Caught in the spirit of the revolution and ecstatic in the wake of the overthrow of Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak, an Egyptian man paid a tribute to the social media by naming his daughter Facebook. After all, Facebook was pivotal in the revolution; that’s where it all began. Was his decision wise? Facebook is likely to be a thing of the past when the girl hits puberty. Worse still, a wave of dictatorship may once again hit Egypt and people with Western-influenced names may be frowned upon. This man, acting on his impulses, may have put his daughter at risk. He probably meant her to be a source of inspiration in the context of future political initiatives, not an eventual scapegoat, but which will it be? Only time will tell. The name may or may not determine her course of life. Most likely, it won’t, if there is no appropriate context for rebellious attitudes to flourish like there was for Ilich “The Jackal”.
The Power Of The Social Media
One thing is certain – Facebook has come to dominate our social AND personal lives. Slowly but surely, it is spreading to the non-Western, non-democratic world as a symbol of freedom and a progressive way of life. There probably aren’t many people in the world who haven’t heard of the social network. Few are left without a profile. This has gotten to the point where we are becoming social outcasts if we are not on Facebook. Every plan or initiative of a group of friends (or rebels) is posted on there, and those who don’t read it are left out. I always deal with shock and awe (and have come to enjoy it) when I tell people I am not on Facebook and never will be. I have not become a social outcast yet, but that may be coming. I do know one other person without a profile though. That gives me hope.
A Facebook Addict?
At the other extreme, we have people posting a hundred times a day on it, saying things like, “I just went grocery shopping” and “I just had dinner”. Who cares, you would think. It seems other Facebook users do because you have people commenting on this, as in, “What did you have for dinner, I just had…” and so on. You have people changing their statuses a thousand times a day – single, not single, single, not single…There was a commercial some years back, I don’t remember the product, but there was a guy with a series of girls’ names tattooed on his arm, the first one crossed out, the next one too…down to the last name, which was the same as the first name on the list. I am assuming the commercial was capitalizing on consumer loyalty.
This commercial is a fine metaphor for Facebook itself. What most of us seek on Facebook is social contact, acceptance, and integration of some kind. Facebook is just one of the many means and mediums. Its time has come and its time will go, but as social animals, the drive will remain.
I do not think that this an appreciable step of this dictator. This post has made me to think that what this man has done.
The gesture of the naming is one thing, but the execution is more than a little off. This isn’t one of those situations where you’re paying tribute to a person, you’re paying tribute to a website. Do you think years down the road this man is going to regret naming his daughter after the social media giant?
I know there are a lot of ways that people go about making political statements, but I’m not sure if this is the right way to go about one. After all, this is a child’s name, not a dog. Do you think he’ll regret it once his emotions calm down?
I don’t know if he will regret it or not but who knows – someone else might go a step further and name their child Twitter or YouTube too.
Twitter maybe, Facebook is a definately no! He had to be high on something to do something that ridiculuos.
If that’s the case, why is Twitter any different?
I agree, we never know what may inspire the parents, twilight which doesn’t appeal me at all now sounds better than twitter, youtube or Google. Paying tribute is fine but I wonder what the child will go through as she grows, whether she’ll love being called Facebook or whether her friends at school will start teasing her because being children they will not understand what Social Media did for the Egyptian Revolution. Still, one bonus point is that the child has entered the history books by being named “Facebook” and this is also a brilliant idea!
I think it is the cheapest way to get the attention of the whole world for the child.
From this post we are expecting that one day people will have name like digg, stumble-upon ect.
Stumble-upon would certainly be a hit. Lol
I would consider naming a child Google.
I love the ideas for other names based on Web applications. iMovie has made an impact on my life. I think it would be a pretty decent name for a girl.
Very astonishing. Names of human beings are always meaningful but what can we take meaning of facebook?
It’s not the meaning of the name “per se”, but the meaning in a historical context of that moment, so to speak.
No matter what, I can not name my baby facebook, it is not a name of human being. But if it is a nick name, it is welcome.
The question is how long will it be before some other social media website takes over the world? Experience and common sense has taught us that no media sensation lasts forever. Before Facebook there were many, many other social media websites that spread like a virus. Remember how My Space used to be the most popular website before Facebook?
I guess this poor child’s name will seem rather pointless then to her generation.
I think he should have left the child out of it completely. She is going to have to live with this name for the rest of her life, as many others have pointed out long after Facebook has become a distant memory.
Fair enough, it will go down in the history books as the source at which the revolution in Egypt
gathered momentum but to use it as a child’s name to me seems crazy and unfair to the child.
