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I don't think Chloe was at all implying that all black people have only "black" names or that any name necessarily belongs to any one race but as Kitty mentioned we all have our own associations. Octavia and Renata were the only girls I had ever known with those names so, for a long time they seemed to me like "black" names. I now think both names are completely gorgeous and even though I still have the same associations for them, I also wouldn't hesitate to use them. Coretta Scott King is the only Coretta I've EVER heard of yet Coretta is one of my TOP names.

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Also, it goes both ways. I have a friend named Chandra who often got told, by black girls, that she had a "black" name. I also don't think referencing a name as being "black" or "white" or whatever, is always a bad thing. There are a few of my favorite boys names that my bf has said he likes but isn't sure a white guy could pull off - somehow to him Whitney and Sidney sound a bit girly on a white guy but suave on a black guy

This message was edited 2/14/2011, 10:21 PM