Guinevere writes:
I’m excited to be able to write to you because we are name enthusiasts and have been talking about our future children’s names for the past decade, with shockingly little spousal disagreement, so I never thought we’d be in a position have a Baby Naming Crisis.
But, it turns out we DO have a naming dilemma, recently created by the News Corp Scandal. (Story in a nutshell: the company of Rupert Murdoch and son James Murdoch has been involved in a whole lot of illegal phone hacking and then the usual cover-up, leading to the cancellation of a major tabloid and a publication of an apology in every British newspaper.) We’re in the US, but it seems potentially likely that there will be upcoming legal action on our side of the pond coming up as well.
The issue is that the name we’d picked out for our second boy (due in October, so not just hypothetical) is Rupert James, containing BOTH of the names of the Murdochs associated with this scandal. Rupert has long been one of the Spouse’s most favorite names, to which I’ve been won over by many years of mulling over and then the reading of lots of Jilly Cooper. James is a family name from her side (we feel it’s important to honor her side of the family this time because they don’t have any genetic connection to this pregnancy).
We’d like to know what broad consensus is on two questions:
1.) Whether the scandal is so high profile for the average person (especially Americans) that using the name Rupert is currently inadvisable.
2.) If Rupert is still usable, whether its combination with James would push the combination over into “not such a good idea” category.On the first, we’re tending towards just using Rupert anyway. Though the name has not been shared with anyone yet, it really has felt like the name for this baby for a very long time and we recently bought letters for decorating the nursery (granted, a $8 investment at the craft store, but still symbolic). There are a lot of other associations for Rupert, including the Harry Potter movie press flurry following the release of the last movie, but we are curious to see if this is a much bigger deal for other people, so we can make an informed choice. We do suspect that the grandparents will do a bit of pearl clutching and “Oh, REALLY, like the News Corp Scandal!!?!”, but they won’t get the name until it’s presented to them alongside a cute baby, and I think the cute grandchild will then be their primary association for the name from that moment forward.
But, in the event that the first and middle combination might be a bit too much in light of the current events, we’re now rethinking the middle name choices.
Our general naming style is pretty well summed up by first names at home in a Masterpiece Theater production, paired with more currently fashionable middle names honoring family members. We prefer there to be a bit of first/middle name contrast, both for stylistic reasons and to make sure that there is a less controversial/distinctive name choice available to our child if they want to blend in more. In this case that’s especially important since Rupert doesn’t yield many nickname options. Son #1 is named an old variant of Julian popularized by the Forsyte Saga, with the middle name Max. (We’d prefer that Son #1’s first name not be directly mentioned because it is super-googleable.) We plan to have another two children (or possibly three) after this, and we’re pretty well set with sibling names, since we’ve been talking about names for a good ten years now.
Middle name choices for Rupert drawn from the spouse’s family tree, once we’ve weeded out all the awesome A-names that would make initials spell RAG:
* James, which we thought we’d settled on as being both very fresh feeling and a family name, that would provide RJ as a nickname as well as James and all its derivatives if Rupert ever proved unsuitable.
* George, which we both love! The Spouse thinks of Rupert as very British rather than fusty, and George as a former American standard that’s outdated to the point of being picked up by hipsters soon… so while they’re both currently at a nadir in their popularity curves, they don’t have a similar feel to her. However, I’m unsure whether George is too similar in feel to Rupert.
o We have eliminated Ernest and Maurice on the grounds that they would not be providing our son with a good alternate name to go by if he wants a non-fusty, non-British-feeling name at any point in his life. These names just seem too much paired with Rupert, so ruled out despite the very positive nature of the namesakes. I’m worried that George might be the same, though to a lesser extent.
* Michael, a name we aren’t that keen on by itself, but which certainly provides a safe alternative and contrast with Rupert. However, it’s likely to stir up drama because the grandfather it’s honoring is currently undergoing a not-so-amicable divorce, and choosing that name right now is likely to make the grandmother being divorced feel angry and betrayed… sort of undoing the whole intent of “promoting family bonding” in picking a middle name from the Spouse’s side in the first place. So, I think this one may be off the table for reasons of family current events rather than national ones.If we were opening the discussion to names from my side of the family (still thinking about this), we would add Henry, which we both adore. It is very popular locally and therefore more of an established Antique Revival than the Daring Outmoded Choice it might still be in other parts of the country.
We’d be tremendously grateful to hear any insights from you and commentators, but would especially welcome a poll to collect a large sample size of data about the usability of Rupert and Rupert James in light of the News Corp Scandal. A middle-name-off between James/George/Michael/Henry would be a happy perk but not as essential.
Many many thanks!
I read the question, thought about it for a week, and then read it carefully again to make sure, but my opinion has stayed steady throughout: I think Rupert James is still completely usable, and also that it seems pretty clearly the best choice for this baby. I had heard of the scandal, but the association still didn’t spring to mind: I think first of Rupert Everett, then of Rupert Grint, then of Rupert Friend. The name James seems almost neutral to me: I didn’t think of James Murdoch even after having Rupert Murdoch called to mind.
