I need honest opinions

rkenyon89 · January 2011

.. on the name Terrence. It is the only name that FI and I dually like. But he is hesitant for a few reasons. Top reason: He wants his son to not be hindered by a "ghetto" name. I don't want to offend anyone out there, but FI's name is Tyrone, and he feels like when a job has either a Tyrone vs. Joshua, they'd pick the Joshua. I told him that Terrence has an Irish/English background. But, he still thinks that when people hear Terrence, they think black. I'm personally in LOVE with the name, but trying to hear what you ladies think about the name.

Thanks for the help!

SnowyBaby · January 2011

I do understand your point, however Terrance is a very nice name. I am sure it was difficult for your husband since he is more hesitant towards using Terrance. Personally, I think that Terrance can be a very professional name. It's not really my style, but I think the name is good choice.

Good luck!

Nanna · January 2011

I like the name Terrence (though I dislike the natural nn Terry). FWIW, my first inclination is to assume the person with the name is black, but it definitely does not read as "ghetto" to me.

sleepingbeauty825 · January 2011

Terrence does not immediately draw to mind little Irish/English boys.

That being said, I like the name and I don't think it should matter what the racial connotations are if you like it too.

Puppylove*85 · January 2011

I don't care for it but only because I think it sounds dorky. I associate the name with Terrence Howard since I don't know anyone named Terrence in real life. But I don't necessarily think that it is tied to one particular culture.

rkenyon89 · January 2011

I do not mind the black association, seeing as he will be 1/2 and 1/2. I think it's a nice strong name, now its time to convince "daddy"!

magsugar13 · January 2011

Terrance is a good name. It certainly has a history in the irsih community.

KallieandJustin · January 2011

I like Terrance, but don't like the nn Terry.

purplepolish · January 2011

I don't think it sounds ghetto at all, but this sounds like a pretty important issue to your FI so I would try to come up with something else.

anna7602 · January 2011

purplepolish:
I don't think it sounds ghetto at all, but this sounds like a pretty important issue to your FI so I would try to come up with something else.

This. The only Terrance I've ever known was as Irish-Catholic as you can possibly get, so that's my only association. However, it sounds like it will be hard to convince your FI of this, so try to find something else.

honkytonk_kid · January 2011

Nanna:
I like the name Terrence (though I dislike the natural nn Terry). FWIW, my first inclination is to assume the person with the name is black, but it definitely does not read as "ghetto" to me.

I agree with this! I think it's a nice name.

That being said, if your husband has reservations about it I would take those into higher consideration than the fact that you like the name- it sounds like he has personal experience with being judged based on his name alone, and I wouldn't want my husband to have to worry about that happening to LO.

shopgirl_07 · January 2011

Ugh, I hate Terrence, I hate Terry even more. Go with something else.

Notwifezilla7 · January 2011

honkytonk_kid:

Nanna:
I like the name Terrence (though I dislike the natural nn Terry). FWIW, my first inclination is to assume the person with the name is black, but it definitely does not read as "ghetto" to me.

I agree with this! I think it's a nice name.

That being said, if your husband has reservations about it I would take those into higher consideration than the fact that you like the name- it sounds like he has personal experience with being judged based on his name alone, and I wouldn't want my husband to have to worry about that happening to LO.

I hate to double quote but this is exactly what I was thinking. Perhaps use Terrence as a MN.

Phillychickadee · January 2011

I will admit that both of the Terrences I know happen to be black. That being said, it is a very professional and respectable name, so I don't think it has a ghetto sound at all!

I definitely see Terrence going on to be a doctor, lawyer, professor, etc.

I really like it!

Pythia1022 · January 2011

I dated a very sweet (and VERY hot lol) black man named Terrance. He makes millions of dollars, so obviously, neither his name nor his skin color have hindered him professionally, in any way! I think it's a strong, respectable name, and perhaps this is biased by experience, but I don't think "ghetto" at ALL when I hear it.

Jinsy80 · January 2011

Terrence and Tyrone are not ghetto to me, especially not Terrence. The one Terry I know is white. I knew two older men named Tyrone...one black, one white. Now, I tend to think of Tyrone as a "black" name, but it's still a solid name. I also think of the character Tyrone of The Backyardigans.

