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[Opinions] Cobain
I recently met a girl and her name was Cobain. She claims to have been named after Kurt Cobain from Nirvana. I thought it was really cool and lately it has been growing on me.
What are your opinions on the name? Do you like it? Hate it? Or is it just okay?
Do you think it sounds like a masculine or feminine name?
Would you name your child Cobain?
:)
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I knew a Kurtina once.
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I find it extremely unattractive as a given name and would never inflict such a name on a person... esp. a girl... Didn't he die either of a drug overdose or suicide? Neither would make him a role model for me to make a namesake of...
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He committed suicide, but I agree with CN. What he accomplished as an artist is more important than how he died.

This message was edited 2/23/2012, 10:45 AM

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I don't think the way he died should matter that much. I mean, do you want to be judged only by the way you die? I can understand why parents who are big fans of Nirvana and Kurt Cobain want to use the name. What he accomplished in his life and as a musician should be more important than the way he died, at least that's how I feel. I still think it's a terrible name but not because he died of an overdose or suicide.
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I do think that a person making bad choices in life that end in destruction is not someone I'd want to name a child after when there are plenty of people who have accomplished many things that didn't choose suicide or drugs. To me it does matter in cases like that. Amazing accomplishments in some people's eyes don't in and of themselves justify bad choices that lead to destruction... That said, if one must, Kurt on a boy would be a much better choice than Cobain on anybody. If that were inflicted on me, I'd change my name.
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What if someone named their son Vincent for Vincent Van Gogh, or Ernest for Ernest Hemingway? Would it be different if the person they were honoring wasn't a rock star with a drug problem?I hope you don't take my tone the wrong way, but I'm genuinely curious if it would make a difference in your opinion.
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I wouldn't do that either... If I named a child Vincent, it wouldn't be after Van Gogh... and Mr. Hemingway has never impressed me... but I'd rather see a child named Vincent or Ernest than Van Gogh or Hemingway as a fn.
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I went to school with a boy named Cobain, but he pronounced it KO-bin. He went by Coby for short. It sounds masculine to me and it's not my style to use names after musicians, so I wouldn't use it.
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*sighs* On a girl? I think it's alright for a boy. Not so much for a girl. There's nothing feminine about Cobain and it makes me think of a scruffy and gloomy man and drugs. Personally, I've never liked Nirvana or Kurt Cobain so no, I would most definitely not name my child Cobain. I kind of like the idea of naming children after musiscian in general and rock stars in particular but I don't think I would do it myself. If I did, I would only use the name as a middle name
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I think it's okay. I get the honoring part. Cobain was a great musician but there is more of a darkness and tragedy associated with him that I would prevent me from using it. I'd rather go with a boy named Kurt. It's still honoring but not so heavily associated in day to day interactions.
I understand it though...I've heard that Lennon is become popular for Jon. I guess it's the same trend. And Cobain sounds similar enough to Colby or Bailey, which are popular now. Makes me think...if you're going for Cobain, why note Coltrane? Here are some other honoring musician names would be used:
Joplin (for Scott or Janis)
Hendrix or maybe Hendricks for a more traditional spelling
Morrison
Stevie (either Nicks, Wonder, or Vaughan)
Ray (Charles or Vaughan)
Vaughan
Taylor (James...I heard this was Taylor Swift's namesake)
Amadeus
Ludwig
Elton
Joel
Smokey (a stretch I know) but maybe...
Robinson
Marvin
Otis
Etta or Jamesetta (her original name)
Gladys
Billie
Ella
Aretha
Whitley (for Chris Whitley...def check him out if you don't know him)
Sam (for Cooke) Any people would actually consider? There's so many more but this was off the top of my head.
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Stevie as a nn for Stephanie is kinda fun... Sam on its own isn't my style, but Samuel or Samantha would be quite acceptable mns. Guess it could be short for Sambi as well.
Might consider Joel, but not after a musician.
I like Billi on a girl, but also not after a musician.
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I think it wuld have been better to name her Nirvana. Cobain is such a tragic name really.
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I completely agree. And also, Cobain is very close to cocaine.
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Oooh, I think that would be so cool to name a daughter Nirvana. :)
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I like it on paper, but I would wonder why the parents chose to name their daughter after Kurt Cobain. I am a Nirvana fan, and I think the man was a brilliant songwriter, but if I held a newborn baby girl in my arms, I wouldn't think to myself "Cobain! That's the perfect name for our daughter!"
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