BUT! You and I are in agreement that what is needed here is a poll. I can say all day long that it doesn’t rule it out for ME, but what we need is a large SAMPLE of opinions. Let’s have a poll over to the right! [Poll closed; see results below.]
And also, if you do decide to rule it out, I think Rupert George is wonderful.
[Sigh. Did I put “News Crop” instead of “News Corp” in the poll? Yes. Is it now unfixable without ruining the poll and starting over? Yes. So do we just all have to pretend I did NOT make that mistake? PLEASE DO.]
Name update! Guinevere writes:
I went into labor on my due date and two days later we welcomed Rupert James! I’d like to thank you and your readership again for being so very, very helpful in the naming of our wee fellow, who turned out not to be so wee after all (10 pounds, 10 ounces and 22 inches). We’re finally home after a fortnight at the hospital, and during that time a steady stream of neonatologists and nurses all expressed very positive reactions to the name, as did our families. We continued to dither about the middle name until the very end of labor, but when he was born and looked not at all like a wrinkly disapproving old man we felt very much justified in having a Rupert James and not a Rupert George. We appreciate so very very much that you all provided us with high quality thoughtful comments and a large statistically significant survey so we could make a fully informed decision!
Picture attached!
I had to read the question before I could figure out WHY Rupert James might be a poor choice – I got Rupert, but did not remember his son was James – so I think you’re fine.
Also, on the scale of Major and Memorable Scandals, I suspect the names involved in this one will be out of the news (and out of the general population’s) minds long before RJ is old enough to notice or care. It’s not like you’re naming him OJ Simpson. It’s more like you’re naming him Richard and maybe ONE person will say “Oh as in NIXON??”
I think that Rupert James is great! I LOVE the name Rupert, it’s so adorable! I am glad to see someone else using it.
I wouldn’t have made the connection with Rupert and James, plus James is a really common middle name for boys so I think it’s fine.
I also think that as Rupert is sort of classified as an ‘old manish’ sounding name, using George would make it sound like a total ‘old man’ name.
:-)
Since Rupert will be here in October, I think you will get some strange looks questioning your taste at the time, since the association is still fresh.
However, this doesn’t seem like it will be an enduring scandal or figures once the initial hysteria wears off. (quick, what was the most notorious thing happening in the summer of 2004?) Therefore, as the kid grows up, and especially amongst his peers there won’t be any association at all in a few years.
I think you should bite the short term cringe and use the name. Nobody will remember this mess in a year or two.
To be honest, I WOULD think of the scandal.
BUT:
– I live in London, the News Corp scandal is HUUUUGE here but even now it’s fading away pretty quickly.
– I only think of the scandel when I hear both names together. For the most part, he’ll just be Rupert, so not such an association.
If this is a name you’ve always loved, and the names have meanings to you, I say use it. You still love it. You’d always planned to use it, were pregnant before the scandal broke etc etc.
Unless you want to save this for another child, but then again you don’t know if you’d have another boy!
As a side note, before the scandal, my first thought would have been Rupert the Bear (is that known in America, I don’t know?!)
Rupert Murdoch is my first (and very strong) association for the name Rupert. I can’t decide if it’s a deal-breaker or not (so I have not yet voted). James has so many associations I don’t think adding makes much difference, so you do keep Rupert, I’d go with your first choice middle.
When hearing the name Rupert, I immediately thought Rupert Murdoch, but I don’t think that makes it unusable. In fact, I only think that because it’s the only Rupert I can think of – if I knew of others Murdoch would get bumped down, because he’s not high on my radar. I think as the scandal fades away, people will forget about him (in America. Not in England.) I had no idea his son was named James.
This scandal will likely be just a trivia question years down the road. Now, if you wanted to use the uncommon name of some political assassin or terrorist who killed thousands of people and will forever be associated with evil, I might suggest thinking hard about other names. However, this is a businessman who owns a company that did some sneaky and illegal spying on famous people. You might get some raised eyebrows now that it’s in the news quite a bit, but I wouldn’t scrap a name you love because of it.
Oh man, I am SO SO SO excited to be featured. I feel like a grade schooler waiving her hand and shouting “pick me, pick me” in class, all over again, only this time it WORKED.
And I am absolutely loving the high-throughput feedback that the poll provides. And also the comments.
I am really finding this super helpful, and being able to gauge the broad reaction in advance is definitely something that is going to make it about a billion times easier to make our choice.
THANK YOU, ALL.
I love the name. And.. I had no clue about the Rubert/James connection/problem. :D. G for it.
I consider myself fairly up-to-speed on current events and am familiar with the scandal, and I would still advise you to go ahead and use Rupert James. If a friend announced her baby Rupert James to me, I would probably not think of the scandal at all. I have an uncle Rupert and he is a pretty rad dude so the name has a positive association for me.