To be honest, it’s not more ridiculous than some of the names celebrities have given to their babies, e.g. Chris Martin’s daughter “Apple”… And how about Moon Unit and Diva Thin Muffin, daughters of Frank Zappa? 🙂
Seems a lot crazier than “Apple,” if you ask me. I don’t really know why everyone got so down on them for “Apple”…that’s different but you know, it’s a common word with a positive association so why not? Moon Unit is crazy. Yes, poor kid 30 years from now, no one will know what facebook is anyways.
Are you implying that Facebook will no longer be relevant 30 years from now?
Its kind of funny in a way but not really because I am sure there is a child or someone running around out here in this social media driven world with the name Facebook or maybe even another site. Honestly whats the big hype about, no one likes face to face anymore and the email world has changed so much.
I think someone will name his child like this, if Beckham could give soooooo stupid names to his sons than why someone else couldn’t?
But still i think it wouldn’t be social kid rather social outcast…
Apparently, according to the Daily Mail, an Israeli couple, both devotees of Mark Zuckerberg’s social networking site Facebook, have decided to name their new daughter ‘Like’ in relation to the ‘thumbs up’ feature on the site, which allows people to acknowledge their enjoyment of a particular entry or comment without having to make a longer statement. You can read more on the article here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1387760/Facebook-mad-couple-daughter-Like-site-feature.html#ixzz1McJhRKu0
I can understand why he named her Facebook. Because Facebook brings power, and networking, and the ability to interact with millions across the world. It’s just like the name “Amy” meaning “friend”. Who knows, he might be starting a trend. Hahah. , personally, wouldn’t name my child Facebook because that’s just ridicule set to happen.
wow i can’t believe her parents called her Facebook! what a poor baby… which kind of people will do that???
Technology and choosing names are two different entities. Choosing name of kid is related to feeling. Does feelings and facebook have any relation?
I personally would not name a child Facebook or Twitter but that does not mean it’s right or wrong. The one thing that concerns me is you are possibly setting up the kid for a difficult childhood.
Maybe I could consider naming google with a 2nd name. If ever google will be obsolete in the future and your child might ask what’s the meaning of his/her name. I will just answer “it means it knows everything”. 🙂
Which one, if any, do you reckon would be the first to become obsolete in future, Google or Facebook?
He wouldn’t be the first to give an absurd name to his child, and he’ll surely not be the last. These people come from a low education level medium and they’re either looking for fame or are just plain ignorant when it comes to their childs future.
I wouldn’t even call them parents.
Nope.. i would not name my child facebook.. lol..
No.. i wouldn’t name my child that too.. maybe some other child.. haha..
I will have to agreed with Khan , that,From this post we are expecting that one day people will have name like digg, stumble-upon ect. . .!!!
No, this guy is such a fanatic.. lol..
I think the entire social networking is taking over too much. If someone wnats to call his son face book – no big deal. It’s his decission.
I think the parent is just a little bit off the reasonable naming options here.. lol
No. Of course not. I would not at all keep my child’s name as face book because then everybody will get addicted to him/her. Also keeping face book as a new borns name would be very funny and people would laugh at me and when he or she grows up then all of his/ her friends would tease and would harass. I am absolutely against it.
I would not have minded to keep my newborns name as face book. No matter even if it is meaningless. But I have just had a grand party for my sons naming ceremony last month. But if I would not have kept a name for him and would have got this idea last month then I would have surely called him as face book.
If you talk about naming your baby and then uploading his or her name on face book, it still makes sense but if you talk about naming your kid by the name face book then it will obviously mean that you are foolish. You can just not behave like that. Also when your child grows, he or she will surely question you for why you have named him after this.
Yes I would like to keep my new born’s name as Face book. But let me first get married to someone and then when I have kid’s in future after marriage I shall certainly ensure that I do keep my kids name as face book. LOL! I know it would sound funny but yes let that day arrive first and then we would decide on its name.
I think the entire social networking is taking over too much. If someone wants to call his son face book – no big deal. It’s his decision.
I have a feeling that little Egyptian Facebook will be going by a different name as soon as she goes to school.
No I would certainly not be able to do this. I say this because I am a school going kid myself. I think I still have lots of time to get married and have children. By the time I get married I think face book will disappear or a new version of face book might come by that time. So let’s see what comes my way when I grow up. LOL!
Yes sure this name is very convenient to pronounce and even easy to remember. So I don’t mind keep my new born’s name as Face book. But I was wondering whether what would happen when he grows and creates an account online. His profile would look very funny. He would be then called by his friends as Face Book D’souza.
People want to feel social interaction, but in a passive way nowadays. With Facebook and smart phones and technology in our world we have the ability to reach out to one another all the time. People want to voice their opinions, actions, etc etc and wish to expose themselves in the world, and they also want to be able to react and talk to other people about what’s going on in their worlds. It brings people together but I feel as if it also pushes people apart because now so much human interaction happens over text messages, Facebook, Twitter, websites, etc etc.
