# Taboo name?



## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

So I'm getting my new pup in November, it will more then likely be a female and I've been working on names... Yeah, I know but I'm excited and can't help it. 

So one name kind of popped into my head randomely and I had kind of an 'aha' moment so I went excitedly to tell my husband. I told him that I really liked the name Eva and he just gave me a look that burst my bubble right then... I asked him why he didn't like it and he reminded me that it was Hitlers wife's name. Oh.

Do you think it'd be in bad taste or should I just not care and name my dog what I please?  

The only thing I thought of was how cute it was when Wall-E said 'Eeevah'!


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## blackshep (Aug 3, 2012)

I didn't know that actually and I don't think the name is taboo. I like it!


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## Nikitta (Nov 10, 2011)

I'd say 90% of people don't even know the name of Hitler's wife. Name her what you want. Change the spelling a bit if it bothers hubbie so much.


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

If it's really going to bug your husband I'd try to find a new name you both like 

But personally I wouldn't care about the connection, maybe try explaining to him about the WALL-E reference and that might put him more at ease


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

so ? Eva Longoria, Eva Gabor , don't cry for me Argentina Eva Peron


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## billsharp (May 3, 2011)

Eva is an awesome name.


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## Zeeva (Aug 10, 2010)

I don't think it's a big deal  I love the name Eva!!! My baby's name is Zeeva. Similar, no?


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## KatsMuse (Jun 5, 2012)

I know quite a few people with that name ( and dogs).
Call the dog whatever makes you happiest .


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

I like the name! No one besides your husband will make the connection. I think of Eva Gabor, personally.

I'm actually sad that the name "Adolf" has been ruined... translated it means "Noble Wolf", which is really cool.


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## blackshep (Aug 3, 2012)

Freestep said:


> I like the name! No one besides your husband will make the connection. I think of Eva Gabor, personally.
> 
> I'm actually sad that the name "Adolf" has been ruined... translated it means "Noble Wolf", which is really cool.


I didn't know that either! lol **** him, that really would have been a great GSD name!


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## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

blackshep said:


> I didn't know that either! lol **** him, that really would have been a great GSD name!


I know! I saw that when I was looking at male names... He SO did not deserve that name.


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

I had a dog named Bruno and wanted to name my dog Eva but realized that would be awfully close to Eva Braun, so I named her Ava, a bit before the name became popular (about 8.5 years ago). It worked out well, because she reminds me of Ava Gardner, all dark haired and pretty and cool and pushy enough to boss Frank Sinatra around.


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## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

And thanks all  My husband is a history nut and he's a big know it all that knows everything. 

Just wanted to run it by other folks to make sure I wasn't crossing some sort of... er... German shepherd... name line?? :help:

:rofl:


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Name her....


Taboo


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## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

JeanKBBMMMAAN said:


> I had a dog named Bruno and wanted to name my dog Eva but realized that would be awfully close to Eva Braun, so I named her Ava, a bit before the name became popular (about 8.5 years ago). It worked out well, because she reminds me of Ava Gardner, all dark haired and pretty and cool and pushy enough to boss Frank Sinatra around.



Yeah I'm working on some possible spelling alternatives as well.


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## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

Jax08 said:


> Name her....
> 
> 
> Taboo



LOL that would certainly fit during the puppy stage.


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## rshkr (Feb 9, 2012)

if i'll get another puppy, i'll name him "byte"...imagine the shock on people, roflmao, when they come to my front door and i say "byte" to call my dog!!!
"byte, cmon boy, cmon byte!!!" roflmao

btw, i missed carlsbad, was based out of camp pendleton the remainder of my last 9 years.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

I would never associate the name Eva with Hitler. 
There's plenty of other famous Evas, as others pointed out...


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

90% of people don't even know the name of Hitler 

never mind the wife .

Ask your husband what he thinks of Alois Schicklgruber .

And then go out and by him THE definitive studies on Hitler and Germany in these tumultuous years 
by (Sir) Ian Kershaw


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## blackshep (Aug 3, 2012)

Carriesue said:


> Just wanted to run it by other folks to make sure I wasn't crossing some sort of... er... German shepherd... name line?? :help:
> 
> :rofl:


I named my GSD Berlin :blush: Ha ha


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

I had no idea that was Hitler's wife's name...but its your husband who will be dealing with the dog every day and he knows it then maybe you should look for a different name. If you're really going to pick a name and then search through the history books to make sure that name has never been on a "bad" person, you'll have a pretty small list.

My pup's sire was Stonewall Jackson. Considering I live in the north, he's not a guy with the best reputation, but who cares? Its a name. He was a great general, and is a part of history. My dog is named Rooney, I'm sure there are plenty of Chelsea fans that aren't the biggest supporters of that name lol.


