-name-your-baby-messiah/666038.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-may-not-name-your-baby-messiah/666038.md?page=3)