I suppose there are still a lot of names existing in this world for you to keep your newborn’s name. Not necessary that you keep your new born’s name as only face book. Also face book is a meaningless name. Naming your baby as Face book would sound very funny. Also I would want to know who is the one suggesting such names.
Let me ask this question to you first. Will you ever like it if your parents name you as face book? Of course not! Then how can we keep our new born name as face book when we already know that they will surely have an objection when they grow up. It’s OK if this blog is for fun but it would be really embarrassing if we keep our new born name as face book.
What? Are you kidding? No if ever i have a newborn baby, I will not name him as Facebook, but I rather call him Angry Bird! Lol!
Having two kids, naming one “face” and the other “book” would be interesting.
Lol! Now that sounds really very funny. Face book is for fun and entertainment. Moreover it is a complete meaningless term. How can parents keep a meaningless name for their baby? It would be really strange and embarrassing for those who have their child’s name as face book. Let me ask you. Will you want to have your baby’s name as face book?
No. I will certainly not call my baby as face book. Face book is such a well known but unique name in case someone wants to have it as their child’s name. For me, it is just too bad. I know when my child grows old he or she will ask me the reason to have given him such a weird name. NO. I don’t think I will ever be able to face my child in case I have my child’s name as face book.
Face book as a new born’s name? Isn’t that funny? Yes of course it is too funny and kiddish. Those who do not care for their baby or do not have the time to think over a nice name for their baby would surely take this step. There are many names that you have for your new born. So many of the names are beautiful as well as have a good meaning. Why not to have them instead of face book?
Face book is such a name that nobody would want to keep. Being a counselor I am unable to read the author mind as to why he has mentioned such a kind of topic in his blog. If you talk about having fun every person would like to call their child with such funny names but in reality no one would like to keep their child’s name as face book.
Face book itself is a name which indicates that the site is very funny and at the same time all of us are aware that it is a social site which connects people all around the world. I don’t understand that how can people even think of having their new born’s name as face book. I mean doesn’t it sound too childish?
Lol! Now that sounds too funny. I have never even dreamed of anything like this. Recently my wife delivered a baby boy and we were thinking of some good names for him. Since I was going through all the sites which could help us out with it I came across this blog where I found something really very strange and funny. So all what we can do is, now we can have all our babies name as face book.
No, I think if you are about to keep your new born’s name as face book you really need a big heart for that because the consequences of it would be beamed on later when your child grows up. So I think it would be better if you try and give it a second thought. It’s better to think now instead of later regretting over what you did in your past.
Well, I read this blog and for a while I was just wondering whether it is a spoof or someone is really asking whether the parents would want to keep their new baby’s name as face book. If you ask me I would obviously say NO to it because I don’t want the world or people around my baby to tease him or her. I would want to live with peace and not try to make fun out of our family.
Lol! Well I think it’s a spoof! How would a person even think of having his new born baby’s name as face book? Are people falling short of names for they have now started to have their new born’s name as face book. When I get married and decide of having kids I will never even think of having my child’s name as face book. Face book is the name of a social site and not a name to have for your children.
Naming a new born baby as face book!!!!!! This is the craziest and funniest thing I have ever heard. I know these days’ popularity and publicity of face book or any other social networking site is growing rapidly. And according to me this is a publicity stunt and way to catch attention of the people. And this also shows that the person is a face book addict.
I agree facebook could be long gone or no one likes it after she grows up. I think everyone has hyped this site up because of the stock offering right now. i just read article how teens are moving over to twitter because facebook is no longer cool. they want to be able to only let certain people see what they are doing instead of everyone in the world. i think parents on facebook made them start to switch to twitter.
Name your children after some one you know not something you like or a food you love. parents should ask if they would have liked thier parents naming them after a movie or food they liked maybe they would not name thier kids like that after all.
No. Stupid stupid stupid. It doesn’t even sound nice.
Naming my newborn Facebook? That’s insane! I don’t think Zuckerberg would ever do that let alone others 😛
It is really amazing that a kid with a social media name. What meaning we can extract from his name?
Funny article. Sure, Facebook has dominated the world over. I wonder if Pinterest is next.
Naming a girl baby Facebook? I seems very funny to me. How would the girl feel when she grows up? After all it is her father’s decision!
yes, absolutely. I would also want to name the url of my facebook with a particular name other than those meaningless numbers automatically produced. however, It seems to have 200 likes before you can do that.
Wow this is so sick to be honest. Facebook? Facebook IS addicting.
You should not spend more then 1 hour per day on facebook.