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## stealthq (May 1, 2011)

My grandmother's name was Eva and I guarantee that people from her era were much more likely to be offended by anything related to Hitler than people today. It's just a name, and a very popular one in the 1950's and earlier.

In case you're curious, Eva has broken back into the top 200 female names in popularity (just looked it up). I think you're safe using it.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

Ava Gardner , not Eva. lol


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

martemchik said:


> ...but its your husband who will be dealing with the dog every day and he knows it then maybe you should look for a different name.


That's actually a good point. If your husband makes the association every time he calls the dog, it might not be a good thing. It's amazing how dogs will pick up on a human's feelings, even the unconscious ones. Anything negative could throw a vibe out there, you know?

Maybe something like "Diva" or "Wiva" or "Viva" sounds enough like "Eva" to you, while creating no negative associations with your husband.


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## Midnight12 (Jan 6, 2012)

Yeah even if I liked a name if hubby did'nt, I would pick another. Just something we should both have say in, since it would be our dog.


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## Caragirl (Sep 2, 2008)

Our daughter's name is Ava and she is always called Eva by people who do not know her....anyway, I immediately thought of Eva Braun. but I think in Germany her name was pronounced like Ava....and I am in my mid 40s, so I may be one of a handful of people who won't think of someone much more culturally relevant today I would name her whatever you like, unless your husband is really against it. You could probably find another name you can both agree on without causing an argument. (But I am on your side.)


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## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

My husband doesn't mind the name, I guess he just wanted me to know lol. But I don't care who had the name previously, I still like it and it feels like in my gut that this is supposed to be her name. 

Though another option would be Rosie... Our male Goldendoodle is named Sam(curly blonde hair, apt name yes? )... A cookie for anyone who gets the reference.


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## ChancetheGSD (Dec 19, 2007)

Even though I have no plans to ever own another dog for the remainder of my life (Yes, I'll survive) once Gretchen passes away....If I just so happened to be forced to own another...It would be a male German Shepherd named Adolph. If people don't like it than it's their own problem to deal with. I enjoy the name, see it fit for a GSD (And not just because Hitler owned them) and just like I see nothing wrong with Hispanics naming their kids Jesus, I see nothing wrong with the name Adolph. It is just that...A name. Hitler could have been named anything...He could have been named Max or Kyle or Joe or whatever. Yes, it's not an overly common name but that's mostly because people don't prefer the name for their own taste, not because it's a name that along with hundreds of others; Hitler shared.

I wouldn't associate the name Eva with Hitler either. Though if your husband has an issue with it, I'd also say the name Ava would be a good choice.


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## Billie (Feb 13, 2012)

Eva was my other choice for a name. I like it. My name choices were that and what I chose- "Lera". for my girl.


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

I never would have correlated the names, and even if I did.. well there are a LOT of Evas out there so I wouldn't call it taboo, but like others have mentioned, if your hubby isn't going to like it or will think of it negatively, it might be better to name her something different.

I named my newest dog, a pit bull, Chernobyl. I haven't met anyone in real life that had a problem with it yet, but apparently I've been told online by some folks that it's nasty and terrible and I'm stupid for naming him that and that it's going to ruin people's perception of the breed. Last time I checked Chernobyl was a city... and while a nuclear explosion happened there, it wasn't a terrorist attack or part of a larger scheme of things that was against a certain group of people, so I still don't really see the issue. Name your dog what YOU want to name it!


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

My husband's grandmother was named Eva. She was Portuguese. I don't think you need to worry about Hitler associations with the name Eva, as it's fairly common.


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## billsharp (May 3, 2011)

> Though another option would be Rosie


Rosie O'Donnell
Rosie Perez

Stick with Eva.


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

carmspack said:


> Ava Gardner , not Eva. lol


Yes, I named her Ava instead of Eva. Like Ava Gardner - is that what you were responding to?


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## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

billsharp said:


> Rosie O'Donnell
> Rosie Perez
> 
> Stick with Eva.


LOL good point!

Her dams name is Yeva and I think it'd be a nice nod to her mother, who I met a couple weeks ago and she was an absolute sweetheart. :wub:


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## doggerel (Aug 3, 2011)

I also believe Hitler's wife's name was pronounced "ay-va," not "ee-va," so I think you're safe with Eva. Either way, they're both pretty names, and I don't think anyone is going to make that immediate connection!


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

DJEtzel said:


> I named my newest dog, a pit bull, Chernobyl. I haven't met anyone in real life that had a problem with it yet, but apparently I've been told online by some folks that it's nasty and terrible and I'm stupid for naming him that and that it's going to ruin people's perception of the breed.


