Courtney Patterson
February 28, 2013
Sundi Rose-Holt
ENGL 1101
Ghetto Names
“Latifah! Shaniqua! Latoya! Laquisha!” shouts the beginning of the video Top 60 Ghetto Black Names. This video was created and uploaded by YouTuber thatboyandrew with the help of his friend Isaac. The names continue to roll off until it reaches the final name which is really surprising. Why was it such a shock? Well, the final “ghetto” name was…Courtney. Some may wonder, “How is Courtney a ‘ghetto’ name?” The answer to this question is that they used the name Courtney to add that extra kick to the video. Andrew and Isaac were making a statement that names that sound ridiculous can be considered ghetto and found commonly in the African American race. I can completely relate to this because I have heard and met people with some very “unique” names in my life.
Let’s consider this example. The new girl in your class comes up to and introduces herself as Fri’Chickenisha. How would you respond? Most people would be laughing on the inside and maybe on the outside because her name is not considered normal. They may also wonder as to why her parents give her this “unique” name. Well, some parents want their children to stand out from the rest so they create a name like no one else’s. In the process, they can develop a name that sounds crazy and many people would consider it “ghetto”. If one’s name includes any of the following elements, it can be considered ghetto: unnecessary apostrophes, a multitude of silent letters, proper nouns, and/or inanimate objects. If the name is really bad, it will go from “ghetto” to “ratchet.” For instance, in the video, Andrew and Isaac had the following names: Unitedstatezovamerikaliqua, Barackisha, Obamaniqua, Koolaidria, and Colla’Greeniqua. Now, I am pretty sure no one has these names. If they do, I apologize for your parents’ poor choices regarding your future. There is a point where creativity gets out hand when creating a name. If you are considering...