[img]http://2.bp..com/-ZNkmBnhiACI/Un5Fq5KW7jI/AAAAAAAAC2o/0y0qdunC1P8/s640/keish.jpeg[/img]

Children can be really cruel these days. They can twist a beautiful, meaningful names that parents give to their children and turned them to fit their jokes. I thought this article recently posted by Mommynoire was interesting. I remember growing up how one of my siblings had to change her name in middle school from Dorcas because kids called her 'dorky' 'dork' 'dork-ass'...all sorts of non-sense!

For those with African names, imagine the frustration you feel when people don't pronounce it right. Maybe after a while you got used to it. Children, however, want to feel like they belong- especially during the early years of preteen and teen.

Thus, when a parent chooses a name for her child, it's not a decision she takes lightly. So imagine how a mom feels when she finds out the name she gave her baby girl was causing her so much pain? That's how Cristy Austin felt when her daughter Keisha began begging her to legally change her name. But Keisha, now Kylie, said years of bullying and racial stereotypes have made her life hell and she's just done with it.

"It felt like a gift I gave to her, and she was returning it,” Cristy told KansasCity.com. “Keisha was the only name I ever thought of, and when I talked to her in my belly, I talked to Keisha. But she’s still the same person, regardless of her name." Now 19 years old, Kylie finally got her wish, even though it initially hurt her mother. But her classmates spent so much time doing rude hoodrat impressions, it was too much.

Some friends, in addition to her mother, encouraged Kyle to keep her name, to prove you can't paint girls named Keisha with the same negative, brown brush. In fact. Cristy originally hoped the name she chose for her daughter would be a source of pride: "When her mother, Cristy, found out she was pregnant with a girl, there was never a doubt what her baby’s name would be. The single mom chose Keisha because to her, it represented a strong, feminine, beautiful black woman.

As a white woman who would be raising a biracial daughter she wanted to instill that confidence and connectivity to the culture. 'I saw it as a source of pride,' Cristy says. 'I wanted her to have that.'" In a perfect world, Kylie would've been happy being Keisha, but that's not the way things are. There's plenty of systematic racism at work that makes someone who loves their "black" name harder to move through the world.

The KansasCity.com article acknowledges, "Studies have shown that job applicants with black-sounding names are half as likely to get a callback than those with white-sounding names and similar resumes." So maybe Keisha never really stood a chance.

What would you do if your child wanted to change her name? Have you ever worried you've made your kid's life harder by choosing a non-American or African name?

http://www.infonubia.com/2013/11/what-is-in-name-daughter-changed-her.html

Whatever floats!

Her choice, myob and get a life.

Keisha, Kylie ,what's the difference ?

tpia@:
Her choice, myob and get a life.

WOW....really?

ifyalways: Keisha, Kylie ,what's the difference ?

I would think she gave some thoughts to the name before changing it.

Kanwulia: Whatever floats!

Yeah but the underlining issue here is bullying.

@Post

Well, I cannot blame the child for changing her name. Even as an adult living in america for instance, you have americans who will go asking you if you have a nickname once they see you have an African name. I feel sorry for children with black/African names that are of course growing up in the racist predominately white world because African children with African names growing up on African soil for the most part don't have to deal with that crap, thank goodness.

dasparrow: @Post

Well, I cannot blame the child for changing her name. Even as an adult living in america for instance, you have americans who will go asking you if you have a nickname once they see you have an African name. I feel sorry for children with black/African names that are of course growing up in the racist predominately white world because African children with African names growing up on African soil for the most part don't have to deal with that crap, thank goodness.

Spot on!

Keisha ..thats a nice name though?

lepasharon: Keisha ..thats a nice name though?

Please what ever you do don't name your daughters any of these names. LaKeisha, Keisha, Latasha, Laquinta, Shaquita, Starniece, Shamitra, Sharniece, Shanika, Tranika, Latravia or anything that has an apostrophe unless it is an Irish name. Please for her own good.

soul_glo:

Please what ever you do don't name your daughters any of these names. LaKeisha, Keisha, Latasha, Laquinta, Shaquita, Starniece, Shamitra, Sharniece, Shanika, Tranika, Latravia or anything that has an apostrophe unless it is an Irish name. Please for her own good.

and nigeria is blessed wit beautiful names for girls: omolara,bunmi,bose,bola,bosun,badare,nife,yemisi,sola,ore,jaiye,remi,oya,oye,ashoto,omire,chichi,nwanne,ngozi,nkechi,chidera,tochi,osinachi,oma,chioma,nwakuche,nenadi,hajia,maria,jemila,aondo,myenga,myeva,koyeba,marasa,siegha,ebi,fitepigi,ala,ime,akan,aniete,ufanobong,list is endless

baralatie:
and nigeria is blessed wit beautiful names for girls: omolara,bunmi,bose,bola,bosun,badare,nife,yemisi,sola,ore,jaiye,remi,oya,oye,ashoto,omire,chichi,nwanne,ngozi,nkechi,chidera,tochi,osinachi,oma,chioma,nwakuche,nenadi,hajia,maria,jemila,aondo,myenga,myeva,koyeba,marasa,siegha,ebi,fitepigi,ala,ime,akan,aniete,ufanobong,list is endless

Those names are all nice. They do not carry the stigma that a name like Keisha carries. I wouldn't do that to my child. My children will always have Nigerian first names or maybe Arabic

soul_glo:

Those names are all nice. They do not carry the stigma that a name like Keisha carries. I wouldn't do that to my child. My children will always have Nigerian first names or maybe Arabic

Yeah thats the thing...Keisha IS an arabic name though..of Islamic origins

lepasharon:

Yeah thats the thing...Keisha IS an arabic name though..of Islamic origins

That was the idea when black people started answering those names. It was all part of forming their own identity in the United States. Unfortunately people started taking these names and started putting their spin on it. Started adding apostrophes and adding La or Kra to it. Many of those names are of Arabic origin but Keisha I never knew that one was. I thought someone just pulled it out of their ass

soul_glo:

That was the idea when black people started answering those names. It was all part of forming their own identity in the United States. Unfortunately people started taking these names and started putting their spin on it. Started adding apostrophes and adding La or Kra to it. Many of those names are of Arabic origin but Keisha I never knew that one was. I thought someone just pulled it out of their ass

Could Keisha possibly stem from Aisha?

tnature:

Could Keisha possibly stem from Aisha?

I have no idea but lepasharon says it is arabic

tnature:

Could Keisha possibly stem from Aisha?

You are right,

Gender: Girl Meaning: Prosperous Origin: Arabic Pronunciation: KEE sha Related Names: Keesha, Keysha
1058th most popular girls name in the UK

Additional information about the name Keisha:
Keisha is a feminine name and is quite modern. It is thought to have become popular in America in the 80s/90s when it was a trend to form new names beginning with a ‘k’ sound, especially popular with Afro American parents. Keisha is probably a variation of Aisha which is an Arabic name and means ‘Prosperous’. Keisha Cole is a popular American singer.

http://www.babynames.co.uk/meaning_origin_name_Keisha.htm

soul_glo:

I have no idea but lepasharon says it is arabic

Its a nice name ppl just killed it

Is is too late to get this post on FP?

Mods, how far?