Name with negative Google search?

lovelongdog06

Hello everyone! I post rarely but thought it couldn't hurt to get some opinions even though this seems a bit ridiculous. DH and I thought we had our son named: Zane Floyd. The middle name is a family name on my side, the only reason we wanted to use it. Our last name sounds a bit like "Anderson".

On a whim, I decided to Google the name just to see what came up. We discovered that a guy named Zane Floyd (first and last, not first and middle) is considered a mass murderer for opening fire in a grocery store and killing several people.

DH and I are both leaning towards keeping the names we chose since the actions of a random person can't possibly affect the personality of our son, but should we at least entertain the idea of choosing a different middle name? Could he face ridicule if peers or family members look up his name and find the articles about this person?

brownmouse

I personally would choose something else... I could be fine with a famous person association, but the mass murderer part is what gets me...

brownmouse

But honestly, if this person isn't a very well known killer, and you have a lot of connection with the name, maybe you should keep it...

moonfaerie

I'd actually reconsider the first name.

Steph1673

The murderer association would likely be hard for me to get past.

EXL311

I couldn't get past that and choose a different middle name.

Manderlin923

Eek, I'd pick a new first name.

erinms

I'd pick another name. There is zero chance that your son won't google himself one day and find that.

Ceridwen21

If the murders took place in my hometown I wouldn't use it, but if you had never heard of him before (and a random selection of family and friends haven't either), I would still use it.

Dr.Loretta

Some guy who killed people 15 years ago? That I've never heard of? Wouldn't bother me. Especially since a LOT of people won't know your son's MN, and will just know him as Zane LastName

sharksfan

A few years ago, there was a woman arrested and tried for murdering her classmate. She has my first and last name, so she's all that pops up when you Google my name. But, I've had the name for years before that. Bottom line is that you can't predict what associations may come up with a name, so I wouldn't base my name decision on that. Unless it's a widely known name with a very negative association, I wouldn't let it sway my decision. For example, I'd never be able to use the name Adolf. Zane Floyd Lastname? If you love it, I'd go for it.

vallartavows

Dr.Loretta said:

Some guy who killed people 15 years ago? That I've never heard of? Wouldn't bother me. Especially since a LOT of people won't know your son's MN, and will just know him as Zane LastName

Agree

DanandVan

We had a similar problem when googling dd name and discovering a fairly well known pornstar with the name! (Gwendolyn Eve - I promise I didn't name her something stripperish!) You just have to decide if you are going to let it bother you. Chances are, no one you know will ever find out. And if they do, who cares, it will have nothing to do with your son.

Lolapop29

While meanings of names mean a lot to me, this wouldn't bother me at all.  It's not like naming your child Charles Manson, you probably wont ever run into anyone who even knows who this man is.   

lovelongdog06

Thanks everyone for replying! I really appreciate the opinions. We love the name Zane and it's highly unlikely we'll change it. I think I'm feeling better about keeping the middle name Floyd, but we'll put some more thought into it.

jjgypsy

I would go with what you like.