If you were going to name your child Murdoch, I might hesitate. But Rupert, and even Rupert James, don’t seem like an issue to me. I think the name is VERY handsome (and for what it’s worth, I do like James slightly better than your other middle options), so I think you should go for it!
My first association with Rupert is Murdoch, and I think that association (if any) may be the case for many Americans as Rupert isn’t a well-known name here. However, I don’t think that’s a strong reason not to use the name Rupert.
I love your well-thought-out “Masterpiece Theatre” naming style and find Rupert a perfect pairing with your older son’s name. Too, I think James adds the quality you’re seeking in a middle name for Rupert. However, I can understand your concerns about the combination Rupert James and the Murdochs, while wondering how many Americans are following that and would link those two names. If Rupert James bothers you, then Rupert George would work too (although not quite as well). On the other hand, ‘this too will pass’, so if Rupert James is the name you’d prefer, I’d use it.
Best wishes!
I’ve always loved the name Rupert (first because I loved Rupert the Bear as a child, then because of the haunting poetry of Rupert Brooke, then because of a guy I had a crush on in my university days) and, even as a British person (admittedly living in France not Britain) those three things are what come to mind when I hear the name, not Murdoch. Coupled with James sounds lovely to me and I don’t think I’d ever have connected the two.
I say go for it, without hesitation!
Congratulations!
So, I voted yes, but that’s not so much because of the News Corp scandal—though that doesn’t help—but because of Rupert Murdoch in general. For whatever reason, I can’t disassociate the name for him (in spite of the many other Ruperts!) so we took it off the list for our fall boy well before the scandal. It’s likely that by the time he’s old enough to care, Murdoch and the scandal will be long-gone and no one in his generation will ever associate him with Murdoch, but it was an issue for me. (In the same way, I tried out the name “Teddy” with our last name and every single friend I asked had the same “Teddy Ruxpin!” reaction that I initially had—even though most of us were a bit too old for the Teddy Ruxpin craze. Apparently we were brainwashed enough by advertising to have the sound drilled in, and though no one under age 20 or so has ever heard of the toy, the fact that a whole generation of adults has that association with the name combo made it an issue.)
I think it’s a total non-issue and wouldn’t worry about it. While I’ve heard of the case, obviously, I would never think that someone who named their child Rupert James was pro-phone tapping. I associate Rupert as a white bear who wears a red jumper and yellow trousers from a children’s book, and I think it’s a great choice that you’re over-stressing about. Congratulations on his impending arrival.
Rupert was my FIL’s name, and is my husband’s middle name so that’s my immediate association rather than the newspaper mogul.
I think most people think of him as Rupertmurdoch, sort of all one word, so the first name being the same doesn’t really occur to people.
I say use it.
Rupert Murdoch has always been a jackass, and the latest scandal is just another piece of evidence. The other Ruperts that people have named are going to outlast him, and eventually it won’t matter at all, to anyone.
I think it’s a problem to use a name only if there’s one person by that name who is far and away the most famous person with it. Not the case here.
I’m with Swistle in the Rupert Everett/Rupert Grint associations, and I hadn’t even realized that Rupert Murdoch had a son (let alone that his name was James). Even as an obsessive NPR listener, I barely remember that his first name is Rupert. In America, I don’t think it’ll be a big deal. I love the name. Go with it.
(For me, I’m not quite loving George yet—still seems a little fusty to me, especially when paired with Rupert. I might could like it with a different name, but with Rupert, it’s just a bit much.)
Man, blogger just ate my long comment.
So I’ll just sum up which is thank you all so much for your input. Both poll and comments are super-helpful.
I think we have gotten a sense that about 10% of the people we introduce our kid to that are going to do an internal or external little cringe, but that this is likely going to diminish rapidly with time. We the parents can definitely deal with the eyebrow raising and harumphing, but don’t want to saddle our son with a name that will be problematic for him when he is an individual out in the world. It agree that the association won’t be an issue with his own generation, and thanks to the super-handy poll we know that it won’t be the majority of people older than him, and I think that is reassurance enough for us to just go ahead and use the name we love.
Thanks, all. I finally feel at-peace enough to paint the crib letters. :)
I know you already responded, but I wanted to reassure anyway.
I think it would be different if you had a son already named James and OR if you last name sounded anything like Murdoch. My first association was Rupert Grint (a positive assoc. since I LOVE HP) and that Rupert James sounded like a lovely name.
I’m not terribly informed on politics, so I wouldn’t have even thought of Rupert Murdoch. My first impression was definitely more towards Rupert Grint. I suppose if anything, I might think the James was another Harry Potter reference (James Potter)!
Awwwww!!!!! He is so cute! I’m glad you went with Rupert James.:)
Rupert James is so cute (both the name and the baby). I think I would name a kid Rupert just so I could call him “Roo.” Congratulations to your family!