It is a unique name, and the name of a city, yes. But in this country, everyone associates the name of the city with the tragedy that happened there. Kind of like Auschwitz(sp) or Hiroshima--they're both just city names, but the negative association in American minds will never die.

What made you choose the name, and what do you call him for short?


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

Her name was pronounced "Ava" so most won't make the connection, and even if you NAMED her "Ava" I doubt anyone would make the connection. She was also only his wife for a day or two, though that isn't that important I suppose.

That said, it's not really relevant if it bothers anyone else. If it bothers your husband, then a new name should be picked. He has to live with this name for the next 13 - 15 years as well and it's only fair that he get equal say in the name.


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## Silver Black sable (Aug 29, 2012)

if your dogs named eva the first thing people think about him when they meet him is not going to be about hitlers wife


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

Consider this - the breeder may have restrictions on the registered name and may have already named the dog. Call names, however, are something else.

I didn't want a call name different from the registered name so I went through the dictionary with the appropriate letter. Had a long list of possibilities, narrowed it down & chose one that would relate to a certain amount of wailing and noise. 

(That was after my initial choice was not enthusiastically received and also butchered German.)


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

your history buff husband has fractured logic -- he doesn't want to name a dog Eva because of Eva Braun. 
Why does he even want to own a german shepherd if he is so hyper sensitive (to a fact that most are oblivious to) , when Hitlers choice of breed was a German Shepherd , his faithful GSD Blondi.


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## Stevenzachsmom (Mar 3, 2008)

Our horse is a rescue. As each horse comes into rescue it is given a name in alphabetical order. They were up to "E" and our horse was an "EE" - Easy Eve. I thought the "Easy" mad her sound like a bad girl, so she is just Eve, but I ALWAYS call her EVA and I call it just like in the Wall-E movie. She picks her head right up and looks at me when I call her Eva. I think it is a great name.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

While I was working an internship at a local veterinary hospital, a Mexican man who spoke little English brought in a little black GSD mix puppy, whom he had named "*****". Now, in Spanish, "*****" (pronounced nay-grow) simply means "black", so to him it didn't seem like a bad thing... but I hope he eventually realized the connotation and changed the poor dog's name. 

Then again, the man lived on a ranch and the dog probably was a ranch dog and never left the property except to go to the vet.


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## Curious (Jul 23, 2012)

Free step--I don't mean to get on a soap box here but should we really forget what happened in those cities?

To get back to the post--as others have stated you both have to live with whatever you decide for the life of the dog. I'm sure you will come up with something you both like.


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## breyer08 (Jul 4, 2012)

My girl's name is Ava. We love it!


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

Freestep said:


> It is a unique name, and the name of a city, yes. But in this country, everyone associates the name of the city with the tragedy that happened there. Kind of like Auschwitz(sp) or Hiroshima--they're both just city names, but the negative association in American minds will never die.
> 
> What made you choose the name, and what do you call him for short?


I guess I don't associate the name negatively, nor has anyone I've met in person, becaue it wasn't a terrorist-type attack, it was an unintentional tradgedy. Kind of like how I know many dogs named Katrina (some because of and some irrelevant to the hurricane..), but never associate it negatively... yeah a hurrican happened and killed a lot of people, but it wasn't anything intentional, kwim?

Growing up I had heard of the "event" of Chernobyl and always liked the sound of it (sound of the name... not what happened). I didn't know what it even was until after I was 16 probably? (Guess it wasn't big enough of a deal to learn about in school...) I think I might have heard a trailer for the Chernobyl Diaries and remembered the name (or something made me think of it..), right after I had put a hold on my pit at Animal Control, and it just stuck. Picked him up a few weeks later and he's been Chernobyl ever since. His nicknames include Chern, Nobellini, Lupito, Petey-Pie, Mr. Pink & numerous variations of those names in sing-song voice.


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## Dejavu (Nov 11, 2010)

Freestep said:


> While I was working an internship at a local veterinary hospital, a Mexican man who spoke little English brought in a little black GSD mix puppy, whom he had named "*****". Now, in Spanish, "*****" (pronounced nay-grow) simply means "black", so to him it didn't seem like a bad thing... but I hope he eventually realized the connotation and changed the poor dog's name.
> 
> Then again, the man lived on a ranch and the dog probably was a ranch dog and never left the property except to go to the vet.


My girl's name is Negra and it's rather common here to use colors as names, especially black ("*****"/"Negra").
To be honest this confuses me cause I don't see it as offensive, it's not like it was intended to be like that and it's in our native language.


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