Jinsy80 · January 2011

And since I'm sleep deprived, I totally starting to talk about the wrong name! Lol, I forgot that your FI's name was Tyrone, not the future baby.

rsquaredr · January 2011

I know only one Terrence and he goes by Terry. He's not black. It's just nms. I would find something both of you like more.

wkfouts · January 2011

I think the name Terrance is a great, strong, professional name. It's very nice. If it were me, I'd end up calling him "Terr" and I think that's cute. Or, you could call him "T." That's super cute also.

Good luck, sweetheart.

lmspharmd · January 2011

While my first thought is an African-American man, I don't see it as ghetto at all. My boom suggests the following similar names: Geoffrey, Roderick, Dexter, Kelvin, Lance.

lmspharmd · January 2011

While my first thought is an African-American man, I don't see it as ghetto at all. My book suggests the following similar names: Geoffrey, Roderick, Dexter, Kelvin, Lance.

kbratton2king · January 2011

I'm black and at first reading your original post slightly rubbed me the wrong way. Quote: But, he still thinks that when people hear Terrence, they think black. Um, is there something wrong with being black? Does your FI have a color/race complex b/c that is a terrible thing to hear a black man say. I'm not offended but that was a loaded statement that caught my attention.

With that being said, the only Terrence's I know are black but it does not sound "ghetto" like JaMarcus, LaMario, etc.

strangebird · January 2011

My father's name is Terrence and he's white, but I still do associate the name with black men. Unlike your fiance, however, I don't consider that a bad thing. It's not "ghetto;" it's black and it's proud to be. This is not a name like De'Shontay or LeRoyaltie, which immediately harken to a certain socioeconomic class, but a name I can easily picture being worn by a doctor, lawyer, or any other professional. Rather than a hindrance, I think it would be an excellent choice.

AshasaurusRex · January 2011

I really like the name Terrence and do not feel that it's "ghetto" at all. Besides, people need to get over their hang up on names, people don't name themselves (usually) so it has nothing to do with the type of person they are.

ubermoose · January 2011

I really like the name.

You bring up an interesting point with the race. Now that you mention it, if I were to picture a Terrence, I would probably imagine a black person. I don't at all think of it as a "ghetto" name, though. It actually sounds like the name of a distinguished, hard-working, thoughtful individual. Though I can picture it the most easily on a black person, I don't think it sounds exclusively black.

I know that there's been studies on black sounding-vs. white-sounding names in the workforce (like Freakanomics), but here's my take:

1) I think within every ethnicity there are going to be names that sound classier than others. I can think of several more traditionally white names that sound rather uneducated, just like I can think of several more traditionally black names that sound really sophistacated.

2) Especially with a great resume and work experience, employers seeking a more diverse workforce might give a closer look to Terrence.

ces25c · January 2011

rkenyon89:
and he feels like when a job has either a Tyrone vs. Joshua, they'd pick the Joshua

I have read news articles that made similar claims and had statistics that they said backed that up (I couldn't say how accurate they are), but they were always in reference to completely made up names, uneeq spellings and smoosh names.

I don't think of Terrence as a more common name for a certain race. I would find it more strange if you had, say, a really Irish last name and gave your kid a rare Italian or German name.

melissa721 · January 2011

Not a fan and I see your husband's point.

sarahbeth27 · January 2011

Nanna:
I like the name Terrence (though I dislike the natural nn Terry). FWIW, my first inclination is to assume the person with the name is black, but it definitely does not read as "ghetto" to me.

This exactly.

rkenyon89 · January 2011

Thanks everyone for your help and input.

*In response to one of the PP, my FI doesn't have a problem with being black. He just feels like he has a disadvantage in the job world, and doesn't want to pass that on to his son.

sweetep15 · January 2011

I think Terrance is a fine name and not ghetto at all, but I would automatically assume a person with the name Terrance is black, not that that is bad but that is where my mind went. I asked me DH and he said the same thing...not ghetto but most likely someone who is African American.

kbratton2king · January 2011

strangebird:
My father's name is Terrence and he's white, but I still do associate the name with black men. Unlike your fiance, however, I don't consider that a bad thing. It's not "ghetto;" it's black and it's proud to be. This is not a name like De'Shontay or LeRoyaltie, which immediately harken to a certain socioeconomic class, but a name I can easily picture being worn by a doctor, lawyer, or any other professional. Rather than a hindrance, I think it would be an excellent choice.

Yes.

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